Tag: 2016

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many officials of his Department and at which grades are classified speakers of foreign languages for each such language spoken.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Records from the last 5 years (up to the end of 2015) show that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has 505 officers with an Operational level (C1) exam pass across 33 different languages. This figure comprises 94 Senior Management Staff officers and 411 officers from the delegated grades.

  • Margaret Beckett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Margaret Beckett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Beckett on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will estimate the number of children from families from Eastern European countries that have entered the care system in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department does not hold the information requested.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, at which fora discussion takes place between Russia and (a) officials of the UK Government and (b) officials or diplomats of Western countries.

    Mr David Lidington

    Discussions between UK and Russian officials take place as appropriate within those international institutions where both countries are represented. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, such contact is essential as we confront international challenges such as the conflict in Syria.

    In the context of the NATO-Russia Council, however, dialogue with Russia has been largely suspended since Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in March 2014.

    Discussions take place within international institutions between Russian officials and officials or diplomats of Western countries on a range of key international issues.

  • Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 April 2016 to Question 33183, whether his Department advises prisons (a) to ask prisoners upon induction if they are already organ donors or if they wish to become one and (b) to keep records of which prisoners are registered organ donors; and if he will amend prison service orders to ensure that the organ donors register is taken into account if a prisoner dies in a prison or in a hospital.

    Andrew Selous

    The Organ Donor Register is a confidential record maintained by NHS Blood and Transplant and patient details are not shared with other organisations; asking prisoners if they are registered could serve to compromise their confidentiality. Joining the Organ Donor Register is a voluntary matter and there are no plans to focus on specific groups such as prisoners. The decision to be a donor is one which prisoners should discuss with their next of kin.

    The Government remains fully committed to the strategy agreed in 2013 “Taking Organ Transplantation to 2020” (www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/to2020/) which aims to enable the UK to match world-class performance in organ donation and transplantation.

    “

  • Eilidh Whiteford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Eilidh Whiteford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2016-05-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidelines his Department issues to its staff on carrying out Genuine Prospect of Work assessments.

    Priti Patel

    Guidance for Department for Work and Pensions staff responsible for carrying out Genuine Prospect of Work tests can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/510008/dmgch0703.pdf

    “

  • Lord Chidgey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Chidgey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2016-07-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Médecins Sans Frontières’ rejection of EU funding in Sudan in response to the EU’s policies on migrants attempting to reach Europe.

    Baroness Verma

    We were disappointed to learn about Médecins Sans Frontières’ rejection of EU funding in Sudan. Sudan is a major source, host and transit country for migration. As such we remain committed to tackling the full range of migration issues in Sudan, including addressing the conflicts and the human rights situation, and supporting regional co-operation and efforts to stop people trafficking and smuggling through the ‘Khartoum Process’. Through DFID, we will deliver support that addresses the root causes of migration, and strengthen the basis for inclusive economic development and increased employment opportunities to encourage Sudanese people to better see their future in Sudan.

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK Government staff are seconded to or directly assist the UK Special Envoy to Yemen and his team.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    No UK Government staff are seconded to or directly assist the UK Special Envoy to Yemen and his team. Through the cross-government Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, we are providing £1.05 million to the UN Special Envoy’s office to bolster UN capacity to facilitate the peace process, and are also supporting work to broaden the dialogue to include women and other under-represented groups.

  • 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 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all GPs are trained in awareness of the diagnostic pathway for people seeking a diagnosis of autism.

    Alistair Burt

    In 2015, new statutory guidance building on the 2010 Autism Strategy, and the 2014 Think Autism update, set out expectations for local authorities and the National Health Service in relation to autism training. It is the responsibility for the General Pharmaceutical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, to ensure newly qualified pharmacists and health visitors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide high quality patient care. The Department has worked the Royal College of Nursing, and Skills for Health and Skills for Care, to develop autism training material. Health Education England is also working with the Royal Colleges and other stakeholders to increase awareness and knowledge of autism for NHS health professionals.

    The Department has also provided financial support to the Royal College of General Practitioners’ clinical priorities programme on autism which is undertaking practical work on autism awareness and training for general practitioners (GPs). GPs should be aware of what the local arrangements are for making referrals for autism diagnosis and how to access appropriate post-diagnostic interventions.

    NHS England has commenced a programme to visit clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to identify and share good practice in accessing timely autism diagnosis and post diagnostic support. NHS England with support from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services is to visit a selection of areas to talk to CCGs and local authorities about their Autism Diagnostic Care Pathways. A report on the work will be completed by the end of April 2016.

    We know that people with autism can experience common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, as well as other mental illnesses. Over £400 million has been invested in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies to ensure access to talking therapies for those who need them, including those with autism.

  • Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Susan Elan Jones on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will undertake an assessment of the effect on the availability of UK-sourced wood supplies of (a) 50MW and under and (b) over 50MW wood-burning biomass plants.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department already monitors the use of wood for fuel in the UK through two means:

    • Analysis of the sustainability data returned to Ofgem (a requirement for generators >50kW under the Renewables Obligation)
    • A voluntary questionnaire which asks the large scale biomass electricity users (>50MW) of their plans for sourcing biomass for the next five years.

    Volumes of UK wood being used for electricity and CHP generation are expected to remain at a fairly constant level, at around 1.3-1.4million oven dried tonnes per year. There is no indication that use of UK-sourced biomass for electricity is causing resource constraints for other UK wood users (such as the wood products industry).

    The conclusions from our most recent analysis1 reinforce what we already understood: that while biomass generation is increasing, the demand for feedstock is being met mostly from imports.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/woodfuel-disclosure-survey

    “

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

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received from patient groups on the contaminated blood compensation consultation.

    Jane Ellison

    The respondents to the contaminated blood compensation consultation are not required to identify their association with any group. The Government response to the consultation will set out the number of respondents from specific patient groups, where that information has been provided.