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Tag: 2015

  • 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 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the usefulness of self-testing kits for (a) sexually transmitted diseases, (b) fertility, (c) human papilloma virus, (d) blood pressure, (e) bowel cancer and (f) cholesterol.

    George Freeman

    Self-testing and self-sampling kits have an important part to play in the detection of a number of conditions provided they are used in conjunction with advice from a healthcare professional.

    To be placed on the market in the United Kingdom, they must satisfy the necessary requirements of European Union legislation.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2015-12-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the estimated annual financial loss to the Labour Party following the implementation of clause 10 in the Trade Union Bill, which will reverse the current opt-out process.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    There has been no assessment. However, the proposals in the Bill are not about party funding. The Trade Union Bill is introducing a greater level of transparency into union activities by requiring union members to make an active decision to contribute to a union’s political fund.

    If union members want a political fund they are perfectly free to contribute to one, so, this will not necessarily lead to a reduction in the funds available.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to prioritise (a) looked-after children and (b) other vulnerable groups within his Department’s children and young people’s mental health budget over the next five years.

    Alistair Burt

    Future in Mind, the previous Government’s report on the work of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Taskforce, established a clear and powerful consensus for change across the whole system, including health, social care and education. This Government is driving forward the transformation of children and young people’s mental health services to improve access and make services more widely available across the country so that, where possible, children can access high-quality support locally.

    This transformation programme, backed by additional investment of £1.4 billion allocated over the next five years, will deliver a step change in the way children and young people’s mental health services are commissioned and delivered. Emphasis will be placed on prevention and early intervention, building care around the needs of children, young people and their families, including the most vulnerable, such as those who are looked-after and adopted.

    Clinical commissioning groups, covering all areas in the country, have submitted Transformation Plans for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing developed with local partners which are currently being assured by NHS England.

    A national programme of work will support local areas. This will include the extension and expansion of the use of evidence-based interventions, tacking stigma, improving data and information to inform greater transparency and accountability and developing a specialist and stronger workforce.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-12-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the likely impact of the apprenticeship levy on wage growth over the next five years.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The OBR forecasts that wages will grow over the next few years, though at a slightly lower rate than would have been the case had the apprenticeship levy not been introduced.

    However, we know that apprenticeships have long-run productivity and wage benefits for apprentices and the wider economy, which are not included in the OBR’s modelling. On average, an apprenticeship increases an individual’s earnings by 11-16% within three to five years.[1]

    The medium-term benefits of apprenticeships can therefore outweigh short-term wage pressures. We thus consider the net impact of the apprenticeships levy on the economy to be positive.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-education-measuring-the-net-present-value-in-england

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  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward proposals to introduce stricter UK border controls similar to those introduced by the French government following the recent Paris attacks.

    James Brokenshire

    The UK is not part of the Schengen border-free arrangements that France and other European counterparts take part in. We have always and will continue to operate our borders securely and enforce our immigration laws. This includes carrying out full checks on all arriving passengers in order to identify any criminal, security and immigration concerns. Following the tragic events on Friday 13 November in Paris, Border Force has intensified checks on people, goods and vehicles entering the UK from the near continent and elsewhere, undertaking additional and targeted security checks against passengers and vehicles travelling to France via both maritime and rail ports and a number of airports across the country. We will be maintaining increased levels of security at our borders and people will see an increased presence of police and Border Force at all ports.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with (a) NHS England and (b) Health Education England on tackling workforce shortages within radiology and endoscopy to improve early diagnosis for cancer patients; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England is currently working with partners across the health system to determine how best to take forward the recommendations in the independent Cancer Taskforce’s report, Achieving world-class cancer outcomes: a strategy for England 2015 to 2020, and has appointed Cally Palmer CBE as NHS National Cancer Director to lead on managing implementation. She is currently setting up a new Cancer Transformation Board to lead the roll-out of the recommendations of the new strategy, including on workforce, and a Cancer Advisory Group, chaired by Dr Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, will oversee and scrutinise their work.

    We announced in September that Health Education England (HEE) is developing a new national training programme for an additional 200 staff to get the skills and expertise to carry out endoscopies by 2018. The content of the next mandate from the Government to HEE is currently being determined.

  • Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether conditions regarding respect for human rights are attached to aid funds provided to the government of Nepal.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID Nepal has signed an overarching Development Partnership Arrangement with the Government of Nepal that enshrines the partnership principles, one of which is respect for human rights. At the programme level, our Memorandum of Understandings with the Government also include a specific clause that state conditions regarding respect for human rights attached to financial aid funds.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on how many greyhounds were retired from racing on the grounds of injury in each of the last five years.

    George Eustice

    Under the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010, there is no statutory requirement on any greyhound organisation or individual track to report any figures to Defra. The Regulations have now been in force for five years and Defra is currently undertaking a review of their effectiveness. The review is looking at the requirement on tracks to collect injury statistics and how they are then used; and the traceability of greyhounds after they have left the sport. Defra is currently consulting on the initial findings of the review as well as proposals for further action. Further proposals include agreement by the main industry regulator, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), to begin publishing figures for the numbers of greyhounds injured at GBGB affiliated tracks each year, as well as the number of greyhounds that leave GBGB racing each year.

  • Andrew Tyrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Andrew Tyrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Tyrie on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Prime Minister, what recent discussions he has had with the Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee on the progress of its inquiry into the role of the Government and intelligence and security agencies in the alleged rendition and torture of detainees.

    Mr David Cameron

    I meet the Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament on a regular basis to discussthe Committee’s priorities for the period ahead. The Committee announced on 29 October that these priorities would include their follow-up examination of the themes and issues identified by the Detainee Inquiry.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-12-14.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effect of recent increases in household debt on economic growth.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Household debt as a proportion of income has fallen to 144 per cent in Q2 2015, from a peak of 168 per cent in Q1 2008. To avoid repeating the mistakes of the past we have created the independent Financial Policy Committee (FPC) within the Bank of England to ensure emerging risks and vulnerabilities across the financial system as a whole are identified, monitored and effectively addressed. Alongside this, the UK was the fastest growing economy in the G7 in 2014.