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Tag: 2015

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2015 to Question 14012, what estimate her Department has made of the number of signatories to the Waste and Resources Action Programme.

    Rory Stewart

    The Waste and Resources Action Programme manages four voluntary agreements which support collaborative action to increase resource efficiency and reduce waste. The number of signatories to each agreement is currently as follows:

    Courtauld Commitment 3

    • 53 signatories including leading retailers, brands and manufacturers in the food sector.

    Electrical and Electronic Equipment Sustainability Action Plan

    • 69 signatories.

    Hospitality and Food Service Agreement

    • 115 signatories.

    Sustainable Clothing Action Plan

    • 45 signatories.
  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate she has made of the amount of EU funds spent in Northern Ireland in each year since 2010.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    Regional allocations of EU funding are set over seven-year periods, for example, the previous period ran from 2007-2013.

    The information requested can be found in the financing plans for the respective programmes funded by the EU. Some information on these can be found at:

    www.dfpni.gov.uk/articles/european-structural-and-investment-fund-programmes-northern-ireland and www.dardni.gov.uk.

    “

  • Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on whether cluster munitions have been used in Yemen.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    We are aware of recent reports that the Saudi-led coalition, as well as the Houthis, may have used cluster munitions in Yemen. We note that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not yet a State Party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, but have encouraged it to accede to the Convention. We have raised these allegations with the Saudi Arabian Government, stressing that all parties to the conflict should act in accordance with international Humanitarian Law.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to develop (a) a hydrogen vehicle refuelling network and (b) an electric vehicle network.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government recognises that having joined up refuelling and charging infrastructure is a prerequisite for the mass take up of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles together with battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

    In October last year, the previous Government announced £11m for the Hydrogen for Transport Advancement Programme to support the roll-out of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs) and associated refuelling infrastructure. In March 2015 the successful bidders for funding to support an initial network of 12 hydrogen refuelling stations were announced – a significant first step towards the initial national network of 65 identified by the joint Government-industry UKH2Mobility project.

    We are helping both motorists and local authorities with the upfront cost of purchasing and installing electric vehicle chargepoints with grant funding through our Electric Vehicle Homecharge and On Street Residential Schemes. As well as this, the Government is currently refreshing its strategy on how best to support the development of the wider public charging network which is now benefitting from significant levels of private sector investment. The UK now has one of the best rapid charging networks in Europe and £15m was committed in the 2014 Autumn Statement for Highways England to ensure drivers are never more than 20 miles from a chargepoint on the Strategic Road Network.

  • Kevin Foster – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Kevin Foster – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Foster on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what value of NHS property has been (a) acquired and (b) sold in each (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) clinical commissioning group area in each of the last five years.

    George Freeman

    Information about the value of property and land sales for the National Health Service is held centrally only for 2013-14 and 2014-15. We do not hold information by clinical commissioning group or parliamentary constituency. Information about acquisitions of property by the NHS is not recorded centrally.

    (a) Value of property sold:

    2013-14

    2014-15

    NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts

    £179.9 million

    £155.8 million

    NHS Property services

    £24.9 million

    £57.8 million

    (b) Value of property acquired. We do hold this information for NHS Property Services and this is shown below:

    2013-14

    2014-15

    NHS Property Services

    £3.0 million

    £18.1 million

    NHS Trusts/Foundation Trusts

    Not recorded

    Not recorded

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of lone parents in receipt of (a) jobseeker’s allowance and (b) income support moved into work after successfully applying for a vacancy advertised on Universal Jobmatch in the most recent month for which figures are available.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not available.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to page 8 of the consultation document Tackling Exploitation in the Labour Market, published in October 2015, if she will publish research conducted by her Department that shows that there has been a shift from abuses of employment regulation towards increasingly organised criminal activity engaged in labour market exploitation over the last 10 years.

    Karen Bradley

    Operational information, which is not publically discloseable, received from the Gangmasters’ Licensing Authority indicates that, since the Authority began operations in 2006, it has seen an increase in the number of vulnerable people being exploited by organised criminals and criminal networks for profit in the sectors it regulates.

    Further information about the role of organised criminal activity would come from the proposed new role of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement who will have a role to gather information on worker exploitation and publish a strategic approach to tackling it.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Avebury on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations to the UN Security Council members in the Human Rights Watch report of 26 November, What Military Target Was in My Brother’s House: Unlawful Coalition Airstrikes in Yemen.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of the report released by Human Rights Watch on 26 November and its recommendations to the international community. The UN Security Council has made clear that sanctions will be applied to those individuals or entities who have been designated or listed for engaging in or providing support for acts that threaten the peace, security and stability of Yemen. We take all reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in Yemen by any side to the conflict very seriously. We have raised our concerns with the Saudi Arabian government and have received assurances of IHL compliance and continue to engage with them on those assurances. We have also raised our concerns with the Houthis on the importance of compliance with IHL and international human rights law. We agree that all parties to the conflict have a responsibility to take all reasonable steps to allow and facilitate humanitarian access to facilitate immediate access to life-saving supplies both into and within Yemen. The Resolution on Yemen adopted at the September session of the Human Rights Council commits the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights to work with the Government of Yemen and produce an oral report on developments to be given at the next session in March 2016, and a written report to be published and presented to the Council in September 2016. We remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Yemen and will continue to work with all parties to find a political solution to the conflict.

  • Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 9 October 2015 to Question 10800, when the potential closures of courts will be announced; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    HM Courts & Tribunals Service is currently in the process of assessing all responses to the consultation and I expect to announce the outcome of the consultation in due course.

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

    Lord Freyberg – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Freyberg on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average turnaround time for cancer genetic tests relating to (1) breast cancer, (2) lung cancer, (3) colorectal cancer, and (4) melanoma, measured from biopsy to a discussion of the results with the patient, in (a) tertiary care centres, (b) secondary care centres with in-house testing, and (c) secondary care centres with third-party testing.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has not, to date, undertaken a direct comparison of the English and French health systems in respect of genetic testing practice for cancer.

    NHS England does not hold data on the percentage of stage 2b, or higher, cancer patients in secondary and tertiary centres who were genetically tested. Detailed information on the clinical circumstances, or reasons, for referral for genetic testing for individual patients is not currently collated on a national basis.

    NHS England does not consider business cases from individual National Health Service trusts in relation to the adoption of new genetic tests. Instead, NHS England considers national clinical commissioning policy proposals on the eligibility of a particular test, or treatments to be made available in the presence of particular genetic markers. These are considered and where agreed, funded consistently across England for services falling within NHS England’s direct commissioning responsibilities.

    Examples include the separate policies (published in July 2015) confirming eligibility for Ivacaftor for the treatment of cystic fibrosis in the presence of certain gene mutations, and confirming eligibility for testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, respectively. Copies of the policies are attached.

    In addition, the UK Genetic Testing Network currently presents new genetic testing proposals to NHS England for funding consideration based on the conclusions of their assurance programme. These are considered, alongside other new policy proposals, as part of the annual funding prioritisation process, where there is a net annual investment to be made to support their adoption.

    Information on the average turnaround time for cancer genetic tests is not currently collated, or analysed, nationally. However, NHS England will be undertaking a procurement exercise in the coming months to support the strengthened provision of genetic testing across England. This includes more consistent reporting of activity and other performance indicators, including the timeliness of reporting on receipt on referrals. The supporting national service specification, setting out the standards required of commissioned providers, has been the subject of a recent public consultation.