Tag: 2016

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they made of the costs of closing NHS Direct at the time of the decision, and what was the actual cost of closing NHS Direct.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS Direct NHS Trust’s Final Report and Accounts, published in June 2014, set out decommissioning costs of £69.2 million for 2012/13. The Trust’s business case, submitted for approval of the transaction for its dissolution which took effect on 1 April 2014, included an estimated cost of closure of £36.3 million in 2014/15. The Final Report and Accounts showed the decommissioning costs for this year to be £17.6 million.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many local authority-owned museums have closed down in each of the last three years.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Neither DCMS nor Arts Council England holds information on museums closures. However, there are just under 1800 accredited museums.

    Thanks to an excellent Spending Review settlement in November 2015, the Government is honouring its manifesto commitment to keep entry to the permanent collections of our national museums free.

    Through the Arts Council England, DCMS is increasing funding for 21 Major Partner Museums from £20.3m to £22.6 million. In addition to this, regional museums can bid for funds from ACE’s £10 million per year Resilience Fund. They can also bid for lottery funding from the HLF. We are also investing millions of pounds to boost local and regional museums, for example, £5 million towards a new South Asia Gallery at Manchester Museum and £2.5 million to the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.

  • Gavin Newlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Gavin Newlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what consultations his Department had with (a) the Scottish Prison Service, (b) Scottish Ministers and (c) the Prison Officers Association on the transfer of Prison Officers’ Pensions from Classic to the Alpha Pension Scheme.

    Matthew Hancock

    Prison Officers employed in the Scottish Prison Service are members of the Civil Service. All members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) who transitioned into the Civil Service (and Others) Pension Scheme (CSOPS, also known as alpha) were notified by letter to inform them of the change, in accordance with the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations. In addition, relevant Employers were provided with a variety of communication products to inform their staff and support those who needed to make decisions. These were also held on the Civil Service Pensions website.

    Between 2011 and 2015 Cabinet Office Ministers and officials held extensive discussions with all of the Civil Service unions, including the Prison Officers’ Association, on the detail of the pension reforms. There was also discussion with both the Scottish Prison Service and National Offender Management Service on the detail of the pension offer to operational staff in Prisons.

    The Civil Service is a Reserved Matter and this includes pensions for all Civil Servants. Representations on the pension age of Scottish Prison Officers were made to me by the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice in July last year. I replied later that month.

  • Antoinette Sandbach – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Antoinette Sandbach – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35400, for what reasons HS2 Ltd has not undertaken any work other than desktop studies in relation to the potential effect on aquifers, canal routes, roads and other surface obstacles in respect of Phase 2b of the route.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    HS2 will undertake a more detailed assessment of environmental impacts as a part of the Hybrid Bill process following the decision of the route as done on Phase 1 and Phase 2a. It would not be appropriate to undertake detailed studies where there is no confirmation of the route.

  • Baroness Byford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Baroness Byford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Byford on 2016-06-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the next BBC Charter will include a requirement for public service notices to be broadcast over (1) BBC radio, and (2) BBC television.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    There are provisions in the current BBC Framework Agreement for the broadcast of an announcement in an emergency. There are no plans to change this. The new BBC Framework Agreement will be published in due course.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has had discussions with NICE on the Afinitor form of everolimus.

    Nicola Blackwood

    Departmental officials are in regular contact with their counterparts at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about a range of issues, including individual medicines. This includes discussions on everolimus through the established topic selection processes for NICE’s technology appraisal programme and in relation to potential patient access schemes proposed by the manufacturer.

    NICE has appraised everolimus for a number of indications and is currently appraising it for others.

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many defibrillators are provided in each building his Department manages.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department for Communities and Local Government provides the following number of defibrillators in each of its buildings:

    Building

    No. of defibrillators

    5 St. Philips Place, Birmingham,

    1

    2 Rivergate, Bristol,

    1

    Temple Quay House, Bristol,

    1

    Citygate, Newcastle upon Tyne,

    0

    High Trees, Hemel Hempstead,

    1

    Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre , London,

    1

    The building that houses the Department’s headquarters is not managed by DCLG but, we are aware that there are no defibrillators on site.

  • Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have been charged under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 in each of the past three years.

    Lord Keen of Elie

    The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of people who have been charged under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur a disproportionate cost.

    Although it is not possible to identify the number of people charged with a particular offence, records are held showing the overall number of offences in which a prosecution commenced at magistrates’ courts. The table below shows the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 for the last three financial years:

    2012-13

    2013-14

    2014-15

    Coroners and Justice Act 2009 {71(1)(b) & (3)}

    Knowingly hold another person in slavery/solitude

    20

    3

    28

    Coroners and Justice Act 2009 {71(1)(b) & (3)}

    Knowingly require another person to perform forced/compulsory labour

    0

    15

    3

    Note: A single defendant may be prosecuted for multiple offences.

    “

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will place a summary of how the UK’s energy interconnectors are funded in the Library.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Yes, I will be placing a copy in the Libraries of the House.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the report of the review of the South Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company that took place in November 2015; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Selous

    The information requested is commercially sensitive and, as such, will not be released. It is normal Government practice not to release commercially sensitive information.

    We hold providers rigorously to account for their performance and take action wherever they are falling short.

    Following an audit by the Ministry of Justice, South Yorkshire CRC developed an action plan. We are continuing to monitor the CRC’s performance closely.

    Our probation reforms are designed to make sure almost all offenders receive support on release, including, for the first time, those sentenced to less than 12 months.