Tag: 2015

Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 4 November (HL2885), what assessment they have made, if any, of the reach and impact of radio and television in North Korea.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) does not produce viewing or listening figures for domestic media. However, in 2012 the consultancy organisation, InterMedia, produced a report on the media environment in the DPRK based on a survey of North Korean refugees. The report, with some caveats from the authors, found that 74 per cent of those sampled were able to access television while resident in the DPRK, 42 per cent radio and 38 per cent a cassette player with a radio. The survey also found that 38 per cent of those surveyed considered domestic television to be their most important source of information while living in the DPRK, 21 per cent South Korean radio and 4 per cent domestic radio.

January 1, 2023
Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which years are included in his Department’s consultation on the annual registration fee that local health trusts pay to the Care Quality Commission.

Ben Gummer

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is consulting on its fee levels from 2016-17 to move it to a full chargeable cost recovery position by either 2018 or 2020. The Department is consulting on a regulation that will bring the CQC’s new comprehensive inspections which look beyond compliance with registration and any associated rating within the scope of its fee raising power. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the regulation will come into force from 2016-17 onwards.

January 1, 2023
– 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they proposed the use of the term Euro-Atlantic integration” during negotiations for the 2015 UN Security Council Resolution No. 2247

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The British Government is a firm and active supporter of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Euro-Atlantic perspective. As negotiations are confidential, details on members’ views during these negotiations cannot be disclosed.

January 1, 2023
Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 27 February 2015 to Question 225126, what steps he is taking to ensure growth in investment to increase endoscopy unit capacity in line with the recommendations of Professor Sir Mike Richards, Gateway Reference 16973, of 8 December 2011; and what assessment he has made of progress with planning for 10 to 15 per cent year-on-year increase in lower gastro intestinal endoscopy actively in reducing waiting times and ensuring high quality care.

Jane Ellison

Health Education England has pledged to fund the training of 200 non-medical endoscopists, which will significantly increase endoscopy capacity in England. The first cohort will begin training in January 2016. NHS England’s Sustainable Improvement Team (formerly NHS Improving Quality) is working intensively with trusts that have significant endoscopy waiting lists, in order to improve performance. NHS England is also exploring ways to improve endoscopy performance through pricing changes.

January 1, 2023
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of research on the links between the risk of cancer and radiation spikes during the refuelling of nuclear power plants, whether they plan to publish statistics on spikes in radioactive emissions from nuclear power plants in the UK.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

Radioactive discharges from nuclear power plants are subject to permitting by the UK and devolved environmental agencies. Permitted discharge and notification levels are set out in individual site permits. These limits are set well within the levels required to comply with the public radiation dose constraints that have been set out in UK and devolved legislation in line with international standards.

The environmental and food standards agencies jointly monitor actual levels of radioactivity in the environment and report annually in Radioactivity in Food and the Environment (RIFE). The results of this programme indicate that discharge levels from nuclear plants are well within the permitted limits.

January 1, 2023
Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average response time was for a 999 call in each of the last 10 years; and what the average response time was for 999 calls made to the Humberside Police from (a) across the force area, (b) North Lincolnshire and (c) East Yorkshire in the last 12 months.

Mike Penning

The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the average response times for 999 calls. Information on average 101 call waiting times since April 2014, provided by forces, including Humberside Police, can be found at: www.Police.uk

The Home Office does not hold information on call waiting times for individual forces which pre-dates April 2014 or about calls made to forces from local areas. This information is held by forces.

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January 1, 2023
Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the work conducted in 2009 on counter-terrorism protective security in crowded places has been carried forward, and whether there is an established doctrine or policy for ensuring the safety of such places.

Lord Bates

The Government put in place a programme under CONTEST, the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy, to improve protective security and preparedness at a range of sites by ensuring businesses have access to high quality protective security advice, including through police specialist Counter Terrorism Security Advisors (CTSAs) who operate across the whole of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. In 2014 the programme was refreshed with an enhanced site assessment process and an improved partnership approach with business.

CTSAs are engaged at sites across the country to give protective security advice, to train staff in Counter Terrorism awareness, and to encourage managers to develop response plans to a range of threats. CTSA advice is based on a range of protective security improvement and preparedness measures, and is designed to be appropriate and proportionate and wherever possible cost-effective. The National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) has also published on its website protective security advice and guidance for owners and operators of different types of businesses to identify key risks and consider what steps they should take.

January 1, 2023
Anne Main – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her oral contribution of 16 November 2015, Official Report, column 365, if she will bring forward proposals on a national database of communication for refugees.

James Brokenshire

On 7 September the Prime Minister announced that 20,000 Syrian refugees would be resettled during this Parliament, and that he wanted 1,000 to arrive before Christmas. We have now achieved this, and are working closely with a range of partners to put in place the plans and structures to further expand the Syrian Vulnerable Persons scheme.

It is currently up to individuals to determine how to maintain contact with other refugees in the UK; however, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) does link family groups so we can seek to allocate them to the same local authority. We also try and place them close to any family members already residing in the UK.

January 1, 2023
Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports of the use of white phosphorus weapons in civilian areas by Russian forces in Syria and of the level of harm done to persons and the environment; and what action they plan, if any, as a result of that assessment.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We are concerned at reports that White Phosphorus was used in Idlib Province on 12th November. We have seen reports that this was Russian in origin but this has not been confirmed.

Protection of civilians in Syria is a priority for the UK. Attacks on civilians are prohibited by International Humanitarian Law. The UK condemns the indiscriminate use of weapons in civilian areas and calls on all parties to respect International Humanitarian Law. The UK will continue to provide support to civil defence organisations in Syria to protect civilians and save lives.

January 1, 2023

Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2015 to Questions 19129, prisons: locks and keys, which prisons had to be relocked; and what the cost was of each such incident.

Andrew Selous

When a key/lock incident is reported an immediate investigation is undertaken to assess the risk and unless it is clear that security has not been compromised, locking mechanisms and keys will be replaced and/or other necessary remedial action will be taken.

In the five years from May 2005 to May 2010 there were 16 relocks at a cost of £1,280,234 to the taxpayer. Since May 2010 this has fallen to 8 relocks at a total cost of £529,973 to the taxpayer. Further to my answer of 14 December, the table below shows the location of the 8 relocks since May 2010.

The cost of a re-lock will depend the size of the prison establishment and on which keys have been lost or compromised. If a complete set of keys are lost, a full re-lock of the prison will be undertaken, whereas if a single key is lost only a partial re-lock will be needed, incurring a lower cost.

Time Frame	Location/Date	Total Cost (excluding VAT)
1 May 2010 – 1 May 2011	HMP Swaleside; HMYOI Glen Parva; HMP Warren Hill	£79,526; £173,608; £84,419
2 May 2011 – 1 May 2012	HMP Birmingham	£415,277 ¹
2 May 2012 – 1 May 2013	None	0
2 May 2013 – 1 May 2014	HMP Lindholme	£28,812
2 May 2014 – 1 May 2015	HMP Haverigg; HMP Highpoint	£30,540; £15,856
2 May 2015 – 9 December	HMYOI Portland	£117,212

Notes:

1.The cost of the re-lock at HMP Birmingham was met by the private contractor operating the prison.

2.Prisons are also responsible for re-locks of crown court cells. Figures exclude re-lock of cells in two crown courts during the period.

3.The figures quoted have been drawn from live administrative databases and may subsequently be amended. Due care is taken during processing and analysis, but the detail is subject to inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

January 1, 2023