Tag: 2015

  • Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2015-11-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 2 November (HL2849) on the review of retention of custody images by police forces, when the review will be completed, and when the guidance will be published.

    Lord Bates

    The review is ongoing, and is anticipated to report before the Christmas recess. Specific stakeholders consulted as part of the review include the Biometrics Commissioner, the Information Commissioner, the Surveillance Camera Commissioner, the National DNA Database Ethics Group, the National Police Chiefs Council , the College of Policing and local police forces. The report can be expected to address the operational and legal issues and risks, and set out plans for implementation.

  • Richard Arkless – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Richard Arkless – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Arkless on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department has taken to provide to internet service providers detailed information relating to the broadband Universal Services Obligation announced by the Prime Minister on 7 November 2015.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government’s Universal Service Commitment will allow universal access to speeds of at least 2 Megabits per second through the option of satellite broadband connections by the end of 2015.

    In addition, an £8 million Market Test Pilot fund is piloting a number of technologies and funding models, including satellite solutions. The results of these pilots will help inform future policy to extend superfast broadband coverage beyond 95%. Avanti, a broadband provider using satellite technology, is currently operational in Dumfries and Galloway and providing superfast coverage.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-11-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the recent attack on Camp Liberty, whether they have joined the United States and the UNHCR in condemning the attack, and calling for an independent investigation and prosecution of those responsible, and for the government of Iraq to take additional security measures to protect those who remain in Camp Liberty.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We strongly condemn the shameful attack against the civilian residents of Camp Liberty in Iraq on Thursday 29 October. Officials from our Embassy in Baghdad raised the attack with the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office on Friday 30 October and made clear the importance of an urgent and comprehensive investigation into the incident and ensuring that all those responsible are brought to justice.

    In all of our engagement with the Government of Iraq on this issue, including at Ministerial level and in our statements, we have emphasised the importance of the Iraqi government doing everything possible to ensure the safety of the residents of Camp Liberty. We support the UN calls for more to be done to protect the residents.

  • Martyn Day – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Martyn Day – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has estimated the cost to the public purse of making payments to support military veterans who retired with fewer than 22 years’ service before 5 April 1975.

    Mark Lancaster

    No estimate has been made of the cost of resolving legacy pension issues although it would likely cost the tax-payer billions of pounds; the issue of pre-1975 pensions does not just affect the Armed Forces, but is common to all other public service schemes in existence prior to the Social Security Act 1973.

  • Lord Patel of Bradford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Patel of Bradford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patel of Bradford on 2015-11-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in implementing the proposed voluntary agreement with housing associations regarding the extended right to buy, how they will safeguard the land interests of charities that have been acquired by charitable donation.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Under the voluntary agreement with the National Housing Federation, there will be a presumption that housing association tenants will have the right to purchase their home at Right to Buy level discounts, but associations will not be obliged to sell particular properties where there are reasons why this would not be in the interests of their operations.

    This includes housing associations exercising discretion over the sale of properties provided through charitable or public-benefit resources or bequeathed for charitable or public-benefit purposes, and in the possession of the housing association before it became registered under the Housing Act 1974 (or later equivalent legislation).

  • David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce animal suffering and non-target capture, injury and death due to the use of snares.

    Rory Stewart

    In 2012 Defra published research on the extent of use and humaneness of snares in England and Wales. Following publication of the report, officials worked with stakeholders to explore options to improve the humaneness of snaring. Ministers are currently considering these options, including the issue of improved guidance on snaring.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been screened by the NHS England Liaison and Diversion Service to see if they have mental health issues, learning disabilities, substance misuse or other vulnerabilities in the last three years for which figures are available.

    Alistair Burt

    NHS England made almost 40,000 liaison and diversion screenings and more than 10,600 referrals to treatment or support services for people of all ages between 1 April 2014 and 31 August 2015. Data is not available prior to 1 April 2014.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome in the last year.

    Jane Ellison

    No assessment has been made of the number of people who have been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in the last year.

    In 2007 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produced the clinical guidance Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy): Diagnosis and management of CFS/ME in adults and children, which estimates that the annual prevalence is approximately 4,000 cases per million of the population.

    There is no medication available to specifically treat CFS, however the NICE guidance recommends that pharmacological pain relief may be appropriate for the relief of chronic pain that the condition can cause. Other methods of treatment that may be of benefit are cognitive behavioural therapy, graded exercise therapy or activity management. The guidance can be found at the following link:

    https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg53

    “

  • Jack Dromey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jack Dromey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) the amount of any underspend expected against departmental expenditure limits in the current fiscal year and (b) her Department’s latest forecast of total AME spend for this year are; and what the forecasts were for those two sums at the time of the Summer Budget 2015 and March Budget 2015.

    Karen Bradley

    (a) At the close of September 2015, we were not forecasting an underspend of Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit (RDEL)

    At the close of September 2015, we were not forecasting an underspend of Capital Departmental Expenditure Limit (CDEL)

    (b) At the close of September 2015, we were forecasting a total Annual Managed Expenditure (AME) spend for 2015-16 of £1,616 million.

    At the time of the Summer Budget 2015 – when we had closed the accounts for June – we were forecasting:

    • £9,805 million RDEL for the whole of 2015-16

    • £363 million CDEL for the whole of 2015-16

    • £1,618 million AME for the whole of 2015-16

    At the time of the Spring Budget we were forecasting:

    • £9,805 million RDEL for the whole of 2015-16

    • £363 million CDEL for the whole of 2015-16

    • £1,616 million AME for the whole of 2015-16

  • Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding is available to assist with the travel costs of patients who have to travel more than 100 miles to receive a particular treatment for their condition.

    Alistair Burt

    The Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme allows patients on low incomes and those in receipt of specific qualifying benefits or allowances to be reimbursed in part or in full for costs incurred in travelling to receive certain NHS services. Eligible patients can claim payment of travel expenses to appointments made to receive non-primary medical and non-primary dental services when referred by a primary care practitioner. There are no mileage restrictions on this scheme.