UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2014

  • Lyn Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lyn Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government Actuary’s Department has considered what accrual rate for the proposed 2015 firefighters’ pension scheme would allow retirement at 55 without an actuarial reduction.

    Penny Mordaunt

    A reformed firefighters’ pension scheme that provided for early retirement before the Normal Pension Age of 60, without an actuarial reduction, would be unlawful under the terms of the Public Service Pensions Act 2013.

  • Stephen Barclay – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Stephen Barclay – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Barclay on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, When he expects the mobile infrastructure project to be completed.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The news release issued on MIP in July last year referred to sites being acquired and built by 2015. Intensive work is continuing to deliver coverage to areas currently without, and this project remains a high priority for the Government. Providing coverage to some of the more remote and sensitive locations has been challenging but this project has brought together the four mobile network operators for the first time to find solutions. Proposals and timeframes to tackle these issues and to secure long term mobile coverage capabilities for the future are being finalised with further communications expected in the autumn.

  • Shabana Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Shabana Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Shabana Mahmood on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many studio colleges have fulfilled the terms of their funding agreements for student recruitment targets.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Post-opening student recruitment targets are only included in funding agreements for studio schools where there has been concern about potential pupil recruitment prior to the school opening.

    Five studio schools have specific termination clauses relating to post-opening student recruitment targets in their funding agreements. One school closed on 31 August 2013 and another is due to close on 31 August 2014 because they did not fulfil the funding agreement criteria in respect of the pupil recruitment target. Neither school was given an extension of time to meet the target. The other three schools have not yet reached the deadlines for their pupil recruitment targets.

    The majority of studio schools opening in September 2013 and all those due to open in September 2014 have pre-opening targets for student recruitment included in their funding agreements to ensure that the schools will be financially viable upon opening.

  • Caroline Flint – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Caroline Flint – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2014, Official Report, column 304W, on the Green Deal Scheme, whether the £450 million of financial support for domestic installation of energy efficiency measures announced in the Autumn Statement in December 2013 is in addition to (a) the £125 million allocated to the Green Deal Cashback Scheme announced in January 2013 and (b) the £200 million allocated to the Green Deal Programme in November 2011.

    Amber Rudd

    The funds announced in the Autumn Statement in December 2013 are additional to the others mentioned, and cover difficult financial periods.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effects of the CAP reforms on farmers.

    George Eustice

    I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 23 June 2014, Official Report, column 63W.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Government’s position is in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations on meat containing ractopamine entering the UK food-chain; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    The use of beta-agonists such as ractopamine for growth promotion purposes is banned under Council Directive 96/22/EC. Third countries permitted to export to the EU are required to have equivalent standards, therefore meat from those countries entering the EU should not contain residues of these substances.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, What recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Ukraine.

    Mr David Lidington

    The situation in eastern Ukraine is of grave concern. As the Prime Minister recently discussed with President Obama, Chancellor Merkel and President Hollande, Russia still needs to take steps towards de-escalation including support for a ceasefire; release of all hostages; and preventing the transit of weapons and fighters across the Russia-Ukraine border.

    The tragic incident involving Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 underlines the seriousness of the situation. The reason violence continues in eastern Ukraine is because Russian-backed armed separatists refused to respect a ceasefire and have continued to intimidate, mount attacks and disrupt the lives of ordinary people.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Virendra Sharma – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what data his Department gathers on the number of patients with diabetes who are admitted to hospital each month as a result of a hypoglycaemic episode; and what estimate has been made of the overall cost of hypoglycaemia to the NHS.

    Jane Ellison

    Providers of NHS services in England are required to supply information on activity to the Secondary Uses Services (SUS) database via commissioning datasets. Each month an extract from the SUS database is taken and populated into the Hospital Episode Statistics database which is then made available for analysis.

    Diseases are classified using the World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases. Codes to identify diabetes and hypoglycaemia exist, so it is possible to report activity on admissions to hospital for patients with a primary diagnosis of hypoglycaemia and a secondary diagnosis of diabetes.

    NHS England has not made an estimate of the overall cost of hypoglycaemia to the National Health Service.

  • Henry Smith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Henry Smith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps (a) his Department and (b) NHS England plan to take to reduce premature mortality from respiratory disease.

    Jane Ellison

    The NHS Outcomes Framework 2014-15 sets out the Department’s priority areas for the National Health Service and includes reducing deaths from respiratory disease as a key indicator. In addition to this, the Mandate sets out the requirements for NHS England to improve outcomes in a range of areas, including preventing premature deaths from the biggest killers (including respiratory) and supporting people with long term physical and mental health conditions.

    Living Well for Longer: National Support for Local Action to Reduce Premature Mortality, launched in April, sets out what the health and care system will do to achieve the Government’s ambition to be amongst the best in Europe at reducing levels of premature mortality. It brings together in one place the national actions taken by the Department of Health and wider Government, NHS England and Public Health England, in prevention, early diagnosis and treatment, focusing on the five big killers, including lung disease, and shows how they will support local leadership and interventions.

    The Department has supported a number of initiatives to help improve outcomes for people with respiratory disease. In July 2011, it published an outcomes strategy for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma in England, which sets out six high-level objectives to improve outcomes in these areas through high quality prevention, detection, treatment and care services. The Department has also supported the publication of a good practice guides on services for adults with asthma, which was published in 2012.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published Quality Standards for COPD and for asthma setting out the markers of high-quality, cost-effective care and the implementation of these will also raise the standard of care people with these conditions receive.

    The Department has collaborated with the National Review of Asthma Deaths which is examined the circumstances surrounding deaths from asthma from 1 February 2012 to 30 January 2013 and reported on its findings in May of this year. Lessons learnt about the factors that contribute to asthma deaths will inform the NHS about what constitutes good care, and encourage the development of appropriate services for people with asthma.

    Public Health England recently ran a local pilot campaign in Oldham and Rochdale to raise awareness amongst the public about the importance of visiting their general practitioner with symptoms of breathlessness.

  • Graham Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Graham Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Evans on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, to whom the NSPCC will refer cases of people (a) from EU countries and (b) who are not EU nationals, who call her planned modern slavery helpline and are identified as victims of modern slavery.

    Karen Bradley

    We are working closely with the NSPCC to pilot a Modern Slavery Helpline as part of a wider communications and marketing campaign, to raise awareness of modern slavery. The helpline will be established by the end of July 2014. We are working with a number of non-governmental organisations and law enforcement agencies to ensure that all callers to the helpline can access any additional help, advice and support they need.

    Training will be provided to all call handlers working on the helpline, which will be delivered by the NSPCC Child Trafficking Advice Centre and the
    Metropolitan Police Service, building on their specific expertise and knowledge in this area. The training will include the nature of modern slavery, the information to be obtained from individuals who call the helpline as well as organisations that can provide further support and guidance. There are no specific costs to the Home Office associated with providing this training.

    Each call to the helpline will be considered on a case-by-case basis and, where an individual requires further information or advice, the helpline call handlers will provide the details of other organisations for the caller to contact, as appropriate. This is regardless of whether the caller is from an EU or non-EU country.

    Stakeholders, including NGOs, have been engaged in the communications and marketing campaign which underpins the helpline.
    The NSPCC is ideally placed to deliver what we need given their existing infrastructure and expertise in safeguarding issues. The NSPCC runs a number of helplines, including Childline, FGM helpline and the Child Trafficking Advice Centre (CTAC) line. We have engaged NSPCC by means of a formal Grant Agreement, not a Contract, which will be managed using standard Home Office grant terms and conditions in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money.