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Tag: 2014

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many finished consultant episodes there were at York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in each year since 2008-09 and in each year since.

    Jane Ellison

    The information requested is shown in the following table:

    Count of Finished Consultant Episodes1 where the provider was York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, for the years 2008-09 to 2012-132

    Year

    FCEs

    2008-09

    87,023

    2009-10

    91,528

    2010-11

    97,719

    2011-12

    103,847

    2012-13

    164,691

    Notes:

    1Finished Consultant Episode (FCE)

    A FCE is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year.

    2Assessing growth through time (Admitted patient care)

    Hospital Episode Statistics figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years) and changes in National Health Service practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care.

    Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

  • Nicholas Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Nicholas Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reasons he decided against change following his review into his Department’s check-off system for employees’ trade union subscriptions.

    Jeremy Wright

    Check-off arrangements are kept under review.

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) the City of York local authority area and (b) York Central constituency were in receipt of (i) the basic state pension and (ii) pension credit in 2008-09 and in each year since; and what the average weekly value of pension credit received was in each case during those periods.

    Steve Webb

    Statistics for State Pension and Pension Credit are available from 100% data and are published on the Department’s website at:

    http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/pc/tabtool_pc.html

    and

    http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/sp/tabtool_sp.html

    Guidance for users is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance

    “

  • Lord Stone of Blackheath – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Stone of Blackheath – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stone of Blackheath on 2014-06-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Northover on 26 June (WA 177), what were the exact amounts of money given by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development to the Arab Partnership Participation Fund in the financial years 2012–13 and 2013–14; and what are the projected amounts for 2014–15 and 2015–16.

    Baroness Northover

    The FCO and DFID support Egypt through the Arab Partnership Economic Facility (APEF), which is funded and managed by DFID, the Arab Partnership Participation Fund (APPF), which is co-funded by the FCO and DFID and is managed by the FCO, and the tri-departmental (FCO, DFID, MoD) Conflict Pool. We estimate that since 2011 approximately £17m has been spent in Egypt through regional programmes funded by the APEF; due to the regional nature of this funding we are not able to further disaggregate the amounts spent. A small amount of APEF funding has been spent by the Embassy on local-level economic projects, as follows: £129,538 in 2012-2013; £784,801 in 2013-14; and £629,000 in 2014-2015. All APEF funds for 2014/15 have now been allocated.

    Through the Arab Partnership Participation Fund (APPF), £1.5m was provided in financial year 2012-2013; £1.3m in 2013-14; and £1.3m has been allocated for 2014-15.

    Through the tri-departmental (FCO, DFID, MOD) Conflict Pool (CP) £264,386 was provided in 2012-13; £458,370 in 2013-2014; and approximately £2m is allocated for 2014/15.

    We are not currently able to provide projected amounts for 2015/16. From 2015/16 onwards, the Conflict Pool will be replaced by the Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), which will have a global budget of £1billion. CSSF allocations by country and according to government department will be finalised in early 2015. FCO and DFID funding for the Arab Partnership for 2015/16 has not yet been agreed.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what work the National Space Agency is doing to support the development of a regional space small and medium-sized enterprise sector in Northern Ireland; and what steps his Department has taken to support space-related events and conferences for decision-makers, the public, industry or academia in Northern Ireland.

    Mr David Willetts

    The UK Space Agency recognises the strengths and interest of the Northern Ireland space sector. The Agency has recently established a small team to focus on supporting the development of a vibrant regional small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) community across the UK. It is already engaged with the Northern Ireland space office and will work with them to help them to understand the potential value of the space sector to the Northern Ireland economy, both in the traditional upstream and in downstream “space-enabled markets”. Areas of focus for regional engagement include aligning locally provided business support and the potential for further space business incubators. The team are working closely with colleagues in the Satellite Applications Catapult who are also engaging with Local Enterprise Partnerships & the Devolved Administrations and have a significant role to play in supporting SMEs in the space sector. As set out in the Northern Ireland Economic Pact, the Agency is considering the case for a new satellite propulsion test facility near Belfast. The Agency is also in receipt of Northern Ireland’s letter of intent to host the UK Space Conference 2017 and due consideration will be given to holding the conference in Belfast in due course.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authorities in England use external contractors to assist with the delivery of childcare services excluding fostering and adoption.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Through its Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme, the Government is supporting local authorities to take new approaches to maximise the capacity and skills brought to bear in improving services for the most vulnerable children. Part of that work involves giving local authorities greater freedom to test new delivery models and harness external ideas and expertise by allowing them to delegate children’s social care functions to external providers.

    In November 2013 we gave all local authorities the power to operate in this manner. So far five providers have registered with Ofsted as performing these functions on behalf of local authorities.

    Local authorities also make widespread use of contractors in the provision of children’s services such as residential care and foster care.

    The Government does not collect data on local authority spend on external contracts.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his counterparts in the devolved administrations on the proposed National Pollinator Strategy to reverse the decline in the bee population in the UK.

    Dan Rogerson

    Defra officials have been in regular contact with theDevolved Administrations as we prepare the National Pollinator Strategy. We have shared lessons learned and how to work cooperatively to achieve common goals. As we move to implementation of the Strategy’s actions, this cooperation will continue.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for appointments at GP surgeries.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The Government recognises the importance of timely access to general practice. The Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund has allocated £50 million to pilot ways to improve access around the country, to give general practitioners (GPs) the flexibility to meet the needs of the local population. These pilots will benefit more than 7.5 million patients across more than 1,110 practices.

    In addition, changes to the GP contract in April 2014 introduced a new Enhanced Service, which includes a commitment to same day telephone consultations with a professional in the GP surgery, where necessary, for the most at risk in the population.

  • Nadine Dorries – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Nadine Dorries – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nadine Dorries on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to increase levels of protection for elderly and vulnerable people who fall victim to abuse of power of attorney.

    Simon Hughes

    The Government is committed to protecting elderly and vulnerable people, and to ensuring that anyone responsible for abuse is dealt with appropriately.

    The Public Guardian has power to investigate cases where concerns are raised about the actions of a person acting under a power of attorney, and to apply to the Court to revoke the power of attorney where necessary to prevent abuse. The Public Guardian will refer cases to health and care authorities, who can act under statutory safeguarding powers to protect an individual who may be at risk, and to the police if he suspects a criminal offence has been committed.

    We are currently considering whether the Public Guardian needs additional powers to strengthen his role in safeguarding elderly and vulnerable people, including the power to continue an investigation after a power of attorney or court order has been revoked or disclaimed. This would require changes to primary legislation.

    Data on prosecutions for fraud, or for ill-treatment and neglect under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, do not specify whether the allegation relates to a person acting under a power of attorney. The Government’s response to the House of Lords Select Committee’s report on the Mental Capacity Act includes a commitment to review the use of the criminal offence under s44 of the Act.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-06-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the safety of embryos created using the DNA of three individuals.

    Earl Howe

    An expert panel, convened by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, has conducted three reviews of the safety and efficacy of methods to avoid mitochondrial disease through assisted conception. The reports of the reviews were published in April 2011, March 2013 and, most recently, on 3 June 2014.

    All three reviews have found no evidence to suggest any of the techniques evaluated are unsafe. In its most recent report, the expert panel recommended that additional experiments should be completed before the techniques were used in clinical practice. The Government is considering the report and will announce its plans as soon as possible.