Tag: 2014

  • Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Government’s proposed Deregulation Bill on tourism employment in England.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    At present, local authorities set term and holiday dates for about 30% of secondary schools and 70% of primary schools (around half of all registered pupils). The Deregulation Bill gives more schools the flexibility to make changes should they wish to, although the experience of the academies programme and voluntary aided (church) schools, suggests that only a small percentage of schools are likely to vary their term dates.

    The Department for Education has produced an assessment of the impact of the changes. Whilst there will be greater flexibility, we expect that sensible conversations between the local authority and schools on coordination will take place. Variations to term dates could also help businesses and employers, for example, in areas of high-seasonal employment where employees may welcome the chance to holiday outside of peak tourist periods. For example, Bishop Bronescombe School in St Austell has a two-week half term in May/June to accommodate parents’ seasonal employment patterns.

    A separate assessment of the specific impact on tourism related jobs in seaside towns or seaside economies has not been carried out.

  • Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of homes in (a) Ebbsfleet and (b) other planned garden cities will be (i) wheelchair accessible and (ii) built to lifetime homes standards.

    Nick Boles

    It is important that all locally-led large scale new developments like Ebbsfleet incorporate a high standard of design, and I am keen to see the use of design tools like Building for Life 12 which can serve this objective. Responsibility for delivering on the local plans for Ebbsfleet will sit with the new Urban Development Corporation and it would be premature to make any commitments on design standards at this stage. Ultimately, the development should be created in partnership with local communities and it should reflect and respond to their needs.

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

    David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to maintain and improve specialist services for children suffering from brittle bone disease.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The nature of brittle bone disease requires care across the healthcare system, the majority being provided in the community by a variety of therapists with involvement from a wide multi-disciplinary team. The provision of services for children with brittle bone disease in Northern Ireland will be a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive and the health service in Northern Ireland.

    In England, in the majority of cases the local clinical commissioning group (CCG) will decide on the level of provision of services, taking into account the needs of the population it serves. The CCG’s decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs.

    Complex childhood brittle bone services in England are commissioned by NHS England which has developed a specification for these services. This can be found at:

    www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/e13-child-osteo-imperfecta.pdf

  • Fiona Bruce – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Fiona Bruce – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Revised Standard Operating Procedures for the Approval of Independent Places for the Termination of Pregnancy, what assessment he has made of the possibility that inaccurate diagnoses will follow his Department’s decision to allow women to refrain from informing their GP of a prior abortion.

    Jane Ellison

    Women seeking an abortion have the right to confidentiality and their decision must be respected if they do not want their general practitioner to be informed.

  • David Crausby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David Crausby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to release statistics on the number of refusals by the Legal Aid Agency to pay legal aid in cases settled before the permission stage.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The Legal Aid Agency records information on the outcome of each application for a discretionary payment in respect of remuneration for work on applications for permission for judicial review, where a case concludes before a decision on permission is taken by the court. The Government is considering the best way of publishing this information.

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

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which Directorate in his Department produced guidance on the provision of non-judgemental counselling; which Directorate has policy responsibility for implementation of this guidance; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    Departmental officials have made a number of visits and have had informal discussions with a number of counselling providers which included pro-life and pro-choice organisations; these are listed below.

    Organisations visited or with which contact was made:

    – Brook Advisory Centre, Brixton

    – British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), Richmond

    – Care Confidential, Alternatives Trust, Newham

    – City Pregnancy Counselling and Psychotherapy Service, Islington

    – Homerton NHS Trust, Hackney

    – Hull Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Partnership

    – Life Care Centre, Walsall

    – Marie Stopes International, Brixton and Bristol

    – Norwich Contraception and Sexual Health Clinic

    – Plymouth Community Healthcare

    The Government produced guidance on the provision of non-judgemental abortion counselling in A Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England (March 2013). The Framework was produced by the sexual health policy team in the Public Health Directorate.

    The Sexual Health Policy team is made up of the following staff at each grade:

    1 Senior Civil Servant (who also manages policy areas other than sexual health)

    1 Grade 6

    2 Grade 7

    1 Senior Executive Officer

    1 Higher Executive Officer (.7 whole time equivalent)

    1 Executive Officer

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

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many staff of each grade are employed in his Department’s Sexual Health Policy Team.

    Jane Ellison

    Departmental officials have made a number of visits and have had informal discussions with a number of counselling providers which included pro-life and pro-choice organisations; these are listed below.

    Organisations visited or with which contact was made:

    – Brook Advisory Centre, Brixton

    – British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), Richmond

    – Care Confidential, Alternatives Trust, Newham

    – City Pregnancy Counselling and Psychotherapy Service, Islington

    – Homerton NHS Trust, Hackney

    – Hull Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Partnership

    – Life Care Centre, Walsall

    – Marie Stopes International, Brixton and Bristol

    – Norwich Contraception and Sexual Health Clinic

    – Plymouth Community Healthcare

    The Government produced guidance on the provision of non-judgemental abortion counselling in A Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England (March 2013). The Framework was produced by the sexual health policy team in the Public Health Directorate.

    The Sexual Health Policy team is made up of the following staff at each grade:

    1 Senior Civil Servant (who also manages policy areas other than sexual health)

    1 Grade 6

    2 Grade 7

    1 Senior Executive Officer

    1 Higher Executive Officer (.7 whole time equivalent)

    1 Executive Officer

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any UK service personnel are embedded or otherwise stationed in (a) Ethiopia and (b) Chad.

    Mr Mark Francois

    The UK has a small number of Service personnel deployed to Ethiopia in roles including diplomatic representation, defence engagement, liaison and training.

    No UK Service personnel are currently embedded or otherwise stationed in Chad.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Answer of 6 February 2014, Official Report, column 383W, on Energy Companies Obligation, what progress he has made on publishing proposals on the form, level and date for a new fuel poverty target in England; and when he expects to publish those proposals.

    Gregory Barker

    The Government is preparing proposals on a new fuel poverty objective for England in line with the provisions of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Oliver Colvile – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of outcomes for men with advanced prostate cancer.

    Jane Ellison

    The NHS England Specialised Commissioning team introduced nationally developed service specifications for a range of areas, including prostate cancer, during 2013-14. Prior to 2013, prostate cancer was routinely commissioned by primary care trusts, and as such an assessment of the changes in the level of access to prostate cancer treatments since 2010 is not technically feasible.

    Routinely commissioned treatments for prostate cancer are: (i) radical prostatectomy; (ii) radical external beam radiotherapy; and (iii) radical brachytherapy. In addition, NHS England routinely commissions systemic treatments for prostate cancer, including hormone therapy and chemotherapy.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published technology appraisal guidance which recommends docetaxel (Taxotere) for hormone-refractory prostate cancer and abiraterone (Zytiga), in combination with prednisolone or prednisone, for castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer previously treated with one docetaxel-containing regimen. NICE is also currently developing technology appraisal guidance on a number of other drugs for prostate cancer.

    National Health Service commissioners are legally required by regulations to fund those treatments recommended by NICE in its technology appraisal guidance.

    Five-year survival rates improved from around 42% in the late 1980s to 79.7% in 2007 (currently 80.2% according to data for 2006-2010 published in October 2012) due in part to the effects of increased Prostate Specific Antigen testing and earlier detection. However, survival rates in England are still lagging behind comparable countries in Europe.

    Cancer Research UK has estimated that men with advanced, incurable prostate cancer treated in trials or under drug access schemes at the Royal Marsden Hospital survived on average 41 months, compared to between 13 and 16 months 10 years ago.

    The Government’s Mandate to NHS England sets out an ambition to make England one of the most successful countries in Europe at preventing premature deaths from all cancers, including prostate cancer. Cancer indicators in the NHS Outcomes Framework and the Public Health Outcomes Framework will help NHS England to assess progress in improving cancer survival and mortality for men with prostate cancer.