Tag: 2014

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that hospitals do not discourage whistleblowing by staff; and if he will take steps to issue a UK NHS-wide policy on that matter.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    We have been absolutely clear that National Health Service staff who speak out in the interests of patient safety must be protected and listened to and that we expect all NHS organisations to have whistleblowing policies in place that are compliant with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. On 5 March this year, my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to Chairs in NHS trusts and foundation trusts in England to express his strong views on this matter and to reiterate the vital importance of fostering a culture of openness and transparency in the NHS.

    In addition, the Department recently commissioned the Whistleblowing Helpline to update whistleblowing guidance for the NHS. This revised guidance “Raising Concerns at Work – Whistleblowing Guidance for workers and employers in Health and Social Care” was published on 17 March 2014. This guidance transparently sets out the policies and processes for staff and employers in a single document and is available via their website or as a hard copy. This guidance can be found on their website.

    www.wbhelpline.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Raising-Concerns-at-Work.pdf

    Employment law and policy (of which whistleblowing law and policy is a part), and health law and policy, are devolved matters in Northern Ireland. In Scotland and Wales employment law is not devolved, but health law is. Decisions about implementation of whistleblowing policy in the NHS in each part of the United Kingdom are therefore a matter for each of those areas.

  • Adrian Sanders – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Adrian Sanders – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adrian Sanders on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides to the police on managing public protests; and what discussions she has had with chief constables and the IPCC on the management of such protests.

    Damian Green

    Managing public protests is an operational matter for the police. Guidance on the management of public protests is contained in the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice.

    The Home Secretary and Home Office Ministers regularly meet with Chief Constables and the Independent Police Complaints Commission on a range of policing matters as part of the process of policy development, delivery and assurance.

  • David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with representatives of the travel insurance industry regarding cancellations of holidays or business trips due to delays in processing passport applications.

    James Brokenshire

    Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of
    international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public
    and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and
    operational delivery.
    Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals are
    passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently
    published on the Cabinet Office website, which is available here:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/home-office-mnisters-hospitality-data

  • 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 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which companies have entered into contracts to deliver community work placements in each region and country of the UK.

    Esther McVey

    The procurement exercise is still in progress. As a consequence, at this stage the information requested is not yet available and therefore cannot be disclosed.

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many schools in England and Wales were closed for the local and European elections on 22 May 2014.

    Greg Clark

    The Information requested is not held centrally.

  • Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-03-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment his Department has made of the socio-economic development performance of NMP in West Cumbria.

    Michael Fallon

    NMP is the parent body organisation for Sellafield Ltd, the site licence company that operates Sellafield site under contract to the NDA. NMP, Sellafield Ltd and the NDA work collaboratively to support the socio-economic agenda in West Cumbria, with all three organisations having focussed their activities through Britain’s Energy Coast, the private/public sector partnership established to promote and develop the economic prospects of the area. DECC has no direct role in assessing NMP’s performance in this area which is a matter for the NDA.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what representations he has had on including insolvency litigation in the scope of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    We have recently received representations from insolvency practitioners, including the Association of Business Recovery Professionals (R3), regarding a permanent exemption for insolvency litigation from the scope of the costs and funding provisions in Part 2 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012. Ministry of Justice officials have met with R3 on this matter.

    The LASPO reforms were implemented generally from 1 April 2013, although they were delayed for insolvency proceedings in order to allow stakeholders time to adjust. The Government’s position remains – as announced by written ministerial statement in May 2012 (24 May 2012: Col 94WS) – that the reforms should apply to insolvency proceedings from April 2015.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Paul Blomfield – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2014-03-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2014, Official Report, column 318W, on Personal Independence Payment, what discussions he has had with providers about personal independence payment claim processing times.

    Mike Penning

    Officials meet regularly with both assessment providers to discuss performance. We are closely monitoring their progress against the Department’s expectations for service delivery, including claim processing times and are taking robust action to drive up performance where this does not meet the required standards.

    Whilst, in line with other benefits, there are no statutory time limits on processing claims for PIP, we are working closely with our service providers to minimise the length of time claimants have to wait for assessments.We are also seeking to ensure that all the steps in the process run as smoothly as possible and that there are no barriers in our processes and systems that contribute to claims taking longer than necessary to progress

  • Mike Weir – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Mike Weir – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Weir on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the total cost was of production and delivery of the booklet, What staying in the United Kingdom means for Scotland; and what proportion of such costs relate to (a) research, verification and co-ordination, (b) writing, editing, sub-editing and proofing of the text, (c) photography, design, artwork and licensing, (d) printing, (e) distribution and delivery and (f) related communications, administration and public affairs support.

    Greg Clark

    The total cost to-date of What Staying in the United Kingdom Means for Scotland is £723,501 (plus VAT).

    Each booklet cost around 30p to design, produce, print and deliver to every household in Scotland. As is standard practice, detail and spending data will published in the Cabinet Office transparency returns.

  • Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2014, Official Report, column 181W, on D-Day landings: anniversaries, how many (a) veterans, (b) armed forces’ widows, (c) armed forces’ spouses and (d) carers his Department expects will be in attendance for each of the 70th anniversary D-Day commemoration events in the UK.

    Anna Soubry

    The 70th Anniversary D-Day commemorative events in Portsmouth are being organised by Portsmouth City Council, and the military is supporting the event as requested. Similarly, the Services are supporting events planned by the Normandy Veterans Association (NVA). The Department is unable to predict the numbers who may be present at any of these events and has received no requests to facilitate attendance.

    The Ministry of Defence was made aware of Portsmouth City Council’s planned events in April 2013. We were informed about the majority of NVA events in February 2013, and the National Memorial Arboretum event in November 2013. We have been working closely with the Royal British Legion and the NVA on the planned events to mark this significant anniversary, and have ensured that a range of Service charities and associations are kept informed, including COBSEO, the Confederation of Service Charities.