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Tag: 2015

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Russian intervention in Syria; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We remain committed to seeking a political solution to the conflict. Russia’s intervention in Syria, including targeting the moderate opposition, has complicated an already difficult situation. We are actively engaging with international partners to address this and to reinvigorate a political process that leads to a solution based on the principles of the Geneva Communiqué.

  • Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to ensure that people who are homeless have access to talking therapies.

    Alistair Burt

    Homelessness can lead to significant physical and mental health problems, and without accommodation and support, the chances of recovery are very limited. The £10 million Homeless Hospital Discharge Fund promoted new ways of improving the discharge arrangements of homeless people from hospital by working with other local services to help their recovery and improve their health.

    In April, the £40 million Homelessness Change/Platform for Life programme was launched. This programme will join up health and housing services, and help support young people at risk of homelessness across the country. We will be announcing the successful programme bids shortly.

    Talking Therapies, like the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme are a key weapon in addressing the mental health needs of vulnerable groups, like homeless people. While the normal referral processes to IAPT services are through general practitioners (GPs), individuals can self-refer, meaning that homeless people can refer themselves to services without the need for a GP.

    Public Health England is also working with local authorities to help them understand better the physical and mental health needs of homeless people in which access to IAPT will play a part.

  • Barbara Keeley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barbara Keeley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barbara Keeley on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to paragraph 6.34 of his Department’s Health Education England mandate: April 2015 to March 2016, published on 12 March 2015, what progress Health Education England has made on ensuring that a minimum of 3,250 trainees per year are recruited to GP training programmes in England by 2016.

    Ben Gummer

    Health Education England, NHS England, The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the British Medical Association published Building the Workforce in January 2015, which sets out plans for increasing the GP workforce, backed by £10 million worth of funding. This includes actions to boost recruitment, encourage experienced GPs to stay in the workforce and support experienced GPs to return to practice after a period of time out of the workforce.

  • Nigel Evans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nigel Evans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to ensure that delays in Disclosure and Barring Service checks by (a) the Metropolitan Police and (b) other constabularies are minimised.

    Karen Bradley

    The DBS is reliant on the police completing their checks in a timely manner. To support this, service level agreements are in place between the DBS and each police force. These include a requirement for forces to complete 100% of local checks within 60 days.

    There are a small number of forces, including the Metropolitan Police Service, experiencing difficulties in dealing with the volume of applications that have been referred to them. If police force performance falls below the standard agreed with the DBS, the DBS will work with the force concerned including, where appropriate, implementing a recovery plan.

    The DBS is working closely with the MPS to address its performance issues. An MPS Gold Group is overseeing the recovery plan and exploring all opportunities to process cases quickly. Measures include increasing recruitment, introducing an evening team to improve resilience, and prioritising and escalating cases where possible. All police disclosure units, including that of the MPS, are funded by the DBS which agrees a budget for each police force annually based on the expected numbers of local checks.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the review which led the Government to decide not to proceed with a prisons training contract with Saudi Arabia.

    Andrew Selous

    I refer the hon member to the Secretary of State’s statement of 13 October 2015. As has been the practice with successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. We have no plans to undertake an impact assessment.

  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the International Maritime Organisation on (a) disposal and (b) recycling of spoil waste from the dredging of harbours.

    George Eustice

    The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) provides the secretariat for the London Protocol, to which the UK is party.

    Under this global instrument (and the OSPAR Convention) that aims to protect the marine environment from pollution caused by dumping at sea, the UK has agreed guidelines on the management of dredged materials and the encouragement of its re-use and recycling. Moreover, we provide data on the disposal of dredged materials to the IMO (and the OSPAR Convention).

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support to meet caring needs is available for older people with a disability whose principal carer has net earnings of at least £111 per week.

    Justin Tomlinson

    This Government recognises and appreciates the vital contribution made by carers.

    A variety of support is available to both carers and the severely disabled people that they care for. Support is both financial, including through the benefit and Tax Credit systems and the Universal Credit service, and in other ways through local councils and health services.

    Carer’s Allowance is designed to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. For this reason it is not available to people earning more than £110 a week net of allowable deductions and expenses.

    Carers earning more than £110 a week may be entitled to other financial support, such as Universal Credit or Tax Credits if they satisfy the qualifying conditions.

    People with a disability can claim benefits in their own right in order to meet their needs. Depending on individual circumstances, such financial support can be through universal, extra costs benefits and/or means-tested benefits. Means-tested benefits, such as Pension Credit, include an additional amount for people with a severe disability (currently £61.85 a week for a single person) which can be paid to a disabled person to help meet the costs of caring if their carer is not receiving Carer’s Allowance.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people affected by the benefit cap are participants in the work programme.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions took place between government officials or special advisers and Monitor over the publishing of Q1 financial figures for NHS Foundation Trusts prior to the Conservative Party Conference.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Departmental officials regularly have conversations with the Department’s arm’s length bodies, including with Monitor, about the ongoing work of Government business, including the publication of Quarter 1 financial figures.

  • Lord Stephen – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Stephen – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stephen on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they are using, in their preparations for an apprenticeship levy, of the approximate annual amount that the levy would raise from (1) private sector employers, and (2) public sector employers, in Scotland.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Various issues have been raised by a range of stakeholders including the Scottish Government. Discussions have taken place with stakeholdersat both official level and Ministerial level. Ministers will consider the issues in due course and we will announce further details at the Spending Review. Our priority is to ensure that the levy is fair and simple.