Tag: 2016

  • Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2015-12-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many manufacturing companies in the UK employing more than 500 people are foreign-owned; and what is their assessment of the implications of such ownership for the development of indigenous management.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Draft Answer

    There are 320 manufacturing enterprises in the UK with more than 500 employees that are foreign owned (i.e. have over 50% foreign control). This is 61% of manufacturing companies with over 500 employees. The UK welcomes foreign direct investment and enjoys the benefits of jobs and skills that it brings and UK manufacturing continues to be globally attractive and competitive. However, the Government is not aware of any evidence which indicates that foreign-owned companies treat UK management any differently to British-owned companies.

    We are taking a number of steps to increase indigenous management skills and capability. Apprenticeships standards are now available or being developed in senior level and management occupations. These include degree level qualifications and cover such areas as Manufacturing Engineer, Chartered Manager and Project Manager.

    The apprenticeships levy will come into effect from April 2017. It will apply to all UK employers with a pay bill in excess of £3 million and incentivise them to train their apprentices in the technical and professional skills their businesses need, including quality management and leadership.

    The Government is also supporting work being undertaken by senior industry leaders to examine ways to increase manufacturing productivity in the UK, which is part of the business-led action referenced in the Government’s Productivity Plan published in July 2015. This work will look at how indigenous performance could be improved in areas such as leadership, management and employee engagement, and will also consider what steps could be taken to develop a stronger culture that embraces innovation and new technologies such as digitisation. We will consider the findings when they are produced by industry later in 2016.

  • Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Poulter on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department has taken to promote improvement in standards of mental health globally.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    DFID’s principal approach is to strengthen health services, improving coverage, access and quality so that services better address all major causes of ill health including mental health. We also support research, together with specific work on mental health in some countries.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with Irish Ministers on the potential effect of a UK withdrawal from the EU on relations with Ireland.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    Government Ministers have regular discussions with Ministers from the Government of Ireland on a range of issues, including co-operation on security and other matters.

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for the capacity of the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure safety at airshows of the findings of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report on the 2015 Shoreham Airshow crash relating to the recommendations of the AAIB’s report on the 2007 Shoreham Airshow crash which were not implemented.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has recently consulted the air display community on amendments to its charging scheme for air displays. The revised charges will fund an additional four people to implement actions the CAA has already identified as part of its ongoing review of airshow safety for the 2016 air display season.

    The majority of recommendations in the AAIB’s latest bulletin cover areas where the CAA has already taken action as part of its review, and these actions will further enhance the safety of UK civil air displays.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal College of Nursing on the use of nirolumab and ipilimumab to treat skin cancer.

    George Freeman

    We have had no such discussions.

    Nivolumab (Opdivo) in combination with ipilimumab (Yervoy) does not currently have a marketing authorisation in the United Kingdom for treating advanced or unresectable melanoma.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently appraising nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab for the treatment of advanced, unresectable melanoma. NICE currently expects to publish final guidance in September 2016.

    In the absence of guidance from NICE, it is for commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund new medicines based on an assessment of the available evidence.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients on assessment and treatment units have been diagnosed with mental health conditions in the last 12 months.

    Alistair Burt

    Access to an independent mental health advocacy (IMHA) is a statutory right for people detained under most sections of the Mental Health Act, subject to Guardianship or on a community treatment order. We would expect Assessment and Treatment Units to follow their statutory obligations to ensure patients have access to an IMHA where appropriate.

    The Learning Disability Assuring Transformation statistics data shows that of the 2,565 inpatients at the end of April 2016, 600 patients had a main diagnostic category of mental illness on admission.

    Data on the numbers of formal complaints made about patient care; the management of assessment and treatment units; access to autism-specialist services and access to occupational and speech and language therapy are not held centrally. However, NHS England, Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and Local Government Association, published in October 2015, a Service Model for commissioners of health and social care services. This model sets out that when people are admitted to inpatient settings services should seek to minimise their length of stay and any admissions should be supported by a clear rationale of planned assessment and treatment with measurable outcomes. We would therefore expect all patients, irrespective of inpatient setting, to have access to the treatment and therapeutic interventions they require.

  • Lord Wills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Wills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wills on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government in how many schools Design and Technology is not part of the curriculum.

    Lord Nash

    Design and Technology (D&T) is part of the national curriculum, and is therefore a compulsory subject in maintained schools for pupils aged 5 to 14. The national curriculum is a benchmark of an excellent, academically rigorous education that academies can use and improve upon. The Department does not collect information on how many schools do not include D&T as part of their curriculum.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has made representations to the Department of Transport on negotiations on the bilateral agreement regulating direct flights between the UK and the People’s Republic of China.

    David Mundell

    On Tuesday 11 October, following successful negotiations in London, the UK Government announced an agreement between the UK and China to more than double the number of flights allowed to operate between the two countries, lifting all limits on cargo services and the number of destinations that can be served. Transport Scotland and representatives from both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports were present at these negotiations, and the agreement will provide economic opportunities right across the UK, including Scotland.

    Visits from China to the UK are on the increase, with 2015 figures up 46% on 2014 to almost 270,000, and spend rising by 18% to £586 million during that same period. This moves China into the UK’s top 10 most valuable inbound markets, and provides yet another positive example that it is a strong United Kingdom with a strong global voice that is the union which matters to Scotland.

  • Lord Bruce of Bennachie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Bruce of Bennachie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bruce of Bennachie on 2015-12-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Ethiopia in the wake of reported deaths following demonstrations in and around Addis Ababa.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The British Government is deeply concerned about the demonstrations in Oromia and reported deaths of a number of students. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for International Development, my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (Mr Hurd), raised our concerns with the Ethiopian deputy prime minister on 11 December and urged the authorities to exercise restraint. Our chargé d’affaires repeated this message with the Ethiopian state minister for foreign affairs on 15 December. Our Ethiopia travel advice was updated on 18 December to reflect our concerns about the security situation in the affected areas. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and raise our concerns with the Ethiopian government, including on the use of force.

  • Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-01-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which authorities are responsible for safeguarding unaccompanied children on the concourse at St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International stations.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    For unaccompanied children travelling on international train services, Eurostar International have an unaccompanied minors policy, which is available on their website. If unaccompanied, lost children are found at these stations, they are transferred to the custody of the British Transport Police by station staff.