Tag: 2016

Tania Mathias – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to reduce the cost to the NHS of postage of appointment notifications to patients.

George Freeman

The National Information Board’s strategy document Personalised Health and Care 2020 (published November 2014) set out the aim to support greater uptake of the use of digital systems in health and care to create a National Health Service paper free at the point of care by 2020. This will remove the system’s reliance on paper and will help reduce postal service costs for the NHS.

In the case of appointment letters for patients the new NHS e-referral system, introduced last year, already allows healthcare providers to choose not to send out appointment letters, instead allowing patients to access the information directly from the NHS e-referral system. Patients have an option to print off the details of their appointment if they prefer to have a paper copy of the information. We expect increasing numbers of providers will use this functionality to help contain costs.

January 1, 2023
Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will take steps to work with local authorities and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to improve air quality in West Yorkshire.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

We are aware that local authorities have a crucial role to play in improving air quality across the UK. The Government is already taking a number of steps to support them in this role.

The national air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide, published in December 2015, sets out a comprehensive approach for meeting air quality challenges by implementing a new programme of Clean Air Zones in five cities in England, one of which is Leeds. The Plan combines targeted local and national measures, forming part of a wider approach that exploits new and clean technologies, such as electric and ultra-low emission vehicles.

We have allocated funding to help Leeds City Council implement the Clean Air Zone and are working closely with City officials on its development. Delivery of the Clean Air Zone will also take account of the need to work closely with related authorities and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Local authorities additionally have a duty to evaluate local air quality against standards set by the Government. They designate air quality management areas (AQMAs) at locations where these standards are not met and take remedial actions to improve air quality at these locations. Six local authorities in West Yorkshire – Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield and York – have declared AQMAs and are implementing remedial action plans to improve air quality in their areas.

Defra introduced regulatory and guidance changes in 2015 to provide better and clearer guidance to local authorities on local air quality management to enable them to improve air quality in their areas and achieve better health and environmental outcomes.

Defra supports local authorities through the Air Quality Grant Scheme, a competitive fund they can bid into to support local action to improve air quality. Details and criteria for this year’s scheme will be available later in the year.

January 1, 2023
Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Kenyan government on the attack of 6 October 2016 carried out by Al-Shabaab militants in Mandera County.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK government condemns the tragic loss of life during the Al Shabaab terrorist attack in Mandera, Kenya on 6 October. We have expressed our regret to the Kenyan authorities. The UK and Kenya have a shared interest in tackling terrorism, and we are committed to supporting the Government of Kenya and building capacity to counter this shared threat.

January 1, 2023
Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of education on the probability of illiterate offenders reoffending.

Andrew Selous

We need a new emphasis in prisons on rehabilitation. We want prisons to be places of rigorous education where offenders can get the skills to make a success of life on the outside. When so many entering custody lack basic skills in numeracy and literacy, it would be a travesty if we didn’t get them reading and writing when they are in our care. That is why the Justice Secretary has asked Dame Sally Coates to lead a review of education in our prisons.

January 1, 2023
Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Greater Manchester Combined Authority is legally required to consult the public on the sites identified in the draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework Development Plan.

James Wharton

The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities is currently involved in the preparation of a Greater Manchester Spatial Framework Development Plan working with the 10 metropolitan councils in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s area. We understand that this is intended to become a joint development plan document.

A local authority may arrange for the discharge of any of its functions by a committee, sub-committee, an officer or by any other local authority. The ten local authorities have delegated responsibility for the “coordination” of the Greater Manchester Strategic Framework to Association of Greater Manchester Authorities Executive Board, a committee of the Combined Authority. Under these current arrangements, it is for each individual authority to decide how to engage its members in the production of the document.

Each local planning authority must also comply with section 18 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, which requires them to prepare a Statement of Community Involvement which should explain how they will engage local communities and other interested parties in producing development plan documents and determining planning applications. This should be published on the local planning authority’s website and it is the authority’s responsibility to ensure that any Development Plan Document is prepared in accordance with it.

It would not be appropriate for me to meet to discuss the detail of a plan in preparation.

January 1, 2023
Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) senior officials of her Department have had with representatives from the National Baccalaureate Trust since May 2015.

Nick Gibb

I am not aware of any discussions that have taken place with representatives from the National Baccalaureate Trust.

The Department recently consulted on the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) asking for views on how schools will manage the challenges associated with implementing the commitment that the EBacc becomes the default position for all mainstream secondary pupils. The consultation closed on 29 January and we received 2,755 responses.

January 1, 2023
Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-15.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of tax revenue lost due to the illicit trade in tobacco in each year for which data is available.

Damian Hinds

Estimates of tax revenue losses associated with illicit tobacco are published every year. The latest estimates, for the years 2006/7 to 2014/15, are published in ‘Tobacco Tax Gap estimates 2014-15’.

This can be accessed via the GOV.UK website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tobacco-tax-gap-estimates

HM Revenue and Customs makes no other estimate of the value of the illicit tobacco trade.

“

January 1, 2023
Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for how long the proposed apprenticeship levy vouchers will be valid.

Nick Boles

Levy funds will expire 18 months after they enter an employers’ digital apprenticeship service account unless they are spent on apprenticeship training. This will also apply to any top-ups in the account. Expiration will take place automatically, but an employer’s digital apprenticeship service account will let them know in good time when any funds are due to expire so that the funds can be spent if the employer wishes to do so.

January 1, 2023

Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many bed days were lost due to delayed transfers of care in Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust in 2015.

Alistair Burt

In 2015 there were 11,907 delayed transfers of care at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Month	Number of delayed transfers of care (days)
January 2015	1,194
February 2015	1,047
March 2015	958
April 2015	824
May 2015	916
Jun 2015	1,098
July 2015	1,139
August 2015	1,089
September 2015	861
October 2015	1,017
November 2015	975
December 2015	789
Total	11,907

Source: Delayed transfers of care, NHS England

January 1, 2023

Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what bi-lateral discussions she has had with her counterparts in which EU member states on the long-term status of UK citizens in those member states.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Government has repeatedly stated that there will be no immediate changes in the circumstances of UK nationals and their family members entering or currently residing in the European Union.

During the period of the negotiations, the UK remains a full member of the EU, entitled to all the benefits and obligations of membership. We have published guidance on gov.uk which makes this clear.

It is a Government priority to protect the legal rights of British nationals living in EU countries, as well as EU nationals in the UK, and we are confident that we will be able secure those things together during discussions with our EU partners.

As part of this process, the Secretary of State will continue to work closely with EU counterparts and with relevant stakeholders.

January 1, 2023