Tag: 2016

  • Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will assess the potential effect on (a) public safety and (b) animal welfare of restricting fireworks displays to regulated organised displays only.

    Margot James

    Limiting firework displays to regulated organised displays only is not supported, on public safety grounds, by the current available evidence. Official statistics, from NHS Digital, demonstrate that there is a downwards trend in hospital admissions in England, arising from the discharge of fireworks, with 114 such admissions in 2014/15. The Government will continue to focus on reducing accidents and nuisance by encouraging industry, retailers and others to promote responsible use through guidance and public education.

    The Government accepts that fireworks can have a detrimental effect on some animals. However, we consider that if users follow guidance on the correct and sensible use of fireworks, and owners of animals take appropriate precautions, these can help to avoid or reduce any detrimental effects.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many new specialised mental health beds have been commissioned since April 2013; and if he will make a statement.

    Nicola Blackwood

    Since April 2013, NHS England has commissioned an additional 65 specialist mental health beds. These were: 56 child and adolescent mental health services ‘Tier 4’ beds; seven perinatal mental health beds; and two adult medium secure mental health beds.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress has been made to further develop clean water programmes in sub-Saharan Africa in the last 12 months.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    In 2014/15, DFID provided access to clean water for 5.8 million people including 2.6 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. These were some of the almost 63 million people in Africa and Asia that DFID supported to gain access to water and sanitation between 2011 and 2015. We are currently formulating our new portfolio to deliver on the UK government’s commitment to help a further 60 million people get access to clean water and sanitation by 2020. We expect sub-Saharan African countries to feature significantly including continuation of programmes in Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Two programmes designed to meet our previous commitments, a programme with UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Fund) and the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Results Programme, will continue to deliver results until early 2016, including in Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Niger, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2016 to Question 20663, how many clinical commissioning policies Deloitte is involved in supporting under the terms of the contract awarded by NHS England.

    George Freeman

    NHS England is working with Deloitte and its clinical reference groups in developing a number of policies.

  • Karen Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Karen Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Buck on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what research his Department has conducted on the willingness of landlords to let properties to tenants in receipt of housing benefit; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    The English Housing Survey, funded by the Department, published its Headline Report 2014-15 in February 2016 which showed that 27% of privately rented households are in receipt of housing benefit.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Malhotra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.228 of Budget 2016, what the timetable is for the restructuring of the Money Advice Service, the Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise.

    Harriett Baldwin

    At Budget 2016, the government published its response to the Public Financial Guidance Review and launched a consultation seeking views on the government’s plans to restructure the statutory financial guidance providers – the Money Advice Service, The Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise. This paper, which closes on 8 June 2016, sets out a new delivery model for public financial guidance and seeks views on how, within this model, the proposed services could best be offered. The new delivery model is designed to better complement the financial guidance provided by the third sector and the industry and provide more targeted support for consumers.

    The government will consider the responses to this consultation over the summer, and in parallel, work closely with the affected organisations to finalise the delivery structure. A detailed timetable will be set out with the final response, which will be published in the autumn. The government has been clear that the three affected organisations will continue to provide guidance to consumers until at least 2018.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has provided assistance to the Indonesian government on reforming discriminatory legislation against (a) religious minorities and (b) other minority groups.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We have offered assistance and expertise to the Indonesian government on its Bill of Protection for Religious Communities. More broadly, our Ambassador in Jakarta has raised the issue of freedom of religion or belief with the Minister of Religious Affairs, Indonesian civil society, and religious leaders. Our Deputy Head of Mission in Jakarta has also raised these issues with the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection.

  • Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many UK Government officials and from which departments attended the Bonn intersessional UN climate meeting in (a) May 2016, (b) October 2015 and (c) June 2015.

    Andrea Leadsom

    There were 25 Government officials in the UK delegation at Bonn in May 2016; 25 Government officials in the UK delegation at Bonn in October 2015 and 44 Government officials in the UK delegation at Bonn in June 2015. The UK delegation included officials from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the Scottish Government at each of these sessions. Officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Met Office were present at the meeting in Bonn in June 2015.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Spanish counterparts on recent incursions by Spanish vessels into British Territorial Waters around Gibraltar.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson) has made clear publicly that the UK will continue to protect and promote Gibraltar’s interests. This includes challenging and protesting against all incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. The Foreign Secretary has also reaffirmed our sovereignty assurances to Gibraltar never to enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another State against their wishes, nor to enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.

  • 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 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many surgical operations were carried out by the NHS using robotic means in the last 12 months for which data exists.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The data is not available in the form requested as a surgical operation can consist of several procedures which may or may not be carried out robotically.

    However, there were 6,968 finished consultant episodes with a primary or secondary robotic procedure in 2014-15, the last 12 months for which data is available.