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Tag: 2015

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the conflict in Central African Republic.

    James Duddridge

    The UK’s focus in the Central African Republic is on working with the international community to improve security throughout the country. We support the Transitional Authorities in their preparation for elections, and assist with justice, governance and state administration. The UK co-sponsored a UN Security Council Resolution authorising the deployment of a UN Peacekeeping Operation, MINUSCA, which launched in September 2014. The operation is focussing on restoring stability, preventing human rights abuses, and promoting reconciliation. The UK has also supported the EU Military Advisory Mission to the Central African Republic which launched in March 2015. The mission provides the government of the Central African Republic with expert advice on security sector reform. In addition, the UK co-funded the African Union’s 2014 deployment of experts to the Central African Republic to support victims of sexual violence.

  • Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2015-12-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what improvements will take place under the new Northern Rail franchise on the Blackpool South and Preston to Colne service, other than the replacement of the Pacer trains.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Preston-Blackpool South will get a Sunday service all year round. At present the line shuts down for a period in the winter, but from Dec 2017 at least an alternate-hours service will operate all year round. Colne-Preston will get a full hourly Sunday service – twice as many trains on Sunday compared to now, and with the entire Northern fleet being refurbished, passengers will notice rolling stock improvements across the franchise.

    Accrington and Blackburn stations will become Northern Connect stations so will be staffed from 6am to 10pm (if they don’t already have staffing hours longer than this), with WiFi and catering outlets. All Northern stations with more than 10 passengers per day will have ticket machines, real-time information and help points.

    Beyond that there is a franchise wide, £38m investment in bringing stations up to standard, with benefits for many stations, which includes new platform seating, replacement shelters, new waiting rooms and toilets, and customer information screens.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Debbie Abrahams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether (a) officials of his Department, (b) representatives of NHS bodies or (c) researchers funded by his Department will be attending the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in November 2015.

    George Freeman

    No officials from the Department plan to attend San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in December 2015. The Department does not hold information centrally on planned attendance at this event by NHS representatives or researchers supported fully or in part by funding from the Department.

  • Baroness Hayman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Hayman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayman on 2015-12-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 26 November (HL3704), whether they have completed their review of the possibility of resuming direct flights to Sierra Leone, and if so, whether they are currently processing any permissions for flights to begin.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government has now lifted the restriction on direct, scheduled, commercial air services between Sierra Leone and the UK. The Department is aware of one company that has applied for, and been issued, a Foreign Aircraft Operating Permit by the Civil Aviation Authority to operate services between Sierra Leone and the UK.

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

    Derek Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the likely annual cost to the NHS of treating age-related macular degeneration by 2050.

    Alistair Burt

    From the data collected it is not possible to identify how much was spent specifically on treating patients with age-related macular degeneration.

    No estimate has been made of the annual cost of treating age related macular degeneration by 2050.

  • Lord Black of Brentwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Black of Brentwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Black of Brentwood on 2015-12-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any assessment of the cost of energy bills to people served by District Heating Networks.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    In March 2015 DECC published a report by AECOM titled ‘An Assessment of the Costs, Performance, and Characteristics of UK Heat Networks’. The report included a review of the prices charged to final customers by a representative sample of heat networks (7 in total). The average heat price was found to be 6.43p/kWh but with a wide range of 4.64 to 9.88 p/kWh reflecting differences in network design, construction, commissioning and operation. On average this is less than the modelled cost of gas central heating in flats and terraced houses when boiler ownership costs are included (7.22 to 10.24p/kWh).

    The Government is aware that costs to the consumer can vary and achieving cost savings is dependent on the quality of the individual network. DECC has supported industry development of a technical code of practice for heat networks, and worked closely with industry and consumer groups on the development of Heat Trust, an independent consumer protection scheme that launched in November 2015. There are also plans to launch an on-line cost comparator tool in 2016 to allow a consumer to assess their charges against gas central heating. This greater transparency of heat charges is complemented by the billing information requirements in the Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014.

  • 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 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what (a) amount and (b) proportion of the grants awarded by the National Institute for Health Research have been related to mental health in each of the last five years.

    George Freeman

    The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) awards funding of varying durations through a wide range of research programmes, research training and career development schemes, and funding streams for research infrastructure, systems and support services.

    Spend on research funded directly by the NIHR has been categorised by Health Research Classification System (HRCS) health categories. NIHR expenditure on research infrastructure, systems and support services where spend cannot be attributed to health categories is excluded. The following table shows NIHR spend in the ‘mental health’ category, and this spend as a proportion of total categorised spend and as a proportion of total revenue expenditure.

    NIHR spend in ‘mental health’ HRCS health category

    £ million

    Proportion of total categorised NIHR spend %

    Proportion of total NIHR revenue spend %

    2010/11

    49.8

    9.0

    5.4

    2011/12

    53.2

    9.0

    5.8

    2012/13

    70.0

    9.5

    7.3

    2013/14

    71.7

    9.5

    7.3

    2014/15

    72.6

    9.0

    7.4

    “

  • Chris Stephens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Stephens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2015-12-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to procure the replacement for the HM Revenue and Customs IT Aspire contract; what consultation there will be with HM Revenue and Customs staff and their representatives; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is making significant progress in preparing for the end of the Aspire IT contract in 2017. In August, HMRC announced that the changes it has planned will ultimately enable the Department to make savings of up to 24 per cent on its £800m annual IT budget by 2020-21, while maintaining consistent delivery of services to customers.

    Through its Building Our Future programme, HMRC is continuing to engage with its people and trade unions about the way in which it is transforming, including the way in which it is equipping operations with the modern IT services and platforms they need to run effectively. Currently, there are no plans to hold a formal consultation on the end of the Aspire contract.

  • Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects NHS England to publish the first and second quarter figures for Cancer Drugs Fund notifications and individual Cancer Drugs Fund requests for 2015-16; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    The information for the first quarter of 2015-16 was published on NHS England’s website on 10 November 2015 and is available at:

    www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/pe/cdf/

    Information for the second quarter is currently being finalised and NHS England expects to publish this in the near future.

    “

  • Steve Rotheram – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve Rotheram – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to tackle landlords who knowingly rent out unsafe and substandard accommodation.

    Brandon Lewis

    Through the Housing and Planning Bill we are taking measures to tackle rogue landlords who rent out sub-standard accommodation. Our proposals include a database of rogue landlords and property agents, introducing banning orders for serious or repeat offenders, a tougher fit and proper person test, extending Rent Repayment Orders and introducing civil penalties for offences such as failing to comply with an improvement notice or overcrowding a property.

    In addition, over the last Parliament, we made over £6.7 million available to local authorities to help them tackle rogue landlords in their areas. We have also invited 65 local authorities to bid for a share of a further £5 million funding to tackle rogue landlords and will be announcing successful schemes shortly.