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Tag: 2015

  • Lord Bradley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Bradley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many mental health treatment orders were issued by each magistrates’ court in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

    Lord Faulks

    Data on Mental Health Treatment Requirement Orders (MHTRs) made by each court is not held centrally.

    Only national data on numbers of MHTRs issued in England and Wales as part of a community order/suspended sentence is available and can be found here:

    Year

    Numbers of MHTRs issued.

    2015 (January to March):

    202

    2014

    960

    2013

    854

    2012

    764

    2011

    878

    2010

    1005

    The above data can be found in the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletins.

  • Baroness Hodgson of Abinger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Hodgson of Abinger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether NHS England’s Maternity Safety Thermometer will be updated to include a function to allow units to compare their data by (1) singleton, and (2) multiple, pregnancies; and if so, how they plan to use this information to drive improvements in care.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Maternity Safety Thermometer includes a function to allow staff to record whether the pregnancy in question was a singleton or multiple pregnancy. National Health Service providers who use the Maternity Safety Thermometer are therefore able to collect and use this information to drive improvements in care.

  • 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 when they plan to bring forward legislation for a new water abstraction licensing regime; and whether they propose to introduce a one-size-fits-all approach to reform of the sector.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    We are currently working on finalising the legislative approach to abstraction reform. We remain on track to deliver abstraction reform in the early 2020s.

    Our aim is to introduce fairer, more flexible and more efficient systems to manage water abstraction tailored to differing catchments within a national approach.

  • 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 steps they are taking to improve access to specialist health and educational interventions for children with cerebral palsy.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government has taken a number of steps to support people with cerebral palsy.

    Health Education England is mandated to develop training for general practitioners to develop a special interest in the care of young people with long-term conditions. We have also funded the development of Paediatric Care online, a resource for supporting the clinical workforce across the full range of children’s health issues.

    The Government funded the development of Disability Matters (launched in February 2015). This is an e-learning tool to improve the skills of anyone working to support the needs of people with a disability or complex need (of all ages), and can be used by teachers and health professionals.

    The Government has introduced a new statutory framework for children and young people with special educational needs and disability, which requires clinical commissioning groups and local authorities to make joint arrangements to ensure a co-ordinated assessment of needs. The new approach will greatly improve integrated working across specialist health, education (either in mainstream or special schools), and social care, to deliver improved outcomes for the child.

    There are no current plans to introduce a national register of children with cerebral palsy.

  • Gavin Newlands – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gavin Newlands – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the contribution of trades unions to the national economy.

    Nick Boles

    Trade unions have a constructive role to play in maintaining positive industrial relations. The British Social Attitudes Survey and the Workplace Employment Relations Survey provide information on how the population, employers and union members view the services and activities of Trade Unions. The Office for National Statistics publishes estimates of the approximate Gross Added Value for Trade Union activities as well as the number of disputes (and days lost to industrial action).

  • Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the proposal by the RSPB for the creation of a Restoration Investment Fund in areas with orphaned open-cast mines.

    Damian Hinds

    Environmental protection is a devolved matter, and outstanding land restoration liabilities lie with the relevant local authorities and ultimately with the Scottish Government. The Treasury has fully considered the two proposals put to them for addressing the shortfall of land restoration on abandoned Scottish coal mines: an exemption from the Carbon Price Support (CPS) tax and a direct grant from the Exchequer. Following discussions with Hargreaves, the UK Coal Authority, the Scotland Office, the Scottish Government and DECC, the Treasury has had to decline both proposals after thorough consideration. The reasons for this include: – Addressing the shortfall in land restoration is not the responsibility of the UK Government. Environmental protection is a devolved matter, and outstanding land restoration liabilities lie with the relevant local authorities. – The proposals are unaffordable in the current fiscal climate. They would also set a precedent that would risk discouraging companies and local authorities from making proper financial provision for the cost of site restoration and future environmental liabilities. – A CPS exemption would be an inefficient means of addressing the shortfall of land restoration, as the money would not go directly towards this aim and it would incur significant administration costs. – A CPS exemption would distort the market by making non-exempt coal less competitive, and by discouraging investment in low carbon power generation. I have written to the Scottish Government’s Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism informing him of this decision and I would be happy to consider any other options put forward.

  • George Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    George Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations his Department has received from Ofcom on that body’s powers to mandate a gaining provider-led switching regime in the mobile sector.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government is committed to working with Ofcom to support quick and easy switching in communications markets and we will do all we can to move towards a system of gaining provider-led (GPL) switching across the board. Ofcom is currently consulting on process reforms for switching mobile services, including proposals for a GPL model. Under its existing powers, it has already introduced GPL processes for customers switching broadband and fixed-line services. It is apparent from my officials’ ongoing discussions with Ofcom – and from its recent work and current proposals to improve switching processes – that Ofcom has powers to introduce a GPL switching regime for mobile services, should it determine following its consultation that such a reform would be proportionate.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will bring forward proposals to change Ofgem regulations to allow distribution network operator companies to upgrade grid infrastructure speculatively, in order that they may plan ahead for new renewable energy.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Ofgem, as the independent regulator, has consulted on allowing greater anticipatory investment in electricity distribution networks. It expects to publish its views and next steps by the end of September. The consultation and responses are available at:

    https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/quicker-and-more-efficient-distribution-connections.

    “

  • Harry Harpham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Harry Harpham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harry Harpham on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will make representations to all parties in the conflict in Yemen to ensure humanitarian access.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We have made clear to all parties to the conflict that they must take all reasonable steps to facilitate access for humanitarian aid, and have emphasised the importance of non-politicisation of aid, as well as the need to facilitate access for commercial goods. The UK is also supporting the UN in working with the Saudi-led military coalition and Government of Yemen to make the system for verifying shipping more efficient, which should further ease access for aid. The Foreign Secretary met President Hadi on 28 September and spoke to Saudi Foreign Minister Al Jubeir on 29 September in the margins of the UN General Assembly, and underlined the importance the UK attaches to finding a political solution to the current crisis as soon as possible. The Foreign Secretary also reinforced the necessity of full compliance with international humanitarian law and of facilitating access humanitarian and commercial shipping to the Saudi Foreign Minister. The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening) co-chaired an international meeting on the Yemen humanitarian crisis on 28 September in the margins of the UN General Assembly. This was attended by representatives of the military coalition governments and by the government of Yemen. In this meeting, she reiterated that it was critical for all parties to the conflict to facilitate immediate humanitarian access into and within Yemen, and lift any restrictions on commercial and humanitarian shipping. To tackle the humanitarian crisis, the UK has so far announced £75 million – through UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs – to support Yemenis affected by the crisis, including those forced to flee their homes, with emergency shelter, healthcare, water and food assistance, as well as supporting UN work to co-ordinate the humanitarian response.

  • Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Bone on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on the availability of drugs not yet approved by NICE.

    George Freeman

    Where a drug or treatment has not been appraised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, funding decisions should be made by the relevant commissioner, based on an assessment of the available evidence and on the basis of an individual patient’s clinical circumstances.