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Tag: 2015

  • 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 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether Monitor and the Care Quality Commission apply a consistent approach in relation to safety, quality and financial requirements of NHS foundation trusts and NHS trusts.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Robert Francis’ second report into the failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust led to major changes in the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) regulatory regime, and to Monitor’s and the NHS Trust Development Authority’s (NHS TDA) routine oversight of providers and assessment of aspirant foundation trusts. It has also resulted in closer working relationships between the three bodies responsible for regulation and oversight, particularly around the sharing of information and intelligence.

    The currentrelationship between the CQC and Monitor is set out in a Memorandum of understanding and Operational Annexes which are attached. These outline how the two organisations work together, including on safety and quality issues. This includes the co-ordination and sharing of information following a CQC inspection and CQC providing a briefing document for Monitor which includes a review of the provider’s compliance from a quality of care perspective. The Operational Annex also specifically states, ‘each organisation will openly share relevant information on safety, quality, financial and governance risks at a licenced provider where appropriate’.

    The Government sponsors each of the regulators, and provides stewardship of the health and care system as a whole, and in this role works with the regulators on an individual and collective basis to ensure that the regulatory system is as consistent and effective as possible. Both the Government and the system regulators are clear that it is in the interests of future care quality that the finances of acute trusts are healthy; and many of the improvements that are needed to improve quality of care will also improve efficiency.

  • Baroness Kramer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Kramer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kramer on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what research they have commissioned from external research and polling companies on small business policies in each month since May.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Details of research commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), is not readily available and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. BIS has published its research strategy and details of the monitoring and evaluation of its programmes. Details can be found at the ‘BIS evaluation strategy’ and ‘BIS research strategy’ sections of the GOV.UK website, which are attached.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what training has been provided to British military and police personnel by Israel in the past 12 months.

    Earl Howe

    During the last 12 months, one military officer has attended an International Brigade Logistics Course in Israel at the invitation of the Israeli Defence Forces.

  • Lord Blencathra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Blencathra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 16 September (HL2100), whether they plan to remove the National Health Service ban on treating injured British military personnel who have undergone some private medical treatment, however small, for their injuries.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Any National Health Service patient is free to choose to fund privately a healthcare procedure, but as a result will generally be required to pay costs associated with that procedure. Whether the NHS provides on-going care is addressed on a case by case basis. Given the circumstances relating to a small number of very seriously injured veterans, NHS England is ensuring that they continue to receive on-going care. The NHS works closely with the Ministry of Defence to support injured service personnel through the transition process when they are discharged from the Armed Forces.

    We do not plan to exempt serving personnel or veterans from the principles of the NHS, but will ensure that all the circumstances of individual cases are taken into account when making decisions on the care of serving personnel and veterans.

  • Lord Higgins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Higgins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Higgins on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to take steps to ensure that the United Kingdom can decide where to land migrants rescued from the Mediterranean by the Royal Navy, so as to ensure that they are not landed in the European Union.

    Lord Bates

    Under international law the UK has a duty not to return people who are rescued at sea to countries where they would be at risk of serious harm. That is why migrants rescued at sea are taken to Italy as this is considered the nearest safe country.

    But we are pushing for the swift establishment of ‘hot spot’ screening centres and action to return those who do not need our protection to their countries of origin.

  • Lord Moynihan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Moynihan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moynihan on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to ask water companies to do more to co-ordinate and implement flood defences; whether they plan to launch a full and transparent tender process in the market to meet this objective; and whether water companies’ work on flood defence is intended to be outwith their regulated business.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Water and sewerage companies’ responsibilities include managing the risk of flooding from surface water or sewer systems. They are also expected to work in partnership with the Environment Agency and Lead Local Flood Authorities to manage the risks of all sources of flooding within a catchment.

    The Government has therefore not asked water companies to do more to co-ordinate and implement flood defences, nor is it planning to launch a tender process in the market to meet this objective.

  • Baroness Uddin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Uddin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Uddin on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures are in place to support families waiting for a diagnosis of autism for a child.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on autism make it clear that families should wait no more than three months to start diagnosis. Every part of the National Health Service should be adhering to these guidelines.

    There are new arrangements for children and young people with special educational needs, introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014. These require clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and local authorities to make joint arrangements for ensuring a coordinated assessment of the range of eligible children’s needs, and the development of an Education, Health and Care plan to provide necessary support.

    NHS England’s Children with Complex Needs Implementation Board is leading working on ensuring robust and accountability mechanisms are in place to ensure delivery and to allow NHS England to hold CCGs to account for performance.

  • Stuart Blair Donaldson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Stuart Blair Donaldson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart Blair Donaldson on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps the Government has taken to make property ownership by foreign companies more transparent.

    Anna Soubry

    The Prime Minister stated during a speech made in Singapore on 28 July that he will consult on the best way forward to extending what we ask of UK companies to foreign companies.

    He has also asked Land Registry from this autumn to publish data on which foreign companies own which land and property titles in England and Wales.

  • George Kerevan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    George Kerevan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Kerevan on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of where the compensating permanent deficit or deficits will appear in the national income accounts as a result of his Department sustaining a permanent budget surplus.

    Harriett Baldwin

    In the UK National Accounts, the income and expenditure of different sectors (household, corporate, public sector, and the rest of the world) imply paths for each sector’s net lending or borrowing. By identity, these must sum to zero as for each borrower there must be a lender.

    If the public sector were to run a budget surplus, there would be an offsetting change in the net lending position of one of the household, corporate and the rest of the world sectors. More information is available in the latest OBR Economic and Fiscal Forecast (July 2015). A link to the information is provided below:

    http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/economic-fiscal-outlook-july-2015/

    “

  • Bob Stewart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Bob Stewart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Stewart on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the benefits to the taxpayer, and to the electorate, of combining the dates of the proposed new mayoral elections and the local elections.

    James Wharton

    Both combining the dates for the new mayoral elections and local elections, and holding free-standing mayoral elections, can benefit the taxpayers and the electorate. Combining mayoral and local elections gives savings in electoral administration, up to 30% of the cost of each poll, is more convenient for voters and encourages turnout. Holding free-standing mayoral elections enhances mayoral accountability, encouraging value for money in a Mayor’s decisions, and may also allow mayoral governance to be introduced earlier than otherwise.