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Tag: 2014

  • Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will investigate the alleged misallocation of the specialist spinal injury beds at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and the use by non-spinal cord injury patients.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England’s Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) service specification clearly sets out what providers must have in place to offer evidence-based, safe and effective services. It sets a core requirement that each specialised SCI Centre (SCIC) can demonstrate they have a minimum of 20 beds dedicated exclusively for the treatment and rehabilitation of SCI patients. Specialised SCI Services encompass all activity for SCI patients provided by the host trust of the SCIC, including any readmission or attendance for SCI-related care, wherever the treatment is located in the trust. A copy of the specification can be found at the following link:

    www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/d13-spinal-cord-0414.pdf

    NHS England is aware that a number of beds in one ward at Stoke Mandeville spinal injuries unit are being used as escalation beds by medical specialties to assist with patient flow. It is planned for these beds to re-open as specialist spinal beds from September 2014.

  • Steve Rotheram – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve Rotheram – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and which private sector companies awarded NHS contracts have subcontracted work from NHS hospitals and surgeries to prisons in England; and which prisons are involved in such contracts.

    Norman Lamb

    This information is not collected centrally by NHS England.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Emily Thornberry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many times her Department has referred cases of suspected bribery, fraud or money laundering concerning UK aid money to (a) the Serious Fraud Office and (b) the Crown Prosecution Service since 2009-10.

    Justine Greening

    It is not the policy of this Department to comment on Serious Fraud Office or Crown Prosecution Service matters.

  • John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John McDonnell on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what reasons were given to him by Buddi for its withdrawal from the new electronic contract in March 2014.

    Andrew Selous

    MoJ was unable to agree on certain technical and commercial aspects of the proposed contract with Buddi. We therefore took the decision to discontinue discussions with Buddi and recompete this part of the competition.

  • Lady Hermon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lady Hermon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps she is taking to publish the names of the 228 on-the-runs with comfort letters after the publication of the Hallett Report; and if she will make a statement.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    Lady Justice Hallett did not publish the names of OTRs in her report, with the exception of John Downey. She was clear that her decision not to do so was not “a result of any ‘whitewash’” but rather, “as a matter of law” she “was not entitled to do so”. Indeed, she has been “scrupulously careful not to reveal details of offences in which any OTR was a suspect… so as not to prejudice any future criminal trials”.

    In the same way, and as I made clear in answering questions following my statement on 17 July about the report, I will not release the personal information of those involved in the scheme nor any other information which might prejudice any future trials. As Lady Justice Hallett has said, people “would not thank me if I inadvertently contributed to another successful abuse of process investigation”.

  • Kate Hoey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Kate Hoey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many train operating companies (TOCs) missed their annual punctuality targets in each year of Control Period 4, 2009-14; and whether the Office of Rail Regulation can impose fines on TOCs for missing punctuality targets for timetabled train services.

    Claire Perry

    The regulatory targets for punctuality set by the Office of Rail Regulation for Control Period 4 applied to Network Rail, but not to the individual TOCs. ORR holds Network Rail accountable for its delivery to TOCs by enforcing targets agreed between Network Rail and TOCs.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobseekers were supported through the Flexible Support Fund in 2013; and what proportion of such were (a) men, (b) under 25 years old and (c) over 50 years old.

    Esther McVey

    The information requested is not readily available and there would be a disproportionate cost to collate this information.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations he received from representatives of secondary ticketing websites on the guidance to or implementation of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

    Jo Swinson

    My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has not received any direct representations from representatives of the secondary ticketing websites on amendments tabled to the Consumer Rights Bill or about the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills’ guidance on them.

    Neither my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State nor other Ministers in the Department for Business Innovation and Skills have had meetings with the secondary ticketing websites about the implementation of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 or the Department for Business Innovation and Skills’ guidance on them.

    The draft Regulations and the contents of the Bill were widely consulted on and the Department received a range of comments in response. Officials from the Department have also had discussions with a wide range of stakeholders (including with secondary ticketing websites) on the implementation of those Regulations and the guidance on them.

    Following a consultation on the draft regulations, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills has produced guidance on the requirements of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. This guidance is easily accessible on the gov.uk website. Officials have also worked with the Business Support Helpline, which offers free advice to business on a wide range of issues, including regulation, and with the Trading Standards Institute (TSI), as the primary body responsible for educating businesses on consumer law. TSI has also produced guidance which is available on their website. Consumers themselves are important in driving compliance and officials have worked with Citizens Advice to raise consumer awareness so that they can see when businesses are not abiding by the requirements of the regulations.

    The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has also actively promoted the changes in the Regulations across all sectors through seminars, presentations and communications to businesses.

    Ministers in the Home Office, Department for Culture Media and Sport and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills have discussions and correspond together on a wide range of issues, and this has included agreeing the content of the Consumer Rights Bill. Officials from those Departments are in regular contact, including regarding the issue of resale of tickets.

  • Fiona Mactaggart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Fiona Mactaggart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2014-07-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many taxpayers qualified for a refund on their 2013-14 tax payments; how many of them received the refund; and what the average value is of these refunds.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) refunds tax to individual customers for different types of taxes throughout the year. HMRC endeavours to refund tax as soon as practicable after they identify tax is to be refunded.

  • David Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Wright on 2014-07-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total cost was of employing external contractors and consultants on HM Revenue and Customs-related work in 2013-14.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) costs for external contractors are published on the Cabinet Office.gov.uk website.

    HMRC costs for Consultancy are reported in the HMRC Annual Report and Accounts 2013-14 under Other Administration Costs: Other Expenditure (page 138) and Programme Costs: Other Programme Costs (page 140) and are audited by the National Audit Office. These costs include those for the VOA, which are consolidated with the costs for the core department.

    HMRC annual report and accounts: 2013 to 2014 – Publications – GOV.UK

    “