Tag: 2016

  • John Baron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Baron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Baron on 2016-06-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how NHS England plans to ensure that implementation of the cancer strategy published by the Independent Cancer Taskforce in July 2015 includes sufficient provision for people with rarer cancers.

    George Freeman

    The independent Cancer Taskforce’s strategy recommends improvements across the cancer pathway for all cancers. Specific recommendations for rarer cancers include encouraging the establishment of national or regional multi-disciplinary teams for rarer cancers and commissioning all treatment services for rare cancers nationally.

    In addition, tackling the causes of rare diseases and cancer is the focal point of the 100,000 Genomes Project.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-09-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the London Fire Brigade’s proposal for a single, publicly accessible UK register of product recalls.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    We want to ensure consumers have easy access to information on product recalls. We have already asked an industry led Recall Review Steering Group to explore how a single source of information on product recalls can be delivered for business and consumers. We will be discussing proposals on this with them shortly. The London Fire Brigade are represented on the Recall Review Steering Group by the Chief Fire Officers Association.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to ensure that football supporters from all nations of the UK have equal free access to their national team games aired on television.

    Tracey Crouch

    I share the enthusiasm of all supporters to be able to watch their home nation on TV. Where home nations compete in the European Championship and World Cup final tournaments, fans can watch them on free to air television as they are Listed Events. Beyond that it is a matter for the Scottish FA to negotiate with UEFA, under a central sales strategy, who broadcasts Scotland qualifying or friendly matches.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the conditions in which Kamal Foroughi is being held in Evin Prison, Iran.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We have not been able to obtain access to Mr Foroughi since his detention in May 2011. The Iranian Government does not recognise dual nationality for Iranian citizens. Our requests for consular access to detainees have been rejected on these grounds. We regularly express our concerns about all of our consular cases at high level with the Iranian Government.

    Prime Minister David Cameron raised these issues in a letter to President Rouhani on 19 October and again in a telephone call on 19 January. Most recently this was raised by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) during Foreign Minister Zarif’s visit to London on 5 February. I am also keeping a close interest in Mr Foroughi’s case, having recently met with his son in London on 1 December and 14 January.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with bus companies on priority wheelchair spaces on buses.

    Andrew Jones

    The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR) 2000 require all affected vehicles to incorporate a designated space suitable for a reference wheelchair.

    The use of the wheelchair space is currently the subject of a case at the Supreme Court however. As such Ministers are unable to discuss it with bus operators.

  • Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the potential effect of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 on costs to the NHS in each year between May 2017 and the end of the current Parliament.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department assesses the impact of all proposed measures before making legislation using standard government methodology. These assessments are set out in Impact Assessments which are scrutinised by the Regulatory Policy Committee before publication alongside the Statutory Instrument.

    An assessment of the impact of the provisions introduced by the Tobacco Products Directive will be published alongside the implementing Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 in spring this year. Expected health benefits from improved smoking quit rates have been estimated at around £13 billion.

  • Andrea Jenkyns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrea Jenkyns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrea Jenkyns on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what research her Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned on the effect of immigration on the demand for school places; and if she will make a statement.

    Edward Timpson

    It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-06-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to ensure that the UK delivers on the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030, to which it committed at the 69th World Health Assembly on 28 May.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK is supporting efforts to tackle viral hepatitis through a number of different channels. We support hygiene promotion and improving access to clean and safe water, to reduce the risk of transmission of hepatitis A and E. We are the largest donor to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which increases access to immunisation in low income countries – including protection against hepatitis B. We support UNITAID, which is working to improve access to better diagnostics for hepatitis C, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), which is working to reduce prices and increase access to new treatments. In addition DFID supports comprehensive harm reduction programmes and strategies through its support to the Global Fund, which help reduce transmission of both HIV and Hepatitis C.

    DFID’s health focus is to improve the provision of basic health services for the poorest by strengthening health systems, improving health worker capacity and increasing access to essential medicines and equipment. Increasing coverage, access and quality will strengthen health services to address all health problems including viral hepatitis.

  • Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Viscount Waverley on 2016-09-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential benefits to the police and intelligence agencies in combatting terrorism and crime of making it mandatory for purchasers of pay-as-you-go SIM cards to produce appropriate forms of identification.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    This issue was considered in detail by an expert group comprising representatives of law enforcement, the security and intelligence agencies and communication service providers following the terrorist attacks in London in July 2005. The experts’ findings remain valid. They concluded that the registration of ownership of mobile telephones would not deliver any significant new benefits to the investigatory process.

    Mobile phones are not the only devices capable of making calls or sending messages. Many laptops, computers, popular MP3 players and games consoles also support the sending of messages and phone calls. These devices are increasingly being used for communications. It would be necessary to include these other devices in any mandatory registration scheme.

    Separately, the person who buys the device is not necessarily the person who will use it. Mobile phones are often sold or given to family members or friends which would mean that such information would quickly become out of date.

    Furthermore, those who were keen to avoid providing details would still find ways to circumvent the scheme, such as purchasing or registering phones under false identities.

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Secretary of State has made of the potential effects of a third runway at Heathrow Airport on the UK’s ability to meet pollution targets set at COP21.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Any decision regarding future airport capacity will take into account the Government’s obligations under the 2008 Climate Change Act.

    The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has responsibility for addressing emissions from international aviation, rather than the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which held COP21. We are working hard through ICAO to try to secure agreement on a global market-based measure to address international aviation emissions.

    For domestic aviation, which is covered by UNFCCC, emissions are already accounted for under the UK’s Carbon Budgets with the aim of ensuring overall UK emissions are less than 80% of 1990 levels by 2050.