Tag: 2016

  • Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-05-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent the UK is committed to joining an EU army if one is formed and we are invited to do so.

    Earl Howe

    The Prime Minister has been clear that the UK will never be part of a European Army. We have consistently said that we will oppose any measures which would undermine member states’ competence for their own military forces, or lead to competition and duplication with NATO, which is the cornerstone of our defence.

  • 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 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2016 to Question 41004, what the cost to the NHS was of financing free prescriptions in 2015-16.

    David Mowat

    Assuming that for each prescription item a prescription charge would have been paid, the revenue foregone from providing free prescriptions during 2015-16 was £8 billion. However, as many people could limit their total prescription costs by purchasing a Prescription Prepayment Certificate in the event that they were no longer exempt, we estimate that the actual revenue foregone was in the region of £2 billion.

  • Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Poulter on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has for the future military capacity of Wattisham Airbase.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The estate optimisation strategy aims to provide a more efficient and better quality Defence estate to support our Armed Forces, which will be fit for purpose for future generations.

    This long-term, detailed work seeks to identify a rationalised Defence estate which more appropriately meets the needs of our Armed Forces by being of better quality, more cost effective and more efficient, as well as 30% smaller overall, by 2040.

    No decision about the future of individual sites has been made at this point, other than those that have been previously announced

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on proposals for an EU ban on the prophylactic treatment of groups of animals where no disease has been diagnosed in any of the animals as part of the review of the EU Veterinary Medicinal Products legislation.

    George Eustice

    The current compromise text of the proposal for an EU Regulation on the manufacture, placing on the market and use of medicated feed, states that “Medicated feed containing antibiotics shall not be used to prevent diseases in animals, or to enhance their performance.” However, a similar provision has not been included in the proposal for an EU Regulation on veterinary medicinal products.

    The Government’s policy is that the administration of antibiotics in the absence of disease is not a responsible way to use antibiotics. In groups of animals where some are sick and others have not developed clinical signs, the veterinary surgeon has to be free to use their clinical judgement to prescribe antibiotics to ensure animal welfare. This policy is being put forward during the current negotiations.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on staffing levels at coastguard stations in the Irish Sea.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The new National Network for Her Majesty’s Coastguard became fully operational in December 2015.

    Coastguard centres within this network do not have fixed geographic boundaries; the network enables workload and incidents to be managed on a national rather than centre-by-centre basis. Workload is moved around the network to balance local demand against a national workforce.

  • Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Eagle on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of the performance of his Department’s UK National Contact Point in investigating complaints on private sector contract compliance with UK human rights commitments.

    Anna Soubry

    The UK National Contact Point (NCP) for the OECD Multi-National Enterprise Guidelines considers complaints that UK based multinationals have not met the voluntary obligations of the Guidelines in regard to responsible business behaviour. Ministers have no role in the NCP’s investigation of complaints, but ensure that its final statements on complaints are available for scrutiny in the House Libraries. The UK NCP also reports annually to the OECD Investment Committee which is responsible for the Guidelines and their implementation.

    The UK Government is committed to fulfilling its obligations under the OECD Multi-National Enterprise Guidelines and maintaining a NCP which operates in line with international best practice. The UK NCP is regularly invited by the OECD to contribute to best practice sharing and the OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria has praised its effectiveness and positive outcomes.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has held with his counterparts in the devolved administrations on proposals to repeal the Human Rights Act 1998.

    Dominic Raab

    The Government has discussed human rights reform with a range of stakeholders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including ministers in the Scottish and Welsh Governments and the Northern Ireland Executive.

    We will continue to engage fully with the devolved administrations as we develop our proposals.

  • Jack Dromey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jack Dromey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what future plans she has for the role of parents in the running of their children’s school.

    Nick Gibb

    There is a long standing tradition of parents’ involvement in the running of their child’s school, including a valuable role in governance, and we want that to continue. Academy boards will always be free to appoint parents for their skills and knowledge to govern in the best interests of all pupils. Academies will be required to engage with all parents to listen to their views and feedback particularly on key decisions about the school.

  • 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 2016-05-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 5 April (HL7189), and further to the findings of the United Nations Panel of Experts and paragraph 13 of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2270, what assessment they have made of the role of personnel from the North Korean Embassy in London in nuclear proliferation activity and sanctions evasion; and whether any representations on this matter have been made to the North Korean Ambassador to the UK.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are concerned by the evidence in the Panel of Experts’ report that officials of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) continue to play key roles in facilitating trade of prohibited items. We regularly raise our concerns about the DPRK’s nuclear weapons programme and nuclear proliferation with the North Korean Embassy in London. We remind all foreign diplomatic missions in the UK to operate in accordance with their obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

  • Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department’s (a) procedures and (b) protocols are for the placing of mental health patients in care homes.

    Nicola Blackwood

    A person who requires mental health treatment should have their needs assessed by a mental health professional who will then refer them for treatment in the least restrictive environment to meet their clinical needs and risk. For the majority of patients care and treatment will be provided while they are living in their own home.

    If a person needs treatment which can only be provided in hospital or their level of risk is such that it can only be managed in a hospital then that treatment would be provided in a hospital, which is registered to provide that type of care. It is unlikely that a care home could provide care and treatment for a person who has been assessed as needing hospital treatment.