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Tag: 2015

  • Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will express concern about the effect of the one-child policy on human rights in China with President Xi Jinping during his visit to the UK.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We pay close attention to the human rights situation in China. The Government is committed to engaging with China on the issue and Ministers will continue to raise concerns with their counterparts. Discussions during the State Visit will be broad and cover issues where we agree and where we disagree.

    The Government’s policy on population and sexual and reproductive health and rights is about providing women and girls with a voice, choice and control. We do not condone coercion or support sex-selective abortion. We provide core funding to the United Nations Population Fund who do work in China; they work to promote and uphold the principles of free and informed choice and to challenge the gender norms that de-value girls.

  • John Glen – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Glen – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2015 to Question 10868, on blood diseases: drugs, when NHS England plans to take a decision on the development of a clinical commissioning policy for extended half-life products; what discussions NHS England has had to date on such a clinical commissioning policy; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    The timing of the tender is effectively predicated on the availability of licensed products. The Department is in dialogue with those suppliers understood to be concerned in this market to understand their potential capabilities.

    NHS England has made no decision to develop a clinical commissioning policy for ‘extended half-life products’. The potential need for policy will remain under review by the Clinical Reference Group with input from the Department’s Commercial Medicines Unit, as manufacturer’s products achieve licence and procurements are completed.

  • Karin Smyth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Karin Smyth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karin Smyth on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of additional (a) nurses and (b) doctors required to deliver seven-day working in the NHS.

    Ben Gummer

    It will be for local providers and their Local Education and Training Boards to develop workforce plans for delivering seven day services in hospitals which will make the best use of staff skills and expertise. Current levels of service provision at weekends currently vary between hospitals. There may be additional staff needed, including doctors, and the Department is working with NHS England and Health Education England to make sure we have the workforce we need, including looking at new working patterns and roles such as physician associates.

  • Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps (a) his Department and (b) NHS England are taking to ensure that autism diagnosis waiting times for (i) children and (ii) adults meet National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance in (A) Lancaster and (B) Fleetwood.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department has 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 (CCGs) where there is good practice in meeting the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Quality Standard 51 Autism, and to 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 National Health Service to be working towards meeting the recommendations.

    In Lancashire North CCG which covers Lancaster the average wait for adults for an assessment is 12 weeks which is in line with the NICE guidelines. While there are 34 children waiting for a specialist multi-agency autism assessment, additional funding has been allocated and a recovery plan is in place to clear this backlog. The CCG is also in discussions with their providers to agree how the multi-agency assessment process for children and young people can be improved. In Fylde and Wyre CCG the average waits for adults and children is in line with the NICE guidelines.

  • Julian Sturdy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Julian Sturdy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will prioritise Christian, Shia Muslim and Yazidi refugees, who have been targeted by ISIL, when considering asylum cases.

    James Brokenshire

    All asylum and human rights claims are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with the UK’s obligations under the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the European Convention on Human Rights.

  • Steve Rotheram – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Steve Rotheram – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that all railway stations in (a) Liverpool Walton constituency, (b) Liverpool City region and (c) England and Wales are wheelchair accessible.

    Claire Perry

    Whenever the rail industry carries out infrastructure work at stations it is required to meet the latest UK and EU accessibility standards.

    We have also extended the Access for All programme, which will have provided step free access at over 200 stations by 2019. In Liverpool Walton both Fazkerley and Orrel Park have been completed. In the wider Liverpool City area Liverpool Central, Sandhills, Birkenhead North, Formby, Hooton, Meols and Waterloo have also been included in the programme.

  • Mike Wood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mike Wood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Wood on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that good quality education is provided in (a) sixth form and (b) further education colleges.

    Nick Boles

    We are introducing reforms to ensure that all post 16 institutions are providing high quality academic and technical education. We are reforming A levels and technical qualifications so that they match the best in the world and ensure that young people are gaining the skills and knowledge they need to progress into employment, apprenticeships or further study.

    A levels are now linear and technical qualifications approved for inclusion in 16-19 performance tables meet rigorous standards and are backed by employers. We will further reform technical and professional education to simplify and streamline the number of qualifications so that individuals have a clear set of routes which allow for progression to high level skills.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2015-10-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the cuts in the budget of the Ministry of Justice on the ability of first-tier tribunals to hear and determine immigration and asylum appeals.

    Lord Faulks

    The Government is confident that there is sufficient funding to enable the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration & Asylym Chamber) to hear and determine the number of immigration and asylum appeals to be received during 2015-2016.

  • The Earl of Clancarty – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The Earl of Clancarty – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Clancarty on 2015-10-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government under what legislation and on what grounds courts in the United Kingdom can make orders for the destruction of (1) original photographs, (2) paintings, and (3) artwork in other media.

    Lord Faulks

    There is a range of powers that enable the forfeiture of such items.

    Section 143 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 provides a general power of forfeiture allowing the courts, on conviction of an offence, to make an order depriving an offender of any rights in lawfully seized articles or articles in the possession or under the control of the offender at arrest or summons which were used, or intended to be used, for the purpose of committing, or facilitating the commission of, an offence or in relation to which the offender was convicted of an offence involving unlawful possession of property.

    Section 5 of, and the Schedule to, the Protection of Children Act 1978 allows the forfeiture of any indecent photograph, pseudo-photograph or prohibited image of a child and any property which it is not reasonably practicable to separate from that property following any lawful seizure. The police must give notice of any intended forfeiture of such property and where forfeiture is contested the court must determine the issue.

    Section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 allows the courts power to order the forfeiture of obscene articles kept for publication which have been seized under a warrant issued under that section.

  • Baroness Henig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Henig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Henig on 2015-10-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the statement by Lord Bates on 26 March (HL Deb, cols 1528–9) that licensing for private investigators would be introduced early in the next Parliament, what is the timetable for the introduction of licensing for private investigators.

    Lord Bates

    The Government is committed to ensuring the integrity of the private security industry and this includes private investigators.

    In July, the Government committed to a review (formerly triennial review) of the Security Industry Authority. That review may make further recommendations for legislative change which the Government will then consider.