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Tag: 2014

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the gross average salary was of a full-time teacher in local authority schools in the City of York in (a) cash and (b) real terms in 1995-96 and in each year since.

    Mr David Laws

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 10 July 2013, Official Report 297W, which provided the gross average salary of full-time regular qualified teachers in service in local authority maintained schools in cash terms and real terms for York local authority, in each March, 1997 to 2009 and November 2010 to November 2011.

    The gross average salary of full-time regular qualified teachers in service in local authority maintained schools in cash terms and real terms for York local authority, in November 2012 is £36,200 in both cash and real terms (rounded to the nearest £100). Figures cover all primary, secondary and special local authority maintained schools that were open but exclude academies. 2013 figures will be available in late July 2014. The source of this information is the November 2012 School Workforce Census.

    Real terms figures were calculated from HMT GDP deflators, financial year, published on 1 April 2014 at the following web link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/gdp-deflators-at-market-prices-and-money-gdp

    “

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many (a) single-pensioner households in York and (b) two-pensioner households in York have received Warm Front assistance in each year since the inception of that scheme; and what the average spend has been on each such household.

    Gregory Barker

    The last year of the Warm Front Scheme was 2012-13. There has been no further change in the Warm Front figures for York local authority area since my answer to you on 9th July 2013.

  • Anas Sarwar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Anas Sarwar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anas Sarwar on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of avoidable deaths from breast cancer.

    Jane Ellison

    The Cancer Outcomes Strategy set out our ambition to save an additional 5,000 lives per year by 2014-15 and is backed with more than £750 million, including more than £450 million to achieve early diagnosis by improving public awareness of the symptoms of cancer and improving access to key diagnostic tests.

    Public Health England, working with the Department and NHS England, ran a national Be Clear on Cancer campaign on breast cancer in women over 70. The campaign aimed to improve awareness of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and urge people with relevant signs and symptoms to visit their general practitioner promptly.

    Screening is an important way to detect cancer early and the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme (BSP) invites women aged 50 to 70 every three years. We want to expand the NHS BSP so that more women can make the important choice to take part, so the programme is currently being extended to women aged 47-49 and 71-73 as part of a major research trial. Results on the impact of the extension on breast cancer mortality will be known in the early 2020s.

  • John Glen – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Glen – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy that there should be equality of access to treatment for patients in England with specialised conditions.

    Jane Ellison

    Since April 2013, NHS England has been responsible for the commissioning of services that have been identified as specialised. NHS England’s role is to ensure that the National Health Service delivers better outcomes for patients requiring these specialised services in a consistent manner across the country.

    NHS England is committed to commissioning and planning a healthcare system that seeks to reduce health inequalities. In line with the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases, NHS England promotes equity of access to allow everyone with a rare disease to follow a clear, well defined care pathway, in order to achieve high quality services for every individual through integrated personal care plans. The aim is to ensure no one gets left behind just because they have a rare disease.

    NHS England has advised that the review of specialised services commissioning was initiated at the start of May and will run for an initial period of three months. Dr Paul Watson, Regional Director for the Midlands and East Region, is leading the specialised commissioning taskforce. National discussions took place at the end of April and the taskforce was established in April 2014 in order to make some immediate improvements to the way in which NHS England commissions specialised services, and to put commissioning arrangements on a stronger footing for the longer-term. This taskforce comprises of seven distinct work streams, which will focus on financial control in 2014-15, and planning for the 2015-16 commissioning round. The seven work streams each have a distinct portfolio of work, some of which is short-term, and some of which includes looking to the future and the development of a sustainable and effective model of specialised commissioning.

    Around 50 additional individuals, from different disciplines, have been drawn from across NHS England, coming together to support intensive, focussed attention in a number of these work streams.

    There are aspects of the work which will require engagement with clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). In consultation with the Commissioning Assembly, a specific working group has been established to enable the joint discussions with CCGs to take place. The first meeting of this group was on 4 July.

    NHS England advise that there are currently no plans to consult on the outcome of the work of the taskforce.

  • Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the performance of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency during the search for the Water Rail between 20 and 22 May 2014.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) performance in relation to the incident involving the Water Rail between 20 and 22 May 2014 was thorough and professional, and in line with established international protocols.

    The operational activity of coastguards on duty at the Aberdeen Maritime and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) were supervised by an experienced Search Mission Coordinator.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2014, Official Report, columns 171W, on children: maintenance, on how many occasions where contingency measures had to be employed by the Department’s Child Maintenance Group (CMG) to support the work of the Child Maintenance Options Service it was the case that call demands exceeded forecasted volumes; how many CMG staff were deployed on each such occasion; and in which office or offices of the CMG these trained contingency staff were located.

    Steve Webb

    Child Maintenance Group (CMG) staff, based at Barnsley, were used on three, limited duration, occasions (November 2013, January 2014 and February 2014) when call demand exceeded forecasted volumes.

    The number of CMG staff engaged in this activity, at any one time, varied between 5 and 20 colleagues for periods ranging from minutes to hours. Most of this activity took place in the CMG Barnsley office. Although, there was a short period, before telephony lines could be transferred, when CMG staff travelled to the Child Maintenance Options office.

    CMG staff have been used as contingency only where demand is above the agreed contracted level. This planned approach ensures value for money as we are not paying for long term resource where the forecast shows a short term increase in demand.

  • Lord Hylton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Lord Hylton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2014-06-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of any improvement in the balance and fairness of media reports of incidents of hate-motivated offences and of prejudice against religious and ethnic groups since the Leveson report was published.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    No such assessment has been made. In the Royal Charter we have introduced a new system of independent press self-regulation that protects press freedom whilst offering real redress when mistakes are made. Importantly, the Government recognises the importance of a free press and does not interfere with what it does and does not publish.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what input officials in his Department sought from their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive in preparation for the UK’s attendance at the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council held in Brussels on 20 and 21 May 2014.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    DCMS officials seek to keep their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive informed of relevant EU developments on an ongoing basis. There was no specific contact prior to the meeting of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council on 20 and 21 May.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans he has to make changes to mandatory green energy charges on consumer bills; and if he will make a statement.

    Michael Fallon

    We have recently consulted on proposed changes to the Energy Company Obligation and expect to announce our response shortly. These proposed changes form part of the package of measures announced in December last year that has led to reductions this year of around £50 on the average household bill. We have no plans to make further changes.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether Ministers from the devolved administrations were invited to attend the Global Dementia Legacy Event in London in June 2014.

    Norman Lamb

    Senior officials from each of the devolved administrations are members of the Dementia Steering Group (International) and were involved and aware of plans for the UK Global Dementia Legacy event. They were also invited to attend the event. Ministers were not invited, senior officials were sent a formal invitation.

    The Scottish Government hosted an international dementia event on 9 and 10 June, and officials from the Department attended.

    Ministers from across the United Kingdom signed up to the Blackfriars Consensus to prevent and delay dementia, which was announced at the UK Global Dementia Legacy event.