Tag: 2015

Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect civilians in Syria.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK has been at the forefront of the humanitarian response to the conflict in Syria. To date, we have pledged over £1.1 billion aid in response to the crisis in Syria and the region, making us the second biggest bilateral donor after the United States. We are exploring with the UN and other major donors how best to ensure that the momentum on fund-raising is maintained over the longer term, including how to respond to the 2016 Appeals, once these have been issued. The UK has provided £6.7m for the Syrian civil defence teams (known as ‘White Helmets’) to carry out search and rescue, fire fighting and First Aid in besieged areas. They have saved over 14,840 lives since March 2013. We are also working with other international donors to establish and build up the Free Syrian Police, a moderate police force in opposition-controlled areas in Syria. We are also taking action internationally. The UK co-sponsored and lobbied hard for UN Security Council Resolutions 2165 and 2191 which enable the UN to deliver aid across borders, without the consent of the regime, to assist those in the hardest to reach areas. By 31 August 2015, the UN and its partners had delivered 175 convoys of aid cross-border.

January 1, 2023
Lord Harrison – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are changing the availability of podiatric services to diabetics, and if so, based on what criteria.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Podiatry services are commissioned locally by clinical commissioning groups working with local partners and based on the need of the local population, resources available and evidence based practice. These commissioning decisions are informed by the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and the local Health and Wellbeing Strategy. Clinical networks provide opportunity to adopt and disseminate best practice.

January 1, 2023
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, when he plans for the public consultation on the Cancer Drugs Fund to begin.

George Freeman

The Government remains committed to the Cancer Drugs Fund and is working with NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the future arrangements for the Fund.

NHS England has advised that its plans for a public consultation on its proposals for the Fund are being finalised.

January 1, 2023
Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne on 2015-11-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Bates on 25 November (HL Deb, col 691), whether they plan to introduce primary legislation in relation to extraterritorial jurisdiction when dealing with forced marriages; whether they will then fully ratify the Istanbul Convention; and if so, what is the expected timetable for doing so.

Lord Bates

We have already taken extra-territorial jurisdiction on forced marriage through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. However we will need to take extra-territorial jurisdiction over a number of other offences in order to be fully compliant with Article 44 of the convention. Primary legislation will be required and the Government is currently considering the approach to implementing the extra-territorial provisions and working with devolved administrations regarding ratification. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for introducing further amendments to domestic law to be able to take extra-territorial jurisdiction over the remaining offences and will seek to legislate as soon as the approach is agreed and Parliamentary time allows. The Government takes its international commitments very seriously and will only commit to such ratification when we are absolutely satisfied that we comply with all articles.

January 1, 2023
Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of post-release prisoners who fatally overdose on opioids.

Ben Gummer

Information on opioid-related deaths in England following release from prison is not held centrally.

January 1, 2023

Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the productivity levels in the UK compared with the rest of the G7 in each year since 1990.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The data is available on the ONS website, under the international Comparisons of Productivity section. For your ease, I have provided the table below:

Current price GDP per hour worked (UK=100)

Year	UK	G7 exc. UK	Year	UK	G7 exc. UK	Year	UK	G7 exc. UK
1990	100		2000	100	107	2010	100	115
1991	100	119	2001	100	108	2011	100	114
1992	100	116	2002	100	106	2012	100	116
1993	100	112	2003	100	105	2013	100	117
1994	100	111	2004	100	105	2014	100	120
1995	100	111	2005	100	106
1996	100	109	2006	100	104
1997	100	109	2007	100	106
1998	100	109	2008	100	107
1999	100	111	2009	100	110

Data are in current prices, allowing cross-country comparison of productivity for each individual year.

Source: International Comparisons of Productivity, First Estimates for 2014, ONS (Sep 2015)

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/icp/international-comparisons-of-productivity/2014—first-estimates/stb-icp0915.html

* Productivity data for the G7 are unavailable for 1990 due to the absence of comparable data for pre-reunification Germany.

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January 1, 2023

Bill Wiggin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2015-11-02.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2015 to Question 12970, for what reasons estate agents that do not hold client money fall within the scope of the Money Laundering Regulations 2007.

Harriett Baldwin

The Money Laundering Regulations 2007 sets out what regulated sectors (includes businesses such as estate agents) must do to prevent their services being used for money laundering and terrorist financing purposes. Money laundering can take many forms and in the property sector it often involves: (i) buying property using the proceeds of crime and selling it on; (ii) criminals hiding behind complex structures to disguise the true purpose of the transaction; (iii) paying an estate agent or auctioneer a significant deposit and reclaiming it later; and (iv) using purchase monies from a mortgage fraud.

Estate agents that do not hold client money fall within the scope of the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 in accordance with the requirements of article 2 1. (3) (d) of European directive 2005/60/EC of 26 October 2005 on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering and terrorist financing.

The Directive requires estate agents to exercise due diligence and to report suspicious transactions. Suspicious transactions, and preventing the inappropriate use of services, may arise in a variety of ways that do not involve handling funds. Estate agency businesses are well placed as they encounter both parties to the transaction at an early stage.

January 1, 2023
Lord Freyberg – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of NHS secondary care centres provide third-party tumour genetic testing in (1) breast cancer, (2) colorectal cancer, (3) lung cancer, and (4) melanoma.

Lord Prior of Brampton

All NHS England commissioned secondary and tertiary hospitals will be able to collect blood and/or tissue samples for the purpose of genetic testing, depending on the sampling technique required. The testing itself is however usually undertaken by commissioned genetic laboratories, which will typically serve a catchment area much greater than the hospital in which they are based. There will usually be recommended criteria in place to guide National Health Service referrals for genetic testing.

In a small number of cases, usually for very rare conditions, a test may need to be sent away to a non commissioned laboratory, including some abroad and some falling within the private sector, to access expertise. Funding will, however, continue to be provided from NHS budgets.

The United Kingdom is also leading the world by using cutting edge technology in the form of whole genome sequencing to transform healthcare and health research. The Prime Minister launched the 100,000 Genomes Project to bring the benefits of genome sequencing to NHS patients. The Project will sequence 100,000 whole human genomes of NHS patients with cancer or a rare disease by the end of 2017. Eleven Genomic Medicine Centres have been established across the country and are recruiting patients to this landmark project. Otherwise, NHS England does not hold data on private or self-funded care or testing commissioned from either NHS or third party laboratories.

Information on the percentage of eligible patients who received access to genetic testing is not held by NHS England. Due to data protection requirements, detailed data on the reasons for referral for specific tests are not currently aggregated at national level.

January 1, 2023
Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with the Department of Health on the rate of people taking their own lives in prisons.

Andrew Selous

Every death in custody is a tragedy, and we are committed to reducing the rate of self-inflicted deaths in prisons.

My department works closely with the Department of Health on measures to reduce suicide in prisons and in the wider community. Both the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Care Quality and I are members of the Ministerial Board on Deaths in Custody, which also includes the Minister for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice and Victims, senior officials from our respective departments and a range of stakeholders. There was a detailed discussion of the recent data on self-inflicted deaths in prisons at the most recent meeting of the Board on 21 October and further consideration of this topic is planned at the February meeting.

Healthcare staff in prisons play an important role in the identification and management of prisoners at risk of self-harm and suicide. Commissioners and providers of healthcare services are active partners with the National Offender Management Service in its work to prevent self-inflicted deaths in prisons.

January 1, 2023
Rehman Chishti – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rehman Chishti on 2015-11-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) regulations and (b) guidance apply to Sheriffs breaking into commercial properties to recover debts.

Mr Shailesh Vara

The rules governing the power to enter a commercial property for enforcement by taking control of goods are contained in Schedule 12 to the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007. Enforcement under a High Court Writ, which was the responsibility of Sheriffs, is now carried out by High Court Enforcement Officers pursuant to the High Court Enforcement Officers Regulations 2004. Paragraphs 14 to 30 of Schedule 12 (as amended by the Crime and Courts Act 2013) make provision concerning powers of entry for the purposes of enforcement, and paragraphs 18A and 19 make provision specifically in relation to the power to use reasonable force to enter premises at which the enforcement officer reasonably believes the debtor carries on a trade or a business. The Ministry of Justice has produced guidance, the Taking Control of Goods: National Standards, to support creditors and enforcement agents and promote minimum standards. It is available on the Gov.uk website.

January 1, 2023