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Tag: 2015

  • Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the review of national radiotherapy capacity commissioned by NHS England.

    Jane Ellison

    HS England has not commissioned a national capacity review of radiotherapy. Earlier this year, NHS England provided local commissioning teams with a tool to assist planning of radiotherapy services with their local providers in order to assess a different set of planning assumptions developed by the Radiotherapy Clinical Reference Group in line with rapidly changing clinical practice.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent discussions he has had with the devolved administrations on the distribution and use of funds raised by the proposed Apprenticeship Levy.

    Nick Boles

    Skills policy is a devolved area so the devolved administrations will continue to have control over how to support businesses through training and apprenticeships.

    We are working closely with the Welsh Government and other devolved administrations to ensure they get their fair share of the levy and can work out how best to use it to complement their own apprenticeships and skills policies.

    We will engage with skills ministers in the devolved administrations, including Julie James AC/AM, to do all we can to make the levy work for employers and would-be apprentices across the UK.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice his Department makes available on the prevention of loss of hearing amongst older people.

    Alistair Burt

    NHS England and the Department jointly published the Action Plan on Hearing Loss in March 2015. The action plan identifies exposure to noise and increasing age as the two major risk factors of hearing loss in working age and older adults. It includes a key objective to: improve the hearing health of all communities, improving equalities and reducing inequalities through prevention of hearing loss; ensure that diverse communities are aware of the importance of good hearing and communication; and, provide effective and up to date communication support for people living with hearing loss to ensure they realise their aspirations. Delivery of this objective will be supported by:

    • NHS England working with partners to promote the development of care programmes to focus on people at risk, including those with dementia, depression, diabetes and cataracts.
    • Public Health England collating existing data on incidence, prevalence and impact of hearing loss in people aged 65 and over and if possible in key groups such as people with dementia; and,
    • The Health and Safety Executive: working with industry stakeholders to identify opportunities to improve compliance with the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005; and, reviewing the feasibility of otoacoustic emissions (OAE) testing as a leading indicator of damaging exposure to noise for workers.

    An oversight group with membership from government departments, arm’s length bodies and stakeholders in the hearing loss community will review and monitor progress of implementation of the Action Plan on Hearing Loss.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2015-12-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his policy that the changes to interest rate relief on buy-to-let mortgages announced in the Summer Budget 2015 apply to purchasers within a limited company structure.

    Mr David Gauke

    The restriction to finance cost relief brings the rate of relief available for individual landlords more in line with that of corporate landlords.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will discuss with the Royal Colleges the potential side effects of osteoporosis drugs on (a) jaw and (b) general bone health.

    George Freeman

    As with all medicines, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Government’s independent expert advisory body the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) keep the safety of osteoporosis drugs under continual review including their effects on the jaw and on bone health. The MHRA, together with the CHM, ensures that the product information for osteoporosis medicines contains up to date information and issues updated advice as appropriate.

    Warnings about the risks of osteonecrosis of the jaw (severe bone damage in the jaw) and atypical fractures of the femur (unusual fracture of the thigh bone) are included in the product information (Summary of Product Characteristics for healthcare professionals and Patient Information Leaflet for patients) for all medicines containing bisphosphonates or denosumab which are used in the treatment of osteoporosis. New information and advice on these risks have been communicated to healthcare professionals in the MHRAsafety bulletin in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2014 as new information has become available. A patient reminder card on the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw is currently being introduced for patients treated with denosumab and bisphosphonates given by injection and healthcare professionals have been informed of this new measure via the MHRA bulletin.

    Information about the recognised risks of osteonecrosis of the jaw and atypical fractures of the femur with bisphosphonates and denosumab is also included in the 2014 ‘Osteoporosis – Clinical Guideline for prevention and treatment’ developed by the National Osteoporosis Guideline Group which includes the Royal College of Physicians.

  • Philip Hollobone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Philip Hollobone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Hollobone on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will encourage the use of the customer services centre at Kettering Borough Council as an example of good practice for other local authorities to follow.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government is keen to encourage all local authorities to look at how they work more effectively and efficiently with services providers and partner organisations in their area to ensure that their residents receive high quality and cost effective services.

    I am aware of the progress made by Kettering Borough Council in this area including the significant savings made and increased customer satisfaction and I am happy to encourage other authorities to look at its customer service centre as an example of good practice.

  • Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ban the wearing of masks at demonstrations in public spaces.

    Mike Penning

    Face coverings can be worn in public places for a variety of legitimate reasons and there are no plans to introduce a blanket ban at demonstrations or other public events. The police already have powers in relation to the wearing of face masks in public order situations under existing legislation.

    Section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 allows a police officer in uniform, following an authorisation relating to a specified area for a specified time (up to 24 hours initially), to remove or seize anything that he or she considers is being, or could be, worn wholly or mainly for the purposes of concealing identity. This would include all types of face coverings.

  • Julian Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Julian Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his evidence to the Defence Committee on UK military operations in Syria and Iraq on 1 December 2015, HC 657, Q36, if he will publish a breakdown of the groups comprising the estimated 70,000 fighters in Syria described by the UK government as moderate.

    Michael Fallon

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 1 December 2015 to Question 18014.

  • Imran Hussain – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Imran Hussain – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what projects her Department (a) has and (b) is planning to facilitate transition in Burma from dictatorship to democracy.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID’s bilateral commitment to Burma between 2011/12 and 2015/16 is around £285 million. DFID has allocated £25 million over five years to strengthen democratic governance in Burma, including support to the elections, through our Programme for Democratic Change. DFID is currently reviewing our approach for all country programmes for the next five years as part of the government’s overall spending review and any decisions about future support will be made in due course.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many support jobs were lost when the Nimrod MRA4 was decommissioned; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold any records relating to the number of support jobs which may have been lost as a result of the cancellation of the Nimrod MRA4 in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review.