Tag: 2016

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

    Baroness Redfern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Redfern on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of possible causes that may prevent the elderly, especially men, from seeking advice on health; and what steps they are taking to address this both (1) nationally, and (2) in North Lincolnshire.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    In 2013, Public Health England (PHE) was established to protect and improve the nation’s health and to address inequalities, working with national and local government, the National Health Service, industry, academia, the public and the voluntary and community sector.

    PHE encourages local authorities to prioritise NHS Health Check invitations to individuals with the greatest health risk which includes older men.

    PHE Social Marketing has also conducted qualitative research amongst older adults (aged 50+), including elderly men, on the factors that influence early diagnosis (including barriers to help seeking) for the development of our Be Clear on Cancer, Breathlessness, Inflammatory Arthritis and Blood Pressure campaigns. The findings of this work have been incorporated into the campaign strategies, messaging and local partnership activity for all campaigns.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made on the test launch by North Korea of a long-range ballistic missile on 7 February 2016; and what representations the Government has received on the UK maintenance of the its long-range Trident ballistic missile system since 7 February 2016.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I have strongly condemned the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s satellite launch of 7 February, which used ballistic missile technology in clear violation of a number of UN Security Council Resolutions. On 8 February I summoned the DPRK’s Ambassador to make clear the UK’s strong condemnation of the launch. In addition, I issued a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 11 February, setting out the UK’s response to the satellite launch. The DPRK’s actions are a further threat to regional security and the stability of the Korean peninsula. It is clear that the DPRK continues to prioritise its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes over the welfare of its people.

    The government has not received any representations on the Trident long-range missile system since 7 February 2016.

  • Lord Luce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Luce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Luce on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the consequences for the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, and what action they plan to take to protect the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man in the event of such a withdrawal.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man have a special relationship with the EU, provided under Protocol 3 to the UK’s Treaty of Accession to the European Community. The procedure governing a country’s departure from the EU is set out in Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. This provides for a period of two years for the negotiation of exit terms. After two years, the departing Member State is deemed to have left the EU, meaning that both the rights and the obligations that derive from membership would lapse. This two year deadline can be extended, but only by unanimous agreement of all EU Member States.

    At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the UK special status in a reformed EU. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), to the House of Commons on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

  • Derek Twigg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Derek Twigg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Twigg on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teacher vacancies there have been in (a) secondary and (b) primary schools in England in each year since 2010.

    Nick Gibb

    The information requested is published in the statistical first release ‘School Workforce in England, November 2014’ in Table 14 of the Main Tables, available at the following web link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2014

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Long Term Economic Plan for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, published in February 2015, what progress has been made on assessing the case for providing the required infrastructure for new East Coast InterCity Express trains to run at 140 mph.

    Claire Perry

    The complex infrastructure requirements for 140mph operation on the East Coast Main Line are being assessed by Virgin Trains East Coast and the wider rail industry as a potential scheme for the longer term. Nicola Shaw’s recent report promoted greater private sector financing for railway enhancements and my Department will be interested to see these proposals from the industry in due course.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) initial estimate and (b) actual cost was for the HMS Queen Elizabeth.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    As reported in successive Major Projects Reports, the original approved cost of the Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) Aircraft Carrier programme was £3.9 billion, including the capitalised costs of the Assessment and Demonstration Phases. The approvals and cost management have been based on the QEC Class for a two-ship programme, and it is therefore not practicable to apportion costs to the individual Aircraft Carriers.

    The current approved cost of the QEC Aircraft Carrier programme is £6.2 billion, as announced by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Defence the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) on 6 November 2013 (Official Report, column 251-254). Whilst there are cost pressures, and final costs cannot be agreed until the programme finishes around 2019. The MOD continues to work closely with the Aircraft Carrier Alliance to drive the programme to remain within the current approved cost.

  • Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2016-09-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider releasing papers relating to Lord Denning’s Report on the Profumo affair earlier than 2048.

    Baroness Mobarik

    I refer the Noble Lord to the answer Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen gave to Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield on 14 September 2016.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many responses his Department received to the consultation on the exit payments cap for public sector workers; and how long his Department took to analyse and respond to those responses.

    Greg Hands

    The Government consulted on implementing a public sector exit payment cap in July 2015. The Government response to this consultation was published on 16 September 2015. This response provides detail on the potential impacts of the cap and sets out which organisations the Government intends to capture within scope of the public sector exit payment cap. The final policy is in line with the Government’s manifesto commitment to end tax payer funded six figure payoffs for public sector workers.

    The consultation ran from 31 July to 27 August 2015. Over 4000 responses were received. These representations were considered during and after the consultation to inform the Government response that was published on 16 September 2015.

    The response document can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/464367/Public_sector_exit_payments_response.pdf

    An impact analysis was published within the exit payment cap consultation document which respondents had an opportunity to comment on. Further, the Government worked with departments and took into account consultation responses received after the official deadline to inform the impact of a public sector exit payment cap set at £95,000 in different sectors and for different categories of workers. This assessment gave due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty.

    The exit payment cap is intended to capture organisations classified as public sector by the Office for National Statistics with few exceptions as identified in the consultation response.

    The Government does not expect the cap to have a widespread impact on the take-up of voluntary redundancy.

    At the 2015 Spending Review the Government announced it will consult on further cross public sector action on exit payment terms. This consultation will provide a good opportunity to collect further information on the trends in the level of exit payments between the private and public sector.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many applications have been made to local authorities for £5,000 flood protection grants.

    James Wharton

    To date, local authorities have received 1,285 applications for Property Level Resilience grant funding and have so far approved 162.

    Property Level Resilience grants are dependent on works which require properties to dry out and are usually claimed retrospectively. The current rate of payments is similar to equivalent previous schemes where the profile of spend shows payments accelerate in the third and fourth quarters after damage.

  • Mrs Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mrs Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Anne Main on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish any contingency plans his Department has made on trade agreements in the event of a UK exit from the EU.

    Anna Soubry

    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 my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.