Tag: 2016

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hand-held radar speed detectors are in use by police constabularies in England; and whether her Department has made an assessment of the merits of recruiting and training civilian volunteers to use such detectors.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Home Office does not hold this information centrally. The purchase and deployment of speed enforcement devices is a local operational matter for individual police forces. There has been no assessment made on the merits of recruiting and training civilian volunteers in the use of these devices. Decisions on how the public can assist the police in speed enforcement activity are matters for individual Chief Officers.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-10-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit claimants whose claim was wrongfully stopped then reinstated have not had the full value of money returned; and what the total amount outstanding still owed is in such cases.

    Jane Ellison

    Where a tax credit award has been re-instated following a gap in payment, the claimant may receive the payment as a lump sum. This depends on the exact circumstances of the case, taking into account the revised entitlement compared to the monies already received. All future payments will also be adjusted to account for the revisions to the award. Provisions are in place to make arrears payments to customers suffering financial hardship.

  • Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Black of Brentwood on 2015-12-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussion they have had with the governments of China, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam about combatting the illegal tiger trade and tiger farming in those countries.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The UK Government remains committed to playing a leading international role in tackling the illegal wildlife trade (IWT), including in tigers, and working with our international partners to bring an end to this scourge.

    Issues concerning illegal trade in tigers, their parts and derivatives are addressed through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). The UK is an active member of the CITES Working Group on tigers and issues discussed include illegal trade and captive tiger breeding. The Working Group has submitted a report of its work for consideration at the CITES Standing Committee meeting to be held in Geneva on 11–15 January 2016.

    The UK has engaged with China, Laos and Vietnam on IWT through two high-level international Conferences on IWT, the first of which was hosted by the UK in London in February 2014 and which was attended by all three countries. China and Vietnam also attended the Kasane Conference on IWT in Botswana in March 2015, in which the UK played an active role. The UK will be providing support to Vietnam to host a third high-level international Conference on IWT, due to take place in late 2016, and will be encouraging Thailand’s participation. The UK’s diplomatic posts also engage with the relevant authorities in all three countries about how best to tackle IWT.

    The Government has also committed £13 million to support projects around the world to tackle illegal wildlife trade by reducing demand, strengthening law enforcement and developing sustainable livelihoods for communities affected by IWT, primarily through Defra’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund. A second round of the Challenge Fund was launched on 5 August and successful applicants will be notified in early 2016.

  • 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 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2016 to Question 22716, if he will commission a survey on the effects of delays in the publication of the hepatitis C framework on (a) all people and (b) members of the South Asian population in England with hepatitis C.

    Jane Ellison

    No such survey has been commissioned. Public Health England and NHS England continue to work together to improve outcomes for people with hepatitis C.

  • Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to encourage body confidence in young disabled people.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The government wants all young people to be confident and positive about their body image. My department has worked with a range of bodies, including the Advertising Association and the National Citizen Service, to develop materials that support good practice and encourage young people to become more informed and resilient consumers of media content; and with the PSHE Association to provide guidance for teachers on teaching about body image using accredited resources.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to increase the availability and uptake of innovative technology available to patients on the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    The Government is actively supporting a number of initiatives to accelerate access to innovative treatments. These include the Early Access to Medicines Schemes which supports access in the United Kingdom to unlicensed or off-label medicines and represents a significant advance in treatment in areas of unmet medical need and the Accelerated Access Review, which aims to speed up access to innovative drugs, devices, diagnostics and digital products for National Health Service patients, and to make the UK the best place to develop these innovations.

    NHS England supports the invention and adoption of transformative healthcare technologies. This includes existing technologies, where the benefits are already proven but wider adoption is critical to benefit all patients, and new technologies, which require larger scale trials to test out their impact individually and in combination. Current initiatives include the sponsorship of 15 Academic Health Science Networks (£48 million core funding in 2015-16), the Small Business Research Initiative (£20 million in 2015-16), and the Test Bed programme which is providing funding for frontline health and care workers to evaluate the use of novel combinations of interconnected devices such as wearable monitors, data analysis and new ways of working.

    NHS England has been tasked under section 7.1 of the NHS Mandate to “Implement the agreed recommendations of the Accelerated Access Review including developing ambition and trajectory on NHS uptake of affordable and cost-effective new innovations”.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many times she has attended public meetings of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee since her appointment.

    George Eustice

    Attendance at Committee meetings is a matter of public record and transcripts of such appearances can be found in Hansard and on Committee web pages.

  • Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any officials of his Department have been transferred, disciplined or dismissed in relation to management of the contract for SS Gairsoppa.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    It would be inappropriate to give any details that might allow an individual who might have been subject to disciplinary proceedings to be identified. However, any lessons learnt from the case will be implemented if any future contracts of this nature are let.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the financial contributions made by her Department to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in each of the last five years.

    James Wharton

    The UK is the largest donor to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Between 2011 and 2015, the UK contributed £1.32 billion to Gavi. No additional administrative support was provided during this time.

    The UK investment over the five year period between 2011 and 2015 immunised over 60 million children against vaccine preventable diseases which is estimated to have saved over 1 million lives.

    Between 2016 and 2020, the UK is investing £1.44 billion in Gavi. This investment will deliver the Government’s manifesto commitment to immunise 76 million children against vaccine preventable diseases and save 1.4 million lives.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Laurence Robertson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2016-10-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will introduce tax incentives for people who engage in regulated and supervised exercise to off-set the likelihood of diabetes; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government published the ‘Sporting Future’ strategy last December to support and fund sport and physical activity and the Sport England’s strategy ‘Towards an Active Nation’, published in May, committed to spend at least 25% of their funding on those that are classed as inactive. The Government’s “Cycle to Work” scheme includes an annual tax exemption allowing employers to loan cycles and cyclists’ safety equipment to employees as a tax-free benefit.

    The Government keeps all tax policy under review.