Tag: 2016

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2016 to Question 20602, how many of the 183 Ministry of Defence public relations staff referred to are (a) based in Scotland, (b) have duties relating to Scotland.

    Mark Lancaster

    There are 12 Defence press and public relations posts based in Scotland, all of which have duties relating to Scotland.

    Royal Navy

    4

    Army

    4

    Royal Air Force

    4

    Defence press and public relations personnel provide a UK-wide service and therefore would deal with matters relating to Scotland when required.

  • Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Lord on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to create additional capacity on peak weekday rail services on the South West Main Line between Woking and London Waterloo.

    Claire Perry

    In March 2015, I announced a £50 million investment to deliver improvements across the South Western franchise before the end of the current franchise in 2017. This package of improvements included an additional Monday to Thursday late night service from London to Woking, and new ticket machines at Woking and London Waterloo Stations.

    An additional 108 carriages are being added to the South Western franchise which should all be in passenger service by March of this year, with a further 150 carriages on order and due to arrive in 2017. These additional carriages provide additional capacity across a number of the routes operated, including those serving Woking.

    The Department is running a competition to award the next South Western franchise, which is expected to start in 2017. The detailed franchise specification will be finalised following analysis of the responses to the public consultation, which closes on 9 February. It is expected that bidders will be asked to make proposals to provide capacity where it is needed most.

    With regard to road links, Highways England is currently making improvements to the nearby M3 by constructing a smart motorway between junctions 2 and 4a (13.4 miles/21.6km). The aim of smart motorways is to help relieve congestion by using technology to control traffic flows, to assist in the management of incidents and provide information to road users. They deliver these benefits at a significantly lower cost than conventional motorway widening and with less impact on the environment during construction. This is achieved by converting the existing hard shoulder to a permanent running lane. Work started in November 2014 and is expected to be completed towards the end of June 2017.

  • Heidi Alexander – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Heidi Alexander – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2016 to Question 25603, on NHS: Finance, how many meetings Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority has had with NHS trusts to agree plans to improve the financial position of those trusts since 5 February 2016.

    Ben Gummer

    As part of Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority’s fundamental roles, they have regular contact with all trusts and foundation trusts regarding financial planning. This contact is undertaken in various ways from face to face meetings with senior leaders to larger scale events.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent guidance she has issued to schools about sexting; and if she will make a statement.

    Edward Timpson

    Keeping children safe is a top priority for the government. In July 2015, the Department published updated statutory guidance[1] on keeping children safe in education. Schools and colleges must have regard to this guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

    All school and college staff have a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn, and they should be aware of the various forms of abuse so they are able to identify cases of children in need of help and support.

    The ‘Keeping children safe in education’ guidance provides a link to further advice on sexting on the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre website. The Centre are working on new guidance for schools and colleges on handling sexting.

    As part of our commitment to working with schools and other experts to ensure that young people are receiving age appropriate information that allows them to make informed choices and stay safe, the PSHE Association have produced guidance[2] for teachers on teaching about consent, which was published in March 2015.

    The Department has also produced advice for schools on searching, screening and confiscation which makes clear that school staff can examine the contents of a pupil’s mobile phone and, where necessary, delete inappropriate content where there is good reason to do so.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/447595/KCSIE_July_2015.pdf

    [2] https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/curriculum-and-resources/resources/guidance-teaching-about-consent-pshe-education-key

    “

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has made to Volkswagen on establishing a compensation scheme for vehicle owners in the UK affected by that company’s use of defeat devices.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government expects Volkswagen to treat its UK customers fairly and adequately address their concerns. We continue to press Volkswagen on the issue of compensation for UK consumers and the Secretary of State has summoned the Managing Director of VW UK to a further meeting this week to discuss the issue.

  • Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to make (a) Nivolumab and (b) other immuno-oncology treatments for lung cancer available on the NHS.

    George Freeman

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently carrying out technology appraisals of nivolumab for two lung cancer indications:

    (i) previously treated locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. The expected publication date for this final guidance is September 2016.

    (ii) Previously treated locally advanced or metastatic squamous non-small-cell lung cancer after prior chemotherapy in adults. The publication date for this final guidance is to be confirmed.

    The NICE is also appraising pembrolizumab for treating advanced or recurrent PD-L1 positive non-small cell lung cancer after progression with platinum-based chemotherapy [ID840]. The expected publication date for the final guidance on this appraisal is January 2017.

    Commissioners are legally required to fund drugs and treatments recommended in the NICE technology appraisal guidance within three months of its final guidance being issued. In the absence of guidance from the NICE, it is for commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund new medicines based on an assessment of the available evidence.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish his Department’s response to the Parking Reform: Tackling Unfair Practices consultation.

    Andrew Percy

    The government made available the summary of responses to the discussion paper "Parking Reform: Tackling Unfair Practices" on 11 May.

    The summary can be found here: http://www.britishparking.co.uk/write/Documents/DCLG_Summary_of_responses_BPA.pdf

    We will set out our proposals on parking reform in due course.

  • Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Cox on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to review the rule preventing those who have acquired British nationality by descent under Section 2(1)(a) of the British Nationality Act 1981 from passing on citizenship to their children by descent in circumstances where their parents were on short-term secondment abroad at the time of their birth other than on Crown Service.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Children who are born overseas to British citizens by descent and do not acquire British citizenship automatically are able to apply for registration as a citizen where the family can demonstrate a close connection with the UK.

    The child of a British citizen is also able to enter the UK under the Immigration Rules as the child of a settled parent.

    There are no plans to change the law in this respect at the current time.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many grants his Department awarded to projects for which the range of values in the Department’s benefit-cost ratio assessment included negative values in each of the last six years; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Major transport schemes which are subject to ministerial approval include a value for money assessment in which benefits and costs are assessed. Since 2011 – the first year for which data is readily available – the Department has given final funding approval and awarded a grant to one major transport schemes whose costs exceeded its benefits:

    – Sheffield Tram Train Pilot. Approval of this scheme was granted on the basis that it is a pilot designed to test the range of issues, costs and opportunities involved in introducing the tram train concept to the UK.

  • Lord Addington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Addington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Addington on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Education (School Teacher Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2003, and in particular Schedule 2, remain in force; and if not, when they were amended, and by what Act or statutory instrument.

    Lord Nash

    The Education (School Teacher Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2003, including Schedule 2, remain in force.