Tag: 2015

  • Valerie Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Valerie Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Valerie Vaz on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the BCG vaccines for non-invasive grade 3 aggressive bladder cancer.

    George Freeman

    One of the two United Kingdom licensed Bacillus Calmette-Guérin bladder instillations has been unavailable since 2012, and the manufacturer of the other has increased its production as far as possible to help meet the shortfall. The Department and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency are working closely with both suppliers, as well as others in the supply chain, to ensure that everything possible is being done to make supplies available for patients who need this treatment. The British Association of Urological Surgeons has issued advice for clinicians to ensure that all patients with high risk, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer receive effective evidence based treatment.

  • David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people employed by Southend Hospital under Tier 2 visas from outside the European Economic Area are earning less than £35,000; and if he will make a statement.

    Ben Gummer

    This information is not collected centrally.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce the sugar content of carbonated drinks; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    We have accepted the recommendations from experts earlier this year that we should halve our daily intake of sugar and we will put forward our plans for action in this area in our childhood obesity strategy in the coming months.

    Measures by industry to reduce calories including sugar are also important components in any approach to reduce obesity. Some parts of industry have already taken a range of actions to reduce sugar in their soft drinks, but the challenge to make further progress remains.

  • Nigel Huddleston – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Nigel Huddleston – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Huddleston on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, by what measures landlords may be held responsible for the anti-social behaviour of their tenants in houses of multiple occupation.

    Brandon Lewis

    Where a house in multiple occupation requires a licence, the local authority can attach a condition to the licence which specifies how the licence holder deals with the behaviour of occupiers. Breach of a licence condition is an offence subject to a fine of up to £5,000.

    The local authority can also, subject to approval from a First Tier Property Tribunal, make Special Interim Management Orders to take over the management of individual private rented properties which give rise to significant problems of anti-social behaviour if the landlord does not take action to deal with the problem.

    The Government is commited to raising standards in houses in multiple occupation more generally, so they are a safe place to live in and do not blight the neighbourhoods in which they are found. We will shortly engage with the sector on options for extending the scope of mandatory licensing of houses in multiple occupation.

  • Gavin Newlands – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gavin Newlands – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff are employed by her Department’s landlords’ checking service.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government is tightening up access to public and other services to protect them from abuse by people who are in the UK illegally. It is right for people only to be able to access private accommodation if they are here legally. This is only fair to people who play by the rules, not least, those who come here legally.

    This service enables a landlord to verify a person’s immigration status, with regards to the Right to Rent, with the Home Office in cases where a person has an ongoing application outstanding or where a person’s identification documents are with the Home Office. Resource of this service is kept under review to ensure capacity meets demand. At present the service is staffed by 2 full-time equivalent members of UK Visas and Immigration staff. A further 20 members of the call-handling team are also trained to respond to enquiries if additional recource is required. We have plans in place to scale-up the resource in line with the demand requirements of the national roll-out.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of crowded airspace on British military assets operating in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

    Michael Fallon

    UK air assets are operating in Iraq as part of the coalition to counter ISIL. The traffic within this airspace is jointly managed by the coalition and the Government of Iraq to ensure that both military and civilian aircraft continue to operate safely.

  • Liam Byrne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Liam Byrne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Israeli and Palestinian authorities on measures to reduce hostilities.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are deeply concerned by the recent violence across the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel. We have had a number of discussions with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority over recent weeks. We have urged both sides to de-escalate the tensions. Most recently, on 15 October, the Charge d’Affaires at our Embassy in Israel raised our concerns with Israel’s Deputy National Security Adviser. He did likewise on 12 October, with Israel’s Deputy Defence Minister. On 9 October, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Runnymead and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) spoke to President Abbas about the violence, urging him to do everything in his power to reduce tensions and restore calm.

  • Dr Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Dr Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Poulter on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the Government and NHS employers have involved Health Education England in the planning and negotiation of the new junior doctors contract.

    Ben Gummer

    Health Education England (HEE) was not formally represented in negotiations: the two parties to the negotiations were employers (from each of the four United Kingdom countries) and the British Medical Association.

    A Director of Postgraduate Hospital Training and a Director of Postgraduate GP Education were involved in negotiations, and remain involved with the development of a new contract. Whilst they are employees of HEE, their role has been to provide educational advice to the management side (employers) as representatives of the Conference of Postgraduate Medical Deans (UK) and the Committee of General Practice Education Directors (UK). They have attended a range of meetings in that capacity, including the management side meetings and the negotiating meetings that took place roughly every fortnight from October 2013 to October 2014.

    Representatives from HEE also attended other meetings where there were updates on contract reform, including NHS Employers’ quarterly Medical Workforce Forum; and other less formal meetings at which contract reform was discussed, including regular update meetings with the hon. Member, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department.

  • Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what priority is being given to abandoned and orphaned children in the selection of Syrian refugees likely to be offered a new home in the UK.

    Richard Harrington

    The Syrian VPR is based on need. It prioritises those who cannot be supported effectively in their region of origin. We work closely with the UNHCR to identify cases that they deem in need of resettlement and we will continue this work to ensure we deliver our commitment to provide refuge to 20,000 Syrians.

    The UNHCR identifies people in need of resettlement based on the following criteria: women and girls at risk; survivors of violence and/or torture; refugees with legal and/or physical protection needs; refugees with medical needs or disabilities; children and adolescents at risk; persons at risk due to their sexual orientation or gender identity; and refugees with family links in resettlement countries.

    We are not expecting the refugees arriving in the first months of the scheme to include unaccompanied children.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will carry out a review of asylum dispersal areas in the UK with a view to expanding the number of such areas.

    James Brokenshire

    In accordance with the provisions of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, senior Home Office officials are working closely with providers and local authorities to widen existing dispersal areas.