Tag: 2015

  • Neil Gray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Neil Gray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, for what reasons a fire safety contract with Norland Managed Services, London has been awarded outwith the Restoration and Renewal project for the Palace of Westminster.

    Tom Brake

    This contract is one element of a wider programme to achieve compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 by the end of 2018, in accordance with a commitment the House made in 2011 to the Crown Premises Inspection Group.

    Achieving compliance will reduce the risk of fire causing loss of life or injury to individuals, destroying or damaging the building, or disrupting the work of Parliament.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what level of UK support has been negotiated for the Rivetjoint platforms; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    A Memorandum of Understanding with the US Government provides for the in-service support and upgrade activity of the UK Rivet Joint fleet. All maintenance support is conducted in the UK by RAF personnel, with assistance from field service representatives provided under the US/UK cooperative agreement. Some minor support activity is also provided by UK contractors based at RAF Waddington and there are contracts with a number of UK companies that support the Ministry of Defence in managing compliance with UK safety, airworthiness and security regulations.

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to implement the family test.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Family Test was introduced in October 2014 and can be located at the following link Family Test Guidance

    The Family Test is part of the policy making process and is applied in a proportionate way in the development of new policy in line with the guidance. Potential impacts of policy on family functioning and relationships are identified and brought to the attention of Ministers where appropriate.

    There is no requirement to publish the Family Test assessments. The Ministry of Justice does not collect information on the number of full Family Test assessments completed.

  • Liz Saville Roberts – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Liz Saville Roberts – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Saville Roberts on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether Trawsfynydd former nuclear power station site in North Wales qualifies for inclusion in a list of possible small nuclear reactor sites in the UK.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government is currently undertaking a techno-economic assessment of SMRs which will provide a detailed analysis of the opportunities and challenges facing SMRs. The recent announcement by my Rt. Hon Friend Mr Chancellor of a competition to identify which SMR would offer the best value for development in the UK is a further demonstration of the Government’s commitment to exploring the potential of SMRs for the UK. As Government develops SMR policy further, we will address the issue of site identification for SMRs. No potential sites or siting criteria specifically for SMRs have currently been agreed.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2015 to Question 14459, whether the Civil Aviation Authority plans to make the conclusions of the review into the safety of operations at RAF Northolt publicly available; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The review was conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in response to concerns raised by the operator of Biggin Hill Airport. The CAA has advised Biggin Hill of the conclusions of the review. The CAA remains satisfied that operations by civil aircraft at Northolt are safe. The CAA has no plans to publish the conclusions of the review but will continue to ensure that all operators using RAF Northolt have access to all relevant information about the aerodrome.

  • Oliver Dowden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Oliver Dowden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Dowden on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what meetings officials in his Department have had with their Iranian counterparts on the detention of Kamal Foroughi in Evin Prison.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We remain very concerned about the case of dual-national Mr Mr Kamal Foroughi and in particular recent reports of deterioration in his health whilst in detention. Iran does not recognise dual nationality and as such has not granted us consular access. I met his family on 1 December, and confirmed that we have raised his case with the Iranian authorities on repeated occasions, urging Iran to provide regular medical assistance and access to a lawyer. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) raised this with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif and President Rouhani during his trip to Iran in August. He also raised it most recently with Foreign Minister Zarif in New York at the UN General Assembly in September. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) raised the case with President Rouhani during a telephone call in July, and wrote a further letter on the matter in October regarding our consular cases.

  • Antoinette Sandbach – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Antoinette Sandbach – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the differences in provision of healthcare in areas adjoining the border between England and Wales.

    Stephen Crabb

    Everyone should have access to the very best healthcare possible wherever they live. The presence of a border between England and Wales should not create disadvantages for patients.

    While the NHS in England exists to benefit the people of England, and the NHS in Wales exists to benefit the people of Wales, NHS commissioners in either country are able to commission services from providers on both sides of the border.

  • 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 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to collect information centrally on the proportion of the mental health budget that is spent on forensic psychiatry.

    Alistair Burt

    Forensic Services is one of the collections in NHS England’s new programme budget collection for mental health. NHS England is planning to publish 2014/15 data in early 2016.

  • Andrew Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andrew Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have not been able to request employment and support allowance paid at the assessment rate pending an appeal since March 2015.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not available.

  • Derek Twigg – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Derek Twigg – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Twigg on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to promote compliance by clinical commissioning groups with the NICE Quality Standard on Autism.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department issued new statutory guidance in March this year for local authorities and National Health Service organisations to support the continued implementation of the 2010 Autism Strategy, as refreshed by its 2014 Think Autism update. This sets out what people seeking an autism diagnosis can expect from local authorities and NHS bodies.

    The Department has also discussed with NHS England the difficulties that people on the autistic spectrum can have in getting an appropriate diagnosis in a timely manner. With support from the Department, NHS England and the Association of Directors of Social Services will undertake a series of visits to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to discuss good practice in meeting the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Quality Standard 51 Autism, and those that do not, with the aim of supporting more consistent provision. The Quality Standard, which applies to children, young people and adults, recommends that there should be a maximum of three months between a referral and a first appointment for a diagnostic assessment for autism. We expect the NHS to be working towards meeting the recommendations.

    We understand that NHS Halton CCG is working on improvements to the paediatric neurological pathway which incorporates children with autism. This will see the Child Development Centre (CDC) in Halton become a single access point of assessment for the most complex children. It is expected that the CDC will ensure that the first appointment for a child referred to them is well within the three months recommended by NICE.

    The service commissioned by Halton CCG will also comply with NICE guidelines by ensuring that the appropriate mix of clinicians is available for a multi-disciplinary assessment, which also includes Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

    In regard to adults, NHS Halton CCG is currently meeting its statutory requirements with autism by purchasing a diagnostic service on a cost per case basis from our provider of mental health services, 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. The CCG is working with other partners who receive the same service from the same provider with a view to pooling resources to commission a diagnostic and post diagnostic service.