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Tag: 2015

  • Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 11 March 2015 to Question 226385, how many local authorities supported by PHE are developing withdrawal services for people affected by addiction to prescription benzodiazepine and drug tranquilisers.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England is currently working with two local authorities and one other area which is part of a Clinical Commissioning Group who want to improve their responses to addiction to medicines. These improvements are wide-ranging and do not necessarily involve developing bespoke services for people affected by specific medicines. There are also other areas which are looking at how they respond to addiction to medicines locally.

    Local authorities are responsible for commissioning effective services to meet the need of their local populations which experience dependence on any medicines or drugs, including treatment for people dependent on prescription benzodiazepines and tranquillisers.

  • Baroness Redfern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Redfern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Redfern on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment the Department for Health has made of the number of adult carers in the UK, and the capacity of those carers to provide an improved quality of care to individuals in their own homes.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We have assumed the Noble Lady is referring to informal, unpaid, carers rather than to paid care workers.

    The 2011 Census indicated that there are approximately 6.26 million adults with informal caring responsibilities in the United Kingdom.

    The Government recognises the invaluable contribution made by unpaid carers and the importance of supporting them in their caring roles. That is why we continue to support implementation of the improved rights for carers enshrined in The Care Act 2014. This includes a right to an assessment on the appearance of needs for support that will look at a carer’s wellbeing in their own right and what support they may need in their caring role.

    The Department has provided £104 million of funding to local authorities for these rights in 2015/16, which include, for the first time, a legal duty on local authorities to meet carers’ eligible needs for support. We have also made an additional £400 million available to the NHS between 2011 and 2015 to provide carers with breaks from their caring responsibilities to sustain them in their caring role. The carers’ breaks funding of £130 million for 2015/16 is in the Better Care Fund.

    The Department is also leading the development of a new cross-Government National Carers Strategy that will look at what more we can do to support existing carers and future carers.

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women taken to hospital from Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre have been handcuffed in transit in each of the last six months.

    James Brokenshire

    Provisional management information showing the number of women who have been handcuffed when taken to hospital from Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre over the requested period is detailed in the table below:

    Month

    Number of Handcuffed Hospital Moves

    May

    0

    June

    0

    July

    0

    August

    0

    September

    1

    October

    6

    The increased figure in October 2015 was not due to any change in policy. These cases have been reviewed by the Home Office Use of Force Monitor to ensure that the use of handcuffs was appropriate. The review established that each case had been subject to an individual risk assessment, in accordance with standard policy, and that handcuffs were used on the basis of that outcome of that assessment.

  • Lord Condon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Condon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Condon on 2015-12-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what new arrangements have been made in 2015, nationally, regionally, or locally, for police forces formally to share operational or support functions.

    Lord Bates

    Chief Constables and PCCs are best placed to consider whether and how their forces’ operational or support functions should be shared. The number of collaborations continues to increase, with at least 4 new alliances involving 9 forces announced in 2015.

    Regional Organised Crime Units, the National Crime Agency and local law enforcement continue to develop specialist capabilities to tackle a range of threats, including serious and organised crime, child sexual abuse and cyber crime. The Government supports the current review by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners into where specialist policing capabilities best sit, and how they should be delivered, to provide a common basis for future collaboration decisions.

    To continue to strengthen and improve mutual aid arrangements, the National Police Coordination Centre is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing to develop consistent national standards.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what reports he has received of claimants receiving overlapping payments of both universal credit and housing benefit; and if he will make a statement.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Since April 2013, arrangements have been in place to identify potential overlapping payments between Universal Credit Live Service and Housing Benefit. Any cases identified are referred to Universal Credit for resolution with the appropriate Local Authority.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-12-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current membership of the care.data Advisory Group.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The care.data Advisory Group met between March 2014 and October 2015 and has now been disbanded. The group was Chaired by Ciarán Devane, who at the time was a non-executive director of NHS England, and included representatives from the following organisations:

    – Academy of Medical Royal Colleges;

    – Association of Medical Research Charities;

    – Big Brother Watch;

    – British Heart Foundation;

    – British Medical Association;

    – HealthWatch England;

    – Hurley Group;

    – Kings College London;

    – Kings Fund;

    – medConfidential;

    – MIND;

    – National Institute for Health Research;

    – National Voices;

    – Patients4Data;

    – Royal College of General Practitioners;

    – Royal College of Psychiatrists;

    – Clinical Commissioning Groups;

    – UCL Partners; and

    – Wellcome Trust.

  • Andy McDonald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andy McDonald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy McDonald on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the document, Fixing the Foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation, Cm 9098, published in July 2015, if he will publish his Department’s analysis linking the introduction of a Youth Obligation for 18 to 25 year olds on universal credit with increased productivity.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government is introducing a Youth Obligation for 18-21s on Universal Credit, to help them into sustainable employment.

    From day 1 of their claim, young people will participate in an intensive support regime in return for their benefit. After 6 months, we will expect them to apply for an apprenticeship, traineeship, gain work-based skills, or go on a work placement.

    As set out in “Fixing the Foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation”, this is part of the Government’s plan for achieving full employment. The Government wants to ensure that young people are given the support, skills and experience to move into work, fulfil their potential and make a contribution to a productive economy.

  • Jo Stevens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jo Stevens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much was spent by the Government on apprenticeships in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

    Nick Boles

    Combined BIS/DfE spend by the Government on apprenticeships in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13 is shown in the table.

    £K FY2010-11 FY2011-12 FY2012-13
    TOTAL 1,195,750 1,383,568 1,424,097

  • Valerie Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Valerie Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Valerie Vaz on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the likely effect of redundancies in the UK steel industry on the proportion of defence procurement that arises from UK businesses.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Steel is sourced by our contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers, reflecting the need to ensure competitive cost, time and quality. The Ministry of Defence has not directly made an assessment of the likely effect of redundancies in the UK steel industry but, is represented on the cross-Government steel procurement working group led by the Cabinet Office, and new Government guidelines, which include the need for effective pre-procurement engagement, will help UK suppliers compete for contracts and continue to support future defence requirements for steel.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the reasons for increases in the trade deficit in UK goods and services in the three months to October 2015.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The information requested can be obtained from the latest UK Trade publication which is available here: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/uktrade/uk-trade/october-2015/stb-uk-trade–october-2015.html

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