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Tag: 2015

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to support carers.

    Alistair Burt

    This Government recognises that our health and care system would not be possible without the invaluable contribution made by the millions of unpaid carers.

    That is why we continue to support implementation of the improved rights for carers enshrined in the Care Act 2014. The Department has provided £104 million of funding to local authorities for these rights in 2015/16, which include an extended right to assessment and, for the first time, a duty on local authorities to meet carers’ eligible needs for support.

    We have also made an additional £400 million available to the National Health Service between 2011 and 2015 to provide carers with breaks from their caring responsibilities to sustain them in their caring role.

    In May 2014, NHS England published its action plan NHS England – Commitment to carers, it includes a series of commitments around eight priorities, which include raising the profile of carers, including young carers.

    The Department is also leading on a new National Carers Strategy that will consider evidence around the economic impact of caring as well as also review international and national best practice on what support works best for carers.

  • Liam Byrne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Liam Byrne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total spending on alcohol treatment services was in England in each of the last five years for which data is available.

    Jane Ellison

    Local authorities are responsible for assessing local need for alcohol treatment and commissioning services and interventions to meet that need, using the public health grant.

    The Department of Communities and Local Government publishes statistics on local authority expenditure. The most recent year for which final data is available is 2013-14, and the statistics show that local authorities in England spent £190.4 million on alcohol misuse for adults. This figure includes spending on both alcohol harm prevention and treatment, and is not broken down between the two. Similarly, local authorities spent £70.8 million on substance misuse youth services (for under-18s), but it is not possible to break down how much of this spending went on alcohol or drugs prevention or treatment.

    Figures on spending on alcohol treatment before the public health grant came into effect in 2013 are not available centrally.

  • 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 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the offer made to the Saudi Arabian government for its prisons training contract.

    Andrew Selous

    I refer the hon member to the Secretary of State’s statement of 13 October 2015. The terms of the bid remain confidential and we have no plans to publish it.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2015 to Question 11430, what steps his Department took before 15 September 2015 in relation to bus operators who submitted claims for Bus Service Operators Grant funding to support closed bus services.

    Andrew Jones

    In considering claims from bus operators for Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) for the bus services that they run, my department analyses each claim to ensure that these meet the eligibility criteria for the grant scheme, including those relating to services which serve educational establishments. Where we receive claims that we consider to be ineligible for BSOG – for instance closed services – and where operators are unable to demonstrate that they are eligible, the claims are disallowed. The eligibility criteria for the scheme are printed on the forms which operators must fill in and submit to the department in order to claim the grant.

  • Gary Streeter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gary Streeter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gary Streeter on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of referral times for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service appointments in Plymouth and Devon; and if he will make a statement.

    Alistair Burt

    Neither the Department nor NHS England has made any such assessment. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning services locally. Northern, Eastern and Western Devon CCG states that their Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service provider met their locally agreed target of 70% of referrals being within 18 weeks by March 2015. There has been a significant reduction in the number of children and young people waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment at the same time as a 20% increase in referral rates. Discussion has been ongoing to understand the capacity and resources needed to meet the full contract target of 95% of patients being seen within 18 weeks.

    On 3 August 2015, NHS England published guidance, developed with partners across the system, to CCGs for developing their Local Transformation Plans for children and young people’s mental health with their local partners, in line with the proposal in Future in mind. These plans will be developed by CCGs working closely with their Health and Wellbeing Boards and partners from across the National Health Service (including NHS England Specialised Commissioning), Public Health, Local Authority, Youth Justice and Education sectors. The plans will clearly articulate the local offer and cover the whole spectrum of services for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, from health promotion and prevention work, to support and interventions for those who have existing or emerging mental health problems, as well as transition between services.

  • Bill Wiggin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Bill Wiggin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Prime Minister, when he next plans to visit Herefordshire.

    Mr David Cameron

    I visit all parts of the United Kingdom regularly. Details of my visits within the United Kingdom are published on the gov.uk website.

  • Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many additional UK police and Border Force personnel have been deployed to join 24/7 freight search teams in Calais since 20 August 2015.

    James Brokenshire

    For border security reasons the Home Office does not publicly disclose details of operational deployments at the UK border. Border Force continually monitors the pressures of illegal immigration at the UK border. Joint work is undertaken with French law enforcement agencies and port operators to bolster security and ensure staff from respective organisations are deployed to meet operational needs.

  • Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to change its policy on free school meal provision for infant school pupils.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The continuation of universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) was a commitment in the Conservative Party’s election manifesto. The government is currently conducting a Spending Review across all its programmes.

  • Louise Ellman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Louise Ellman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Ellman on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the authorities in Iraq on the Yazidi community in that country.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers continue to raise the situation of minority communities in Iraq with the Iraqi authorities. The Government condemns in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by ISIL against all communities throughout the areas under its control. We are working closely with the Iraqi Government, the Kurdistan Regional Government and our international coalition partners to assist and protect civilians. The human rights situation in areas under ISIL control is gravely concerning, including for Yezidis, and Yezidi women in particular. We have received reports, including from Amnesty International, of the ordeal faced by these women and others abducted by ISIL, including rape, forced marriage, sexual abuse, forced conversion, and being sold as slaves. Working with the Department for International Development, we are already funding activities to protect vulnerable civilians, such as legal assistance and support groups for women. We are continuing to explore what further support we might be able to provide to vulnerable groups and internally displaced persons. We welcome the commitments that Prime Minister al-Abadi has made to inclusivity, protecting Iraqi citizens, addressing human rights abuses and holding those responsible to account.

  • David Simpson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    David Simpson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of HGV drivers in the UK relative to demand.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department recognises that there is a high demand for HGV drivers in the UK and that there is a shortage, manifesting itself in pressure on costs, delays to some deliveries and the recruitment of people from outside the UK.