Tag: 2015

  • Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether foetal tissue derived from abortions is used in medical research in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    In England and Wales, medical research using fetal tissue requires the consent of the woman who donates the tissue and is subject to the requirements of the Human Tissue Act 2004. It should be conducted in accordance with the Codes of Practice published by the Human Tissue Authority,which contain specific guidance on consent to the use of fetal tissue in Code of Practice 1, Consent.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2015 to Question 8380, how many burglaries were reported in each ward in Preston City Council in each of the first six months of 2015.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office does not hold the information requested centrally. Data is held on burglaries recorded by the police at Police Force Area and Community Safety Partnership level, but not at geographic levels below that, such as ward level.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons her Department did not renew the Choices contract in detention centres; and what assessment the Government has made of the effect of that decision on the number of people in detention taking up voluntary return and being removed from the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    Additional packages of assistance for those detained pending removal to depart the UK were stopped in March 2014. This reflects the need for those who are here illegally to make a voluntary return at the earliest stage. This should occur before enforcement action and detention is required. Since this change, the overall number of illegal migrants whose voluntary departure is facilitated by the Home Office and its partners has continued to increase.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will raise with (a) his ministerial colleagues and (b) the International Labour Organisation the extent of non-compliance amongst open registers with the minimum standards for seafarers’ rights established in the Maritime Labour Convention 2006.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) carry out Port State Control inspections on board foreign vessels in UK waters. The Port State Control regime has a requirement of no more favourable treatment to other vessels many of which are registered in these so called “open registers”.

  • Ruth Smeeth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ruth Smeeth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Smeeth on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many lawyers are employed by Network Rail to deal with contractual interface issues.

    Claire Perry

    Network Rail has 26 lawyers in the company. None are employed full time to deal specifically with these types of contractual interface issues. Those in the Routes Legal Team (c 12 lawyers) will spend a percentage of their time on these issues and to a lesser extent those in the Corporate Legal Team (c 3 lawyers).Input from the team will vary considerably depending on the nature and size of the issue that has arisen.

  • Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many days were lost to sickness in his Department in each of the last 10 years.

    Justin Tomlinson

    We have greatly reduced sickness absence in DWP from an average of 11.1 days per employee eight years ago to just 6.4 days per employee now. This is below the figure for the public sector of 7.9 days on average per employee, which was independently reported by the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development in its latest sickness absence report.

    The number of working days lost to sickness within the Department for Work and Pensions in each of the last 10 years is recorded in the following table.

    Period

    Working Days Lost to Sickness Absence

    Average Working Days Lost per Employee

    2014/15

    527,961

    6.5

    2013/14

    620,122

    6.9

    2012/13

    699,731

    7.4

    2011/12

    671,412

    7.3

    2010/11

    846,168

    8.1

    2009/10

    911,809

    8.5

    2008/09

    849,448

    8.9

    2007/08

    1,053,768

    10.1

    2006/07

    1,361,196

    11.1

    2005

    1,233,162

    10.1

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of when the iolAMD device for eye conditions will be available on the NHS.

    Alistair Burt

    There is no National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the use of the ioIAMD lens. Where NICE guidance does not exist on a particular treatment, it is for local National Health Service commissioners to make funding decisions based on an assessment of the available evidence and on the basis of an individual patient’s clinical circumstances.

    NHS commissioners are required to have in place clear and transparent arrangements for local decision-making on the funding of treatments and for considering exceptional funding requests.

    If a patient’s local clinical commissioning group, decides, on the basis of rational, proper consideration of the evidence, that a treatment should not be provided which the patient and their doctor have requested, patients must be provided with the reasons for that decision in writing.

    The Government has been clear that restricting access to services on the basis of cost alone is wrong and compromises patient care. Commissioning decisions should be made on the basis of the available evidence of clinical and cost effectiveness.

  • Chris Leslie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Chris Leslie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Leslie on 2015-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will meet representatives of the British Muslim charities sector to discuss concerns about the level of prejudice and unfair stigmatisation they may encounter in the course of their work; and if she will make a statement.

    Karen Bradley

    Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations and individuals. Details of these meetings are published on the Cabinet Office website on a quarterly basis.

    I would be happy to consider further engagement as appropriate.

  • Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to make identity theft a criminal offence.

    Mike Penning

    Where a person steals somebody’s identity documents and/or uses somebody else’s identity to access a bank account or to make some other kind of financial gain, he or she can already be prosecuted under existing theft and fraud offences. We have no plans to create additional offences.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to create an independent aviation noise authority with a statutory right to be consulted on flight paths and other operating matters.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government is currently considering the Airports Commission’s Final Report, including its recommendation for a new national independent aviation noise authority. Any decision to take forward such a body would be subject to consultation on its detailed functions.