Tag: 2016

  • Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement on (a) academy chains and (b) the ability of US or European companies to establish academy chains in the UK.

    Edward Timpson

    The Government remains committed to academies and providing the best quality education for all children and young people. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will not change this. The Government of the day will always set the rules governing how the education system is run.

    We have protected public services, including education, in all of our trade agreements and will continue to do so in the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). This is non-negotiable.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has received a copy of the report by the Westminster Commission on Autism, entitled A Spectrum of Obstacles, published in July 2016; and what plans he has to implement that report’s recommendations.

    David Mowat

    The Department welcomes the Westminster Commission report as a valuable addition to the autism debate. Departmental Officials met with the co-ordinator of the report in July to discuss the report and work is underway to consider the report’s recommendations.

  • Lord Campbell of Pittenweem – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Campbell of Pittenweem – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-10-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are proposing to introduce a new towed artillery system; and if so, what that system will be.

    Earl Howe

    The Army is undertaking a scoping project known as ‘Medium Wheeled Gun System’ to examine 155mm calibre towed and wheeled self-propelled options to provide a medium weight fire support capability within the future Strike Brigades. At the concept stage it was previously known as Strike 155; no decisions regarding the choice of system have yet been taken.

    Project Congreve was a study conducted by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and initiated in 2014. Its objective was to determine options for all future surface-to-surface fire systems capability. The work on the Medium Wheeled Gun System has been informed by Project Congreve and the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

  • 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 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2016 to Question 21111, if he will make an assessment of the effect 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

    There are no plans to make such an assessment.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the health status of low-income university students in comparison to other university students.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    We have made no specific assessment of that issue. However, whilst higher education is an adult environment, it is a long-established principle that universities have a duty of care to their students.

    Where health issues are related to a disability, universities have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to provide reasonable adjustments for disabled students and to monitor their compliance with their Equality Act duties. The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011 require institutions to publish information as to their compliance with the general public sector equality duty.

    There is a range of guidance and support available to institutions on supporting students with mental health conditions from a range of sector and medical bodies including Universities UK (UUK), the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) and the Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education (AMOSSHE).

  • Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies on reducing the Government’s stake in the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) of the (a) decision to defer the redemption of dividend payment by and (b) recent changes in the share price of that bank.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government has consistently said that disposing of our stake in RBS is the right thing to do for the taxpayer and the British economy. Returning RBS to private ownership will promote financial stability, a more competitive banking sector, and the interests of the wider economy.

    The first sale of government shares in RBS was conducted in August 2015, and raised £2.1 billion for the taxpayer. The government will continue to return RBS to private ownership and conduct further sales of RBS shares, subject to market conditions.

  • John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his oral contribution of 21 March 2016, Official Report, column 1268, on welfare, whether he plans to implement his Department’s proposal to cap housing benefit paid to social tenants at the level of local housing allowance.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Government intends to implement policies that have already been announced. This includes the proposal to cap social sector Housing benefit at the level of the local Housing Allowance.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department is providing to schools engaging in consultation processes on the Government’s policy that all schools should become academies to allow maximum stakeholder participation; and if she will make a statement.

    Edward Timpson

    It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

  • Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2016 to Question 39039, how many of the 193 off-payroll contingent staff employed by her Department since May 2015 were paid through limited companies; and what the total amount paid through limited companies was in that period.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Contingent workers include contractors, agency workers and interims. Our contingent workers are engaged via approved provider frameworks and not directly through limited companies.

    The response to Question 39039 has been revised and reissued. There were 152 contingent workers in core DECC during the period 1 May 2015 to 30 April 2016 (source: legacy HR system).

    As at 1 May 2016 core DECC had 39 off-payroll (contingent) workers. All of these are engaged via an approved provider framework and not directly through limited companies.

  • Alex Chalk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Alex Chalk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Chalk on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that women suffering from metastatic HER2 breast cancer receive (a) the Kadcyla form of Trastuzumab emtansine and (b) other required medication.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Improving the availability and use of effective medicines for all cancers, including breast cancer, is a key priority.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that makes recommendations on whether selected drugs and treatments represent a clinically and cost effective use of National Health Service resources. Commissioners are legally required to fund drugs and treatments for the treatment of metastatic HER2 breast cancer recommended in NICE technology appraisal guidance within three months of its final guidance being issued.

    NICE technology appraisal guidance, published in December 2015, does not recommend trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla) for the treatment of HER2-positive, unresectable locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after treatment with trastuzumab and a taxane. In the absence of guidance from NICE, it is for commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund new medicines based on an assessment of the available evidence.

    Trastuzumab emtansine continues to be available to patients in England through the Cancer Drugs Fund, subject to certain clinical criteria.

    The new arrangements for the Fund, which came into effect on 29 July 2016, will ensure that the most promising and innovative medicines get to patients as quickly as possible. In particular, NICE will issue draft guidance on new cancer drugs or significant new licence indications before they have received marketing approval in the United Kingdom. Any drug that receives a positive draft recommendation would then be funded from the point of licence.