Tag: 2016

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-01-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to prepare for the outcome of the EU referendum.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in Britain – so we get a better deal for Britain and secure our future. The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU.

  • Baroness Coussins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Coussins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Coussins on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the BCG vaccine treatment of bladder cancer.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We have made no such assessment.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for providing best practice guidance for the National Health Service.

    NICE published a clinical guideline in February 2015 on the diagnosis and management of bladder cancer which outlines the circumstances in which the Bacille Calmette‑Guérin (BCG) vaccine should be used to treat bladder cancer. A copy of the clinical guideline is attached.

    A bladder cancer quality standard was also published by NICE in December 2015 which refers to BCG treatment for bladder cancer. A copy of the quality standard is attached.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many (a) publications, (b) consultation documents and (c) circulars his Department has issued since August 2012; and what the title was of each such publication, consultation document or circular.

    Joseph Johnson

    My Department does not hold a central list of publications, consultations or circulars.

    All publications, consultations, press releases and statistics are published on the GOV.UK website and can be found listed there:

    Publications: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skills

    Consultations: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skills&publication_filter_option=consultations

    Press releases: https://www.gov.uk/government/announcements?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skills

    Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skills

    “

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to include non-prescription incontinence pads, maternity pads and breast pads used by breastfeeding mothers in the definition of sanitary products for the purposes of zero rating under VAT.

    Mr David Gauke

    The zero rate of VAT will apply to any sanitary protection product that is designed and marketed solely for the absorption of collection of menstrual flow or lochia, including:

    • Sanitary towels
    • Sanitary pads
    • Tampons
    • Keepers
    • Maternity pads

    Eligible incontinence products, for sale to disabled people, are already zero rated.

  • Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-04-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of anti-semitism within bodies representing students in English universities.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    The Government is clear that there is absolutely no place in higher education or anywhere else in society for bigotry, hatred or any form of racism such as anti-Semitism.

    Recent reports of anti-Semitism are extremely concerning and must be met with a decisive response. We expect all bodies with a role in English higher education to be absolutely clear in their opposition to racism in all its forms, and to have robust policies in place to tackle such hatred and support victims.

    At the Government’s request, Universities UK has set up a taskforce to examine what more can be done to tackle harassment and hate crime on campus, including anti-Semitism.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance he has issued to supported housing providers about funding following the absorption of housing benefit into universal credit.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department provides guidance for any changes made to Housing Benefit.

  • David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding has been provided to prevent and tackle Group B Strep infection among pregnant women in the last five years.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Information on how much funding has been provided to prevent and tackle Group B Strep infection among pregnant women over the last five years is not collected centrally.

    The Government has made clear that maternity care is a priority and on 13 November 2015 announced an ambition to reduce by 50% stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal deaths and neonatal brain injuries by 2030. This includes harm and death caused by Group B Streptococcus (GBS).

    A range of work addressing GBS is being taken forward by the Department of Health and Public Health England with a range of partner organisations. This includes:

    ― Monitoring developments on GBS vaccines and undertaking a grant-funded study to assess the potential impact of a maternal immunisation programme.

    ― An audit in partnership with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and supported by the Royal College of Midwives, recently carried out by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). This examined current practice in preventing early onset neonatal GBS disease by investigating the implementation of the RCOG Green-top guideline on preventing the disease. The last of two reports was published on 29 January 2016 and has made recommendations for improvements in care in the prevention of early-onset GBS disease.

    ― The National Institute of Health Research has approved funding for a study on accuracy of a rapid intrapartum test for maternal group B streptococcal colonisation and its potential to reduce antibiotic usage in mothers with risk factors (GBS2). The study commenced in May 2016.

    The Department is also convening two half day workshops with leading experts from a wide range of organisations, including the RCPG and Gynaecologists, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the charity Group B Strep Support to discuss research evidence gaps in relation to GBS.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of children living in relative poverty in the UK (a) on the latest date for which figures are available and (b) a year before that date.

    Damian Hinds

    Estimates of the number of children in relative low income in the UK are published in the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series.

    In 2014/15 on a Before Housing Cost basis (BHC); there were 2.5 million children in relative poverty in the UK. In the previous year (2013/14) there were 2.3 million children in relative poverty in the UK. This increase however is not statistically significant.

    The Prime Minister is clear that tackling poverty and disadvantage, and delivering real social reform, is a priority for this Government and we will be coming back to the House with a number of announcements over the coming months.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-01-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will prepare contingency plans for flexible funding for small and medium-sized enterprises to replace JEREMIE funding in the event of UK withdrawal from the EU.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in the United Kingdom – so we can get a better deal for our country and secure our future. We are confident that the right agreement can be reached.

  • Lord Quirk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Quirk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Quirk on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the report of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Building Skills for all: A Review of England, published in January, in respect of the report’s findings that (1) seven per cent of university graduates in England under the age of 35 have numeracy skills below level 2, and that 3.4 per cent have literacy skills below level 2; (2) competition between universities in England for the ablest students has intensified to the point that less successful universities have lowered their admission demands to attract applicants; and (3) with a record number of students now entering for degree courses, money should be diverted from universities and deployed to enhance basic school education.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government agrees it is critical that all students acquire the essential literacy and numeracy skills they need to make the most of their courses and progress into a fulfilling career.

    Alongside the reforms to raise standards in schools and increase the number and quality of apprenticeships, our Higher Education Green Paper sets out further measures to ensure all students benefit from high-quality teaching.

    Decisions about which students to admit is ultimately a matter for individual institutions, but by lifting the cap on student numbers we are ensuring that more students can benefit from higher education than ever before.