Tag: 2016

  • Baroness Kennedy of Cradley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Kennedy of Cradley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2016-10-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role of private healthcare providers in delivering government aid programmes.

    Lord Bates

    In most low income countries the non-state sector delivers a substantial share of healthcare, with poorer people often relying on informal providers. This is usually in response to insufficient, poor quality or inaccessible state provision.

    However, informal and unregulated private providers can sometime provide low quality health services and commodities, and out-of-pocket payments can contribute to further impoverishing low income groups. Ensuring that services are accessible and affordable to the poor usually requires government or external funding arrangements.

    The UK Government uses its aid programmes to support the strengthening of mixed public and private health systems to deliver quality, accessible and affordable healthcare to the poor and uses thorough monitoring and evaluation processes to ensure that results are achieved and lessons learned.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will commission research on the (a) reasons for and (b) effects of the different thresholds for investigations to be initiated under section 17 and section 47 of the Children Act 1989.

    Edward Timpson

    Sections 17 and 47 of the Children Act 1989 have different purposes. Section 17 defines a child as being “in need” if they are unlikely to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision of services by the local authority, or their health and development are likely to be impaired (or further impaired), without the provision of such services, or they are disabled. Under this section, local authorities are required to provide a range and level of services appropriate to those children’s needs.

    Section 47 places a duty on local authorities to make enquiries to decide whether and what action should be taken to safeguard the child from “significant harm”. This is the point at which compulsory intervention in a child’s life is justified.

    Each local authority will interpret the definitions at Section 17 and Section 47 and set local thresholds, agreed by Local Safeguarding Children Boards, through their statutory function under the Children Act 2004, in discussion with all partners. This function is set out in Regulation 5 of the Local Safeguarding Children Boards Regulations 2006, as follows:

    1(a) developing policies and procedures for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in the area of the authority, including policies and procedures in relation to:

    (i) the action to be taken where there are concerns about a child’s safety or welfare, including thresholds for intervention;

    This is also set out in the Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2015 statutory guidance. Ofsted looks at thresholds as part of its inspection process and considers whether the levels set locally are appropriate. It expects good Local Safeguarding Children Boards to monitor and understand the application of thresholds locally.

  • Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Attorney General, how many people have been charged with paying for sexual services of a child under section 47 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 where (a) the victim was under 18, and those charged did not reasonably believe that the victim was 18 or over and (b) the victim was under 13 in each of the last three years.

    Robert Buckland

    The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of defendants prosecuted for offences brought under section 47 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 or the ages of victims. This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost. However, records are held showing the overall number of offences, rather than defendants, in which a prosecution commenced at magistrates’ courts. These are detailed below.

    2012-2013

    2013-2014

    2014-2015

    Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.47

    26

    36

    49

    Note: A single defendant may be prosecuted for multiple offences.

  • 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 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Prime Minister’s Oral Statement of 22 February 2016, Official Report, column 35, on the European Council, whether his Department is undertaking planning in the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the EU referendum.

    Michael Fallon

    At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February 2016, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

  • Mary Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mary Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Robinson on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote trade and diplomatic connections between the UK and other Commonwealth countries.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We are committed to strengthening our Commonwealth engagement and ties with Commonwealth allies. We continue to engage with organisations like the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council to boost trade and increase prosperity within the Commonwealth. As part of these efforts, the UK and Malta will be co-hosting the first Commonwealth Trade Ministers meeting in March 2017.

  • Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of dairy products procured for her Department was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID do not purchase dairy products directly. However the Departments catering service provider procures 100% of their dairy produce from British sources.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department made of the health benefits of milk as part of the development of the Government’s Eatwell guide.

    Jane Ellison

    Dairy products are a valuable source of essential nutrients including protein and calcium. Government advice continues to encourage the inclusion of dairy products as part of a healthy, balanced diet for all age groups. This recommendation is depicted in the Eatwell Guide which promotes the consumption of lower fat and lower sugar dairy products to help reduce saturated fat and sugar intakes in the United Kingdom, which are currently above dietary recommendations.

  • Baroness Janke – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Janke – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Janke on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the remarks by the Chancellor of the Exchequer that “structural and investment funds projects signed before the Autumn Statement and Horizon research funding granted before we leave the EU will be guaranteed by the Treasury after we leave”, what steps they are taking to ensure that there will be adequate staff resources in government departments to handle EU funding applications promptly in the months up to that Statement.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Departments will continue to have the resource available to sign all projects in the ordinary course of business prior to the Autumn Statement, as detailed by the Chief Secretary in his letter of 12th August 2016. A of copy this letter is available in the Library of the House.

  • Hugo Swire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hugo Swire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugo Swire on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will have discussions with the Commonwealth Secretary-General on the Maldives leaving the Commonwealth.

    Alok Sharma

    As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) said on 13 October, the UK is disappointed that the Maldives Government has decided to withdraw from the Commonwealth. We believe in the Commonwealth and its commitment to improving the lives of people across all its member states. It is an organisation dedicated to developing free and democratic societies, and to promoting peace and prosperity.

    There are no current plans for Ministers to discuss the Maldives with the Commonwealth Secretary-General. Officials are in regular contact with the Commonwealth Secretariat.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive on implementing the conclusions of the COP21 climate conference in Paris.

    Andrea Leadsom

    My rt hon Friend, the Secretary of State regularly engages her colleagues in the Devolved Administrations on UK energy and climate change policies and supported the attendance of Ministers from each Devolved Administration at the UN Conference of Parties in Paris last year as part of the UK delegation, including the Northern Ireland minister for the environment, Mark Durkan.

    The Agreement reached in Paris is an historic step forward, committing almost 200 countries to action to which they will be held to account for the first time ever.

    In line with the obligations under the Climate Change Act 2008, the Government is committed to tackling climate change in line with our carbon budgets.