Tag: 2016

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of staff who have returned to permanent NHS jobs as a result of the introduction of caps on the number of NHS agency staff.

    Alistair Burt

    The information requested is not held centrally by the Department. The latest NHS Workforce statistics (February 2016) are available on the Health and Social Care Information Centre website at:

    http://www.hscic.gov.uk/searchcatalogue?productid=20878&topics=1%2fWorkforce%2fStaff+numbers&sort=Relevance&size=10&page=1#top

  • Baroness Altmann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Altmann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Altmann on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many letters the Department for Work and Pensions has received from Members of Parliament since May 2015 on behalf of women who have complained about the impact of an increase in their state pension age.

    Lord Freud

    The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate costs.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to regulate dance movement psychotherapy.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Government is committed to proportionate regulation of healthcare professions. Whilst statutory regulation is sometimes necessary where significant risks to users of services cannot be mitigated in other ways, it is not always the most proportionate or effective means of assuring the safe and effective care of service users.

    Occupational and professional groups that are not subject to statutory regulation, such as Dance Movement Psychotherapists, may consider setting up a voluntary register. The Professional Standards Authority accredits those registers that meet its standards, providing patients, the public and employers with assurance about the standards and competence of registrants.

  • Baroness Benjamin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Benjamin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Benjamin on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 13 January in response to the oral question from Lord Clinton-Davis on what plans they have to impose a sugar tax on fizzy drinks, whether they will consider introducing a mandatory sugar reduction target on all firms in the food and drinks industry because of the high hidden sugar levels in many everyday foods.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Measures by industry to reduce calories, including from sugar, are important components in any approach to reduce obesity. Some parts of industry have already taken a range of actions to help people eat a healthier diet, but the challenge to make further substantial progress remains.

    We will be launching our childhood obesity strategy shortly. It will look at everything, including sugar, that contributes to a child becoming overweight and obese. It will also set out what more can be done by all sides.

  • Philip Hollobone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Philip Hollobone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Hollobone on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to prevent the mis-selling of domestic energy to pensioners.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Energy companies are required under their licence conditions to ensure all information that they or their representatives provide to domestic customers during a marketing activity is complete, accurate and easily understood.

    Ofgem has powers to investigate and impose sanctions, such as financial penalties, on energy companies when they are found to have breached their licence conditions, including mis-selling.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government plans to take during the present Parliament to reduce the number of people dying as a result of smoking.

    Jane Ellison

    Smoking continues to be the leading cause of premature deaths in England. This Government has committed to publishing a new tobacco control plan this year to further reduce the prevalence of smoking. The new plan is currently being developed but key priority within the plan will be reducing the impact of smoking on some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society.

  • Richard Burgon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Richard Burgon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burgon on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what process Tier 2 intra-company transfer visas for IT undergo when they reach her Department.

    Mike Penning

    The process for handling Tier 2 intra company transfer (ICT) visas for IT is the same as that for any other application under the Tier 2 intra company transfer arrangements. All applications are validated to ensure the correct fees have been paid, all mandatory questions have been answered on the forms, and applicants have submitted their biometric information. Checks are also undertaken on every application to assess any adverse immigration or security issues.

  • Marie Rimmer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Marie Rimmer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Marie Rimmer on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for the development and publication of proposals on the top-up and tariffs system that is set to operate once business rates have become fully devolved.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The retention of business rates locally is an important part of our plan to take power out of Whitehall and return it to local government. This means we will no longer be taking local business rates income into Whitehall for redistribution as grant. All locally collected business rates will stay with local government.

    We have already been clear that we will retain redistribution within the system. We recognise that we will need to redistribute to ensure councils don’t lose out merely because they currently collect less in rates.

    The Government is currently working with the Local Government Association, and engaging directly with local authorities, to develop the detail of this change. This includes developing the mechanics of redistribution. As previously announced, we will consult later this year and implement this important change to the local government finance system by the end of this Parliament.

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much funding the Government provided to Citizens Advice Scotland in each of the last five years.

    David Mundell

    The UK Government provide funding to Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS), the umbrella organisation and membership body for the Citizens Advice Bureaux network in Scotland, through the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), and (via the Pension Wise service) through Her Majesty’s Treasury (HMT).

    The total UK Government funding to CAS over the past five financial years, including BIS and HMT funding, is set out below.

    Financial Year

    Total funding

    2015/16

    £9,583,511

    2014/15

    £8,797,196

    2013/14

    £5,614,800

    2012/13

    £6,887,500

    2011/12

    £2,900,000

    Funding increased substantially between 2011/12 and 2012/13 to reflect the additional functions CAS had taken on as a result of the consumer landscape changes, including the joint delivery (with Citizens Advice England and Wales) of the Consumer Service helpline, education and advocacy on general consumer issues, and as the advocate on behalf of consumers in the regulated energy and postal sectors.

    Funding also increased substantially between 2013/14 and 2014/15 when the Government established the Pension Wise service to offer free and impartial guidance to people on the new pension freedoms which came into effect in April 2015.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Prior of Brampton on 22 October 2015 (HL Deb, col GC37), what progress has been made in establishing across the country a network of NHS practitioners interested in Lyme disease.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We will be considering options for improving professional engagement on Lyme disease in light of the reviews on the diagnosis, treatment and transmission of Lyme disease, commissioned by the Department to inform future decision making. Public Health England continues to work with local authorities and primary care providers to raise awareness.