Tag: 2015

  • Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of interim or emergency measures to provide access to drugs for rare cancers during the period of the accelerated access review.

    George Freeman

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is the independent body that makes decisions on the clinical and cost effectiveness of drugs, including those for rare cancers, based on thorough assessment of the best available evidence.

    The Government has also established the Cancer Drugs Fund, which has helped over 72,000 cancer patients in England to access life-extending drugs that would not otherwise have been available to them.

    The Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS) was launched in April 2014 to support access in the United Kingdom to unlicensed or off-label medicines representing a significant advance in treatment in areas of unmet medical need. Eight EAMS Promising Innovative Medicines designations and four positive EAMS scientific opinions have been issued so far, including some for new cancer drugs.

    The independent Accelerated Access Review is currently looking at how we can reduce the time, cost, and risk of drug development, develop a new range of flexible reimbursement models and consider the long term landscape for innovation adoption. The Review’s recommendations are expected in spring 2016.

  • Lord Moynihan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Moynihan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moynihan on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 on the discretionary spend of local authorities on sport and recreational facilities, and what projections they have made of future years.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Local authorities make their own decisions on how they spend their budgets on sport and other discretionary areas. Many local authorities already understand the value of investing in sport and are best placed to make the right decisions for their communities locally, whilst continuing to be supported by a strong national offer directed by Sport England. Strengthening grassroots sport will be at the heart of our forthcoming new sports strategy.

  • Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the number of additional midwives that would be required to enable all women to receive one-to-one care from a midwife during labour.

    Ben Gummer

    Health Education England has responsibility for commissioning training for the National Health Service workforce and for working with NHS organisations to ensuretheright numbersof midwives are available to deliver the recommendations of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, published 27 February 2015, which includes the need for every woman to have at least one registered midwife present during established labour.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they treat UK citizens in Iraq and Syria who participate in ISIL actions and activities as enemy combatants or criminals, and whether in making such assessments they consider what the actions of those individuals were, in particular whether they are violent or of violent intent, and whether or not their violence is targeted at the UK or UK citizens.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    More than 750 Britons of national security concern have travelled to the region since the start of the conflict and we estimate that around half of those have returned. Those who have committed criminal offences (including financing terrorism, training for terrorism and murder) should expect to be prosecuted for their crimes on their return to the UK.

    The British Government is carrying out air strikes to support Iraqi and Kurdish forces’ efforts against Daesh in Iraq. UK citizens who are part of Daesh in Iraq are in no different position to other Daesh members there. The current position in Syria is that the UK will only take military action if there is a critical British national interest at stake or there was the need to act to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. In relation to the airstrike against Reyaad Khan on 21 August, I refer the noble Lord to the oral statement of 7 September 2015 made by the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), which was repeated the same day in the House of Lords by The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Stowell of Beeston), (Official Report, column 1249).

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will take steps to ensure that it is aware of the criminal histories of all people admitted into the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    The UK has detailed arrangements in place to identify people of concern seeking to enter the country. All passengers are checked against police, security and immigration watchlists and where we are aware of individuals who pose a risk, Border Force officers can – and do – refuse them entry.

    The onus for flagging a threat lies with the authorities in their home country and the UK is leading the way in Europe on improving the exchange of information in cases involving dangerous criminals. In April the UK connected to the second generation Schengen Information System (SISII), this provides us with real time information about all those individuals wanted under a European Arrest Warrant so that they can be stopped at the border.

    Since 2010, checks on foreign nationals going through the UK criminal justice system have increased by more than 1,500 per cent, helping ensure more foreign criminals are taken off our streets and making our communities safer.

    In September, we introduced a new requirement for Tier 1 investor and entrepreneur applicants to supply an overseas criminal record certificate covering the last 10 years as part of their application.

  • Baroness King of Bow – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness King of Bow – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness King of Bow on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken in response to the Homes and Communities Agency’s decision to downgrade Circle Housing Group’s governance rating from G1 to G3 following its failure to manage properly its Repair and Maintenance Contract with the Kier Group.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Social Housing Regulator has a clear regulatory framework which it used in this case. As is normal practice the Social Housing Regulator is working closely with Circle as it continues to recover its repair service and improves its governance. The Regulator currently has sufficient assurance of Circle’s intention to address the issues and its progress in doing so, such that the Regulator considers it does not need to apply enforcement powers at this point. The Regulator will of course continue to examine new information that comes to light.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are in place to protect orphaned children from exploitation subsequent to their being taken to the UK from (a) Syria and (b) other countries and removed from their extended family.

    James Brokenshire

    Any child who arrives in the UK unaccompanied, either as a result of resettlement or via another route, would be expected to receive the same protection and support as a child who is resident in the UK, under the provisions set out in the Children Act 1989, as amended, and related statutory guidance.

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans for the new business-led body to set standards for apprenticeships as announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 to come into operation.

    Nick Boles

    It is our intention that the Institute for Apprenticeships will be fully operational by April 2017 and we expect it to begin operating in shadow form during 2016, taking on functions in a phased transition.

  • Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Bone on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what plans are in place for monitoring the EU referendum.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    In addition to its roles overseeing delivery of the referendum, supporting the work of Electoral Registration Officers in registering voters and helping the police and electoral administrators tackle allegations of electoral fraud, one of the Electoral Commission’s key objectives is to ensure the integrity and transparency for voters of campaign funding and spending at the EU referendum. Its role will be to register campaigners and regulate their funding and spending.

    To ensure all campaigners know what the rules are, the Commission will actively engage with potential campaigners, publish guidance and provide an advice line. It will receive, analyse and publish information about the campaign funding and spending; ensuring this information is provided by campaigners on time and in line with the legal requirements. The Commission will also deal with potential breaches of the rules, including by the use of its enforcement and sanctioning powers where appropriate.

    As part of its approach, the Commission will monitor campaigning. Using various sources, including the media and information brought to the Commission by campaigners and others, it will identify emerging issues and opportunities to offer advice and guidance to those it regulates or, if necessary, take enforcement action where the rules are not followed. The Commission will also refer to the information obtained through campaign monitoring when looking at financial information submitted by campaigners.

  • Julie Cooper – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Julie Cooper – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the benefit to the public purse was of the closing of tax loopholes in each of the last six years.

    Mr David Gauke

    Revenue protected in connection with avoidance measures announced over the last 6 years is scored in relevant Budget documentation published by HM Treasury.

    However, for convenience on 19 March 2015 the coalition government published a document detailing the action taken over the course of the last Parliament to tackle tax evasion and avoidance. That document can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-tax-evasion-and-avoidance

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