Tag: 2016

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his global counterparts on cruelty in the global dog meat trade; and if he will make a statement.

    Alok Sharma

    The consumption of dog meat is legal in many countries, and the United Kingdom has no grounds to intervene or take trade measures to prevent this. We continue to make our views known to the governments of those countries where this practice continues; most recently I raised this issue with the South Korean Ambassador ahead of the Westminster Hall Debate on 12 September. Our Ambassador in Seoul has also raised the dog meat trade with the South Korean authorities, most recently on 1 September, highlighting our concerns about the treatment and welfare of animals. As I stated in the Westminster Hall Debate, it is promising that in countries where dog meat is consumed, there are signs that attitudes are changing amongst the young and emerging middle classes. We encourage that change.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Chinese counterpart on the case of Tashi Wangchuk who is currently awaiting trial in Yushu, Qinghai Province.

    Alok Sharma

    We raised the case of the Tibetan language advocate Tashi Wangchuk at the UK-China human rights dialogue, scheduled which took place on 27 October.

    I previously raised our concerns about Tashi Wangchuk with the Chinese Ambassador, in writing, on 1 August 2016.

  • FALSE – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    FALSE – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by FALSE on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of the Republic of Ireland concerning the human rights section of the Belfast Agreement 1998, in which that government affirmed the right to freely choose one’s place of residence”

    Lord Dunlop

    As I have set out in previous answers, the UK and Irish Governments meet regularly at ministerial and official level to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern, and will continue to do so.

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how the response provided by the British Hydropower Association to her Department’s Consultation on feed-in tariffs was taken into account by her Department in the assumptions used to determine that hydropower load factors are site specific.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The load factor data used to calculate hydro generation tariffs were drawn from individual sites but then aggregated to calculate a load factor range on which to base the tariffs. This included data collected by external consultants and evidence submitted by various individuals and organisations, including the British Hydropower Association, in response to the consultation.

  • Baroness Northover – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Northover – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Northover on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to support proposals at the World Humanitarian Summit in May to ensure that women are involved in planning and decision-making during a humanitarian emergency response.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK supports proposals to ensure that women are involved in planning and decision-making during responses to humanitarian emergencies. It will be a priority of the UK to secure outcomes from the summit that promote the protection and empowerment of women and girls, strengthening their voice, choice and control in crisis settings.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-04-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.15 of Budget 2016, (a) to which organisations and (b) when the £5 million allocated to a National Mesothelioma Centre will be paid.

    Greg Hands

    The National Mesothelioma Centre will be a collaboration between four leading institutions who have a major interest in the treatment of mesothelioma: National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) at Imperial College; Royal Brompton Hospital; Institute of Cancer Research (ICR); and Royal Marsden Hospital. This collaboration will form the hub of the Centre which will engage with all other hospitals in the UK to which mesotheliomas are referred and treated.

    Professor Sir Anthony Newton Taylor, Head of Research & Development at the National Heart & Lung Institute, who made the application for support from LIBOR fines, is working closely with the British Lung Foundation and other charities in order to ensure that experts from across the lung and cancer research community are able to contribute to this important enterprise.

    The £5 million grant, which is intended as seed funding, has been profiled over 4 years and will be paid to the National Mesothelioma Centre, once established. The funding will be subjected to standard Grant Terms and Conditions, including a feedback and reporting mechanism, and audit.


  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 29900, on tuberous sclerosis, for what reasons the policy statement for the commissioning of Everolimus for treating angiomyolipomas has not yet been published; and when he plans to publish that statement.

    George Freeman

    The policy statement for the commissioning of Everolimus for treating angiomyolipomas has not yet been published owing to delays experienced when incorporating the needs of children into the policy.

    Those issues have now been resolved and the policy is due to be published imminently on NHS England’s website.

  • Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of doctor staffing levels in the emergency department at North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust.

    Ben Gummer

    Patient safety remains a key priority for the Government and whilst progress has been made there is clearly much more to be done. The Department is aware of the situation at North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust and the relevant regulatory bodies, led by NHS Improvement, are taking appropriate action.

    The Warning Notice, issued to North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on 6 June 2016 requires the trust to significantly improve the treatment of patients attending the emergency department (ED).

    NHS Improvement has given assurance that North Middlesex University Hospital carried out immediate actions to support the staffing concerns raised by the regulators.

    A new Clinical Director and an experienced Medical Director have been appointed to provide the ED with dedicated substantive leadership. The Clinical Director will provide leadership to the department and oversee the recruitment to currently vacant posts. In addition, there is also focus on reducing the medical work load in the ED through added support from other clinical services and professionals. This includes the appointment of new matrons and a new dedicated service manager with extensive ED experience.

    Further, local general practitioners are increasing the level of support they provide to the department both to prevent admissions and to improve discharges. All of these measures will be in place by the end of June 2016.

    On staffing, the local National Health Service is working with the Trust to ensure it can provide emergency care to the required standards. NHS Improvement and NHS England have put in place enhanced oversight mechanisms to assure themselves that services remain safe at all times.

    An external specialist review of the consultant and middle grade rotas for June, July, August and September has been commissioned to provide independent assurance of the appropriate competencies within each rota.

    NHS Improvement will continue to work with system colleagues, Health Education England and the General Medical Council to assure themselves that the improvements being put in place meet the requirements that they need to see from both the Trust and the system both in the short term and the long term.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received from clinical experts and health economists on prescription charges for people with long-term medical conditions.

    David Mowat

    The Department receives numerous representations on prescription charges for people in England with long-term medical conditions. It is not possible to say how many of these were from clinical experts or health economists, though the independent Commission on the Future of Health and Social Care in England’s report, A new settlement for health and social care, published in 2014, did have health economist input. There have also been representations from the Prescription Charges Coalition, but it is not certain to what extent these were informed by clinical experts or health economists.

    Arrangements are in place to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for everyone, including those with a long-term condition. There are exemptions from the prescription charge for people with low income, including through receipt of specific benefits and through application to the NHS Low Income Scheme. For those who do not qualify for exemption, prescription prepayment certificates are also available, which allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost. To support those with high levels of need, the cost of the 12-month and 3-month certificates have been frozen since 2009 and 2011, respectively.

    The Department has not undertaken a formal impact assessment on the potential cost of eliminating or reducing prescription charges for people with long-term medical conditions. However, the Prescription Charges Review undertaken by Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, and published in 2010, estimated that extending exemption to all those with a long-term condition would lead to a loss in revenue of between £360 and £430 million.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of suicides among women with autism.

    David Mowat

    The cross-Government suicide prevention strategy, ‘Preventing suicides in England: a cross-Government outcomes strategy to save lives’ highlights various groups of people for which tailored approaches to meet their mental health needs are required to address risk of suicide. This includes people who are in contact with mental health and/or social care services and people who may experience social factors such as social isolation and social exclusion, which may be experienced by people with autism.

    We are looking at ways to strengthen the cross-Government suicide prevention strategy and will set out details later this year.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published a guideline in 2015, ‘Challenging behaviour and learning disabilities: prevention and interventions for people with learning disabilities whose behaviour challenges’ which recommends interventions to mitigate risks, including for people with autism, such as self-harm and suicide.