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Tag: 2015

  • Derek Twigg – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Derek Twigg – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Twigg on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential (a) benefits for and (b) risks to patient care of NHS foundation trusts and trusts being financially penalised for failing to meet performance targets in 2015-16; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    Patients have a right to National Health Service care in line with performance standards set out in the NHS Constitution. We believe it is correct that there should be financial incentives for providers of NHS services to achieve these important standards for their patients, and the NHS Standard Contract has for many years included such incentives.

    Commissioners are able to apply sanctions where a provider misses one of these national quality standards, and retain the funding for re-investment in front line services.

  • Mary Creagh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mary Creagh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2015 to Question 222395, what proportion of UK Official Development Assistance was allocated to fragile and conflict-affected states in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2011-12.

    Justine Greening

    The most recent available figures for UK official development assistance (ODA) show the following proportions were spent in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS):

    Year

    % UK ODA Spent in FCAS (Bilateral and multilateral)

    2010

    39%

    2011

    44%

    2012

    42%

    2013

    43%

    ODA spend is calculated on a calendar-year basis; provisional figures for 2014 UK ODA spend will be published in the spring.

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

    Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the justification for the Ministry of Justice’s refusal to permit visits to any prisons by a reporter from The Guardian.

    Lord Faulks

    The External Communications team at the Ministry of Justice receives a significant number of requests by local and national media for access to prisons. For operational reasons and resource implications it is not possible to facilitate all requests.

    Each request is considered on its own merit, with careful thought over the subject area, resource and security implications, victim impact, and value to the taxpayer. In a similar way to the police or the NHS, there are operational considerations to be made when filming or reporting in prisons. When facilitating media access we must ensure that the needs of victims are met, which may involve concealing identities, carrying out relevant checks and liaising directly with victims about the access request. We must also ensure that media access does not breach any security restrictions, for example filming keys or locks. Consideration is also given to protecting the identities of prisoners and staff.

    We are committed to providing open and transparent access to prison and regularly provide access to journalists for news items, features and documentary programmes. We aim to provide a range of access to different journalists covering both print and broadcast media, local, national and online media.

    Since the beginning of January 2015 we have provided access to a range of media outlets, a few examples are listed below:

    • The Guardian were given access to HMP New Hall – http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jan/30/new-hall-womens-prison-inmates-equals
    • BBC and the Sun were giving access to HMP Coldingley
    • Regional BBC were giving access to HMP Northumberland (Sodexo run prison)
    • Telegraph and Heart Radio were giving access to HMP Drake Hall
    • Evening Standard and regional BBC were giving access to HMP Thameside (Serco run prison)
    • BBC Radio 4 were giving access to HMP Prescoed/HMP Cardiff
    • Sky Sports were giving access to HMP Feltham
    • National BBC, regional ITV and the Manchester Evening News were giving access to HMP Styal
    • Evening Standard and London Live were giving access to HMP Isis
    • East Anglia Daily Times and regional BBC radio were giving access to HMP Hollesley Bay
    • Sky News were given access to HMP Ranby
    • ITV were given access to HMP Norwich
  • Christian Matheson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Christian Matheson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will amend the road traffic construction and use regulations to require dashboard warning lights for faulty brake lights to be mandatory.

    Andrew Jones

    Dash board warning lights are the subject of the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989. There are no specific requirements for brake light failure warning and there are no plans to amend them. The optional fitment of such a warning light is permitted.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Alison Thewliss – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) Glasgow Central, (b) the city of Glasgow and (c) Scotland have been unsuccessful in claiming jobseeker’s allowance because they did not meet the criteria for the habitual residence test since October 2014.

    Priti Patel

    Statistical information regarding the habitual residence test is intended for publication at a future date.

  • Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to respond to correspondence on case reference ZA12785.

    Priti Patel

    A response to the hon. Member was sent on 9 June 2015.

  • Lord Avebury – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Avebury – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Avebury on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to publish the short-term holding facility rules.

    Lord Bates

    In light of commitments made during the passage of the Immigration Act 2014 to make Rules in respect of short term holding facilities (STHFs), the Government intends to consult on the short term holding facility rules once Stephen Shaw CBE’s report into detainee welfare in detention is published. Mr Shaw has completed this review and has submitted his report to the Home Office. His findings are being carefully considered before the report is published by laying it before Parliament, alongside the Government’s response to its recommendations.

  • The Lord Bishop of Coventry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The Lord Bishop of Coventry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Coventry on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review their commercial relationship with Saudi Arabia in the light of the sentencing of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr to death by crucifixion.

    Lord Faulks

    I refer the Right Reverend to the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor’s statement of 13 October 2015. The bid to provide a training needs analysis to the Saudi Arabian prison service under the Just Solutions international (JSi) brand has now been withdrawn. As has previously been announced, Just Solutions international, the commercial arm of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), has ceased to operate. This is in line with our ambition to ensure the department’s resources are firmly focused on domestic priorities.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Saudi Arabia about their air attacks on towns and cities in Yemen and the consequent civilian casualties.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The British Government is in regular contact with the Saudi authorities about the situation in Yemen through our Embassy in Riyadh and our Yemen Office based in Jeddah. The UK has been consistently clear with all sides to the conflict over the importance of compliance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law during this conflict. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), 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. He also reinforced the necessity of full compliance with international humanitarian law.

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

    Lord Pendry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 3 February (HL4351), what advice was provided to the incoming government about reforms of the death certification system, and whether they will publish that advice in full.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Consideration of reforms to death certification is on-going in the context of the Spending Review. The Government has no plans to publish the advice given by officials to Ministers.