Tag: 2016

  • David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average hourly earnings of (a) female, (b) male, (c) full-time and (d) part-time employees of her Department were in each of the last five years.

    George Eustice

    The table below provides details of the average hourly earnings of each group of employees in the core-Department as at 30th June 2015 in each of the last five years.

    Year

    Female

    Male

    Full-time

    Part-time

    2015

    £19.79

    £21.31

    £20.51

    £20.84

    2014

    £19.36

    £21.43

    £20.32

    £20.80

    2013

    £18.62

    £20.88

    £19.76

    £19.44

    2012

    £18.23

    £20.94

    £19.64

    £19.04

    2011

    £18.69

    £21.20

    £19.80

    £20.92

    The difference in hourly rate of pay for male and female staff can be explained by a greater proportion of male staff at the higher grades.

    A recent equal pay review, analysing pay by grade, found that there were no significant equal pay differences based on gender.

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

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the gap is between the number of available and required trained doctors.

    Ben Gummer

    Health Education England (HEE) is responsible for advising the Government on the total number of medical school places and for commissioning postgraduate medical education. This aims to ensure that we have a National Health Service workforce in the right numbers, with the right skills, values and behaviour to respond to the current and future needs of patients. It takes around 5 years of medical school (undergraduate) and a year of training to become a registered doctor and a further 4 to 11 years of training to specialise in General Practice or hospital specialities.

    There are currently over 50,000 doctors in training in England according to Health Education England’s Workforce Plan (2015/16) for England.

    The latest monthly workforce statistics for November 2015 published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that there are 106,124 full-time equivalent doctors currently employed in the NHS in England which is an increase of 10,703 (11.2%) since May 2010.

    The Department and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) share responsibility for determining the medical and dental school undergraduate intakes in England. The Department (via HEE) is responsible for determining overall numbers, and HEFCE has responsibility for the individual distribution to medical and dental schools. Historically places have broadly ben allocated for each institution the same as the previous year, so as to keep stability in recruitment, to help institutions to plan for their intake and in order to meet the national target.

  • Baroness Wolf of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Wolf of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Wolf of Dulwich on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many training providers in receipt of Skills Funding Agency (SFA) funding ceased trading in (1) 2011–12, (2) 2012–13, and (3) 2013–14; how much funding those providers had received from the SFA in the three years prior to their ceasing to trade; and how many of them were further education colleges.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Skills Funding Agency does not hold not information on providers which have ceased trading.

  • John Baron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Baron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Baron on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his Department’s news story of 13 September 2015, From 2020 people with suspected cancer will be diagnosed faster, when his Department plans to make tailored recovery packages available for cancer patients, including those with rarer cancers.

    Jane Ellison

    In its report Achieving World Class Cancer Outcomes: A Strategy for England 2015-2020 (July 2015), the independent Cancer Taskforce called for an acceleration of the commissioning and provision of services to support people affected by cancer to live as healthy and as happy lives as possible. Over the last few years, NHS England has been working with Macmillan Cancer Support to roll out the Recovery Package, which describes a set of actions that ensure that the individual needs of all people going through cancer treatment and beyond, including rare cancers, are met by tailored support and services. By working through a Recovery Package, patients and clinicians assess patients’ holistic needs and plan appropriately for their care and support, they ensure that a treatment summary is sent between a patient’s hospital and their general practitioner (GP), that they are appropriately followed up by their GP, and can attend health and wellbeing events for patients and carers.

    In September 2015, the Department announced that by 2020, the 280,000 people diagnosed with cancer every year will benefit from a tailored recovery package. In April 2016, NHS England published guidance on the commissioning of these services to support people living with and beyond cancer, and will continue to support both Sustainability and Transformation Plan footprints and clinical commissioning groups to put this guidance into action.

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-07-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents there have been of women detained at Yarl’s Wood being handcuffed while attending hospital.

    James Brokenshire

    Home Office policy remains that there should be a presumption against using handcuffs to escort detainees for medical visits. The decision to use handcuffs is made on the basis of an individual risk assessment, and we monitor the use of restraint by custody officers closely to ensure that the use of restraint is reasonable, necessary and proportionate.

    Management information shows that from May 2015 to May 2016 there have been 31 incidents when a woman has been handcuffed when attending hospital from Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre.

    Month

    Incidents of handcuff use

    May 2015

    0

    June 2015

    0

    July 2015

    0

    August 2015

    0

    September 2015

    1

    October 2015

    6

    November 2015

    6

    December 2015

    4

    January 2016

    5

    February 2016

    5

    March 2016

    1

    April 2016

    3

    May 2016

    0

    This is provisional management information that is subject to change. It has not been assured to the standard of Official Statistics:

  • Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale on 2016-09-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultations took place with the Scottish Government in advance of the announcement of the pilot study on post-study work visas in July.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    We have been in correspondence with the Scottish Government concerning the Tier 4 visa pilot. There is no pilot study currently being conducted into post-study work visas.

    The Tier 4 visa pilot is part of the Home Office’s continued efforts to ensure that the UK maintains an excellent offer to attract the brightest and best to study at our world-leading institutions. The pilot is deliberately narrow in scope, with the institutions selected on the basis of their consistently low level of visa refusals. Its main aim is to test the benefits of a differentiated approach within Tier 4, whilst ensuring any changes do not undermine the robust application of immigration requirements.

    The pilot helps simplify the visa application process for international students looking to study on a Masters’ course, in the UK, of 13 months or less. Whilst it will also help to support students who wish to switch into a work route by extending the leave period following the end of their study to up to six months, it does not make any changes to the Tier 2 visa route and is not a return to the post-study work visa route.

    The four selected institutions were consulted regarding its implementation. Should the pilot be successful, the Home Office will consult key stakeholders about its possible expansion.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a response to each of the recommendations made in Stephen Shaw’s Review into the Welfare in Detention of Vulnerable Persons, Cm 9186, before Report Stage on the Immigration Bill in the House of Lords.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government’s position on the Stephen Shaw review was set out in the Written Ministerial Statement laid on 14 January 2016.

    The Government accepts the broad thrust of Mr Shaw’s recommendations. In particular the Government accepts Mr Shaw’s recommendations to adopt a wider definition of those at risk, including victims of sexual violence, individuals with mental health issues, pregnant women, those with learning difficulties, post-traumatic stress disorder and elderly people, and to recognise the dynamic nature of vulnerabilities. We will introduce a new “adult at risk” concept into decision-making on immigration detention with a clear presumption that people who are at risk should not be detained, building on the existing legal framework.

    A more detailed mental health needs assessment in immigration removal centres, using the expertise of the Centre for Mental Health, will be carried out and is expected to report in March 2016. NHS commissioners will use that assessment to consider and revisit current provision to ensure healthcare needs are being met appropriately. The Government will also publish a joint Department of Health, NHS and Home Office mental health action plan in April 2016.

    We will also be considering a number of operational recommendations made by Mr Shaw, on a case by case basis, taking account of available resources.

  • 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 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy to support action at the International Criminal Court in respect of UK nationals suspected of having committed war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide against members of the Yazidi community in Iraq.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    We support the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its efforts to end impunity for the most serious crimes of international concern by holding perpetrators to account. As Iraq is not a Party to the Rome Statute, the Court has no territorial jurisdiction over crimes committed on Iraqi soil.

    Foreign fighters who are nationals of ICC States could potentially be held accountable by the ICC. In April 2015 the ICC Prosecutor did however, decide that as Daesh was led primarily by nationals of Iraq and Syria, and the ICC’s mandate was to investigate those most responsible, the jurisdictional basis to open a preliminary examination was too narrow.

    As part of our strategy to defeat Daesh we are working to counter the flow of foreign fighters. It is now a criminal offence to be a member of Daesh in the UK. We are also working to combat radicalisation and are monitoring those who pose a significant security risk. We have introduced powers to seize passports to stop them travelling, to remove British nationality from dual nationals of concern, and to prevent temporarily some British nationals from re-entering the UK

    We are also working to support the victims of Daesh’s brutality in Iraq. This includes funding projects to document crimes and support the victims of sexual violence.

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

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many doctors have (a) commenced and (b) finished their training in each of the last five years.

    Ben Gummer

    The table provides figures on a United Kingdom basis for the number of trainees entering further training at Foundation Year 1 (F1) for the last 5 years. However, it should be noted that not all doctors commence their training in the UK at F1, and an accurate figure for these is not available.

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    2015/16

    7,314

    7,257

    7,330

    7,678

    7,478

    The General Medical Council (GMC) issue Certificates of Completion of Training (CCT) to doctors who complete a full GMC approved speciality training programme. The UK figures for the last five years available from the GMC are:

    2009

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    6,211

    6,406

    6,222

    6,429

    6,888
  • Baroness Lister of Burtersett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Lister of Burtersett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to respond to the recommendations in Implementing the Family Test, a review of progress one year on by Relate, the Relationships Foundation and the Family and Childcare Trust.

    Baroness Altmann

    DWP welcome the Family Test, a review of progress one year on by Relate, the Relationships Foundation and the Family and Childcare Trust. We will consider the findings of the report in the next phase of our Government wide strategy to improve the embedding and implementation of the family test.