Tag: 2016

  • 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 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the total (a) energy consumption and (b) amount of greenhouse gas emitted by domestic properties for heating water in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Andrea Leadsom

    In 2013, an estimated 89TWh of energy was used for heating water in UK domestic properties [1] and was responsible 18 MtCO2e of greenhouse gas emissions.

    [1] Energy consumption from Energy Consumption in the UK table 3.05. Emissions calculation based on emissions factors consistent with the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

  • Fiona Mactaggart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Fiona Mactaggart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans for a training programme on human trafficking for existing independent advocates to be available to all looked-after children under the Children Act 2004 will commence; which organisation she plans to provide such training; and if she will confirm whether her Department plans to fund that training.

    Sarah Newton

    We are finalising arrangements for training with other Government departments and the Welsh Government, including how this will be structured and who will deliver the training. Further details will be announced later this year.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the consequences for her policies of the introduction of different-sex civil partnerships on the Isle of Man.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government has already carried out a consultation on the future of civil partnerships in 2014, and has no plans to carry out another consultation on this issue.

    Following the passage of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, we carried out a full review of the operation and future of the Civil Partnership Act 2004, which included a thorough public consultation on potential changes to civil partnership. Views were invited on three options: abolishing civil partnerships; phasing them out; or extending them to opposite sex couples.

    The review found that there was no clear consensus on the future of civil partnerships. A majority of respondents to the consultation were against extending civil partnerships to opposite sex couples and a significant number of stakeholders thought it was too soon to consider making changes to civil partnerships until the impact of extending marriage to same sex couples is known. Given the lack of any consensus, the Government has no current plans to make changes to the Civil Partnership Act 2004.

    The Isle of Man is a self-governing crown dependency. We are not required to carry out an assessment on their legislation.

  • Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the number of households affected by floods on 26 December 2015 in (a) Lancashire and (b) England.

    Rory Stewart

    Over 1,300 properties in Lancashire were affected by floods following Storm Eva with around 9,000 properties in England. These figures are subject to change and are based on local authority reporting.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he made of the potential merits of expanding the monitoring of healthcare-associated infections.

    Ben Gummer

    Public Health England undertakes monitoring of healthcare associated infections, which includes the mandatory healthcare associated infections surveillance system. These arrangements are regularly reviewed and changes introduced in 2015 include enhanced surveillance for very antibiotic resistant infections (carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae).

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to provide British pensioners living overseas with the same annual uprating of their state pension as British pensioners who are resident in the UK.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Government has a clear position, which has remained consistent for around 70 years: UK state pensions are payable worldwide and uprated abroad where we have a legal requirement to do so for example in the European Economic Area or countries where we have bilateral agreements. There are no plans to change this.

    Not uprating where there is no legal requirement to do so frees up about £0.5 billion a year which can be used to fund Government priorities in this country.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Summer Diversity Internship Programme weekly training allowance is taxed.

    Matthew Hancock

    We have been working closely with the Civil Service Commission to provide a mechanism for fast tracking those who have been on the internship to the Fast Stream assessment centre, based on positive appraisal of the intern’s placement performance and completion of the initial internship selection testing.

    This initiative is therefore for interns who are successful during the internship programme and we are currently working through the implementation plan.

    In the last 5 years 778 have undertaken the programme (2011 – 73; 2012 – 115; 2013 – 161; 2014 – 173; 2015 – 256), with a further 300 anticipated this year. The estimated conversion rate into Fast Stream is 10-15%. Accurate tracking of success into Fast Stream will be achievable for 2016, using an updated applicant tracking approach.

    A number of criteria are used to measure socio-economic status, however the metric that is now used to designate lower socio-economic background is parental occupation (aligning with Office of National Statistics methodology). This approach is currently under review following a recent social mobility research study by the Bridge Group.

    This internship allowance is taxable and the amount of tax paid will depend on which tax code the intern is put on before they start.

  • Angela Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Angela Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Smith on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people were (a) proceeded against and (b) convicted of an offence under the Deer Act 1991 in 2015.

    Rory Stewart

    The Government is committed to tackling wildlife crime. The UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, which is part-funded by Defra, monitors and gathers intelligence on illegal activities, including those relating to badger persecution and poaching, which are UK wildlife crime priorities. The Unit also provides assistance to police forces when required.

    Court proceedings data for 2015, including those for the offences listed above, are planned for publication by the Ministry of Justice in due course.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the most expensive drugs bought from pharmaceutical companies by the NHS were in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Alistair Burt

    Based on National Health Service list prices at launch notified to the Department between 2009 and 2015 under the rules of the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme and statutory regulations, the 10 most expensive medicines in terms of list price per pack are shown in the table.

    In considering the impact of a medicine, it is important to take into account both the product’s total net costs and the net health benefits it generates.

    Product

    Manufacturer

    Strensiq (asfotase alfa) 80mg injection

    Alexion

    Translarna (ataluren) granules for oral suspension

    PTC Therapeutics Ltd

    Sirturo (bedaquiline fumarate) tablets

    Janssen-Cilag Ltd

    Lojuxta (lomitapide) capsules

    Aegerion Pharmaceuticals

    Provenge (sipuleucel-T) dispersion for infusion

    Dendreon Coporation

    ChondroCelect (characterised viable autologous cartilage cells expanded exvivo) implantation suspension

    Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (SOBI)

    Yervoy (ipilimumab) vials

    Bristol-Myers Squibb UK

    Revestive (teduglutide) injection

    NPS Pharma International

    Kalydeco (ivacaftor) tablets

    Vertex Pharmaceuticals

    Kalydeco (ivacaftor) oral granules

    Vertex Pharmaceuticals

    Source: Department of Health

  • Dominic Raab – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Dominic Raab – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dominic Raab on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many threat to life notices were issued to people with suspected links to organised crime in each of the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    This information is not held centrally. Where a threat is made to an individual, it is an operational matter for police forces and law enforcement agencies to decide whether to issue threat to life notices, taking account of individual circumstances, to mitigate the risk to potential victims.