Tag: 2014

  • 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 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment rates among (a) South Asian populations, (b) homeless people, (c) injecting drug users and (d) other at-risk groups.

    Jane Ellison

    The commissioning of local Hepatitis C services, including bespoke services for homeless people or other at-risk groups, is the responsibility of local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). NHS England expects that decisions made by local CCGs will take account of the needs of their local populations.

    A range of materials has been published to help CCGs commission relevant services. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published guidance on improving uptake of testing and diagnosis for hepatitis C in risk groups. Public Health England has published a commissioning template to support commissioning of hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment services. Guidance for commissioning bespoke services for homeless people has been published by the Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health.

    The Department supports the Inclusion Health programme which champions the health and health care of vulnerable groups, including homeless people. The programme seeks to improve the health data for these groups, and set out practical steps for assessing needs (e.g. through Joint Strategic Need Assessments) and commissioning services. We are also involved in funding work in this area through the Homeless Hospital Discharge Fund to improve hospital discharge arrangements for people who are homeless (£10 million 2013-14) and £40 million capital fund for hostel refurbishment with a focus on improving health outcomes (2014-15).

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2014-03-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff are currently employed for more than 50 per cent of their working week to support the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education in his role as Accounting Officer; and what are their job titles.

    Lord Nash

    A large proportion of the staff who work in the Department for Education support the Permanent Secretary in his role as Accounting Officer.

    The information requested about those who do so for more than 50% of their working week is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 3778W, on Syria, what assessment his Department has made of the likelihood of President Assad complying with the agreed Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons timetable for the removal and destruction of Syria’s stockpile of chemical weapons.

    Mr William Hague

    The regime has missed all deadlines set by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Executive Council for the removal of chemicals from Syria, including their own deadline of 27 April 2014. Around 7.5 per cent of the materials remain. This means that the 30 June 2014 deadline set by the UN for the elimination of the material can no longer be met. Responsibility for this rests with the regime.

    The functional destruction of Syria’s chemical weapon manufacturing capability and the removal of more than 90 per cent of the chemicals used in the programme are significant achievements. However, Syria’s failure to meet the deadlines for removal of the remaining chemicals is unacceptable. The UK and partners continue to press for the urgent completion of removal operations.

  • The Countess of Mar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The Countess of Mar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Countess of Mar on 2014-03-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether social services departments are required to maintain a record of children with disabilities who are subject to child protection investigation under the Equality Act 2010.

    Lord Nash

    Under the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011, local authorities are required to publish information demonstrating compliance with the public sector equalities duty under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. Whilst this information must include “information relating to persons who share a relevant protected characteristic who are affected by its policies and practices”, this does not specifically require the publication of information about children with disabilities who are subject to child protection investigations.

    Local authorities are, however, required to report annually on the numbers of children in need who have a disability (as defined by section 6 of the Equality Act 2010) as part of the Children in Need Census data collection. This data is collected under section 83 of the Children Act 1989. As part of this collection, local authorities report on the number of children with disabilities who are subject to child protection investigations under section 47 of the Children Act 1989.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many commissions he has extended for Royal Navy officers at or between level QF2 to QF4, who were officers before 1999, to address a lack of suitably qualified and experienced personnel.

    Anna Soubry

    Extensions of Service for Royal Navy Officers are not made by Ministers but are a matter for the Royal Navy. However, the information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  • Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2014-03-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 6 March (HL Deb, col 1522), whether the proposed judge-led public inquiry into undercover policing will be a statutory one that falls within the Inquiries Act 2005.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    The judge-led public inquiry into undercover policing will be established under the Inquiries Act 2005.

    As I said to the House when I repeated the Home Secretary’s statement on 6 March 2014, Official Report, columns 1518-1526, there is significant further work that needs to take place before the public inquiry can begin its work. That further work will inform the scope of the inquiry and its terms of reference.

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Stephenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2014-06-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of families that would be eligible for support for childcare costs under the provisions of the Childcare Payments Bill in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Pendle constituency.

    Nicky Morgan

    The information requested is not available.

  • Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Sawford on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made on measures to allow town and parish councils to send agendas electronically.

    Brandon Lewis

    Schedule 12 of the Local Government Act 1972 requires local authorities (both principal and parish councils) to send summonses to attend meetings by post. Reflecting the take-up of digital communications, Ministers are minded to issue an Order under Section 8 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000 to facilitate this being done electronically; although we do believe that councillors should continue to have a right to receive communications in hard copy by post should they wish, and that this should be reflected in any legislative change.

    We will be undertaking an informal sounding shortly on the wording of any draft Order with key partners, including the Local Government Association and the National Association of Local Councils.

  • Peter Luff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Peter Luff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Luff on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the review of design and technology GCSE/GCE examination specifications will bring those examinations in line with the revised national curriculum for design and technology.

    Elizabeth Truss

    The GCSE and GCE Awarding Organisations are leading on developing new design and technology GCSEs and A levels. They are ensuring that the content builds on and is in line with the revised design and technology national curriculum.

  • Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of employees in his Department of each (a) Civil Service pay grade and (b) gender work (i) reduced hours, (ii) flexi-time, (iii) from home, (iv) a compressed working week, (v) job share, (vi) term-time only and (vii) part-time.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    This information is not available in the format requested as flexible working patterns are agreed at a local level.