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Tag: 2015

  • George Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    George Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will introduce a standardised baseline measure for children’s fitness.

    Jane Ellison

    There are no current plans to introduce a standardised baseline measure for children’s fitness. The Government’s focus has been on raising awareness of the UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity guidelines and wider healthy lifestyle choices through a number of initiatives including, the National Child Measurement Programme, Change4Life campaigns and programmes to promote physical activity in schools such as the Primary PE and Sport Premium, School Games and Change4Life Sports Clubs.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the Nigerian government on returning displaced people to areas previously in the control of Boko Haram.

    James Duddridge

    We welcome the recent progress made by the Nigerian armed forces in the fight against Boko Haram and the UK continues to support their efforts. The security situation in North East Nigeria however remains extremely fragile and it is not yet appropriate for many displaced people to return to their homes. The UK is supporting the Government of Nigeria and the UN to help those affected by the conflict and we have provided £5.5 million this year for the humanitarian response in North East Nigeria. Tackling Boko Haram will require a comprehensive approach that addresses the political, economic and development problems in North East Nigeria, in addition to a security response. We are supporting the Nigerian authorities to improve security and put the conditions in place to enable the safe return of internally displaced people to their homes.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Charlotte Leslie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department takes to (a) supervise foreign prisoners and (b) contact the relevant foreign justice ministries when such prisoners are deported.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office does not supervise foreign prisoners once they have been deported from the UK or routinely advise foreign governments when a returnee is a Foreign National Offender. However, we have negotiated arrangements with three countries, to date, to share limited criminality information in advance of deportation.

  • Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the experiences of (a) children on the autism spectrum, (b) adults on the autism spectrum and (c) family members and carers, during the diagnostic process, are collected and published.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department issued new statutory guidance in March this year for local authorities and National Health Service organisations to support the continued implementation of the 2010 Autism Strategy, as refreshed by its 2014 Think Autism update. This sets out what people seeking an autism diagnosis can expect from Local Authorities and NHS bodies.

    The Department has also discussed with NHS England the difficulties that people on the autistic spectrum can have in getting an appropriate diagnosis in a timely manner. With support from the Department, NHS England and the Association of Directors of Social Services will undertake a series of visits to clinical commissioning groups to discuss good practice in meeting the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Quality Standard 51 Autism, and those that do not, with the aim of supporting more consistent provision. These NICE guidelines already recommend that there should be a maximum of three months between a referral and a first appointment for a diagnostic assessment for autism. We expect the NHS to be working towards meeting the recommendations.

    We are aware that Northumberland continues to make significant progress in improving access to services. A child will wait no longer between initial referral and treatment than 12 weeks and the majority are seen within nine weeks. Northumberland has also invested in adult autism diagnosis services and has an agreed programme with Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust designed to deliver the NICE guidelines for adults by September 2016. Urgent cases are seen earlier and those on waiting lists, whose needs escalate, are given access to services as required. There is also a newly developed emotional health and wellbeing strategy for children and young people in Northumberland which will aim seek to identify children with autism at an earlier age and ultimately provide earlier treatment.

    NHS England is promoting the engagement services with children and young people. All children, young people and adults, including those with autism or a learning disability, who are receiving care from the NHS, should have the opportunity to provide feedback via the Friends and Family Test. There should also be consideration given to capturing the views of parents and carers. In addition, the autism statutory guidance mentioned above states that NHS bodies and NHS foundation trusts should look at people’s experiences of the autism diagnostic process locally and assure themselves that this is acceptable.

  • 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 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the number of occasions when due to the loss or theft of keys, a prison has had to be relocked between (a) May 2010 and May 2011, (b) May 2011 and May 2012, (c) May 2012 and May 2013, (d) May 2013 and May 2014, (e) May 2014 and May 2015 and (f) after May 2015 to date; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such incident.

    Andrew Selous

    Security is paramount within prisons and it is important that the risk of any potential key compromise is addressed as quickly as possible to protect the public. 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.

    Between 2005 and May 2010 there were 16 relocks which resulted in costs of £1,280,234. Since May 2010 there have been 8 relocks, at a cost of £529,973.

    The table below shows the number of incidents and cost to the public purse of re-lock within prisons in England and Wales due to loss or theft of keys and for the time periods requested.

    Time Period

    No of Incidents

    Total Cost (excluding VAT)

    1 May 2010 – 1 May 2011

    3

    £337,553

    2 May 2011 – 1 May 2012

    1

    Nil cost

    2 May 2012 – 1 May 2013

    0

    0

    2 May 2013 – 1 May 2014

    1

    £28,812

    2 May 2014 – 1 May 2015

    2

    £46,396

    2 May 2015 – 9 Dec 2015

    1

    £117,212

    Notes:

    1. Figures exclude VAT.
    2. The 2011/12 incident involved a privately operated prison and the cost of re-lock was met by the private contractor in full at nil cost to the public purse.
    3. Prisons are also responsible for re-locks of crown court cells. Figures exclude re-lock of cells in two crown courts during the period.
    4. 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.
  • 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 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps NICE has taken to make the Novalung treatment available on the NHS.

    George Freeman

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended in interventional procedures guidance that the use of extracorporeal membrane ventilators, like Novalung, may be considered as a treatment option for suitable patients in a number of conditions.

    NICE’s interventional procedures guidance is available on NICE’s website at: www.nice.org.uk/Guidance

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much income from passengers was earned by the Isle of Wight Island Line in each of the last five years.

    Claire Perry

    We do not have the running costs of the Isle of Wight Island Line in each category of expenditure in each of the last three years. What we do have are the figures for 2014/15 as supplied by SSWT:

    Costs

    £m

    Staff costs

    2.093

    Station Lease costs

    1.298

    Depot Track Renewals, Maintenance, Materials

    0.66

    Track access and Electric Traction

    0.123

    Other

    0.443

    Total Costs

    4.617

    SSWT have informed us that the Island Line generated the following income in each of the last five years:

    2010/11 = £0.9m

    2011/12 = £1.0m

    2012/13 = £1.0m

    2013/14 = £0.9m

    2014/15 = £0.9m

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support she is providing to 16 and 17 year olds who have been victims of child sexual exploitation.

    Karen Bradley

    Tackling child sexual exploitation is a top priority for this Government. We have prioritised child sexual abuse as a national threat in the Strategic Policing Requirement, setting a clear expectation on police forces to collaborate across force boundaries, to safeguard children, to share intelligence and to share best practice.

    Significant progress has been made since the launch of the “Tackling CSE” report in March 2015. We have delivered the vast majority of a £7 million funding programme to support non statutory organisations that have experienced a surge in demand on their services. This funding is to support the victims and survivors of sexual abuse, including children of all ages.

    Furthermore, £1.6 million has been provided over four years (April 2012 – March 2016) for 13 Young People’s Advocates providing direct and dedicated support to young people who have been victims, or are at risk of, sexual and domestic violence and/or sexual exploitation. Funding of £1.72 million per year has also been committed to part fund 87 Independent Sexual Violence Advisers posts until March 2016.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2015 to Question 17164, which employers have been sub-contracted to deliver community work placements by each of those prime providers.

    Priti Patel

    Prime Providers may use subcontractors to help source Community Work Placements. The current Community Work Placement sub-contractors working for prime providers are as follows:

    G4S Regional Management (UK&I) Limited: CPA2 – East Midlands

    Acorn Training

    Acorn Training Consultants

    Babington

    Framework Housing

    Learn Direct

    Work Pays

    Cygnus Consulting Limited

    JJ Training (UK) Limited

    G4S Regional Management (UK&I) Limited: CPA3 – London West

    ATN

    Cygnus Consulting Limited

    Urban Futures

    Ixion

    Pinnacle People

    G4S Regional Management (UK&I) Limited: CPA4 – London East

    ATN

    Ixion

    Faith Regen

    Resources Plus (Bexley)

    Urban Futures

    Pinnacle People

    Advanced Personnel Management Group (UK) Limited: CPA5 – North East

    Acumen

    DISC

    Escape Family Support

    Groundwork North East and Cumbria

    Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle

    Sunderland North Community Business Centre

    Tyne Metropolitan College

    Training and Advice Services Ltd

    G4S Regional Management (UK&I) Limited: CPA6 – North West

    Bootstrap

    The Work Company

    Learn Direct

    Groundwork

    Learndirect Limited: CPA8 – Scotland

    Aberdeen Foyer

    Argyll & Bute Council

    Argyll Training

    CEIS Ayrshire

    Dundee & Angus College

    Fife College

    Midlothian Council

    Ironworks

    Pulteneytown Peoples Project

    Lifeskills Central Limited

    Connect Community Trust

    G4S Regional Management (UK&I) Limited: CPA9 – South East

    Learn Direct

    PCMI

    Cygnus Consulting Limited

    Working Links (Employment) Limited: CPA13 – Wales

    Groundwork

    ACT Learnabout

    Bethany Training

    Tai Calon

    Grow Enterprise Wales (RCT Homes)

    North Wales Training

    Newport City Council

    Cornelly and District Development Trust

    Whitehead Ross

    Crest Cooperative

    Melin Homes

    Advanced Personnel Management Group (UK) Limited: CPA15 – West Midlands

    Sarina Russo Job Action

    Shropshire Council

    Stoke College

    Stoke Council

    Interserve Working Futures Limited: CPA16 – Yorkshire and the Humber

    Halifax Opportunities Trust

    Aim 2 Learn

    Interserve Working Futures Limited: CPA17 – Yorkshire and the Humber

    Groundwork Sheffield

    Phoenix Enterprises

    G4S Regional Management (UK&I) Limited: CPA18 – Yorkshire and the Humber

    Pinnacle People

    JJ Training

    Work Company

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to amend sentencing guidelines to reduce the amount of time that offenders spend in prison.

    Andrew Selous

    Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the courts, who must follow guidelines unless it would not be in the interests of justice to do so. Sentencing guidelines are issued by the independent Sentencing Council to promote consistency and proportionality in sentencing. The guidelines are available on the Sentencing Council website.