Tag: 2014

  • Anas Sarwar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Anas Sarwar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anas Sarwar on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much of the emergency response fund for the Central African Republic has so far been dispersed; and which international agencies have received such funding.

    Lynne Featherstone

    DFID has contributed a total of £23m in humanitarian aid to the crisis in the Central African Republic since mid-2013, with £700,000 remaining to be distributed according to humanitarian priorities in the coming months.

    DFID allocated £5m to support NGOs in CAR in November 2013 which was increased in February 2014 to £7 million in light of growing needs. The bulk of funding was awarded to five NGOs: Mentor, Save the Children, Solidarites, Mercy Corps and International Medical Corps. Since DFID makes quarterly payments to NGOs, not all funds have been disbursed.

    In addition, DFID allocated humanitarian funds to the ICRC, Common Humanitarian Fund, UNHAS, UNHCR and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

  • Mr Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mr Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Frank Field on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the number of schools that undertake cycling training; whether his Department provides information to schools on the wearing of cycle helmets by children; and if he will take steps to ensure that a Travel to School Policy becomes compulsory for all local education authorities in relation to schoolchildren and safety.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department for Transport provides funding for the delivery of Bikeability cycle training in England. Currently approximately 8,177 schools take part in training delivered by either their Local Highway Authority or School Games Organiser Host School.

    Bikeability courses include discussions on helmets during the equipment check. Those wearing helmets are taught how to fit and adjust them correctly and there are also wider discussions on safety equipment and what to wear.

    The Department for Education expects local authorities to meet its Home to School Transport Duties which includes ensuring safe walking routes and sustainable local travel. There are no plans to change the legislation or the policies that underpin this.

  • David Burrowes – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Burrowes – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Burrowes on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what (a) pharmacological treatments and (b) associated indications the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended only for patients who have not been treated with a previously appraised drug.

    Norman Lamb

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has advised that providing all the information in the format requested would incur disproportionate cost.

    Information about technology appraisals where NICE has recommended a technology only in circumstances in which a patient has not been treated with a previously recommended technology can be found within each published technology appraisal on NICE’s website at:

    www.nice.org.uk

    Information about where NICE has considered or made recommendations regarding the sequential use of technologies can also be found within each published technology appraisal on the website.

  • 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 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the work of his Department’s youth hubs.

    Esther McVey

    Youth hubs have been set up in some locations under our Freedoms and Flexibilities policy where local managers judge they would be an effective way of supporting young people. There has been positive feedback on them but evaluation is a matter for local Managers.

  • Mark Hoban – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Hoban – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hoban on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Suffolk Coastal of 8 January 2014, Official Report, column 265W, on general practitioners: Suffolk, how much his Department spent funding each general practice in England in 2012-13; and what spending type and GP Practice code applies in each case.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The requested information is not collected centrally. The Investment in General Practice report published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre includes the investment in General Practice and the reimbursement of drugs dispensed in General Practices at national level. A copy has been placed in the Library.

  • Mr John Baron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Mr John Baron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr John Baron on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made on the review of so-called letters of comfort issued to on-the-runs.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    On 11 March I appointed Lady Justice Hallett to carry out an independent inquiry into the administrative scheme dealing with so-called ‘on the runs’.

    The terms of reference require the provision of a full public account of the operation and extent of the scheme.

    I will lay a copy of the report before the House as soon as practicable after I receive it.

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the number of companies who have signed up to one or more pledges set out in the Responsibility Deal; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of those companies which are meeting all of the pledges they have signed up to.

    Jane Ellison

    675 partners are currently signed up the Responsibility Deal. Details of these partners, the pledges they are committed to taking action on and their annual updates are available in full on the Responsibility Deal website at:

    https://responsibilitydeal.dh.gov.uk/partners/

  • Lord Harris of Haringey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Harris of Haringey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harris of Haringey on 2014-03-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the boundaries of the Rural Support Zone for HS2 and list the local authorities within which the Zone falls.

    Baroness Kramer

    The Government is not yet able to confirm the outcome of the recent consultation on property compensation for Phase One of HS2, but expects to make an announcement soon.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will meet the hon. Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland to discuss the proposed closure of (a) minor injuries units at Guisborough and East Cleveland Hospitals, (b) Skelton Medical Centre, (c) Park End Clinic and (d) Skelton NHS Walk-in-Centre.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    These are matters for the local National Health Service. The hon. Member should engage with the NHS at a local level.

    This Government is committed to devolving decision-making about local NHS services to local clinicians and communities. It is general practitioners clinicians, patients and local authorities who are best placed to determine the nature of their NHS services.

  • Lord Harrison – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Harrison – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harrison on 2014-03-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for large occupational defined contribution pension schemes to be active owners or stewards of their assets, in line with the definition of stewardship as outlined in the Financial Reporting Council’s Stewardship Code.

    Lord Freud

    The Government supports the principles set out in the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) UK Stewardship Code including schemes becoming active stewards of their investments and reporting on that stewardship. The Code sets out a number of areas of good practice to which the FRC believes institutional investors should aspire, and operates on a ‘comply or explain’ basis. It includes guidance for pension schemes and other asset owners on steps they can take to protect and enhance the value that accrues to the ultimate beneficiary. The FCA requires UK authorised asset managers to report on whether or not they apply the Code.

    The UK stewardship code is voluntary, however we would encourage workplace pensions schemes to comply with the principles set out in the code. In addition we are developing governance standards of workplace defined contribution schemes, and have asked the Law Commission to investigate how fiduciary duties currently apply in the investment chain. The Pensions Regulator’s defined contribution Code of Practice also sets out the legal requirements and standards they expect trustees of defined contribution schemes to attain. This includes a section on investment which also references the FRC Stewardship code. These initiatives are part of our on-going work to ensure schemes are governed and administered to deliver in members’ interests.