Tag: 2016

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

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on delivering the integration of primary and community services with seven-day access in Mid Sussex constituency since 2015-16.

    David Mowat

    NHS England advises that it is working closely with NHS Horsham and Mid Sussex CCG and local general practitioner (GP) practices to implement seven-day access to primary care. All practices within the Mid Sussex constituency are already operating some level of extended access to patients, including appointments before 8am, evening appointments, and Saturday appointments.

    Plans to further integrate local primary and community services are well advanced. Community teams are coming together with groups of GP practices to create a more co-ordinated service. This will improve patient experience and outcomes, ensuring that people see the right healthcare practitioner first time in the right setting, rather than having multiple assessments and appointments.

    This work will inform the development of the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) for Sussex and East Surrey, which will determine how the local health and care system will evolve over the coming years. The development of the STP is being led locally by clinical commissioning groups, health providers, local authorities and other local partners, and the Department would encourage local hon. Members to contribute to the process.

  • Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2016-10-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the proposed trade deal between the EU and Canada.

    Lord Price

    The Government has been clear in its support for the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). This approach is in line with our commitment to back the EU’s trade agenda and participate constructively in decision-making on trade while the UK remains a member of the EU.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of crowd control guidelines issued to local police forces for large sporting events; and if she will make a statement.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office has not made any assessment of crowd control guidelines issued to the police.

    This is an operational matter for the police and guidance is set out in the Police Authorised Professional Practice on Public Order, which is developed and owned by the College of Policing.

  • Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2016-02-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation they have completed on the introduction of fixed-term local authority tenancies.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The previous Coalition Government consulted on proposals to create a new local authority flexible tenancy with a minimum fixed term of two years in November 2010 – in ‘Local decisions: a fairer future for social housing’. The flexible tenancy was introduced by the Localism Act 2011.

    In the Summer Budget 2015, the Government announced the intention to review the use of lifetime tenancies in social housing to limit their use and ensure that households are offered tenancies that match their needs and make best use of the social housing stock.

    Since then DCLG officials have engaged with local authority landlords, through a series of meetings and regionally based focus groups, in developing proposals to introduce a new fixed-term tenancy of between 2 and 5 years.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 February 2016 to Question 26311, if he will make additional funding available to local authorities to enable them to fully disregard military compensation payments from financial assessments for social care.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    As I said in my earlier answer, the Government is considering how these payments to veterans should be treated in the financial assessment for social care charging in future. That consideration is still ongoing and an announcement will be made in due course.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 23980, on employment plans: mental illness, whether he plans to introduce new measures of support for people with mental health problems before the end of the three year period of voluntary trials.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The 2015 Spending Review announced at least £130 million a year in steady state funding on the new Work and Health Programme, which we plan to launch in 2017. With this new programme we plan to restructure our current provision to focus on providing the best possible support for claimants with health conditions or disabilities, including those with mental health conditions.

    In addition, the Prime Minister has already announced plans to significantly improve the support that helps people with mental ill health retain or regain employment:

    • Over £300 million will be provided to double access to talking therapies for people suffering from conditions like anxiety or depression.
    • £50 million will be spent to double the reach of Individual Placement and Support Programmes, which find work for people with mental illness.
    • over £50 million is being invested to more than double the number of IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) employment advisors, so that they are linked in to every talking therapy service in the country.
    • 29,000 more people with mental health conditions will be helped to find or stay in work thanks to increased access to these therapies.
  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she expects the regulatory approval processes, including the Generic Design Assessment, to be completed for proposed new nuclear reactors at Moorside in Cumbria.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The regulatory approval process for new nuclear reactors proposed for construction in the UK is run by the UK’s independent nuclear regulators, the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agencies. DECC does not direct or intervene in the assessment process.

    Generic Design Assessment of the AP1000 reactor proposed for construction at the Moorside site in Cumbria is targeted for completion in Q1 2017. NuGen has not yet made applications for site specific regulatory approvals, such as licensing and environmental permits, but DECC expects these to be made in good time, targeting completion for 2018.

  • Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the weekly cost of the deferment of the opening of St Helena Airport.

    Sir Desmond Swayne

    The St Helena Airport was certificated by Air Safety Support International on 10 May 2016 and is open.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that self-employed tutors are subject to criminal records checks.

    Sarah Newton

    Those wishing to engage a tutor to work with children may ask the tutor to show them an enhanced criminal record certificate obtained from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). A self-employed tutor can apply for such a certificate through an agency, which will process the application and confirm that the activity provides eligibility for the check. Alternatively, any individual can apply directly for a criminal conviction certificate which is available from Disclosure Scotland and which contains details of unspent convictions and cautions.

    Where parents or others do not want to take on a tutor without the reassurance of a DBS check, they are free to limit their selection process to people who can show them a certificate from the DBS. Ultimately, it is for those engaging a tutor to decide who is a suitable person to fill that role, taking into account all the information which is available to them.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2016-10-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent emission standards for buses and coaches are set by (1) the Traffic Commissioners, (2) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and (3) highway authorities; and who is responsible for ensuring that these standards are adhered to.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Emissions standards for new buses and coaches are not set by any of the parties named, but by the government through EU type approval legislation. Type Approval Authorities such as the UK’s Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) are responsible for ensuring that these standards are met. In-service emissions checking is carried out at the statutory annual inspection by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).