Tag: 2016

  • James Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    James Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Morris on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans the Government has to support the most vulnerable children and families.

    Edward Timpson

    It is a fundamental priority for this Government to keep children safe from harm and improve their life chances. We are reforming children’s social care, putting practice excellence and achieving more for children at its heart. We have made significant progress, reducing bureaucracy and recently announced a further £200m to support innovative new ways of working that focus on the needs of children and families.

  • Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Attorney General, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been for each category of hate crime since 2010.

    Robert Buckland

    The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the number of prosecutions flagged as hate crimes. Hate crimes comprise offences motivated by hostility or prejudice to a person’s race or perceived race, religion or perceived religion, sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation, disability or perceived disability and transgender identity or perceived transgender identity. These data are accurate only to the extent that the flag has been correctly applied.

    The tables below show the number and proportion of convictions and overall prosecutions, by each category of hate crime, during each of the last five available years:

    TOTAL HATE CRIME PROSECUTIONS

    Convictions

    Total

    2010-11

    12,651

    82.8%

    15,284

    2011-12

    11,843

    83.4%

    14,196

    2012-13

    10,794

    82.6%

    13,070

    2013-14

    11,915

    84.7%

    14,074

    2014-15

    12,220

    82.9%

    14,738

    RACIAL HATE CRIME PROSECUTIONS

    Convictions

    Total

    2010-11

    10,566

    83.1%

    12,711

    2011-12

    9,933

    84.4%

    11,774

    2012-13

    9,107

    83.3%

    10,935

    2013-14

    10,069

    85.2%

    11,818

    2014-15

    10,123

    83.5%

    12,130

    RELIGIOUS HATE CRIME PROSECUTIONS

    Convictions

    Total

    2010-11

    472

    83.4%

    566

    2011-12

    479

    80.8%

    593

    2012-13

    308

    77.2%

    399

    2013-14

    463

    84.2%

    550

    2014-15

    557

    83.8%

    665

    HOMOPHOBIC & TRANSPHOBIC HATE CRIME PROSECUTIONS (1)

    Convictions

    Total

    2010-11

    1,034

    80.7%

    1,281

    2011-12

    951

    78.7%

    1,208

    2012-13

    885

    80.7%

    1,096

    2013-14

    913

    80.7%

    1,132

    2014-15

    1,037

    81.2%

    1,277

    (1) A separate flag for Transphobic crime was introduced in December 2012 following the amendment to the Criminal Justice Act 2003.

    DISABILITY HATE CRIME PROSECUTIONS

    Convictions

    Total

    2010-11

    579

    79.8%

    726

    2011-12

    480

    77.3%

    621

    2012-13

    494

    77.2%

    640

    2013-14

    470

    81.9%

    574

    2014-15

    503

    75.5%

    666

    Data Source: CPS Management Information System

  • Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the placing of mental health patients in care homes is in compliance with NHS guidelines on patient care.

    Nicola Blackwood

    A person who requires mental health treatment should have their needs assessed by a mental health professional who will then refer them for treatment in the least restrictive environment to meet their clinical needs and risk. For the majority of patients care and treatment will be provided while they are living in their own home.

    If a person needs treatment which can only be provided in hospital or their level of risk is such that it can only be managed in a hospital then that treatment would be provided in a hospital, which is registered to provide that type of care. It is unlikely that a care home could provide care and treatment for a person who has been assessed as needing hospital treatment.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39787, if he will place a copy in the Library of the Joint Doctrine Publication 030.2, Unmanned Aircraft Systems; and if he will make a statement.

    Mike Penning

    To ensure defence doctrine reflects UK Government policy, the drafting of Joint Doctrine Publication 0-30.2 "Unmanned Aircraft Systems" is being developed in parallel with the Defence policy review concerning both remotely piloted air and highly automated systems. Officials are currently consulting stakeholders and expect to conclude the review early in 2017 at which point we expect to publish the updated doctrine.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has discussed the declaration of an ‘Islamic State’ by the government of the Gambia with that government; and what assurances he has received from that government on the protection of religious freedoms in that country.

    James Duddridge

    The British Embassy in Banjul has regular contact with the Gambian government but has not yet discussed the recent declaration of an Islamic State in The Gambia with President Jammeh. However, President Jammeh has publicly stated that this decision will have no impact on other religions in the country. The Gambia has a proud history of religious and ethnic tolerance, which we expect to continue.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2016 to Question 22432, what measure the Director of the Serious Fraud Office uses to judge actual or potential economic harm.

    Robert Buckland

    The Criminal Justice Act 1987 provides that “The Director may investigate any suspected offence which appears to him on reasonable grounds to involve serious or complex fraud.”

    Each case is assessed on its own facts and merits.

    The Statement of Principle sets out some of the factors that the Director will take into account when considering the matter for investigation. All of these will be considered, and there is no minimum requirement or measure in respect of the different factors.

    Each on its own or taken in combination can establish sufficient grounds for the Director to decide that the case is sufficiently large, complex or of wide public interest that it should be dealt with by the Serious Fraud Office.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department provides to senior civil servants on speaking at public events.

    Matthew Hancock

    All civil servants are subject to the requirements of the Civil Service Code and Civil Service Management Code. Further guidance on attendance at external events including those organised by political parties can be found in the Directory of Civil Service Guidance (vol 2).

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2016 to Question 30892, when his Department plans to set up the independent Road Safety Management Capacity Review, announced in his Department’s Road Safety Statement, published on 21 December 2015.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport plans to commission a road safety management capacity review during the next financial year.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to develop a national strategy for eye care.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Given the size of England, and the diversity of the health needs of different communities, we believe commissioning needs to be owned and managed locally.

    Therefore, there are no plans to develop a national strategy for eye care.

    Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning hospital eye services and for holding their providers to account in terms of contract performance. CCGs are also able to commission eye care services from community optometrists where they judge them to be needed in their areas over and above the sight tests commissioned by NHS England. Such services could include post cataract surgery reviews, glaucoma monitoring and low vision services which may reduce pressure on hospital eye departments, reduce waiting times and make patient care pathways more accessible in the community.

    There is scope for further work to be done by community optometrists and the Clinical Council for eye health commissioning is working with commissioners to develop commissioning guidelines in this area.

    CCGs have the ability to develop alternatives to hospital care. We would expect patients who require further planned stages of treatment in line with their agreed care plan, to receive this treatment without undue delay and in line with when it is clinically appropriate.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Government’s policy on voter registration of the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Democratic Participation, entitled Getting the Missing Millions on to the Electoral Register, published in April 2016.

    John Penrose

    I have set out an ambitious vision of how electoral registration could change over the course of this Parliament, building on the successful introduction of Individual Electoral Registration and online registration. The overarching aims are to ensure registers are as complete and accurate as they can be and that the system of electoral registration is as efficient as possible. We welcome the views of the All- Party Parliamentary Group and Bite the Ballot set out in their report which is helping inform our plans for a programme of work aimed at realising this vision.