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 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 27122, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Christchurch Beach Replenishment Scheme; and what assessment has been made of the quantity of material used to re-establish coast protection which is still in place.

    Rory Stewart

    Christchurch Borough Council are the Risk Management Authority responsible for this section of coast and commissioned the Christchurch Beach Replenishment Scheme in early summer 2015. They conduct monthly visual inspections of beach condition. Regular surveys are also carried out on behalf of all Coastal Authorities to assess volume changes through the South-East Region Coastal Monitoring Programme.

    The quantity of material used to restore the beach was recorded by contractors and independently confirmed by pre and post works survey to be 25,000m3 which exceeded the design quantity.

    Christchurch Borough Council reports that the re-nourished beach has shown a normal response to winter storm events, with material moving between groyne embayments, and expected losses occurring from the top of the beach to the nearshore area. Reports also conclude that the beach nourishment work undertaken reduced the vulnerability of the sea wall foundations and promenades to collapse.

  • Peter Aldous – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Peter Aldous – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Aldous on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of supported housing in helping the transition of war veterans back to civilian life.

    Mark Lancaster

    Ministry of Defence (MOD) housing supports serving members of the Armed Forces and their families. Given the mobility of our people, and the sometimes sudden changes in their needs, we keep a margin of unoccupied properties available. Where housing is no longer needed, it is MOD policy to release it. The vast majority of veterans make a successful transition to civilian life and we have in place a range of support including for those who find it difficult to find accommodation. This includes the allocation of £40 million to a Veterans Accommodation Fund. The MOD has also gifted land for new veterans housing in the past; Mike Jackson House in Aldershot and The Beacon in Catterick

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been collected by other EU countries on behalf of the Government through the Mutual Assistance Recovery Directive in each year since that Directive came into effect.

    Mr David Gauke

    This information is not published by the UK Government or by the EU Commission.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many incidences of loss or deterioration of vision as a result of postponed ophthalmology appointments his Department has recorded in each of the last three years.

    Alistair Burt

    All follow-up appointments should take place when clinically appropriate. It is for clinicians to make decisions on when they see patients, in line with their clinical priority, and patients should not experience undue delay at any stage of their referral, diagnosis or treatment. The appropriate interval for follow up appointments will vary between different services or specialties, and between individual patients, depending on the severity of their condition.

    To ensure that patients are seen at the appropriate time, NHS England’s guidance, “Recording and reporting referral to treatment waiting times for consultant-led elective care” is clear that when patients on planned lists are clinically ready for their care to commence and reach the date for their planned appointment, they should either receive that appointment or be transferred to an active waiting list. At that point, a waiting time clock will be started and their wait reported in the relevant statistical return.

    Hospital episode statistics contain details of all outpatient appointments at National Health Service hospitals in England and commissioned by the NHS from independent sector organisations in England. The recording of a primary diagnosis and postponed or cancelled appointments is not mandatory within the outpatient commissioning data set and there are no plans to make it so.

    Data is not, therefore, available on the number of cancelled or postponed follow up appointments for patients with age-related macular degeneration, central retinal vein occlusion and diabetic macular oedema.

    No assessment has been made of the effect of hospital-initiated postponement or cancellation of ophthalmology follow-up appointments on patients’ sight. However, officials have met with the Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning and are considering their concerns.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Army Reserves who did not pass the annual mandatory training test in 2015 were deployed on operation.

    Harriett Baldwin

    There are 10 Military Annual Training Tests (MATTs) ranging from map reading and navigation through to Chemical, Biological, Radiation, Nuclear (CBRN) training. In 2015, 32 Army Reservists who had either not completed or failed an aspect of their MATTs were mobilised for deployment. The decision to deploy is made by the Chain of Command only on the basis that the gap in MATTs would not prevent them from safely and responsibly fulfilling their deployed role. In addition to MATTs, all deployed personnel receive an intensive programme of training specific to the operation.

    In addition, 2 Medical brigade mobilised and deployed 122 medical Reserve personnel to Sierra Leone in a non-combat role in 2015, as part of the fight against Ebola. As part of its preparation the unit conducted its own MATTs for which pass and fail records are not held centrally and cannot readily be provided.

  • Lord Warner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Warner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Warner on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the actual expenditure on public health in (1) 1996–97, (2) 2000–01, (3) 2009–10, and (4) 2014–15; and what percentage of total expenditure on the NHS and public health those amounts represent.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Expenditure on public health in 2014-15 was £5,062 million.

    Public health expenditure in 2014-15 represents 4.5% of total Departmental health expenditure of £113,345 million.

    The Department is unable to provide figures on public health from earlier years as prior to 2013-14 primary care trusts were responsible for public health and budgets were determined locally.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made on preparations for the EU referendum.

    Mr David Lidington

    Secondary legislation required for the referendum is making good progress. The Conduct Regulations, which set out the detailed framework of how the poll will be administered, have been debated in both Houses of Parliament. The date of the referendum must be agreed by Parliament in another statutory instrument which was laid before Parliament in draft on 22 February.

    On 23 February the Electoral Commission published its "assessment of readiness" which endorsed the Government’s approach and noted that "arrangements for delivery of a well-run referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union are well advanced".

  • Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what range of compensation payments is planned to be available under the Government’s proposals for people who have been affected by contaminated blood who undertake individual health assessments.

    Jane Ellison

    The detail of the potential payment bands can only be decided when decisions on the shape and structure of the new scheme have been made following consultation. It is anticipated that there would likely be a number of broadly defined bands of ill health with different levels of annual payment attached to each. The greatest impact of infection on health would attract the highest annual payment. We intend that the highest payment would be £15,000 per annum. The payments are not compensation but ex-gratia. Under the current scheme those who receive annual payments receive £14,749.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 31102, what assessment she has made of the effect of the Government’s proposal for every school to become an academy on (a) divergences between schools’ admissions arrangements and (b) proposals to limit who may refer objections to the Schools Adjudicator; and if she will make a statement.

    Nick Gibb

    The Department’s White Paper, ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’, sets out the Government’s aim that every school should have the opportunity to become an academy. In this context, it sets out our intention to seek views on a number of changes to the admissions system to make it simpler and clearer for parents to navigate.

    As part of these proposed changes, we intend to streamline the functions of the Office of the Schools Adjudicator so that objections to admission arrangements are resolved faster. This will include limiting who can object so only local parents and councils may refer objections, so that the adjudicator function can remain focused on resolving the concerns of those who may be directly affected by a school’s admission arrangements.

    The White Paper is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/educational-excellence-everywhere

    “

  • Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax avoidance cases the General Anti-Abuse Rule Advisory Panel considered in (a) 2013, (b) 2014, (c) 2015 and (d) 2016 to date.

    Mr David Gauke

    The General Anti-Abuse Rule (GAAR) was introduced in July 2013, and only applies to abusive tax arrangements entered into from this date.

    This means that it will first apply to income tax returns for the tax year ending 5 April 2014, which must have been filed with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) by 31 January 2015.

    For cases to be tackled by the GAAR, HMRC must first enquire into tax returns once they are received, and gather all relevant facts. It is therefore still early in the process of litigation action for cases to be tackled by the GAAR.

    The GAAR Advisory Panel is an external body separate to HMRC. Their independent role means that they do not report the number of meetings held to HMRC.