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Tag: 2016

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Israeli government on demolitions in the Bedouin community of Abu Nuwar in the West Bank on 6 January 2016.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    While we have not raised this specific issue with the Government of Israel, we continue to raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities over demolitions and the treatment of the Bedouin community. The UK is deeply concerned by Israeli proposals to relocate Bedouin population from E1 area, which the UN have said could constitute forcible transfer. These plans could have a devastating impact on the communities concerned and will likely open the way for further settlement expansion – endangering the viability of a two-state solution.

  • 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 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will raise with the UN the need for all member states to endorse the international campaign against female genital mutilation.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The UK has taken the lead internationally in supporting the African-led movement to end female genital mutilation. We lead by example, as the largest donor ever, investing £35m over 5 years in a programme in 17 countries. Last year we successfully worked with others to push for the inclusion of an indicator on female genital mutilation in the Global Goals that applies not only to some, but to all countries. We co-sponsored the UN General Assembly resolutions on female genital mutilation in 2012 and 2014.

    In 2014, the Prime Minister co-hosted Girl Summit with UNICEF, which galvanised unprecedented international support. Girl Summit secured 500 signatories to a charter and over 170 commitments from governments, civil society and individuals. Increased funding was committed to the UN Joint Programmes on female genital mutilation and child, early and forced marriage. We continue to urge others to do more.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department’s wellness strategy is.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department has a health and well-being programme developed in partnership with trade union representatives, staff networks and the sports and social club.

    The Department signposts staff to sources of help and support, such as the employee assistance programme, occupational health provider and its own bank of mental health first-aiders.

    The content and impact of the programme is kept under review by a stakeholder group made up of representatives from the department and external partners, such as the Charity for Civil Servants and the Corporate Alliance Against Domestic Violence.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-03-22.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he used any international systems to inform the formulation of his proposals to introduce a lifetime ISA.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government is always mindful of international comparisons when developing tax policy. In the case of the Lifetime ISA, the Government will explore with the industry whether there should be the flexibility to borrow funds from the Lifetime ISA without incurring a charge if the borrowed funds are fully repaid; for example, some US retirement plans allow 50% to be borrowed up to a maximum of $50,000.

    Further details about how the Lifetime ISA will work will be announced when the government brings forward legislation to enact the Lifetime ISA in the autumn.

  • Gerald Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gerald Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerald Jones on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of a UK withdrawal from the EU on the UK’s digital industries.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The UK is home to a thriving digital sector, worth £118.3 billion and equivalent to 7.3% of UK GVA. 43% of the UK tech sector’s total exports go to the EU.

    Digital Single Market reforms could be worth £330 billion a year to the EU economy. This is a clear example of how the single market benefits the UK digital industries.

    The Government’s position is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has carried out a rural proofing assessment of the likely effects of measures contained in the Bus Services Bill.

    Andrew Jones

    The general and specific impacts of the Bill’s provisions are included in a number of Impact Assessments, which will be published shortly. The impact assessments include a ‘rural proofing assessment’.

  • Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Nandy on 2016-09-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to comply with the European Court of Justice judgment of 2015 on VAT on green products such as solar panels.

    Jane Ellison

    The UK has applied a five per cent reduced rate of VAT to installations of 11 different types of energy saving materials since 2001. That reduced rate remains in place and is unchanged.

    Following the judgment by the Court of Justice of the European Union, the government published a consultation on this particularly complex issue. We are currently considering the responses to this consultation.

  • Paul Beresford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paul Beresford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Beresford on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been spent on external consultants at (a) Epsom Hospital, (b) East Surrey Hospital and (c) The Royal Surrey County Hospital respectively over the last five years.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The requested information is not held centrally.

    The available information is provided in the table below.

    The Department holds expenditure data for National Health Service trusts as part of the year end accounts consolidation process. The data is held for the trust which a hospital belongs to rather than for individual hospitals.

    External Consultant Spend by Trust (2011/12-2015/16)

    Financial Year

    Epsom and St Helier University (£000)

    Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (£000)

    Royal Surrey County NHS Foundation Trust (£000)

    2011/12

    2,836

    881

    2,067

    2012/13

    1,525

    1,036

    1,216

    2013/14

    1,289

    509

    2,288

    2014/15

    1,215

    502

    3,165

    2015/16

    1,784

    56

    2,537

    Source: Department of Health Accounts and NHS Improvement

    Notes:

    1. This information is based on the Cabinet Office definition of “Consultancy Services” (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/405538/6.1_Cons_definitions.pdf):

    “Assistance provided by consultancy services provided outside the ’business-as-usual’ environment when in-house skills are not available and will be of no essential consequence and time-limited. Consultancy may include the identification of options with recommendations, or assistance with (but not delivery of) the implementation of solutions.”

    This is not the same as spend on external medical consultants; which would have to be obtained from trusts/foundation trusts directly.

    2. This guidance is issued to NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts as part of the Department’s Group Accounting Manual, and can be seen on pages 160/161 of that document.

  • Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether it is her Department’s policy to support the G7 Initiative on Climate Risk Insurance.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The UK supports the G7 Climate Risk Insurance Initiative and is committed to contributing to meeting the collective target set out in the Elmau declaration of helping up to an additional 400 million people in the most vulnerable developing countries to gain access to climate risk insurance by 2020.

    UK support under the Initiative includes contributions to the African Risk Capacity and the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative. In September the Prime Minister announced that the UK would provide at least £5.8 billion of climate finance over the next five years which will include support for climate risk insurance.

  • Stuart Andrew – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stuart Andrew – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart Andrew on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) terms of reference and (b) timeline are of review of blood donations policy.

    Jane Ellison

    The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) decided at its meeting in January 2016 to carry out a review of deferral criteria for blood donors in relation to risks both from sexually transmitted diseases and from infections potentially transmitted by other routes, for example, tattooing or intravenous drug use.

    The process will fully involve stakeholders (who can share thinking with and seek feedback from their communities), and will be incremental, with published progress reports and any intermediate advice. The terms of reference will be published once approved by SaBTO.