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Tag: 2016

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken in response to the Resolution of the House of 11 February on conservation of sea bass and the effect of related EU measures on the UK recreational fishing industry.

    George Eustice

    The Government has noted carefully the points of the Resolution of the House, which have informed the ongoing development of UK policy on bass as we continue to work to improve the sustainability of the stock at both national and EU level.

  • 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 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research his Department has commissioned or is funding into wireless charging technology for electric vehicles.

    Andrew Jones

    A number of private UK interests are actively undertaking research, including TRL who are a partner in the EU’s 7th Framework Programme £7m ‘FABRIC’ project (Feasibility analysis and development of on-road charging solutions for future electric vehicles). This follows their successful completion of a Highways England commissioned study into the feasibility of implementing dynamic wireless power transfer systems on the UK’s strategic road network (http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/publications/1902/).

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  • Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications to her policies of the findings of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on International Freedom of Religion or Belief’s report entitled, Fleeing Persecution: Asylum Claims in the UK on Religious Freedom Grounds, published in June 2016; and what plans she has to implement the recommendations of that report.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office carefully considers all asylum claims on their individual merits, including claims based on religious persecution. We grant protection to those who genuinely need it in accordance with our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

    Published guidance on the interviewing and consideration of asylum claims is regularly reviewed and takes into consideration the views of stakeholders, including religious groups. The current training and support available for asylum caseworkers includes a UNHCR endorsed Foundation Training Programme. This, and follow-on courses, covers all aspects of the asylum interview and decision making process, including the assessment of credibility and country information in religious based claims. Real-life case studies and role-play are used throughout the training programme to reinforce knowledge and understanding of the issues.

    We are currently carefully considering the APPG report and it’s recommendations and will provide a response in due course.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of nuisance calls.

    Matt Hancock

    I refer the honourable member to my response to PQ 44827, answered on 12th September.

  • Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the potential benefits which investment in renewable energy generation methods can bring to developing countries; what research has been undertaken on how this might be achieved; what funding is proposed to be made available for this purpose; and if she will make a statement.

    James Wharton

    DFID’s energy work is aligned with the new Global Goals, particularly Goal 7, to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030. DFID’s energy work is guided by international studies including, for example, by the International Energy Agency, the International Renewable Energy Agency and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme based at the World Bank. Recent research by the International Renewable Energy Agency indicates that investment in renewable energy increases GDP, improves welfare, creates more jobs and shifts patterns of trade.

    DFID provides significant funding to support renewable energy work, including through the UK Government’s International Climate Finance (ICF) allocation, as well as spend through multilateral funds, such as the Climate Investment Funds and the Green Climate Fund, which have significant renewable energy components.

  • Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeffrey M. Donaldson on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has for funding by his Department of regimental museums over the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Mark Lancaster

    In addition to the National Army Museum, in the current financial year the Ministry of Defence (MOD) supported 69 regimental and corps museums across the UK through a combination of a £1.3 million total grant in aid, £1.6 million salary costs, and providing utilities and some support running costs when a museum is located on a MOD site. Funding beyond the current financial year will be set later this year, and will be subject to the normal review process.

  • Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 28 January (HL5309), what assessment they have made of whether it will be legally possible to restrict their community-based language training offer to Muslim women.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The new English language scheme will not just be restricted to Muslim women. It will reach tens of thousands of the most isolated women and will be targeted to specific communities based on Louise Casey’s on-going review into integration in England.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish all evidence they have available on the mechanism whereby increasing the presence of consultants and diagnostic tests at weekends will result in lower mortality and reduced length of stay.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Department published a summary of the research examining the association between weekend hospital admissions and poorer patient outcomes, including higher rates of mortality, on 15 October 2015 on the gov.uk website. A range of potential causal links for this association have been identified; one of these is the availability of staff and services at weekends.

    The following studies were published on the gov.uk website at the following address:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/research-into-the-weekend-effect-on-hospital-mortality/research-into-the-weekend-effect-on-patient-outcomes-and-mortality

    Of these, the following four articles are published in academic journals and are only available by subscription.

    Freemantle et al (2015), BMJ 2015; 351:h4596, Increased mortality associated with weekend hospital admission: a case for expanded seven day services?

    Independent research that analysed 2013 to 2014 hospital episodes statistics (HES) data found:

    – although there are fewer hospital admissions at weekends, patients who are admitted on Saturday and Sunday are sicker and face an increased likelihood of death within 30 days, even when severity of illness is taken into account;

    – patients admitted on a Sunday have a 15% greater risk of mortality compared to those admitted on Wednesday;

    – patients admitted on a Saturday have a 10% greater risk of mortality compared to those admitted on a Wednesday;

    – there are around 11,000 excess deaths in hospitals every year among patients admitted on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday compared with other days of the week. The authors included the effect of Fridays and Mondays as ‘appropriate support services in hospitals are usually reduced from late Friday through the weekend, leading to disruption on Monday morning’;

    – oncology patients admitted on a Sunday have a 29% increased risk of death compared to those admitted on a Wednesday; and

    – patients with cardiovascular disease admitted on a Sunday have a 20% increased risk of death compared to those admitted on a Wednesday.

    The study concluded that it is not possible to determine how many of the excess deaths were avoidable, but that the statistic is ‘not otherwise ignorable’ and ‘raises challenging questions about reduced service provision at weekends’.

    The Global Comparators project: international comparison of 30-day in-hospital mortality by day of the week, BMJ Qual Saf Published Online First 6 July 2015, doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2014-003467

    The Global Comparators dataset collects inpatient records across 50 hospitals in 10 countries. Analysis of a sub-sample of this data (28 hospitals across England, Australia, United States of America and Netherlands) for emergency admissions showed:

    – there is an overall 30-day crude mortality rate of 3.9%; the English hospitals had the highest crude morality rate (4.6%); crude mortality rates for the English, Dutch and USA hospitals were higher at weekends compared with weekdays; and

    – emergency patients in the English, USA and Dutch hospitals showed a significantly higher adjusted risk of death within 30 days following admission on a Saturday or Sunday compared with admission on a Monday.

    This study did not show a difference in mortality within 30 days for patients admitted at weekends in Australian hospitals. However, when analysing mortality within seven days, the Australian hospitals showed 12% higher risk of death when admitted on a Saturday compared to a Monday, and 11% higher risk of death following a Sunday admission.

    Freemantle et al (2012), J R Soc Med. 2012 Feb;105(2):74-84, Weekend hospitalisation and additional risk of death: an analysis of inpatient data

    Analysis of 2009 to 2010 HES data found:

    – patients admitted to hospital on a Sunday had a 16% greater risk of death within 30 days compared to those admitted on a Wednesday;

    – patients admitted on a Saturday had an 11% increased risk of death within 30 days compared to those admitted on a Wednesday;

    – day of admission was associated with increased risk of death in seven of the 10 most common CCS groups (clinical conditions), for example:

    – patients admitted on a Sunday with acute and unspecified renal failure had a 37% increased risk of death compared with those admitted on a Wednesday; and

    – patients admitted on a Sunday with acute myocardial infarction had an 11% increased risk of death compared to those admitted on a Wednesday.

    Aylin et al (2010), Qual Saf Health Care 2010; 19:213-217, Weekend mortality for emergency admissions: a large multicentre study

    This was one of the first, large scale studies of English data to explore weekend mortality rates for emergency admissions.

    Using the data for financial year 2005 to 2006, the study found:

    – crude mortality rates are higher for patients admitted at weekends compared to weekdays (5.2% for all weekend admissions; 4.9% for all weekday admissions; overall crude mortality rate: 5.0%);

    – there is a 10% higher risk of death for patients admitted as an emergency at the weekend compared with those admitted on a weekday; and

    – there may be a possible 3,369 excess deaths occurring at the weekend compared to weekdays (equivalent to a 7% higher risk of death).

    East Midlands Clinical Senate (2014), 7 Day Services Report: Acute Collaborative Report

    Ten East Midlands acute trusts undertook a data gathering exercise to look at current provision against the 10 clinical standards for urgent and emergency care that underpin consistently high quality care 7 days a week. A copy of this report is attached.

    NHS Services, Seven Days a Week Forum (2013), was a clinically-led process which included an extensive review of the published literature alongside analysis of HES data to explore patient outcomes at weekends compared to during the week. A copy of this report is attached.

    Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (2012), seven day consultant present care.

    In light of evidence demonstrating less favourable patient outcomes at weekends compared to weekdays, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges presented proposals for achieving parity for inpatient care throughout the week. A copy of the report is attached.

  • Maria Caulfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Maria Caulfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Caulfield on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to encourage uptake of sight tests amongst children and adults with learning disabilities in the Learning Disability Action Plan.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department is coproducing the learning disability action plan with self-advocates, family carers and other experts and stakeholders. It will support people with learning disabilities of any age and level of need being able to live good and fulfilling lives with the opportunities that other people have. This includes people being able to access health and care services in the right place at the right time. The programme of sight tests in special schools underway in London commissioned by NHS England from See Ability will provide evidence on access to sight tests by people with learning disabilities.

  • David Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    David Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Jones on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to assist humanitarian relief in Yemen.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Yemen is now one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The UK is the fourth largest donor having more than doubled our commitment to £85m in 2015-16. We have so far helped more than 1.3m Yemenis, providing food, medical supplies, water and emergency shelter to those most in need.