The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an estimate of the effect on the rural economy of the reduction in grouse shooting caused by poor weather in 2015.
Rory Stewart
The Government has no plans to make an estimate of the effect the weather in 2015 has had on the grouse shooting industry and the rural economy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of councils have had at least one residential, domiciliary or specialist care provider fail in the last 12 months.
Alistair Burt
The Government does not collect this information.
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have statutory responsibilities to temporarily meet the needs of individuals and their carers should their provider fail.
The Act also gave the Care Quality Commission (CQC) a new function to oversee the finances of care providers which are either large or whose provision is geographically concentrated as their financial failure would make it difficult for local authorities to discharge their statutory responsibilities.
The oversight function will provide early warning to relevant local authorities in the event that one of these providers is likely to fail and their services cease. This will allow local authorities time to implement contingency plans.
The CQC have not made any such notifications to local authorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) security and (b) political situation in the Central Africa Republic.
James Duddridge
The security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) is grave. Outside the capital Bangui, violence, looting, hostage-taking and human rights abuses continue to occur with relative impunity. The security situation in Bangui is more stable than the rest of the country, having improved following the surge in violence in late September, but tensions still run high and we continue to advise against all travel to CAR. The political situation is precarious. The transitional government, led by President Catherine Samba-Panza, is being undermined by actors from armed groups and dates for elections have been moved a number of times in the last months. The first round is currently planned for late December 2015, with additional rounds planned for January 2016. Great efforts have been made to register all CAR citizens both in CAR and in refugee camps in neighbouring countries. We expect a deterioration in the political situation, in parallel with the security situation, in the lead up to these elections.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time is for the return of disclosure and barring service documentation for applications made by people in East Dorset.
Karen Bradley
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is undertaking a transformation programme to reform the way it delivers its services. Release 1 (R1) will improve efficiency with modernised IT solutions and business processes, making it more convenient and quicker for customers. This does not include using volunteers to operate the disclosure process, given the highly sensitive nature of the information involved.
For applications received from individuals with a Dorset postcode between December 2014 and November 2015, the average processing time was 23.4 days. It is not possible to calculate the average figure for those from East Dorset specifically as this information is not collected.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to help tackle the (a) recent increase in illegal transport of weapons from Haiti to the Turks and Caicos Islands and (b) the increase in gun crime in those islands.
James Duddridge
Through the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund, the UK is spending £5.5 million in 2015/2016 to help the Caribbean region in its efforts to reduce serious and organised crime and build more secure borders. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Law Enforcement Adviser in Miami oversees the use of programme funds to provide competency and capability training to Turks and Caicos Islands law enforcement officers to improve the maritime interdiction of illegal firearms, migrants and drugs. Furthermore, the Governor and Premier of Turks and Caicos Islands have agreed to the formation of a National Security Council. At its inaugural meeting on 21 October, it agreed to draft a National Security Strategy to address current and long term security issues facing Turks and Caicos Islands including gun crime. Meanwhile, UK Ministers approved a Supplementary Budget estimate of $0.75m submitted by the Turks and Caicos Islands government to carry out an external review of recent murders in the country and to purchase essential crime investigation equipment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish her Department’s report on tied visas for domestic servants.
James Brokenshire
James Ewins’s report on visas for overseas domestic workers has been submitted to the Home Office and will be published shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that cancer communities are targeted towards all age groups and people with learning disabilities.
Jane Ellison
We understand the hon. Member is referring to cancer communications.
Public Health England (PHE) runs a number of Be Clear on Cancer (BCoC) campaigns to encourage symptom recognition and earlier general practitioner (GP) presentation. The campaigns have been running since early 2011 and have covered a number of cancers nationally and regionally. Incidence increases with age for most cancers and BCoC targets men and women over 50, especially those from lower socioeconomic groups, as there is evidence that these individuals are more likely to delay seeing their GP. Although BCoC campaigns target people over 50, they do reach a much wider age group because of national media campaign activity.
Specialist organisations are consulted on campaign development to ensure that communications are accessible and inclusive. These have included Mencap, the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, and EasyHealth, specifically targeting people with learning disabilities and using their networks to share information effectively. In addition, campaign materials are produced in alternative formats, including easy read. Disability and carer organisations are sent tailored briefing sheets and toolkits to ensure their members are aware of campaign messages and the availability of alternative formats. Following each campaign, PHE seeks feedback from the disability and carer organisations it has worked with to evaluate the success of the engagement and ensure improvements are made where possible.
Locally, there are also a number of good examples where the National Health Service is tailoring its communications to ensure they are accessible to all groups, including those with learning disabilities. NHS England is exploring how these can be taken forward and built on at a national level. For example, easy read versions of cancer screening leaflets are available for people with learning disabilities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department issues to prisons on female prisoners’ access to and rights to care for young children.
Caroline Dinenage
The policy and guidance on the treatment of female offenders is contained in Prison Service Order 4800, which can be found at: https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj8yJvt2N3JAhVFuBQKHTxXAwcQFggdMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.justice.gov.uk%2Fdownloads%2Foffenders%2Fpsipso%2Fpso%2FPSO_4800_women_prisoners.doc&usg=AFQjCNHEKdUSQ34oce66F47zApSRhF35Iw
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent from the public purse on reimbursing each non-European Economic Area country for health care provided to UK nationals for each financial year from 1997-98 to 2014-15.
Alistair Burt
Regarding non-European Economic Area (EEA) countries, including those with reciprocal healthcare agreements with the United Kingdom, we can confirm that no reimbursements are made from the public purse in respect of healthcare provided to UK citizens.
For non-EEA countries without a reciprocal agreement in place with the UK, it would be for the individual to pay for any healthcare needed and for that reason appropriate travel and medical insurance is highly advisable. Similarly, for those non-EEA countries with whom the UK does have a reciprocal healthcare agreement, no money changes hands between the parties to the agreement. The basis of these agreements is reciprocity – that is, necessary healthcare is provided in most cases free of charge to the visitor and the associated costs are absorbed by either side.
The information requested on the amount received in reimbursement from EEA countries in only available for the country totals of cash payment for 2007-08 to 2014-15. That information is provided in attached table. We do not hold totals for amounts before 2007-08, as the information is hot held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Chalk on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department plans to spend per person on cycling in England outside London for each year until 2020-21.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Government has agreed a four-year revenue and five-year capital settlement for local transport spend, which includes cycling and walking investment. The Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, to be published in summer 2016, will explain the Government’s investment strategy for cycling and walking.