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Tag: 2015

  • Oliver Colvile – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Oliver Colvile – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department is making on research on the production of diverse forage mixtures to optimise animal production.

    George Eustice

    Innovate UK, Defra and BBSRC are co-funding the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Innovation Platform (SAFIP), worth £90 million over five years with match funding by industry. There are a number of projects funded under SAFIP on the development of alternative and diverse forages to optimise the sustainability of animal production in the UK.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on providing possible alternative oil and gas supply to the Baltic states.

    Grant Shapps

    I have not had bilateral discussions with European counterparts on providing possible alternative oil and gas supply to the Baltic states. The UK’s support to the Baltic states on diversification of their oil and gas supply takes place largely through the European Union. The UK continues to work closely with Brussels in pursuit of security of supply, and our efforts to improve EU energy security are carried out through the Energy Union Project. The UK appreciates the pressures that the Baltic states are under, and ending their island status in gas and oil is a key area of our work on gas supplies within the Energy Union. On the 15 October 2015, the European Commission signed a joint-declaration with the Baltic States on constructing the Gas Interconnector Poland – Lithuania (GIPL), aimed at providing a secure gas supply for the Baltic region and reducing reliance on Russian gas. Construction is intended to be completed in 2019.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to cost potential recommendations for reform of the schemes to assist people affected by contaminated blood products.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department is considering wider reform of financial assistance and other support for those affected with HIV and/or hepatitis C by infected NHS-supplied blood or blood products. We are doing this within the context of the spending review and in a way that is sustainable for the future and we plan to consult on scheme reform before the end of the year.

    Before the election, the Prime Minister announced an additional £25 million to ease transition to a reformed system of payments for affected individuals. The Department is currently considering how that money will be used.

  • Dr Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Dr Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Poulter on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether under the new junior doctor contract proposals, doctors will be prevented from giving their time to (a) the British Medical Association, (b) the General Medical Council, (c) other healthcare, education and training organisations and (d) trade unions.

    Ben Gummer

    The proposals on contract reform do not change the situation in relation to these matters. Releasing doctors from National Health Service work commitments to undertake other activities remains a matter for the employer.

    These proposals are – as in other respects – substantively the same as those agreed when the hon. Member was a Minister.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 12 October 2015 from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Refugees, Official Report, column 13, on Refugee crisis, if she will place in the Library a copy of the letter of 1 October to chief executives of local authorities.

    Richard Harrington

    On 2 October local authorities received a letter to confirm that the first 12 months of a refugee’s resettlement costs are fully funded by central government using the overseas aid budget. To ensure that local authorities can plan ahead and continue to respond to the overwhelmingly generous response of the British people, the Government will also provide additional funding to assist with costs incurred in future years. These arrangements will be applied to all cases since the 20,000 expansion was announced. A copy of that letter will not be placed in the Library. Guidance for local authorities and partners on the Syrian vulnerable person resettlement programme (VPR) is available on our website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/syrian-vulnerable-person-resettlement-programme-fact-sheet

  • Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress his Department is making in arranging for the release of prisoners sentenced to imprisonment for public protection.

    Andrew Selous

    The release of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) is a matter for the independent Parole Board. The Parole Board directs the release of IPP prisoners on licence who have completed their minimum period of imprisonment (tariff), where the Board is satisfied that those prisoners may be effectively managed in the community.

  • Ian Lavery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ian Lavery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many officials in his Department worked at events scheduled as part of London International Shipping Week 2015.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Department for Transport (DfT) and Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) officials (excluding Ministerial Private Secretaries) worked at the following events scheduled as part of London International Shipping Week 2015:

    • At the joint Government/Maritime UK Welcome Reception at Lancaster House, 28 officials worked in a voluntary capacity (as the event took place outside of normal working hours) to support the event.

    • At the “Celebration of International Partnership” reception, jointly hosted with the Ministry of Defence, 13 officials worked in a voluntary capacity (as the event took place outside of normal working hours) to support the Royal Navy in delivering the event.

    • Maritime security officials within DfT organised two security-related seminars which involved 5 and 3 officials respectively.

    • The MCA organised a reception to promote the UK Ship Register, at which 4 officials worked.

    In addition, 4 DfT and MCA officials delivered speeches/presentations at HMG events during the week and DfT Ministers attending government and industry organised events were accompanied by a Private Secretary.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support to meet caring needs is available for older people with a disability whose principal carer is engaged in education for less than 21 hours per week.

    Justin Tomlinson

    People in full-time education, including those with caring responsibilities, are not normally entitled to benefits. Rather they are supported through the educational maintenance system, via its range of loans and grants. Support may also be available through local councils and health services.

    Students undertaking a part-time course have access to carer related benefits in the usual way.

    People with a disability can claim benefits in their own right in order to meet their needs. Depending on individual circumstances, such financial support can be through universal, extra costs benefits and/or means-tested benefits. Means-tested benefits, such as Pension Credit, include an additional amount for people with a severe disability (currently £61.85 a week for a single person) which can be paid to a disabled person to help meet the costs of caring if their carer is not receiving Carer’s Allowance.

  • 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 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many income support advisers were employed by Jobcentre Plus in each of the last five years.

    Priti Patel

    The number of Income Support Advisers that were employed by Jobcentre Plus in each of the last five years is in the table.

    Period/Year

    Number of Income Support Advisors that were employed by Jobcentre Plus

    2011/12

    1,305

    2012/13

    1,088

    2013//14

    983

    2014/15

    1,172

    2015/16 (part year only)

    1,209

    1. The numbers for 2015/16 are for the period April to September 2015.
    2. The numbers of advisers are expressed as Full Time Equivalents.
    3. Source of management information: DWP Work Services Activity Based Management Tool.
    4. The management information contained within this document does not form part of any official statistics and is intended for DWP internal use only.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for the variation in elective surgery rates among the most affluent and least affluent areas of England recorded in the recent survey by the Health Service Journal.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has advised it is aware of the findings of the survey.

    The NHS Atlas of Variation in Healthcare, published in September 2015 by Public Health England, NHS England and NHS Right Care, aims to identify unwarranted variation, and the causes of variation, in the provision of health services. Linked to this, the NHS Right Care programme will advise local health systems on variation in elective surgery intervention rates and support them to look at reasons for this and identify any changes needed.

    The NHS Atlas of Variation in Healthcare is too large to attach to this reply, but can be found online at the following:

    http://www.rightcare.nhs.uk/atlas/RC_nhsAtlas3_HIGH_150915.pdf

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