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Tag: 2014

  • Charlie Elphicke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Charlie Elphicke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlie Elphicke on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department has paid to Mapeley STEPS Contractor Limited since the sale of HM Revenue and Customs’ estate to that company.

    Mr David Gauke

    Since the financial year 2006-2007, the earliest year for which records are held on HMRC accounting systems, HMRC has paid £2,364m to Mapeley STEPS Contractor Limited. This amount includes VAT and utility and other non STEPS costs. Payments to Mapeley are published in Departmental Spending Reports at data.gov.uk

  • Caroline Dinenage – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Caroline Dinenage – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Dinenage on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the replacement of the fuel tanks at the oil fuel depot in Gosport is scheduled to take place.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Work is ongoing to establish the preferred options and costs of replacement, which will confirm the programme timescales.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential for growth in tourism as a result of the opening stages of the Giro d’Italia taking place in Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Helen Grant

    I have not held any discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential for growth in tourism as a result of the opening stages of the Giro d’Italia taking place in Northern Ireland. However, I would like to congratulate them on having won the right to stage the Big Start of this major cycling race on 9-11 May, which will further support Northern Ireland’s wonderful tourism offer and boost the economy.

  • Eric Ollerenshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Eric Ollerenshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eric Ollerenshaw on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which protocols are used in prisons for withdrawal of treatment following long and short-term use of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs.

    Norman Lamb

    Information on the number of prisoners who are prescribed a particular medicine or class of medicine is not collected centrally, nor are data held relating to prescription items dispensed in prisons.

    NHS England commissions all pharmacy services in prisons in England. It is responsible for the quality of service and for ensuring that good practice guidelines are followed in relation to the prescribing, safe use and treatment following withdrawal of psychotropic drugs treatments, including benzodiapines and Z-drugs. Where healthcare professionals have concerns about prescribing decisions in relation to psychotropic drug treatment in prisons, they should record these as medication safety incidents and report them to the local medicines management committee for possible further investigation. NHS England commissioners also require healthcare providers to report these incidents in patient safety contract monitoring.

    Prison pharmacy services currently follow guidelines set out in A Pharmacy Service for Prisoners, issued by the Department in 2003. NHS England is currently reviewing this guidance, and updated guidance will be published in due course. A copy of the current guidance has already been placed in the Library.

    Detailed guidance on benzodiazepine detoxification for prisoners is included in Clinical Management of Drug Dependence in the Adult Prison Setting, published by the Department in 2006. A copy has already been placed in the Library. Clinicians are expected to follow this and other relevant guidance such as that published by the Royal College of General Practitioners’ Secure Environments Group on Safer Prescribing in Prisons.

  • Annette Brooke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Annette Brooke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Annette Brooke on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support is in place to help people with ME or chronic fatigue syndrome who are well enough to consider a return to work.

    Mike Penning

    We do not target our employment programmes exclusively at individuals with particular conditions such as M.E. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The Department’s programmes, including its specialist disability employment programmes, aim to identify and meet the needs of the individual, including those with M.E. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

    Access to Work provides additional support for individuals whose health or disability affects the way they do their job. It provides individuals and their employers with advice and support with extra costs which may arise because of an individual’s needs. Access to Work does not replace the duty an employer has under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments.

    Work Choice is a specialist disability employment programme that provides tailored support to help disabled people who face the most complex barriers to employment, find and stay in work and ultimately help them progress into unsupported employment, where it is appropriate for the individual.

    Jobcentre Plus Disability Employment Advisers can provide support and advice for disabled people who need help finding and retaining employment. They can refer individuals to specialist programmes, including Work Choice, and can use the professional expertise of Work Psychologists, who specialise in working with disabled people. Disability Employment Advisers can advocate with employers on the individual’s behalf and help employers to explore job solutions such as the restructuring of a job’s tasks/environment, or the provision/change of equipment.

    The Government published ‘The disability and health employment strategy: the discussion so far’ on 17 December 2013. This paper sets out a range of proposals to further improve our employment support for disabled people and those with health conditions.

    The Government recognises that getting the right support at the right time is particularly important for disabled people and those with a health condition so as part of our vision for future employment support we are developing a new Employment Gateway. This will be a light-touch process based on an individual’s strengths and needs and will direct people to the most appropriate support.

    In order to support individuals to stay in work where possible we are putting in place a new Health and Work Service (HWS).The HWS will provide occupational health advice and support for employees, employers and GP’s to help individuals with a health condition to stay in or return to work.

    The intention is to introduce the service by the end of 2014.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Atos staff have been offered any additional retention or performance-related payments since the decision to terminate the contract to carry out work capability assessments was announced.

    Mike Penning

    The detail of any remuneration of their own staff is an issue for Atos Healthcare and not the Department.

  • Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what training is provided on disability awareness to staff in Jobcentre Plus offices as part of the public sector equality duty; and what steps are being taken to ensure that awareness by staff of obligations under the duty is improving.

    Lord Freud

    DWP, in partnership with Civil Service Learning, provides a wide range of diversity and disability learning opportunities for staff.

    The ‘Equality and Diversity Essentials’ package provides an overview of the Equality Act 2010, the Public Sector Equality Duty and covers disability for customers and employees. The learning is targeted at all new employees as part of induction and as a refresher for other staff.

    DWP offers a follow up ‘Disability Awareness’ course. This aims to build the confidence of managers to give effective support to disabled employees.

    DWP customer facing staff are trained in the skills required to support a range of claimants and to respect their individual needs. This approach ensures they are skilled to deal with a diverse set of circumstances, whilst treating everyone as individuals. Jobcentre Advisers, in particular, have access to a comprehensive training programme which focuses on raising awareness of the individual’s personal circumstances, including disabilities, and also recognises that those circumstances can affect individuals in different ways.

    The Department regularly participates in external benchmarking activity to measure and improve performance for disabled staff, customers and service users. 2013 results showed a significant improvement in performance from 2012.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they intend to take to end Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.

    Baroness Warsi

    The British Government still sees negotiations towards a two state solution as the best way to meet the national aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians and lead to a sovereign, viable and contiguous Palestinian state, living in peace and security alongside a safe and secure Israel.

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

    Lord Quirk – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Quirk on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many pupils were excluded from (1) primary, and (2) secondary, schools in 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and during the latest year for which figures are available.

    Lord Nash

    The requested information for the 2009/10[1] and 2011/12[2] academic years is published in the permanent and fixed period exclusions statistical first releases for each year.

    Information on permanent exclusions for the 1999/2000[3] academic year is publicly available in the 1999/2000 permanent exclusions statistical first release. Information on exclusion rates prior to 2005/06 was collected via the Termly Exclusions Survey rather than the School Census.

    Information on permanent and fixed period exclusions for the 1979/80 and 1989/90 academic years is not held by the Department for Education.

    [1]https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-from-schools-in-england-academic-year-2009-to-2010 (table 1 and 6)

    [2]https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-from-schools-in-england-2011-to-2012-academic-year (table 1 and 8)

    [3]http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120504203418/http://education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000275/index.shtml (table 1)

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  • Baroness Goudie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Goudie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Goudie on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to work with the Global Partnership for Education to ensure that an ambitious goal and targets are agreed for education for all after 2015.

    Baroness Northover

    DFID is working across Her Majesty’s Government and with its international partners in education including the Global Partnership for Education to aim to ensure that, by 2030, all girls and boys completing primary education are able to read, write and count. We are also looking to be more ambitious by increasing the proportion of young women and young men with the technical and transferable skills to get decent jobs.

    The main process to define a new goal for education is being led by UNESCO through its Education For All Steering Committee. The UK is represented by Norway and working closely with Norwegian counterparts to further our priorities.