Tag: 2015

  • Ruth Smeeth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ruth Smeeth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Smeeth on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many lawyers are employed by Network Rail to deal with contractual interface issues.

    Claire Perry

    Network Rail has 26 lawyers in the company. None are employed full time to deal specifically with these types of contractual interface issues. Those in the Routes Legal Team (c 12 lawyers) will spend a percentage of their time on these issues and to a lesser extent those in the Corporate Legal Team (c 3 lawyers).Input from the team will vary considerably depending on the nature and size of the issue that has arisen.

  • Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many days were lost to sickness in his Department in each of the last 10 years.

    Justin Tomlinson

    We have greatly reduced sickness absence in DWP from an average of 11.1 days per employee eight years ago to just 6.4 days per employee now. This is below the figure for the public sector of 7.9 days on average per employee, which was independently reported by the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development in its latest sickness absence report.

    The number of working days lost to sickness within the Department for Work and Pensions in each of the last 10 years is recorded in the following table.

    Period

    Working Days Lost to Sickness Absence

    Average Working Days Lost per Employee

    2014/15

    527,961

    6.5

    2013/14

    620,122

    6.9

    2012/13

    699,731

    7.4

    2011/12

    671,412

    7.3

    2010/11

    846,168

    8.1

    2009/10

    911,809

    8.5

    2008/09

    849,448

    8.9

    2007/08

    1,053,768

    10.1

    2006/07

    1,361,196

    11.1

    2005

    1,233,162

    10.1
  • 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 2015-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of when the iolAMD device for eye conditions will be available on the NHS.

    Alistair Burt

    There is no National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the use of the ioIAMD lens. Where NICE guidance does not exist on a particular treatment, it is for local National Health Service commissioners to make funding decisions based on an assessment of the available evidence and on the basis of an individual patient’s clinical circumstances.

    NHS commissioners are required to have in place clear and transparent arrangements for local decision-making on the funding of treatments and for considering exceptional funding requests.

    If a patient’s local clinical commissioning group, decides, on the basis of rational, proper consideration of the evidence, that a treatment should not be provided which the patient and their doctor have requested, patients must be provided with the reasons for that decision in writing.

    The Government has been clear that restricting access to services on the basis of cost alone is wrong and compromises patient care. Commissioning decisions should be made on the basis of the available evidence of clinical and cost effectiveness.

  • Chris Leslie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Chris Leslie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Leslie on 2015-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will meet representatives of the British Muslim charities sector to discuss concerns about the level of prejudice and unfair stigmatisation they may encounter in the course of their work; and if she will make a statement.

    Karen Bradley

    Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations and individuals. Details of these meetings are published on the Cabinet Office website on a quarterly basis.

    I would be happy to consider further engagement as appropriate.

  • Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to make identity theft a criminal offence.

    Mike Penning

    Where a person steals somebody’s identity documents and/or uses somebody else’s identity to access a bank account or to make some other kind of financial gain, he or she can already be prosecuted under existing theft and fraud offences. We have no plans to create additional offences.

  • 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 2015-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to create an independent aviation noise authority with a statutory right to be consulted on flight paths and other operating matters.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government is currently considering the Airports Commission’s Final Report, including its recommendation for a new national independent aviation noise authority. Any decision to take forward such a body would be subject to consultation on its detailed functions.

  • Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of universities on their local economy.

    Joseph Johnson

    Higher education institutions play an important role in their local areas. Several universities have undertaken individual studies of their impact on their local area, and such studies have generally found positive impacts. Universities UK and others have also assessed the important impact of universities on national growth.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of the employment conduct abroad of companies which are based in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

    Nick Boles

    We have made no such assessment. However, the UK was the first country to publish a National Action Plan to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights which sets out the Government’s expectation of business behaviour wherever they operate, including complying with all applicable laws and honouring the principles of internationally recognised human rights when faced with conflicting requirements.

    Company directors of UK-based businesses also have a duty to act to promote the success of the company, and in doing so have regard for a number of factors including the interests of the company’s employees. To demonstrate this consideration, companies are required to report information on employee matters, where necessary for an understanding of their business.

    Furthermore, the Home Office will shortly be introducing regulations that will require businesses with a turnover of £36million to report on the measures they are taking to ensure that modern slavery and human trafficking are not present in their supply chains.

  • Andrew Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Andrew Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2015 to Question 3711, how many arms export licences the Government has granted to Saudi Arabia subsequent to the information provided in that Answer; and what items were so licensed.

    Anna Soubry

    Licensing data shows 67 licences were granted to Saudi Arabia.

    Please note that data from licensing decisions made between 1 April and 30 June 2015 is scheduled to be published as Official Statistics at 9.30am on Tuesday 20 October 2015; and data from licensing decisions made between 1 July and 30 September 2015 is scheduled to be published as Official Statistics at 9.30am on 19 January 2016.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will instruct the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information to consider the impact the Freedom of Information Act has had on standards of governance.

    Matthew Hancock

    It is for the independent Commission on Freedom of Information to determine the scope of its review in accordance with its Terms of Reference.