Tag: 2016

  • Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of spit hoods and the extent of their use by police forces.

    Brandon Lewis

    The use of ‘spit hoods’, as with any other use of restraint or force, is an operational matter for Chief Officers. Accordingly, the Home Office has not conducted any assessments on their use or the extent of use by police forces in England and Wales. However, the Home Office is clear that all uses of force or restraint must be necessary and proportionate.

    In recognition of the importance of ensuring transparency in how police forces use various means of restraint, the former Home Secretary asked Chief Constable David Shaw to review what data should be collected and published. The review recommended that forces record a range of data in all instances when significant force is used, including restraint techniques and the use of spit hoods. The data to be collected includes the age, gender, ethnicity and sex of the subject, the type of force used, reason for the use of force, and the outcome of the incident. The new data collection system is currently being piloted in a number of forces before it is implemented nationwide. We expect all use of force records to be published by forces, and a subset of the data will be part of the mandatory requirement for the 2017/18 Annual Data Requirement (ADR).

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with (a) cystic fibrosis, (b) rheumatoid arthritis, (c) motor neurone disease, (d) multiple sclerosis and (e) Parkinson’s disease have had at least one repeat work capability assessment by year of initial assessment since the introduction of employment support allowance in 2008.

    Priti Patel

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

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if his Department will conduct an assessment of the appropriateness of the definition of houses in multiple occupation; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department considers the definition of a house in multiple occupation, as set out in the Housing Act 2004, is appropriate and has no plans to change it. We have recently issued a technical discussion paper on whether to extend mandatory licensing to those houses in multiple occupation with fewer than three storeys and plan to publish our response and proposed next steps in the coming months.

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Gaming Machine Regulations 2015; and if he will take further steps to limit the stake on fixed odds betting terminals.

    David Evennett

    The Government published the Evaluation of Gaming Machine (Circumstances of Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 on 21 January. The Evaluation can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-gaming-machine-circumstances-of-useamendment-regulations-2015

    The evaluation indicates that a large proportion of players of FOBTs may now be making a more conscious choice to control their playing behaviour and their stake level. We will now consider the findings of the evaluation before deciding if there is a need for further action.

    “

  • Keith Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Keith Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Simpson on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which of the security service files in the series KV2/1500 held in the National Archives on SS Sturmbannführer Kriminaldirektor Horst Kopkow are closed; and for what reasons such files are closed.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Security Service’s historic files on Horst KOPKOW were made available to the public at The National Archives in March 2004 (reference numbers KV2/1500 and KV2/1501). KOPKOW also appears in a report on a file at The National Archives relating to the Gestapo that was made available in February 2005 (reference number KV3/109). None of the files held in The National Archives on Horst KOPKOW are closed. Any redactions made to these files have been made for reasons of national security. The Government is committed to releasing historical files to the National Archives where it is appropriate to do so.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the contribution of the Materials Processing Institute to the development of a modern British steel industry.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government is exploring all options to support steel and the foundation industries. We are interested to consider how we can develop the best way forward for the UK industry alongside all parties with steel expertise, including the Materials Processing Institute.

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to the timetable for work to commence on building the new Type 26 Frigate on the skills base in the affected shipyards.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer I gave during Defence questions in the House on 27 June 2016 to the hon. Member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West (Margaret Ferrier).

    The Government have already invested £1.6 billion in the Type 26 programme. We will only enter into a contract once we are confident of the delivery schedule and the ability of the contractors to meet that schedule on a cost effective basis.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimates his Department has made of potential cost of proposed transitional measures to address the effects on women born in the 1950s following state pension equalisation.

    Caroline Nokes

    Transitional arrangements are already in place. At the time of the Pensions Act 2011 the Government introduced a concession worth £1.1 billion to limit the impact of the rising State Pension age on those most affected. The concession capped the maximum delay that anyone would face in claiming their State Pension to 18 months rather than two years, relative to the previous timetable. The Government has no plans to introduce further transitional arrangements.

    The following link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-foi-releases-for-march-2016 provides:

    • information on the transitional arrangements considered during the passage of the Pensions Act 2011 (see table A); and
    • illustrative costings for hypothetical policies including the three requested by the previous Minister for Pensions (see tables B to D).

    These options are not under policy consideration.

    “

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

    Baroness Pinnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Pinnock on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average time taken in England for the ambulance service to take a patient from their home to the nearest fully-equipped accident and emergency department.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has advised that it does not collect data on the average time taken in England for the ambulance service to take a patient from their home to an accident and emergency department.

    The Government is clear the reconfiguration of front line health services is a matter for the local NHS. Services should be tailored to meet the needs of the local population, and proposals for substantial service change must meet the four tests of reconfiguration which are: (i) support from GP commissioners; (ii) strengthened public and patient engagement; (iii) clarity on the clinical evidence base and (iv) support for patient choice.

    Locally driven elements of reconfiguration mean delivery will largely be managed by NHS England, who will work closely with commissioners, the Trust Development Authority and Monitor, and only approve the progression of proposals to consultation that have local support. We are aware that NHS England, in their guidance ‘Planning and delivering service changes for patients’, emphasise that NHS service change planners include an analysis of distance and travel times, the impact of these on transport users, as well as the ambulance service. A copy of this guidance is attached.

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) reconnaissance, (b) combat and (c) other missions were flown by RAF aircraft over Syria in the last 12 months.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The number of reconnaissance, combat and other missions between 1 February 2015 and 1 February 2016 are detailed in the table below. The majority of aircraft flying missions in Syrian airspace will have flown over Iraqi airspace as well. Reaper, Tornado and Typhoon are multi-role aircraft and as such can be deployed in both a combat mission and a reconnaissance mission. Other missions have been defined as those involved in the transportation of people or equipment.

    Syria

    Iraq

    Reconnaissance Missions

    435

    906

    Combat Missions

    64

    699

    Other

    0

    484*

    *This figure does not include C17, which is estimated to have flown two missions a month in the period in question. The records for C17 are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.