Tag: 2015

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that people with multiple sclerosis receive adequate treatment, care and support.

    Norman Lamb

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance Multiple sclerosis: management of multiple sclerosis in primary and secondary care, updated in October 2014, sets out best practice on the diagnosis, treatment, care and support of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The guidance makes a range of recommendations on drug based treatments for MS, but also highlights the importance of involving professionals who can meet the needs of the patient in the best way, such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

    With regard to early diagnosis, MS is a difficult condition to diagnose as a number of the symptoms such as fatigue, depression or dizziness may be unrelated. The guidance sets out a number of initial presentations that clinicians should be aware of when looking for signs of MS. It also recommends a number of assessments a clinician should make, including testing of vision and blood tests before referral to a consultant neurologist, who can confirm or exclude a diagnosis of MS, subject to investigation.

  • Gavin Shuker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gavin Shuker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what financial contribution the Government plans to make to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK is currently the third largest donor to the UNRWA General Fund providing £106.5 million between 2012-2015. In response to the Gaza conflict last summer, the UK also provided an additional £9 million to the UNRWA Gaza Flash Appeal. Future funding decisions for contributions to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) will be informed by an assessment of need.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the total value of contracts her Department has with private sector providers was in each of the last five years for which records are available.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    My Department receives procurement services from the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) and the Central Procurement Directorate (CPD) of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. All contracts agreed with either Crown Commercial Services or the Central Procurement Directorate are available on their respective websites:

    CCS – https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/crown-commercial-service

    CPD – http://www.dfpni.gov.uk/cpd

    “

  • Karl Turner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Karl Turner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what operational regulations or arrangements are in place to ensure that Northern Rail and TransPennine Express services always have another member of staff on board the train in addition to the driver.

    Claire Perry

    The Department does not specify the numbers of staff or how they should be deployed, as this is something that the operators are much better placed to understand and manage than we are.

    Train operating companies have to abide by all appropriate health and safety requirements.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) number, (b) value and (c) proportion is of incorrect payments made to claimants of universal credit since the scheme was introduced.

    Steve Webb

    This information is not readily available for publication and to quality assure this management information to Office for National Statistics quality standards, would incur disproportionate costs.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what arrangements his Department has put in place for situations where application forms requesting an increase in local housing allowance (LHA) to cover an increase in rent applied to an eligible LHA claimant are lost by his Department and the applicant consequently faces eviction.

    Steve Webb

    The Department for Work and Pensions provides funding for Housing Benefit to Local Authorities in Great Britain. Responsibility for the day to day administration of Housing Benefit lies with Local Authorities.

  • Austin Mitchell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Austin Mitchell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Austin Mitchell on 2015-02-12.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the notional value of derivatives held by banks regulated by the UK authorities is; and what information his Department holds on the maturity and exposure of such derivatives.

    Andrea Leadsom

    HM Treasury does not preserve specific information relating to the value, maturity or exposure of derivatives. Aggregate data on the derivative positions of UK banks is collected every quarter and made publicly available online by the Bank of England. The specific balance sheet position on derivatives for each bank will be published regularly in their annual report to shareholders.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what his Department’s training budget was in each of the last three financial years.

    Mrs Helen Grant

    DCMS training budget over the last 3 financial years:

    Year Budget

    Financial Year Budget
    2014/15 £250,000
    2013/14 £315,000
    2012/13 £315,000

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department spent on training in each of the last three financial years.

    Mr Nick Gibb

    The Department for Education holds a central training and development budget covering core education and training undertaken through Civil Service Learning. This includes development in core Civil Service skills including leadership and management, financial management and analysis. The table below shows the centrally managed budget for each of the past three financial years.

    Financial Year

    Budget

    12/13

    £700,000

    13/14

    £700,000

    14/15

    £600,000

    Additionally, directorates across the Department spend an element of their budgets on training and development which varies dependant on in-year development needs. The table below shows both central training and development spend and Directorate spend for each last 3 financial years.

    Financial Year

    Total spend

    Average number of staff (based on Full Time Equivalents)

    Average spend per member of staff (based on Full Time Equivalents)

    2014/15 (covering the period April to December only)

    £1.3m

    3353.7

    £390

    2013/14

    £2.2m

    3539.4

    £620

    2012/13

    £3.2m

    3801.1

    £840

    In addition to formal training, the Department for Education encourages staff to take advantage of a variety of different professional development opportunities not captured by this expenditure, including job shadowing, on-the-job training and peer mentoring.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what his Department’s training budget was in each of the last three financial years.

    Amber Rudd

    DECC’s training budgets for the last three years were:

    (£k)

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    Training budget

    3,236

    3,052

    3,512