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Tag: 2015

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the UK contributes to conserving the puffin population.

    Rory Stewart

    The latest population trends indicate a recent decline in the population of UK puffins. This is thought to be due to a combination of factors, including climate change-related food shortages and inclement weather conditions during the breeding season.

    The UK is currently undertaking a review of the terrestrial and coastal network of UK Special Protection Areas (SPA), classified under the EU Wild Birds Directive. The review will inform the need for any further SPA provision for this species.

    The UK is also making good progress in identifying a number of SPAs in the marine environment to complete our network. These will be in addition to the existing 108 SPAs with marine components currently in place in the UK, which provide protection for just over 11,500km2 of seabird habitat.

    Additionally in England, Natural England has been involved in projects to eradicate mammalian predators on Lundy and the Isles of Scilly which should improve the nesting conditions for breeding puffins.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-11-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of magistrates has resigned in each month since May 2010.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international partners on Syrian representation at the talks in Vienna on 30 October 2015.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    At the Vienna talks on 30 October Foreign Ministers discussed the crucial role of the Syrians in any political process. The UN has been asked to launch a new political process which will convene Syrian representatives for a political process on future governance, a new constitution and elections. As the Vienna Communiqué noted: “This political process will be Syrian led and Syrian owned, and the Syrian people will decide the future of Syria.”

  • Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many special advisers were employed on 1 November 2009, and at what total annual cost, and what were the figures on 1 November for each year thereafter.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    Information on the number and cost of special advisers for 2009 and subsequent years is available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2015 will be published shortly.

  • 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.