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Tag: 2015

  • Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that (a) health workers, (b) Jobcentre Plus staff and (c) his Department’s staff have received adequate training to respond to the needs of people with Crohn’s disease and Colitis, which meets the six main standards set out in the Standards for the Healthcare of People who have Inflammatory Bowel Disease, 2013 update.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Guidance and training for Healthcare professionals advising the Department is developed by providers for their own staff. Both PIP and ESA assessments are based on function, not diagnosis or treatment.

    All Jobcentre Plus work coaches are trained to have the skills required to support customers with health conditions and disabilities. They have access to information which gives specific detail around various illnesses, the effects those illnesses are likely to have and access to sites such as NHS Choices. Work coaches can also use the “Employment, Health Conditions and Disabilities” intranet guide notes which provide background on specific disabilities /conditions and advice on good practice when interviewing. Finally, via the local District Provision tool, many Work Coaches are able to signpost claimants to organisations such as Crohns and Colitis UK.

    Departmental Decision Makers are given awareness of conditions, incapacities and their effects. Over time and with updates, learning and development they gather more information to increase their knowledgebase. They are also able to obtain specific advice on individual cases from Healthcare professionals employed by providers working for the Department.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Saudi Arabian counterparts about Ashraf Fayadh.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are aware of, and concerned about, the case of Mr Ashraf Fayadh. We oppose the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country, especially in cases which include the use of the death penalty for a crime which isn’t deemed “the most serious”. The UK is a strong supporter of freedom of expression around the world. We believe that people must be allowed to discuss and debate issues freely, challenge their governments peacefully, exercise the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and speak out against violations of human rights wherever they occur.

  • Graham Allen – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Graham Allen – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Allen on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many and what proportion of (a) 18 and (b) 19 year-olds in Northern Ireland were registered to vote on 30 June 2014; what the average number was of 18 and 19 year-olds in Northern Ireland so registered as a proportion of the mid-year population estimate made by the Office for National Statistics for 2014; and how that figure differs from (i) Electoral Commission and (ii) Cabinet Office estimates of the number of registered 18 and 19 year-olds in (A) Northern Ireland and (B) Great Britain in 2014.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    On 30 June 2014, the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland had (a) 19,361 18 year olds and (b) 20,746 19 year olds registered to vote. Drawing on the mid-year population estimate for 2014 published by the Office for National Statistics, this would represent 82.8% of 18-19 year olds in Northern Ireland.

    The Electoral Commission last assessed the completeness of the Northern Ireland electoral register in 2012 when survey sampling estimated that 51% of 18-19 year olds were registered to vote. An Electoral Commission report on the quality of the 2014 electoral registers in Great Britain assessed that 76% of 18-19 year olds were registered to vote.

    The Cabinet Office has not made a separate assessment of the number of 18 and 19 year olds registered in either Great Britain or Northern Ireland in this period.

  • David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the medicines optimisation programme’s principle of ensuring that the right patient gets the right choice of medicine, at the right time, is applied to people with inflammatory arthritis.

    Jane Ellison

    Quality standards (QS) are important in setting out to patients, the public, commissioners and providers what a high quality service should look like in a particular area of care. Whilst providers and commissioners must have regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) QS in planning and delivering services, however they are not mandatory.

    The QS for rheumatoid arthritis states that services should be commissioned from and coordinated across all relevant agencies encompassing the rheumatoid arthritis care pathway. A person-centred approach to provision of services is fundamental to delivering high-quality care to adults with rheumatoid arthritis. NHS England continues to champion their use with providers and commissioners.

    NHS England is working with patients, the pharmaceutical industry, royal colleges and others to encourage a range of improvements aimed at ensuring that all patients, including those with inflammatory arthritis, get the support they need to get the most from their medicines. The development of the four principles to support medicines optimisation offers a step change to the way we think about medicine use in the NHS. The four guiding patient-centred principles: aim to understand the patient’s experience; evidence-based choice of medicines; make medicines optimisation part of routine practice; ensure medicines use is as safe as possible are applicable to all patients, conditions and disease states.

    The medicines optimisation best practice guidance, published in May 2014 is available at:

    www.rpharms.com/promoting-pharmacy-pdfs/helping-patients-make-the-most-of-their-medicines.pdf.

    “

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-28.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to revise the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) memorandum of understanding to permit the Government to request changes to OBR publications over and above factual comments on the presentation of analysis and forecasts; and if he will make a statement.

    Harriett Baldwin

    There are currently no plans to revise the memorandum of understanding (MoU) to permit the Government to request changes over and above factual comments on the presentation of analysis and forecasts. Were there to be any changes to the MoU these must be approved by all its signatories – HM Treasury, the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs and the OBR.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of spousal visa postal applications were determined within eight weeks in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014.

    James Brokenshire

    The proportion of postal spousal visa applications that received a grant or refusal outcome and were determined within eight weeks during 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 were (data from 2009 has been included for context):

    • In 2009, of 19436 applications, 11% were determined within eight weeks

    • In 2010, of 17455 applications, 51% were determined within eight weeks

    • In 2011, of 11570 applications, 73% were determined within eight weeks

    • In 2012, of 9580 applications, 12% were determined within eight weeks

    • In 2013, of 20440 applications, 31% were determined within eight weeks

    • In 2014, of 13020 applications, 65% were determined within eight weeks

  • Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many statutory Fire Safety Inspections were carried out by English fire and rescue services in 2013-14.

    Mike Penning

    I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Office.

    Fire and rescue services carried out almost 67,300 Fire Safety Audits / Inspections in 2013/14.

  • Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many transgender prisoners received into prison in the last 12 months were placed on the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork system.

    Caroline Dinenage

    This information is not held centrally. As my Honourable Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation, committed to the House on 20 November, my Department will publish data on the number of trans people in prison in due course.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will hold discussions with each of the devolved administrations on ensuring that the roll-out of superfast broadband benefits people across the UK uniformly.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government’s superfast broadband programme is aimed at achieving availability of superfast broadband to 95% of UK premises by December 2017. The funding allocations to the English local authorities and the devolved administrations have been made on the basis of maximising overall UK coverage,and the Phase 2 allocations that were made in February 2014 also had a minimum allocation for each devolved administration based on the Barnett formula.

  • Liz Kendall – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Liz Kendall – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Kendall on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many people of each gender work in the Government Equalities Office.

    Caroline Dinenage

    There are currently 35 female and 20 male members of staff in the Government Equalities Office.