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  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the planned replacement of student bursaries by loans, how many nurse placements will be funded by Health Education England in 2017–18.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    It is not possible to determine these numbers at this stage as these will be based on the Health Education England (HEE) workforce plan, which is completed annually ahead of each student intake. HEE will continue to have a key leading role in the commissioning of nursing, midwifery and allied health courses. It will continue to provide sufficient clinical placement funding for those places needed to meet the workforce planning needs of the National Health Service.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the outcome of the Clinical Commissioning Group review into recent allegations about the NHS 111 service in the East Midlands.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England advises that North Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) comprehensively and swiftly investigated the allegations about the NHS 111 service in the East Midlands. The core of the allegations has no substance.

    The report however made a number of recommendations for the service, and the CCG will update NHS England regularly as these are implemented.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 17 November 2015 (HL3303), whether Monitor has decided on (1) the terms of reference of the independent review into the actions of the South East Coast Ambulance Trust in delaying responses to patients with life-threatening conditions who contacted the 111 service, and (2) whether that review will be made public.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We are advised by Monitor that it is currently agreeing the terms of reference of the review with South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. The review will look at the impact of the 111 project on patients, covering both benefit and harm.

    We are also informed by Monitor that the exact format of the review and what information will be made public are still to be determined. Monitor has made clear that the review should identify lessons and best practice which can be shared across the ambulance sector.

    We are advised that it is expected that the findings of the review will be available before the summer.

  • Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what reasons there are for the recent and proposed closures to road traffic at Allen’s West Level Crossing at Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees, and what action they plan to take to minimise any future unplanned and planned closures.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Network Rail operates at arm’s-length from the Department for Transport and is not expected to involve Ministers in its regular operational decisions such as its proposals for works at level crossings.

  • Lord Campbell of Pittenweem – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Campbell of Pittenweem – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) UK embassies, and (2) UK consular offices, have been closed since 6 May 2010, and where those closures took place.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), has not closed any Embassies over this period. Operations were suspended in Tehran, Damascus, Tripoli and Sana’a for security reasons. Tehran re-opened in August 2015.

    The FCO currently has 268 posts (Embassies, Consulates-General, Consulates, Multilateral Missions and Trade and Investment Offices – Consular Offices are not classed as posts) worldwide. Since 2010 we have opened nine posts: in Juba (South Sudan), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), San Salvador (El Salvador), Seattle (USA), Vientiane (Laos), Mogadishu (Somalia), Port au Prince (Haiti), Asuncion (Paraguay) and Wuhan (China). We have also upgraded eight posts: in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Antananarivo (Madagascar), Calgary (Canada), Monrovia (Liberia), Recife (Brazil), Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad (India).

    Since 2010, we have closed the following Consulates and Consular Offices in Europe and elsewhere:

    2010: One: Consulate-General Geneva, Switzerland

    2011: Three: Consulate-General Lille, France; Consulate-General Venice, Italy; Consulate Florence, Italy

    2012: Three: Consulate-General Basra, Iraq; Consulate Funchal, Portugal; Consular Office Oporto, Portugal

    2013: Four: Consulate Pattaya, Thailand; Consular Office, Thessaloniki, Greece; Consular Office, Andorra; Consular Office Willemstad, Curaçao

    2014: Two: Consular Offices in Cali and Cartagena, Colombia. The FCO also withdrew its Provincial Reconstruction Team from Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan

    2015: Two: Consulate Chiang Mai, Thailand; Consular Office Bodrum, Turkey.

    The FCO downgraded the following Consulates-General and Consulates to Trade and Investment Offices since 2010:

    2012: Two: Consulate-General Lyon, France; Consulate Naples, Italy

    2014: One: Consulate Bilbao, Spain.

    Since 2010, we have developed new technology and new ways of working that has enabled us to deliver services differently in some areas. We now have three Consular Contact Centres that take calls from all consular customers, and are able to support around 80 per cent of those calling without further escalation to post, helping to ensure that Consular staff in-country are able to focus their time on those most in need of help. Some services have also been centralised, with customers able to access them by post, and increasingly through digital channels.

  • Lord Campbell of Pittenweem – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Campbell of Pittenweem – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in Project Starter to acquire explosive ordnance disposal unmanned ground vehicles.

    Earl Howe

    Project Starter passed Initial Gate in October 2014 and is currently in the Assessment Phase.

  • Lord Campbell of Pittenweem – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Campbell of Pittenweem – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect the Thales Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicle to come into full service.

    Earl Howe

    The Watchkeeper Tactical Remotely Piloted Aircraft System was brought into service with the Army in 2014 and subsequently deployed to support operations in Afghanistan. Full operating capability is forecast to be achieved in the second quarter of 2017.

  • Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Black of Brentwood on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many road traffic accidents in which a dog was injured were reported to the police in each of the last three years.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Department for Transport collates information on animals identified as carriageway hazards in reported personal injury road accidents. However, information on the kind of animal involved in accidents is not collected.

    The number of reported personal injury road accidents involving animals1 in the carriageway, in Great Britain, 2012 – 20142, is shown in the following table.

    Year

    Accidents

    2012

    804

    2013

    734

    2014

    692

    1. Excludes ridden horses
    2. Data for 2015 is published summer 2016.

  • Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Black of Brentwood on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of Gypsies and Travellers in the UK.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    In the 2011 census, 63,500 people in the United Kingdom identified their ethnic group as Gypsy or Traveller.

  • Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Black of Brentwood on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the total cost to date of Operation Midland into allegations of historic child sex abuse.

    Lord Bates

    The resourcing, and cost, of police investigations into non recent child sexual abuse allegations is a matter for the relevant Chief Officer.