Tag: 2016

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answers of 6 June 2016 to Questions 37441 and 38348, why North Middlesex Hospital is not being supported by the Emergency Care Intensive Support Team via the Emergency Care Improvement Programme.

    Ben Gummer

    We are advised by NHS Improvement that North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust was not supported by the Emergency Care Intensive Support Team (ECIST) during 2015/16 as it did not fall within the criteria at the time of selection for enrolment in the Emergency Care Improvement Programme.

    However, following concerns regarding the Emergency Department waiting time performance at the Trust, we are aware that NHS Improvement and NHS England jointly arranged a review of the system’s emergency care pathway by the North West Utilisation Management Unit.

    We understand that in response to the findings the system has developed a ‘safer, faster, better’ programme to address issues across the pathway.

    We are informed that the Trust requested support from ECIST at the end of April 2016. A tailored support programme is currently being developed. This will include visits from clinicians and improvement managers from ECIST.

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many officials of his Department are (a) on secondment from external companies and (b) engaged as external contractors or consultants; and what the cost is of engaging such people.

    Greg Hands

    Following her appointment on 13 July 2016 the Prime Minister established the Department for International Trade (DIT). The DIT aggregates UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), UK Export and Finance (UKEF), Trade Policy Units from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), as well as some new hires.

    Until such time as a transfer of functions order establishes the Secretary of State as a corporation sole, DIT remains a unified Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department for accounting purposes.

    Since the department was formed in July there have been no secondees appointed from the private sector. Secondees previously in post with syndicate organisations have moved across to DIT on legacy terms.

    Contractors in post with syndicate organisations have also moved across to DIT on legacy terms. Since the department was formed in July the number of contractors remains 217 with incumbent costs, as tabled below.

    DIT Secondees

    Monthly Costs

    DIT Contractors

    Costs for financial year 2015/16

    Trade Policy & Ministerial (BEIS)

    1

    £0.00

    1

    £14,982

    International Trade & Investment (UKTI)

    *12

    £14,299.27

    196 – as of 01/09/16

    £24 million

    UK Export Finance

    0

    –

    20 – as of 01/09/16

    £2.54 million

    Total

    13

    £14,299.27

    217

    £26.5 million

    Table Notes:

    The majority of secondees are funded by seconding companies. Costs are based on collective monthly salaries of DIT funded secondees.

    Actual numbers of contractors fluctuate throughout the year as do costs. Contractor costs reflect the level of senior specialist, technical and commercial knowledge required by the former UKTI department to support British businesses in international markets, and with overseas investors looking to invest in the UK.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take to increase the number of household waste recycling centres that accept liquid paint.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    The Government has been engaging constructively with the British Coatings Federation on making better use of leftover paint, including identifying potential regulatory barriers to its recycling and remanufacture and how these might be overcome.

    The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) encourages consumers to recycle and re-use household paint by providing information through the Recycle Now website. This includes a postcode locator which helps pinpoint local Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) that accept leftover paint. The Government’s Innovation in Waste Prevention Fund has also supported a pilot paint re-use project in Cheshire involving local charities, working with HWRCs and housing associations to increase paint donation and minimise disposal. WRAP will publish a summary of the project, lessons learned and a video case study later in the year.

    In terms of public procurement, it is for each Government department to consider sustainability and put this into practice in its own procurement activity. Government Buying Standards do not currently include remanufactured paint. WRAP has recently published a guide on ‘How to Include Re-use in Local Authority HWRC Procurement’.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure aid is delivered to the Syrian town of Madaya.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion in response to the crisis in Syria and the region, making us the second largest bilateral donor after the US. The UK co-sponsored and lobbied hard for the passage of UN Security Council Resolutions 2165, 2191 and 2258 which call on the parties to allow rapid, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian aid to besieged and hard to reach places. An estimated £275 million (49%) of humanitarian assistance funded by the UK for inside Syria has been allocated for cross-border operations.

    We have provided support to the UN and international NGOs (INGOs) since the start of the conflict to deliver aid in hard to reach and besieged areas of Syria, including Madaya.

    On 11 January 2016, the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent confirmed that aid convoys of humanitarian assistance had arrived in the hard to reach the town of Madaya, and the besieged areas of Foah and Kefraya. Further convoys are anticipated over the next couple of days. The convoy is expected to meet survival needs of the 40,000 persons inside Madaya, and 20,000 people inside Foah and Kefraya.

    DFID funding to UN agencies is directly supporting the current convoy with food parcels, nutritional supplements, essential drugs and non-food items including winterisation kits.

    The UK worked with partners in the UN Security Council to put humanitarian access in Madaya, and across Syria, on the Security Council’s agenda on Monday 11 January.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role the Garter King of Arms and the College of Arms have in the formulation of policy and practice on the rules and regulations governing the use, style and designation accorded to UK nationals and UK dual nationals of the Queen’s Commonwealth realms.

    James Duddridge

    The recognition of foreign honours is a matter for the Royal Prerogative.

  • Maggie Throup – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Maggie Throup – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what budget he plans to allocate to each clinical commissioning group in England to support the effective transfer of obesity surgery in April in a manner consistent with NICE’s clinical guidelines.

    George Freeman

    NHS England is not currently able to provide a figure for individual clinical commissioning groups on 1 April 2016 as the basis for calculating the figures is still being finalised.

  • David Davis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Davis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Davis on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 23886, whether asset-sharing in Syria, Iraq or Libya was considered at the meeting of the Reaper User Group that took place on 14 to 18 March.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The MQ-9 Users Group primarily discussed generic, future interoperability between US, UK, French and Italian Reaper operators, particularly in terms of software standards, logistics and training. The sharing of assets in Syria, Iraq and Libya was therefore not discussed explicitly.

  • Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ronnie Cowan on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assistance his Department provides to prevent job losses in highly-skilled manufacturing businesses.

    Anna Soubry

    We are creating a highly competitive business environment to make the UK an attractive location for advanced manufacturing investment, boosting skills and protecting spending on innovation and cutting edge manufacturing technologies. This drives the strong productivity growth, and exports, that will sustain the UK as a leading manufacturing nation.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effects of Clause 21 of the Bus Services Bill on the ability of Transport for London subsidiaries to bid for local bus service contracts on routes wholly outside of London.

    Andrew Jones

    Transport for London is not considered as a ‘relevant authority’ for the purposes of clause 21 of the Bus Services Bill, and as such the Bill does not affect anything Transport for London may do under its existing powers.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-09-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35744, when his Department plans to carry out an impact assessment on the local economy of East Kilbride in addition to the People Impact Assessments that have already been conducted.

    Jane Ellison

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) location decisions were based on a number of key principles to enable it to deliver more for less. This included retention of its current staff and skills and local and national transport links. It does not plan to carry out an impact assessment on the local economy of East Kilbride in addition to the People Impact Assessments that have already been conducted.

    HMRC is considering a number of sites at each regional centre location, including Glasgow. More details will be available when commercial negotiations have finished.