Tag: 2016

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-07-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Iraq about building a socially, religiously and politically inclusive society in that country.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We strongly support the Iraqi government in its efforts to build a more inclusive society, including uniting Iraq’s communities against Daesh and extremism, restoring public trust in the state, and delivering the services and opportunities that all Iraqis want and deserve. We welcome the commitments that the Government of Iraq has made to inclusivity, to protecting Iraqi citizens, and addressing human rights abuses and holding those responsible to account. We continue to promote progress against these commitments in our engagements with the Government of Iraq at both official and ministerial levels, emphasising the importance of political reconciliation to defeating Daesh and eradicating radicalism.

    For the 2016/17 financial year we have allocated £3.7 million from the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund towards reconciliation in Iraq. This funding will support efforts to encourage political reform and reconciliation, including the passage and implementation of legislation. And following our announcement at the Iraq Pledging Conference on 20 July the UK is contributing £9.25m to the UN’s Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilisation. This will help the Iraqi government stabilise areas recently liberated from Daesh and re-establish security, basic services and inclusive local governance.

  • Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Johnson on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost per patient is of carrying out stem cell transplantation.

    Nicola Blackwood

    Costs associated with stem cell transplants can vary widely depending on the specific clinical circumstances.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-12-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they plan to make to the state government of Telangana about following the example of the state government of Andhra Pradesh in introducing rules to prevent the sexual exploitation of Dalit women and girls through the Devadasi and Jogini systems of ritualised prostitution.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    This is ultimately a matter for the Union Government of India and state governments. Nevertheless, the British Government has worked closely with the Union and state governments in India to strengthen the protection of women’s rights and would welcome any legislative change that provided further protection to women and girls.

  • Lord McAvoy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord McAvoy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McAvoy on 2016-01-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Joint Exchequer Committee’s negotiations will conclude, and when the fiscal framework will be published.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Whilst there is no set date for the Joint Exchequer Committee to conclude negotiations on the fiscal framework, the UK government is doing everything it can to achieve an agreement.

    The Business Managers and usual channels have agreed to move the final day in Committee on the Scotland Bill to Monday 22 February to allow more time for negotiations between the Scottish and UK Governments to progress.

    The UK government is working towards a deal that is fair for Scotland, fair for the UK and meets all of the principles of the Smith Commission Agreement.

    The fiscal framework document will be published shortly after it is agreed.

  • David T. C. Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David T. C. Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of asylum seekers who have been found to have fraudulently claimed to be under the age of 18 in each of the last years.

    James Brokenshire

    We publish statistics on cases where the claimant’s age has been disputed and a formal age assessment has been carried out. The table below shows the number of cases in each of the last 3 years.

    Asylum Claims by Year with a disputed age

    Year of Claim

    Totals

    2012

    337

    2013

    323

    2014

    318

    Data is taken from published statistics https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2015/asylum

    Whilst we do hold information on the results of these assessments and whether they were found to be under the age of 18 the way corresponding data is held means that to obtain the data could only be achieved at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files.

    “

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 26844, whether the maximum customer travel of one and a half hours or 65 miles for an interview for a passport application refers to a one-way journey or round trip.

    James Brokenshire

    Please accept my apologies for an error which was made in the response to question 26844.

    Under the planned changes to HM Passport Offices the vast majority of passport application interviewees will see no change to their travel time. In a small number of cases passport application interviewees will have to travel further but this should not be more than 65 miles or one and a half hours additional one-way travel from their previous closest office.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government plans to request that the UN Security Council refer crimes by Daesh to the International Criminal Court.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The Rome statute provides for "situations" rather than organisations such as Daesh to be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

    When efforts were made to refer the situation in Syria to the ICC in 2014, it was vetoed by Russia and China. We expect that any Security Council resolution at this time seeking to refer the situations in Iraq or Syria to the ICC would likewise be blocked.

    In the meantime, we are supporting the gathering and preservation of evidence that could in future be used in a court to hold Daesh to account. It is vital that this is done now, before evidence is lost or destroyed.

  • Karin Smyth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Karin Smyth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karin Smyth on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications for registration to the Nursing and Midwifery Council were withdrawn by the applicant before they were assessed from candidates trained (a) in England, (b) in the European Economic Area (EEA) and (c) outside the EEA.

    Ben Gummer

    The information requested in relation to the number of applications for registration to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is not held centrally.

    The NMC is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom and is responsible for nurse and midwife registration. It has informed the Department that it does not collect data on how many applications for registration are rejected or withdrawn before they were assessed.

  • Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Freyberg on 2016-07-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to consider providing interim funding for innovative treatments for patients with radioactive-iodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer where there are treatments available but they are yet to be reviewed by NICE.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) already provides access to sorafenib as a treatment option for the systemic therapy of locally advanced or metastatic differentiated radioiodine-refractory thyroid cancer.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has been asked to develop technology appraisal guidance on the use of sorafenib and lenvatinib for this indication.

    NHS England published its new standard operating procedure for the CDF in July 2016 and a copy is attached.

    NHS England has advised that it considered carefully the issue as to which drugs should be given interim funding and concluded, with the support of the majority of stakeholders, that interim funding should only be possible for those drugs that had been granted a marketing authorisation and were in receipt of a draft positive appraisal recommendation or a draft recommendation for use within the CDF from NICE.

  • Craig Mackinlay – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Craig Mackinlay – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Mackinlay on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of proposed reductions in pharmacy funding on specific patient populations.

    David Mowat

    The Government’s proposals for community pharmacy in 2016/17 and beyond, on which we have consulted, are being considered against the public sector equality duty, the family test and the relevant duties of my Rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, under the National Health Service Act 2006.

    Our assessments include consideration of the potential impacts on the adequate provision of NHS pharmaceutical services, including the supply of medicines, access to NHS pharmaceutical services, supplementary hours, non-commissioned services, individuals with protected characteristics, impacts on other NHS services, health inequalities, individuals with restricted mobility and access to healthcare for deprived communities.

    An impact assessment will be completed to inform final decisions and published in due course.

    Our proposals are about improving services for patients and the public and securing efficiencies and savings. We believe these efficiencies can be made within community pharmacy without compromising the quality of services or public access to them.

    Our aim is to ensure that those community pharmacies upon which people depend continue to thrive. We are consulting on the introduction of a Pharmacy Access Scheme, which will provide more NHS funds to certain pharmacies compared with others, considering factors such as location and the health needs of the local population.

    We want a clinically focussed community pharmacy service that is better integrated with primary care and public health in line with the Five Year Forward View. This will help relieve the pressure on general practitioners and accident and emergency departments, ensure better use of medicines and better patient outcomes, and contribute to delivering seven day health and care services.

    The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, Dr Keith Ridge has commissioned an independent review of community pharmacy clinical services. The review is being led by Richard Murray, Director of Policy at The King’s Fund. The final recommendations will be considered as part of the development of clinical and cost effective patient care by pharmacists and their teams.

    NHS England is also setting up a Pharmacy Integration Fund to support the development of clinical pharmacy practice in a wider range of primary care settings, resulting in a more integrated and effective NHS primary care patient pathway.

    The rollout of the additional 1,500 clinical pharmacists announced by NHS England will help to ease current pressures in general practice by working with patients who have long term conditions and others with multiple medications. Having a pharmacist on site will mean that patients who receive care from their general practice will be able to benefit from the expertise in medicines that these pharmacists provide.