Tag: 2016

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

    Andrew Bridgen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Bridgen on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures his Department has in place to ensure that children with cerebral palsy in rural areas are able to access the services they require.

    David Mowat

    Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning universal health services for their area that meet the needs of their local population. In doing so they should take account of best practice such as that set out in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. Funding for CCGs is allocated by NHS England using an agreed formula.

    Paediatric neurology services are provided in both out and in-patient settings. The majority of these are specialised services commissioned directly by NHS England. These specialised services are based in Neurosciences Centres which have the necessary infrastructure in terms of diagnostic services and other specialities. However, paediatric neurology provides out-patient services based in secondary care centres around the geographical region served. This allows specialist services to be provided as near to patients as is reasonably feasible

    When considering what services should be commissioned we expect commissioners to take account of best practice and guidance and, where appropriate, the local Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, and Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which captures local need.

    The Department has asked NICE to develop guidance on cerebral palsy. The guideline, Cerebral palsy: diagnosis and management in children and young people under 25 is currently open for consultation and is expected to be published in January 2017. Guidance for adults is also being developed and is expected to be published in 2019.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Development Consent Orders for energy projects his Department considered in each region in each year since 2009-10; and how many such Orders were (a) accepted and (b) rejected.

    Jesse Norman

    The attached table sets out the number of applications for new Development Consent Orders (“DCO”) for energy infrastructure projects which the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the former Department of Energy and Climate Change considered in each year since the Planning Act 2008 system for nationally significant infrastructure projects came into force on 1 March 2010. The year given is the year when the decision was made. The region given is the region in which the Planning Inspectorate classifies the project.

    The former Infrastructure Planning Commission made one decision to grant an energy infrastructure DCO before its abolition (2011 – East of England, not included in the table).

    One application was originally refused consent before being granted consent on redetermination. That is included as a grant of consent only in the table.

    The Department is currently considering one application for a DCO (not included in the attached table).

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in each parliamentary constituency will be affected by the new benefit cap from April 2016; and what the mean amount of benefit capped will be in each constituency.

    Justin Tomlinson

    We will confirm roll out plans after the Welfare Reform and Work Bill has received Royal Assent.

    A breakdown by local authority of the estimated number of households potentially affected by the benefit cap will be provided to local authorities in due course.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans HM Revenue and Customs has to take into account the effect of downtime of the HSBC online banking system during January 2015 when issuing penalties for late self-assessment tax returns.

    Mr David Gauke

    The downtime of online HSBC had no impact on customer’s ability to successfully file their tax return

  • 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 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his future policies of the Sharm el Sheikh air crash in October 2015; and what recent reports he has received on the reasons for that crash.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The formal accident investigation into the loss of the Metrojet flight over Sinai on 31 October 2015 has not formally reached any conclusions as to the cause of the crash. But the Russian authorities announced, in November 2015, their conclusion that the aircraft was brought down by an explosive device, and the Government have been proceeding on that basis.

    The incident highlights the importance for airports, airlines and countries to increase vigilance and make sure that sound security measures are in place. The Government is working to ensure this happens, but does not discuss the details of security arrangements.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what powers she has to shorten the term of a Police and Crime Commissioner elected in May 2016 in order that the role is subsumed by a Metro-Mayor.

    Mike Penning

    If a local area were to make the case to transfer Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) functions to an elected mayor, secondary legislation would set out the details of the transfer of powers and the relevant timescales based on discussions between the local area and central government.

    These powers are provided for in Section 107F of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (as amended by the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016), which sets out the Secretary of State’s necessary order making powers to enable the transfer of PCC functions to an elected mayor.

    Local areas can put forward a proposal to transfer PCC functions at any time and, as stated in response to the honourable member’s earlier question on this issue [32271], any proposal submitted by a local area for an elected mayor to take on PCC functions would be considered on its merits, on a case-by-case basis. The timing of any transfer of powers would also form part of this consideration.

  • 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 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average annual spend on cycling per head is in each of the Cycle Ambition Cities on the most recent date for which figures are available.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Cycling Cities Ambition Grants

    2015/16 through to 2017/18

    Birmingham

    £10.00

    Bristol

    £11.78

    Cambridge

    £12.87

    Leeds

    £10.09

    Manchester

    £11.52

    Newcastle

    £10.43

    Norwich

    £13.46

    Oxford

    £10.66

    The above table reflects the Department’s Cycling Cities Ambition grants and local match funding.

    There may be other funding programmes which would increase the Cycling Ambition Cities figures provided in the table above, but we do not hold information on details such as spend per head for these programmes.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of visa applicants to each visa application centre were fingerprinted before they travelled to the UK in each of the last seven years.

    James Brokenshire

    All visa applicants are required to provide biometric information, including fingerprints, as part of the visa application process.

    Exceptions to this requirement are limited to individuals defined as exempt from immigration control; members of diplomatic missions based overseas travelling to the UK on an official visit; children under the age of five; and those who are physically unable to provide fingerprints (e.g. those who do not have fingers).

    The Home Office is unable to provide the specific information in the format requested without incurring disproportionate cost.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to increase the number of non-medical prescribing nurses.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Department and NHS England have successfully extended prescribing responsibilities to a wider group of health professions, including nurses. This is helping the National Health Service to deliver more timely and effective patient care. These professionals are termed ‘non-medical prescribers’, in order to distinguish them from doctors and dentists.

    There are two types of non-medical prescriber:

    ― Independent Prescribers are able to complete whole episodes of care for a patient, taking responsibility from consultation through to diagnosis and finally, if appropriate, prescription.

    ― Supplementary Prescribers work in conjunction with a doctor to provide patient care. Supplementary Prescribing is a voluntary partnership between an independent prescriber (in this case a doctor) and a supplementary prescriber, to implement a patient-specific clinical management plan, with the patient’s agreement.

    To become a non-medical prescriber, nurses must undertake a recognised Nursing and Midwifery Council accredited prescribing course through a United Kingdom university, sponsored by their employer on the basis of service need.

    Local NHS organisations with their knowledge of the healthcare needs of their local population are therefore responsible for investing in training for nurses’ prescribing roles to deliver the best patient care and meet the changing needs of patients and services.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK leaving the EU does not have a deleterious effect on the operation of UK universities; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robin Walker

    ​​The Department for Exiting the EU has engaged with a number of higher education institutions and groups including Universities UK and Royal Academies. Over the next few months the department will continue to engage with key stakeholders in business and civil society, including universities, through a series of roundtables, bi-laterals and visits across the UK.

    We have been clear that we want to create an environment in which the UK as a whole can continue to be a world leader in research, science and the tertiary education sector more broadly. The government has already announced that UK researchers can still apply for Horizon 2020 projects and the Treasury will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. Equally, EU students applying for a place at an English university or further education institution in the 2017 to 2018 academic year will continue to be eligible for student loans and grants – and will be for the duration of their course.