Tag: 2016

  • Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress the Government has made on reforming the EU Emissions Trading Scheme as a result of discussions with her EU counterparts and the recent COP21 climate conference.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government strongly supports reform to strengthen the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). Ministers and officials have discussed this recently with counterparts in other Member States, as well as with members of the European Parliament, the European Commission and industry representatives. At the recent COP21 climate conference in Paris in December 2015 Ministers also participated in a session to promote the EU ETS and strengthen links to other national and international ETS. Whilst the Commission has not indicated an intention to change its proposals for the next phase of the EU ETS in light of Paris, the global climate deal means robust reforms of the EU ETS are now even more important.

  • 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 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of clinical commissioning groups that commission mental health services specifically for older adults.

    Alistair Burt

    No estimate has been made of the number and proportion of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) that commission mental health services specifically for older adults. All CCGs will have a cohort of older adults for whom there is mental health services provision. In recent years there has been a trend towards ageless mental health services.

    However, one of the recommendations in the Mental Health Taskforce report The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health published by NHS England in February this year is that bespoke older adult services should be the preferred model until such time that general adult mental health services can be shown to provide age-appropriate care.

  • Baroness Wilcox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Wilcox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Wilcox on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the change in real earnings, calculated as nominal earnings growth minus inflation, over the last two years; and what was the change in 2008–10.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    In the two years to Q4 2010, real total pay fell by 2.8%. In the last two years, real wages have now grown by 3.6%. Wage growth has outstripped inflation for 16 consecutive months, the longest period of real wage growth since 2008. The OBR forecast real wage growth to continue over the entire forecast period.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK nationals were employed by the European Commission in each year since 2010.

    Mr David Lidington

    Whilst the European Commission provides staffing numbers by nationality they do not break them down between permanent and temporary agents. In total the numbers of UK nationals employed by the European Commission in each year since 2010 is:

    April 2010: 1284
    April 2011: 1162
    April 2012: 1134
    April 2013: 1079
    April 2014: 1053
    April 2015: 1008

    The latest figure available is for Feb 2016 and is 982.

    UK representation has been falling across EU institutions as UK officials retire and are not replaced by the same number of new UK entrants. The Government is committed to reversing this picture, recognising that this will require a sustained effort. The EU Staffing Unit, established in April 2013, promotes EU careers across the UK and supports candidates through the application process. It has increased secondments in positions of strategic importance to the UK. The European Fast Stream within the Civil Service has also been re-launched.

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

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-07-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve access to consultant-led maternity services in (a) Cumbria, (b) Devon and (c) Essex.

    Ben Gummer

    The Government is clear the configuration of services should be tailored to meet the needs of the local population.

    As of June 2015, three local health economies, Mid and South Essex, Northern, Eastern and Western Devon and West, North and East Cumbria entered the Success Regime. The purpose of the regime is to improve and promote health and care services for patients in local health and care systems that are struggling with financial or quality problems, or sometimes both. The regime is tailored to local circumstances, and will develop and implement plans to ensure that the people of these regions are able to access high quality, sustainable services. The provision of maternity services will be considered as part of the work of the Success Regime.

    No decisions have yet been made and the input of local communities will remain important throughout the process. Any significant service change proposals will go through formal public consultation.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-09-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to combat metal theft.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Through the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, the Government created a robust licensing regime to support legitimate dealers whilst providing local authorities and the police with the powers needed to tackle rogue dealers and reduce metal theft. The legislation is supported by co-ordinated enforcement action by police, local authorities and other partners. Latest available statistics for 2014/15 show that 27,512 metal theft offences were recorded by police compared with 62,348 offences in 2012/13.

  • Andy Burnham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andy Burnham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Burnham on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times UK Border Force staff employed in ports were redeployed to airports in 2015.

    Mrs Theresa May

    Her Majesty’s Government does not comment on port specific deployment numbers. Border Force deploys mobile response team resources across the regions to combat both daily and seasonal pressures.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on the self-determination movement in Bahrain that seeks to establish a freely elected government.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Governance of Bahrain is a matter for all political parties in Bahrain. We encourage all political parties, to engage constructively in political dialogue in order to reach an inclusive political settlement. Although we were disappointed by the opposition’s decision to boycott the 2014 elections, we commended the participation of a broad range of candidates which saw 14 independent Shia candidates win seats, of which three were women.

    We regularly discuss reforms with the Government of Bahrain including at the biannual UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group meeting which was most recently held in November 2015. Reform programme activities delivered through the Causeway Institute have used lessons from Northern Ireland to improve community outreach, participation and communication – particularly to a youth audience.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that seven day NHS provision will be accessible in all parts of the country.

    Ben Gummer

    The Government has committed that by 2020 patients with urgent and emergency care hospital needs will have access to the same high quality hospital care at the weekend as they do during the week. This means that these patients will have access to the same level of consultant review, diagnostic tests and treatments seven days a week. Hospitals will deliver this seven day provision for 25% of the population by March 2017, 50% by March 2018 and the rest of England by 2020.

    The Government has also committed that by 2020 everyone will be able to access routine general practitioner appointments at evenings and weekends. NHS 111 will give patients easy, 24/7 access to integrated urgent care services, offering clinical assessment, advice and treatment. A range of professionals will be directly available to speak to callers who need it.

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to control the live exports of horses from the UK that are falsely declared to be exported for leisure purposes but where the true intention is for slaughter and human consumption.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The Government is aware of concerns about horse exports and has been working closely with welfare charities on this issue and in particular on improving intelligence gathering. When reports are received by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) that horses are being exported other than for the declared purpose, or are being inappropriately transported, APHA will investigate and will take appropriate enforcement action. This may include suspending transporters.