Tag: 2016

  • 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 2016-03-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what new steps they are taking to improve identification and testing of people potentially infected with hepatitis C as part of a coherent approach to treatment of the population at large.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The United Kingdom Government takes the issue of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C very seriously. Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England continue working together with key stakeholders to establish a strategic approach to tackle hepatitis C, including monitoring treatment access and uptake, as well as establishing Operation Delivery Networks (ODNs).

    NHS England has invested in a Commissioning for Quality and Innovation scheme to incentivise ODNs to meet their agreed rate of roll-out. If their treatment rates deviate from this agreed rate of treatment, they are no longer eligible for these incentives.

    PHE is working together with NHS England and the National Offender Management Service to improve coverage of blood borne virus testing for people in prisons through implementation of opt-out testing.

    PHE has also commissioned the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Certificate in the Detection, Diagnosis and Management of Hepatitis B and C in Primary Care to help raise awareness in primary care and among other professionals working with groups at high risk of chronic viral hepatitis infection. To supplement this, a new RCGP course was launched in April 2015, Hepatitis C: Enhancing Prevention, Testing and Care which comprises four lessons: understanding hepatitis C; preventing transmission; testing and diagnosis; and treatment and care.

  • Biography information for Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Biography information for Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they reconcile printing and delivering their pamphlet Why the Government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK to every household in the UK, with the statement by the Minister of State for Europe, Mr David Lidington, on 7 September 2015 that we have no intention of legislating to allow the Government to do things such as mailshots

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As the full excerpt below shows, the statement referred to by the Noble Lord relates to conduct and activity during the final 28 days of the referendum period, which are covered by the provisions of section 125 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. The Government will comply fully with these provisions.

    “Instead, new clause 10 provides a power to make regulations to exempt particular categories of publication from section 125. Any such regulation would need to be approved by an affirmative resolution in both Houses. We have also adopted the recommendation of the Political and Constitutional Affairs Committee that the Government should consult the Electoral Commission before any such regulation is made.

    While I understand the constructive intention behind the suggestion made by the hon. Member for North Down (Lady Hermon), I think that at the end of the day the Government must be free to go to Parliament and ask whether it accepts or rejects a particular proposal. The safeguard here is that if Government new clause 10 is accepted tonight, both Houses will have the right to veto anything that the Government might bring forward under this new provision.

    Let me explain the kind of things I have in mind. They include, for example, modernising the press notice exemption, which is already in section 125, to take account of digital media, by making it clear that it is permissible to link to a press notice from a website or a social media site; allowing the publication of a document on government.uk; or clarifying that material passed on to the print or broadcasting media would be acceptable. None of those things is clear at the moment. Let me repeat that we have no intention of legislating to allow the Government to do things such as mailshots, paid advertising or leafleting.”

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what ministerial representation there will be at the CITES Conference of the Parties in September 2016.

    Rory Stewart

    We understand that the South African Government is intending to host a ministerial-level segment to open the 17th Meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP17) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa from 24 September to 5 October 2016.

    We are still considering UK Ministerial attendance so I am not able to confirm this at the current time. I am however keen for the UK delegation to play an active role at CoP17 in securing positive outcomes for endangered species at risk of over-exploitation as a result of international trade.

  • Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Blackman on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Government will make it its policy not to take a decision on the location of an additional runway until its reviews of UK airspace and the Aviation Policy Framework have been completed.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Government remains fully committed to delivering the important infrastructure projects it has set out, including delivering runway capacity on the timetable set out by Sir Howard Davies.

    In the coming weeks the Government will carefully consider all of the evidence before reaching a view on its preferred scheme.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with the Home Secretary on work permits and immigration rules for EU citizens working in higher education, research and academia after the UK leaves the EU.

    Joseph Johnson

    Department for Education officials meet regularly with Home Office officials to discuss a range of issues regarding EU students and staff. The two departments will continue to work closely as these issues progress.

  • 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 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with (a) HM Treasury and (b) other government departments on the extension of renewable transport fuels obligation beyond road transport.

    Andrew Jones

    Ministers and officials regularly discuss policy options with Her Majesty’s Treasury and colleagues in other government departments.

    I refer the honourable Member to my answer to the honourable Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mark Tami), on 2 November 2015 on the subject of sustainable aviation fuels and representations received as part of the work of the Transport Energy Task Force http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-10-23/13225/. I have also met with representatives from industry to discuss the potential of sustainable low carbon fuels in aviation.

    “

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

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the lifetime cost to the public purse of the Royal Air Force Airbus A400M.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The forecast costs of the main elements making up the A400M Atlas aircraft programme, including the acquisition, training and in-service support of the aircraft, is £3.6 billion.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times Russian military (a) aircraft and (b) ships have entered British territory in the last 12 months; what the average response time was for the armed forces on each of those occasions; and what the type and model was of the aircraft or ship on each of those occasions.

    Penny Mordaunt

    I can confirm that there have been no unauthorised incursions by Russian military aircraft into UK sovereign airspace in the last twelve months.

    There have been three authorised Treaty inspection flights by Russian military An-30b aircraft in UK airspace under the auspices of the multi-national Open Skies Treaty. On each occasion the UK received advance notice of the aircraft’s arrival and it was hosted for the duration of its mission at RAF Brize Norton.

    For information on Russian naval assets entering UK territorial waters I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 March 2015 by the previous Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Mark Francois) to Question number 218391.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in considering the future of the Human Rights Act 1998, what regard they will have to the findings of the Scottish Parliament’s European and External Relations Committee as outlined in the letter of 17 March from the Convener of that Committee to the Lord Chancellor in respect of the relevance of the specific position of Scotland in the devolution settlement and the role of the Sewel Convention.

    Lord Faulks

    This Government was elected with a mandate to reform and modernise the UK human rights framework. We will consider the devolution implications of our reforms and will continue to engage fully with stakeholders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and with the devolved administrations, as we develop our proposals.

  • Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what his policy is on the future of Channel 4.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The government wants to ensure a strong and secure future for Channel 4 in what is a fast-changing and challenging broadcasting environment. The government is looking at a broad range of options, including those proposed by Channel 4’s leadership.