Tag: 2016

Stephen Metcalfe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Metcalfe on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what (a) human resources, (b) communications, (c) grant administration, (d) building and estates management and (e) other administrative functions are shared by the seven research councils; and which such services are delivered independently by each research council.

Joseph Johnson

The seven Research Councils currently operate their own corporate functions, with separate Human Resources, Finance, Communications and IT operations.

The Research Councils are working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on a new digital grants system and common technology platform.

The Research Councils share a number of services including a main campus in Swindon at Polaris House; access to the London base of the Medical Research Council (MRC); and Internal Audit and Assurance functions, which are hosted by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). BBSRC also operate the estates and facilities management of Polaris House.

All seven Councils have their transactional HR, finance, payroll, systems and grants administration provided by UK Shared Business Services and six of the seven Councils share a pension scheme and its administration, with MRC running its own pension scheme.

The Government is implementing Sir Paul Nurse’s report, which recommended an evolution of the Research Councils into a formal organisation with a single Accounting Officer. Sir Paul advised that a new Research UK body could support the whole system to collectively become more than the sum of its parts, including by simplifying transactional operations, reducing the burden of administration currently placed on each individual Research Council, and enabling a stronger focus on multi-disciplinary research. We also want to strengthen collaboration between the research base and the commercialisation of discoveries in the business community and this is why we are looking to integrate Innovate UK into Research UK. Innovate UK will retain its clear business focus and separate funding stream.

01/01/2023
Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the performance of the current data collection infrastructure and its capability to collect real world data in the way outlined in NHS England’s plans for a new Cancer Drugs Fund; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman

Public Health England’s (PHE) National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service is the only national patient-level data source that collects data including outcomes on the whole care pathway on all patients diagnosed with cancer in England. Data are collected from all National Health Service trusts include information on Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy.

There is presently no agreement between NHS England and PHE to provide outcome information on patients receiving Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) funded treatments, on a regular basis. However, PHE and NHS England are currently in discussion to establish a dedicated resource to provide routine and bespoke information and analysis, and this could include defined outcome analyses on the CDF.

The Accelerated Access Review (AAR) is also looking at ways to better harness data to support the assessment, adoption and reimbursement of innovative treatments, and discussions are ongoing around the scope for aligning the revised CDF with the AAR recommendations.

01/01/2023
Ben Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2016 to Question 31117, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the findings from the 2014 paper by Kavanagh and others, Introduction and sustained high coverage of the HPV bivalent vaccine leads to a reduction in prevalence of HPV 16/18 and closely related HPV types; and whether such findings have been taken into account when assessing the differential impact of the bivalent and quadrivalent HPV vaccines on genital wart incidence.

Jane Ellison

The findings of Kavanagh and others, 2014, and of Mesher and others, 2016, are consistent with the reductions in human papillomavirus (HPV) 16/18 that were expected in the assessments that informed the Department’s policies. Neither of these papers report findings about genital warts incidence, both report no decrease in HPV types 6 and 11; this is also consistent with expectations in assessments that informed the Department’s policies.

The answer of 23 March 2016 stated, ‘data reported to Public Health England (PHE) from genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics shows a reduction in rates of genital warts diagnoses at GUM clinics between 2009 and 2014.’ This analysis has been updated with data for 2013 and 2014. The reductions reported were in patients aged 15 years and older. As the introduction of the quadrivalent vaccine was in 2012, to 12 year olds, no impact on genital warts in 15+ year olds within this time period was expected due to this introduction. Use of the quadrivalent vaccine within this age group prior to its introduction in the national immunisation programme was assessed as a possible but highly unlikely cause of the reductions seen.

The latest data from PHE showing reductions in genital warts diagnoses in GUM clinics amongst ages offered the bivalent vaccine are data for 2014: the future duration of any protection from genital warts associated with the bivalent vaccine has not been (and cannot be) inferred.

01/01/2023
Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to publish its response to its consultation on Section 75 employer debt in non-associated multi-employer defined benefit pension schemes which closed in May 2015.

Justin Tomlinson

Following a Call for Evidence on Section 75 employer debt in non-associated multi-employer schemes, my Department is currently considering further changes to employer debt legislation. Alternative methods to help employers in multi-employer schemes manage an employer debt following an employer cessation event are currently being explored; we will consult on any specific proposals later in due course.

01/01/2023
Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-07-21.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment he has made of the (a) short-term and (b) long-term economic effect on households of (i) multiple births and (ii) single births; and whether any difference in cost is reflected in the provision of support for families.

Jane Ellison

No assessment has been made on the short and long-term economic effect of single and multiple births.

Child Benefit can be claimed by an eligible person responsible for a child under the age of 16, or a 16-19 year old in approved education or training. Child Benefit is not a means tested benefit and is currently paid at a rate of £20.70 per week for the first child and £13.70 per week for any subsequent children.

Child Tax Credit is made up of four elements which determine how much a claimant can receive. The Family Element entitles all Child Tax Credit claimants to a basic amount of up to £545 a year. The Child Element currently pays up to £2,780 for each child. Then on top of this, the Disabled Child element pays up to an additional £3,140 and the Severely Disabled Child element pays up to a further £1,275 on top for each qualifying disabled or severely disabled child in the household.

01/01/2023
Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-10-07.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps his Department is taking to encourage the exploration of natural gas in the North Sea.

Jane Ellison

To support exploration activity, the Government has significantly cut tax rates for the oil and gas sector and introduced the Investment and Cluster Area Allowances to reduce the effective rate of tax paid by producers. Lower tax rates will encourage exploration by improving the economics of new discoveries.

Over the last two years the Government has also funded a £40 million programme of seismic surveys. This will boost offshore exploration in under-explored areas of the UK Continental Shelf.

01/01/2023
Mark Menzies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to support the development of additional new nuclear reactors.

Andrea Leadsom

New nuclear power offers low carbon, affordable, and reliable energy to keep the lights on – which is our top priority.

I can tell my Honourable Friend that the Department is focussed both on engaging with the 6 individual new nuclear proposals from developers, and also supporting the exciting future prospects for small modular reactor technology.

01/01/2023

Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many sales of land of what value and to whom there have been in each health trust area in London (a) on the open market or (b) below market value in each year since 2010.

George Freeman

The Department has only collected data on surplus land sales since 2011. Since then the National Health Service has sold 26 London sites. The names of the sites sold are given in the following table. The Department does not hold information about whether or not sites were sold on the open market, or the final sale price. The Department does not hold information centrally about the number of housing units or affordable homes that have been built.

NHS trust	Site
West London Mental Health NHS Trust	69 Oakley Square
West London Mental Health NHS Trust	Gunnersbury Day Hospital
South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust	Henderson Hospital
West London Mental Health NHS Trust	Manor Gate Mental Health Resource Centre
St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust	Wolfson Medical Rehab Centre
Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust	St Lukes Hospital
West London Mental Health NHS Trust	Broadmoor Hospital Plot 1
South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust	Newland House, Twickenham
South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust	Roselands Resource Centre, New Malden
West London Mental Health NHS Trust	St Bernards Wing 1
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust	Upney Lane Health Centre,
Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust	16a Cleveland Street
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust	78 London Road, Croydon
Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust	Ashley Road
North East London NHS Foundation Trust	Hedgecock Centre 1
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust	Hubert Grove
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust	Lennard Lodge
North East London NHS Foundation Trust	Mascalls Park
West London Mental Health NHS Trust	Southall/ Norwood Mental Health Resource Centre
West London Mental Health NHS Trust	St Bernards Wing 2
Central and Northwest London NHS Foundation Trust	17 Paddington Green London
North East London NHS Foundation Trust	Stonelea (Langthorne Hospital)
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust	Barnet General Hospital
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust	Coppett’s Wood
South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust	Part Springfield Hospital
Barts Health NHS Trust	The London Chest Hospital

01/01/2023

Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Turkish counterpart on military action in the south east of Turkey and the consequences of that action for Kurdish civilians.

Mr David Lidington

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 16 February 2016 (PQ 26321) to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Catherine West).

01/01/2023
Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-15.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the value of the illicit tobacco trade in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Damian Hinds

Estimates of tax revenue losses associated with illicit tobacco are published every year. The latest estimates, for the years 2006/7 to 2014/15, are published in ‘Tobacco Tax Gap estimates 2014-15’.

This can be accessed via the GOV.UK website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tobacco-tax-gap-estimates

HM Revenue and Customs makes no other estimate of the value of the illicit tobacco trade.

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01/01/2023