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Tag: 2015

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the difference between step-free access to trains and step-free access to platforms means in the context of plans for different Crossrail stations.

    Claire Perry

    Step-free access to trains provides direct access for a passenger from street level to the train via the use of ramps and lifts. Step-free access to platforms provides passengers with direct access from street level to platform via the use of ramps and lifts and further assistance with a ramp is required for those that require it to access the train.

    In the context of Crossrail, all stations between Paddington and Abbey Wood will have step-free access to train. This means that these stations will have ramps or lifts from the street to the platform, and only a very small gap between platform and train allowing for level boarding when getting on and off a train. Heathrow Airport’s stations at Terminals 1-3 and Terminal 4 will also have step-free access to trains.

    Those stations that Crossrail will serve on the existing network between Stratford and Shenfield and between Acton Mainline and Reading (not including Heathrow Airport) will have step-free access to platform. This means that there will be ramps or lifts from the street to the platform, but there will not be level access to the train without the aid of a ramp deployed by staff.

    All Crossrail stations will be staffed for the entire period that train services are operating, so there will be staff on hand to assist passengers who need to board and alight using platforms ramps.

  • Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the human rights situation in Iran.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Our assessment of human rights in Iran can be found in the FCO Human Rights Report, which was updated in July.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of amputations caused by diabetes (a) nationally and (b) in Gloucestershire in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    The attached table gives the number of finished consultant episodes with a primary diagnosis of diabetes and a primary or secondary procedure of amputation for (a) England and (b) Gloucestershire based Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), for the years 2013-14 and 2014-15 provisional.

    NHS Gloucestershire CCG and its provider partners have established a Diabetes Footcare Group in order to further analyse local amputation rates and ensure that the appropriate service improvements are made to reduce unnecessary complications of diabetes-related vascular disease such as lower limb amputations.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he made of the effect of NHS England taking over responsibility for commissioning health services within the immigration detention estate in England on the adequacy of health provision within that estate.

    Ben Gummer

    In 2014 Health and Wellbeing Needs Assessments were carried out at all Immigration Removal Centres to ascertain the needs of the detainees, which in turn informed the quality and standard of services commissioned by NHS England, from 1 September 2014, to meet those needs.

    National standards have been developed, against which health care providers are measured as part of contract management. A suite of indicators of performance are now in place to support this and to provide national data to demonstrate improvements in service delivery and outcomes.

  • Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many non-UK overseas personnel the RAF plans to recruit or loan from other countries’ armed forces for each year up to 2020.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The RAF has no plans to recruit from non-UK armed forces. However, if individuals choose to apply to join the RAF their application will be considered on a case by case basis.

    The number of personnel on loan to the RAF from non-UK armed forces is based on the availability of opportunities and requirement at the time. Therefore there are no projected figures up to 2020.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2015 to Question 36, if she will make it her policy to separately identify agency teachers in the annual School Workforce Census; and if she will make a statement.

    Nick Gibb

    The government believes that it is for schools to decide when it is appropriate to employ agency teachers; this allows schools to manage their resources and staffing structures in a way that meets local needs and priorities without central prescription from government. The annual School Workforce Census already captures sufficient information regarding the overall teacher employment position in each school.

  • Caroline Spelman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Caroline Spelman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Spelman on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last raised the detention in Indonesia of Rebecca Prosser; and with whom he raised that issue.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    In consultation with Ms Prosser’s legal team and advisors, the case has been raised at senior level on ten separate occasions. I personally raised it with the Indonesian Foreign Minister in September at the UN General Assembly and it was last raised on 9 October by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Director General Economic & Consular with the Indonesian Director General of Protocol and Consular Affairs. We plan to raise the case again on 29 October during a meeting in London with the representatives of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he (a) has made and (b) plans to make to the UN Security Council on steps to promote (i) constructive engagement in peace talks by parties involved in the conflict, (ii) improved humanitarian access and (iii) compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law in Yemen.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolutions 2201 and 2216 which condemned Houthi actions, recognised President Hadi as the legitimate President of Yemen, and called on all parties to engage in good faith in UN-brokered negotiations. We remain fully supportive of the UN’s efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire and the resumption of an inclusive political process. We are urging all parties to engage in good faith with the UN process.

    Improving humanitarian access is a top priority and all parties to the conflict must take all reasonable steps to facilitate safe and sustained access for humanitarian aid. The UK has committed £75 million in humanitarian aid in response to the situation.

    We are aware of reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). We take such allegations very seriously and regularly raise the issue and seek assurance of IHL compliance with the Government of Yemen and the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition. We have also been clear with the Houthis that actions taken must comply with IHL.

    The UK continues to play a leading role in trying to improve the situation in Yemen. I chaired a meeting at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last month to encourage all parties to get behind the UN political process to achieve lasting peace and to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation. The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening) also co-chaired a humanitarian side-event during the UN General Assembly to raise the profile of the humanitarian situation and encourage additional funding from donors.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the level of (a) NHS and (b) other expenditure for which his Department is responsible has been for the (i) treatment and (ii) prevention of obesity in each of the last five years.

    Jane Ellison

    Information on National Health Service expenditure on the treatment and prevention of obesity is not collected centrally. Decisions on spending are a matter for local NHS organisations.

    It is not possible to provide comprehensive information about the Department’s expenditure on the treatment and prevention of obesity because a wide range of teams across the Department and other partners contribute to this policy. The Department has invested in a number of nationally-coordinated programmes which contribute to tackling obesity including the National Child Measurement Programme, NHS Health Checks, Change4Life, the School Games and Change4Life School Sports Clubs.

    Local authorities have been given ring-fenced funding of £8.49 billion over three years, 2013/14 to 2015/16, to help tackle public health issues including overweight and obesity.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that the questioning by police of children and vulnerable adults who are possible victims of child abuse is both effective at gathering evidence and sensitive to the vulnerability of those being interviewed.

    Karen Bradley

    Tackling abuse is a priority for this Government. We will continue the work of overhauling how our police, social services and other agencies work together to protect vulnerable children. To this end, we have prioritised child sexual abuse as a national threat like serious and organised crime, which means police forces now have a duty to collaborate with each other across force boundaries to safeguard children.

    The provision of police training is an operational matter. The College of Policing and the National Policing Lead for child protection and abuse investigation have set the requirement for all forces to train all new and existing police staff to respond to child sexual exploitation and abuse, including call handlers, Police Community Support Officers, police officers, detectives and specialist investigators.

    The College of Policing has issued Achieving Best Evidence guidance and training for all officers engaged in interviewing children and vulnerable witnesses. This includes training on the sensitivity needed when dealing with victims and witnesses who may be vulnerable as well as working with partners – such as social workers – and their involvement in interviews.

    Specialist courses for child sexual abuse and rape specialist investigators also expand on these requirements in relation to interviewing children and vulnerable adults.

    The role of social workers in these investigations, including their training, is a matter for the Department for Education. The guidance issued by DfE in March 2015, “Working Together to Safeguard Children”, sets out how social workers and their managers, as well as other agencies including the police, should work together and follow the Achieving Best Evidence guidance.

    The Department of Health are responsible for the training of social workers working with vulnerable adults who may have been sexually abused as children or in adulthood.