Tag: 2016

  • 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 2016-03-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Prior of Brampton on 2 February (HL5773) and 7 March (HL6225), whether the previously licensed research to perform genome editing in human embryos by means of CRISPR-Cas9 has commenced; if so, when that research actually commenced and when the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) received evidence of ethics approval; if not, how the HFEA has confirmed that the newly approved activities have not already commenced prior to receipt of evidence of ethics approval; and whether the delay due to the absence of evidence of ethics approval has applied only to genome editing or also to all activities previously covered by the same licence.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the research referred to by the Noble Lord has not commenced. When ethics approval has been received, the person responsible is required to provide evidence of this to the HFEA. The ethics approval applies to new activities in the research project, including the use of CRISPR-Cas9.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, who the Government’s representative was at the MaMa-COHAFA (Council Working Party on Humanitarian Aid and Food Aid) meeting in Brussels on 11 April 2016.

    Mr David Lidington

    The UK was represented by officials from the Department for International Development and the UK Representation to the EU.

  • Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what military equipment has been licenced for export to Egypt in each of the last three years.

    Anna Soubry

    Information on military and dual use export licences is published as Official Statistics in the quarterly and annual reports on Strategic Export Controls which are all available to view on GOV.UK. These reports contain detailed information on export licences issued, refused or revoked, by destination, including the overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences.

    Data currently covers all years from 2008 up to 31 December 2015.

  • Margaret Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Margaret Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Greenwood on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish the internal guidance that his Department issues to staff on the safeguards that those staff must observe when consideration is being given to (a) suspend or withhold payment, (b) impose a sanction or (c) terminate a claim in the case of a claimant of universal credit who has a mental health condition.

    Damian Hinds

    There is no intention to publish the internal guidance as it is for Department use only.

  • Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to promote tourism in Scotland.

    Tracey Crouch

    Tourism is a devolved matter but a number of policy levers – from aviation connectivity to aspects of the regulatory framework and immigration – are reserved. Through the recently published Tourism Action Plan, this Government is working to ensure the benefits of growth in the tourism industry can be felt across the whole of the UK.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many movements of nuclear material there have been on roads in Scotland in each of the last five years.

    Penny Mordaunt

    It is Ministry of Defence policy not to comment upon the frequency or routes used by nuclear material convoys, as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice national security. Nuclear material convoy movements are kept to the minimum necessary to maintain the operational effectiveness of the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many projects under the Road Investment Strategy are (a) completed, (b) ongoing and (c) still to be launched, by region; how many of those projects which are ongoing are (i) on schedule and (ii) on budget, by region; and how many of those projects which have been completed were on or under budget, by region.

    Andrew Jones

    North East & Yorkshire

    Of the 112 projects listed in the RIS, 20 of these will be delivered in this region.

    1 scheme has opened for traffic on schedule.

    4 schemes are currently in construction – 3 are forecast to complete ahead of schedule and 1 on schedule.

    Of the remaining 15 planned schemes 1 is forecast ahead of schedule, 1 forecast behind schedule and 13 on schedule.

    North West

    17 schemes are included for this region.

    4 schemes are currently in construction – 2 are forecast to complete ahead of schedule and 2 on schedule.

    Of the remaining 13 planned schemes 2 are forecast ahead of schedule and 11 on schedule.

    Midlands

    Total of 26 scheme in this region.

    3 schemes have opened for traffic, 2 ahead of schedule and 1 behind schedule.

    6 schemes are currently in construction – 4 are forecast to complete ahead of schedule and 2 on schedule.

    Of the remaining 17 planned schemes 3 are forecast ahead of schedule and 14 on schedule.

    South West

    Total of 7 schemes in this region.

    1 is in construction and is forecast behind schedule.

    The remaining 6 planned schemes are all on schedule.

    South East & London

    Total of 26 schemes in this region.

    2 are in construction, 1 is forecast ahead of schedule and 1 on schedule

    Of the remaining 24 planned projects all are on schedule.

    East

    Total of 16 schemes.

    2 are in construction and both are forecast ahead of schedule.

    The remaining planned 14 schemes, 1 is forecast ahead of schedule and 13 are on schedule.

    Overall schemes which are under construction are coming in or under budget. For schemes under development we would expect some movement in timescales or costs but overall Highways England is on course to deliver its commitments within the allocated funding.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-03-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel following reports of the Israeli navy opening fire on Palestinian fishing boats off al-Sudaniya and Gaza city, on 1 March, and what assessment they have made, if any, of the damage done on that and other occasions.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Whilst we have not raised this issue with the government of Israel, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have expressed our concern previously over the Israel Defence Forces use of live fire against fishermen and also about the confiscation of their boats.

  • Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he expects to be consulted in cases where a Bulk Personal Dataset is required from his Department by an Agency under the provisions of Part 7 of the Investigatory Powers Bill.

    George Freeman

    The Investigatory Powers Bill does not include any powers to require the provision of a bulk personal dataset (BPD) to a security and intelligence agency. It does require that there should be robust and transparent safeguards relating to such an agency’s use of BPDs. This includes a new requirement for warrants to authorise the retention and examination of BPDs.

    The Bill provides for both class BPD warrants, covering datasets of a particular class, and specific BPD warrants, covering an individual dataset. The draft statutory Code of Practice provides further guidance on the factors that the security and intelligence agencies should consider in determining which type of warrant to apply for. These include whether the nature or provenance of the dataset raises particularly novel or contentious issues; whether it contains a significant component of intrusive data; and whether it contains a significant component of confidential information relating to members of sensitive professions. All warrants will be subject to the ‘double-lock’ safeguard meaning that they will be subject to approval by both a Secretary of State and a Judicial Commissioner.

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress NHS England has made on including an indicator in the Mental Health Services Data Set recording a diagnosis of autism; and when data collection of such diagnoses is planned to commence.

    Alistair Burt

    NHS England has been working with the Health and Social Care Information Centre to develop reporting from the new Mental Health Services Data Set. This mandatory data set includes provision for the diagnosis of autism to be recorded, and reporting on this data has been prioritised. We expect experimental data reports on the number of people diagnosed with autism to be published by the end of 2016.