Tag: 2016

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Rt. hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the Commission is taking to (a) improve the productivity of House staff and (b) promote the efficient use of the parliamentary estate.

    Tom Brake

    Over the last Parliament the productivity of the House was increased through a cost reduction programme which saved 17% in real terms by 2014/15 against the 2010/11 Administration (Resource) Estimate of £231 million and by expanding the number and range of services provided.

    The Executive Committee has instigated an efficiency review with a target of a 10% reduction of controllable resource spend over the life of this Parliament, which equates to £15.5m. One way this is to be achieved is by utilising the estate more effectively.

    Following the recommendations of the Committee on Governance of the House of Commons, a restructure of services and approach is being undertaken. This is focused not just on running costs but on achieving more effective project management, facilitating improved delivery of projects. The Commission is, with the House of Lords, also examining the opportunities for further joint working between the Houses.

    The House Service has a continuous improvement programme to review work processes and streamline ways of working to improve efficiency, quality of service and productivity. This includes better use of digital technology. In addition, the House People Strategy provides for a number of methods to enable staff to develop their capability and improve productivity. All staff are encouraged to review their job competence, using a diagnostic tool, to identify where their competence needs to improve. A learning programme offers all staff a range of opportunities to develop that competence. Our individual performance review process provides the means for individuals to work with their manager to ensure objectives are met and to improve their work performance. Finally staff are able to work flexibly to respond to the demands of the job.

    Plans to restore and renew the Palace of Westminster could create opportunities to make better and more productive use of space. The Commission awaits the report of the Joint Committee on the future of the Palace; the Northern Estate Programme will target the optimisation of the existing buildings within its scope: seeking to improve the efficiency of the estate overall, support new ways of working, reduce running costs, and improve access and security for Members and their staff.

    The current House of Commons accommodation policy states that House staff currently occupy buildings on the parliamentary estate primarily in open plan workspace to increase the capacity and flexibility of space and (where appropriate) promote better working. Workplace studies are routinely used when reviewing business requirements to ensure that available accommodation is optimised to support users in the most efficient manner feasible within the constraints of the existing buildings.

    The Houses’ Digital strategy aims to improve efficiency and effectiveness through the delivery of highly available, secure and easy to use technology. The technology will support flexible and mobile working which will contribute to better use of the Estate and Parliamentary resources more generally. For example the wider adoption of laptops to promote flexible working is currently under consideration.

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Prime Minister’s contribution of 9 September 2013, Official Report, column 700, what the evidential basis is for the statement that none of the UK’s overseas territories or Crown dependencies are tax havens.

    Mr David Cameron

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Leader of the Opposition, the right hon. Member for Islington North (Mr Corbyn), on 13 April 2016, Official Report, column 344-345, and to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Moray (Mr Robertson) on the same day, Official Report, column 347.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in a high-risk group for contracting HIV.

    Jane Ellison

    The PROUD trial was launched in 2012, coordinated by the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit and Public Health England (PHE). The number of people enrolled in the trial, was 544.

    Based on evidence from the PROUD study, PHE has made an assessment that of the 100,000 men who have sex with men who attend genito-urinary medicine clinics annually, 8,000 can be identified as being at ‘high-risk’.

    The Department has not yet made its own assessment.

  • Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton on 2016-06-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of heart failure patients who have access to heart failure specialist nurses.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England is working with key partners to ensure better co-ordination and integration of all services with the aim of delivering person-centred and coordinated care which is tailored to the needs and preferences of the individual, their carer and family.

    In particular, to encourage better practice in the caring for heart failure patients, NHS England has established a best practice tariff for acute heart failure. It is also working with Health Education England to explore ways of improving the provision of and increasing access to echocardiography, which is used for the diagnosis of heart failure.

    To help the NHS understand what a good quality service looks like, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) publish quality standards which define best practice within a topic area and it has published quality standards for acute and chronic heart failure. NHS England expects all commissioners and providers to take account of quality standards in the services that are delivered to patients.

    NICE has developed a commissioning toolkit for the use of natriuretic peptides assessment in primary care for suspected heart failure. It has also produced guidance on acute heart failure and chronic heart failure, both of which cover the use of natriuretic peptides.

    NICE guidance and quality standards are published online only, but due to the complexity and length of their content, they cannot be included as attachments.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of Simon Kirby’s resignation from HS2 Ltd on achieving the 2026 target date for opening phase one of High Speed 2.

    Andrew Jones

    Simon Kirby has built a high calibre team and leaves HS2 Ltd in excellent shape. Sir David Higgins remains as chair and a new CEO will be appointed as soon as possible. The 2026 target date for opening phase one of HS2 is not affected.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on research taking place to find alternatives to neonicotinoid pesticides.

    George Eustice

    Research to bring individual insecticides to the market is carried out by pesticide companies. A number of public bodies fund research into pest control chemicals, biological controls and cultural methods. This includes funding from Innovate UK through mechanisms including the Agri-Tech Catalyst, which helps develop innovative solutions to challenges in crop production. Defra research into alternatives to current chemical pesticides can be found at http://randd.defra.gov.uk.

    “

  • Lord True – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord True – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord True on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received any indication from the government of France that it would unilaterally abrogate the Treaty of Le Touquet were the people of the UK to vote to leave the European Union.

    Lord Bates

    Juxtaposed Controls were introduced for short sea crossings by the “Treaty Between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the French Republic Concerning the Implementation of Frontier Controls at the Sea ports of Both Countries on the Channel and North Sea”, signed at Le Touquet on 4 February 2003.

    This bilateral agreement between the UK and France provides for immigration controls to be conducted by the country of arrival in designated control zones in the country of departure at both French and UK sea ports on the Channel and North Sea, including Calais and Dunkirk in France, and Dover in the UK.

    The Le Touquet Treaty is an agreement concluded between the UK and France under international law. The UK and France have an excellent relationship and work closely together to secure the UK/France border, including at sea ports on the Channel and the North Sea.

    The Le Touquet Treaty has resulted in a reduced number of asylum claims and continues to be a valuable part of our border security.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of those who have not (i) attended a work capability assessment or (ii) reported to a jobcentre when requested have been exempt from benefit sanctions because of extenuating circumstances in each month in 2015-16.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Nadine Dorries – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Nadine Dorries – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nadine Dorries on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to make travel on the Thameslink line more accessible for disabled passengers.

    Claire Perry

    On the Thameslink route, the new Thameslink trains currently being manufactured will enter service later this year. The full fleet will be in service by the end of 2018. The train specification was developed to meet the latest standards and is fully compliant with accessibility standards for heavy rail (the Persons of Reduced Mobility Technical Specification for Interoperability – PRM-TSI).

    To aid boarding and alighting, the Thameslink Programme is providing dedicated ramps at stations and on board the trains, in addition to raised platform areas at busy central London stations that will step free from street level to the new trains. The boarding positions will be clearly indicated for disabled users.

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

    Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-05-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by the Prime Minister on 4 May (HC Deb, col 168) that there is a very strong case here for saying that it is genocide

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), has said, the Government’s position remains that although there is a very strong case to answer, ultimately it should be a matter for judicial authorities. The Government continues to believe that recognition of genocide should be a matter for international courts, not political bodies. It should be a legal, rather than political determination, decided by international judges after consideration of all the evidence available in the context of a credible international judicial process.