The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wes Streeting on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) MRI scanners and (b) computerised tomography scanners there are in England; where each such scanner is; and how old each such scanner is.
George Freeman
Information on the number, age and location of magnetic resonance imaging scanners and computerised tomography scanners is not collected centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the probability of the UK not being able to rely on electricity interconnectors to the continent as in previous years because of French and Belgian supply being limited until 2020 due to the closure of old fossil fuel plant and nuclear reactors in those countries.
Andrea Leadsom
National Grid makes an assessment of the extent to which all GB interconnectors can be relied upon at times of system stress. This is based on an assessment of European markets. In recent years we have, in fact, observed increased efficiency of the interconnectors and imports to the UK system at times of peak demand. As market coupling is further implemented, we expect this to continue. This is assessed on an annual basis to take into account any changing market dynamics. For this winter, forward power prices suggest net imports to GB over interconnectors with continental Europe.
Beyond these market arrangements, should GB need additional support, it is also possible for National Grid as the System Operator to call upon interconnectors at a time of system stress.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department spent on agency workers to cover clerical agency staff in each month since May 2015; and which companies provided those services.
Mike Penning
The information requested is published in the department’s annual accounts. These can be found at:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the recording of food crime as an identifiable category of crime in police databases.
Jane Ellison
I regularly attend the Inter Ministerial Group on food crime, which includes representation from the Home Office.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the Government is offering to the government of Lebanon on the distribution of central resources to municipalities to enable host communities to assist refugees; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The UK is providing £9 million this year to support the Lebanese Host Community Support Programme. This programme is aimed at providing basic services to 49 of Lebanon’s most vulnerable municipalities (those most affected by the pressures of hosting large refugee communities). It is jointly run by the Lebanese Ministry of Social Affairs and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The programme does not use central government resources, but the Government of Lebanon does provide strategic direction through consultations with UNDP. We hope that their involvement will help to strengthen their capacity to respond to the Syria crisis.
Since the start of the Syria crisis the UK has contributed over £330 million to help maintain Lebanese stability.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sammy Wilson on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessments her Department has made of the effect of the relocation of the Visa and Entry Clearance Office from Dakha to New Delhi on people from Bangladesh applying for a visa to enter the UK.
James Brokenshire
An internal assessment of the potential impact of transferring decision making on UK visa applications from Dhaka to New Delhi was completed in early 2014. This assessment covered all key aspects of the move, including security, decision quality and customer service.
There has been, and will be, no change to the customer experience when applying for a visa in Bangladesh. Customers are still able to apply in the same Visa Application Centres (Dhaka and Sylhet) and applications are decided within the same global customer service standards (15 working days for non-settlement or 60 days for settlement).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Smith on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions (a) she and (b) her Department have had with animal welfare organisations on the incorporation of animal welfare in the national curriculum.
Edward Timpson
The Department received representations from animal welfare groups about the inclusion of animal welfare in the science curriculum in response to the consultation on the new National Curriculum.
The new primary science curriculum, introduced from September 2014, focuses on the essential scientific knowledge that children need to be educated citizens. It teaches pupils about the requirements for animals to survive such as appropriate habitat, food, water and air. Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education also provides opportunities for pupils to be taught about animal welfare and teachers are free to decide what further activities they offer on this topic.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policy on charging carers for the support they receive in their caring role of an increase in the number of councils charging carers.
Alistair Burt
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 October 2015 to Question 13008.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2015-12-14.
To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what provision the Electoral Commission has made to ensure that there is no inappropriate election spending on the EU referendum during the 2016 May elections.
Mr Gary Streeter
Political parties and non-party campaigners intending to spend money on campaigning at the elections taking place across the UK in May 2016 must adhere to spending limits set out in law during the regulated period for these polls. The Commission will provide advice and guidance throughout this period so that campaigners are aware that any spending on EU referendum related campaign activity that would be caught by the rules during the regulated period for the May 2016 polls are properly accounted for.
The rules on campaign spending for the EU referendum are not currently in force as the government has yet to make the regulations that specify when they will apply. Should the regulated period for the EU referendum overlap with that for the May 2016 polls, we will ensure that our guidance clearly sets out the rules that must be followed to comply with both regimes. All of the Commission’s guidance is published on its website when it is complete.
The Commission is monitoring the campaigning activities of political parties, non-party campaigners and potential EU referendum campaigners so that it can identify any emerging issues and offer advice and guidance to those it regulates or, if necessary and appropriate, use its enforcement and sanctioning powers where the rules are not followed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential for immune-oncology treatments to treat mesothelioma effectively.
George Freeman
A number of immuno-oncology treatments with the potential to treat mesothelioma are in development.
Most significant new drugs are referred to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) technology appraisal programme to assess their clinical and cost effectiveness. Decisions on the suitability of these drugs for NICE appraisal will be made through the established topic selection process.