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Tag: 2016

  • Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Poulter on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of (a) funding and (b) other support for global mental healthcare.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Last year the World Health Organisation (WHO), in their Mental Health Atlas 2014, indicated that levels of public expenditure on mental health are very low in low and middle-income countries (US$2 per head of population) and falls far below levels estimated for high-income countries (over US$50 per head of population). A large proportion of funds in low and middle-income countries go to inpatient care, especially mental hospitals.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-02-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the quality and experience of inspectors of the decision by the Care Quality Commission to outsource services to Remploy.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Experts by Experience provide an important role in the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) inspections programme, working alongside the CQC’s professional inspectors. Experts by Experience provide valuable insights and judgements, talking to people who use the service and observing the environment and the quality of care hospitals and care homes provide.

    In December 2015, the CQC announced the successful winners of the new contracts to provide Experts by Experience, Choice Support and Remploy Ltd. The Experts by Experience service has been an outsourced service since its inception. The CQC’s professional inspectors are not outsourced and are unaffected by these contracts.

    The delivery of these services from 1 February 2016 by Remploy is as a result of a compliant procurement of these services. The procurement process included a rigorous evaluation of each of the tendering organisations response to delivering the service requirements against quality standards for service delivery.

    The CQC’s decision to award these new contracts focussed on expanding the numbers of Experts by Experience involved in the CQC’s inspections, ensuring that the high quality contribution Experts by Experience have provided to date is maintained and delivering value for money.

    The CQC is the independent regulator for health and adult social care in England. It is responsible for its own staffing requirements, including any decisions on contracts around the supplying of Experts by Experience for its inspections of providers. In line with Cabinet Office approvals processes, the Department:

    – gave approval for the CQC to invite tenders for the Experts by Experience programme; and

    – reviewed and approved the CQC’s business case, to enable the CQC to proceed with finalising new contracts for Experts by Experience.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Attorney General, how many unduly lenient sentences were given out to (a) British nationals, (b) non-British EU nationals and (c) nationals from outside the EU in each of the last three years.

    Robert Buckland

    The nationality of the offenders referred to the court is not collated centrally and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 prevents the full implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant in Northern Ireland.

    Mark Lancaster

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 January 2016 to Question 22174 to the hon. Member for Belfast East (Mr Robinson).

    http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-01-12/22174/

  • Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what, if any, extra security measures are being implemented, and at what cost, following the decision by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission to refuse the Home Office the right to deport six individuals, allegedly linked to al-Qaeda, to Algeria.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    We do not comment on security matters. However national security remains our primary consideration and we have taken, and will continue to take, all necessary measures to protect our national security.

  • Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department can take against developers who illegally build new developments too close to river banks and exacerbate existing flooding problems in the area.

    Gavin Barwell

    National planning policy is clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains. Where unauthorised development has taken place, we have given local planning authorities a wide range of powers to tackle the situation. These powers include the ability to serve an enforcement notice setting out the steps required to remedy a breach – which can include the demolition of a building if the authority considers that appropriate. Non-compliance with such a notice is punishable by an unlimited fine and local authorities have the power to take the necessary steps themselves and recover the costs from the developer. Other powers include the ability to apply for a planning injunction against apprehended as well as actual breaches of planning control. The penalties for non compliance with an injunction are severe – including imprisonment for contempt of court. Full details of local authorities’ enforcement powers can be found in our online planning guidance: http://planningguidance.communities.gov.uk/blog/guidance/ensuring-effective-enforcement/.

  • William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what safeguards are in place to protect the privacy of victims and witnesses in historic sex abuse cases.

    Dr Phillip Lee

    Victims of specific sexual offences, including historical sex abuse cases, are automatically provided with lifetime anonymity, by way of reporting restrictions, from the point of complaint. Anonymity is granted in recognition of the nature of the offence against them and to encourage other victims to come forward.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refugees who have been admitted to the UK since 2010 (a) have since returned to their country of origin and (b) her Department is in regular contact with.

    James Brokenshire

    If the Home Office grants refugee status to an applicant, we would not seek to remove them from the UK as a ‘failed asylum seeker’. It has been assumed the question is about how many refugees who have settled in the UK, have since returned to their country of origin.

    The Home Office does not hold information on the number of people who have settled and been granted refugee status in the UK, who have since returned to their country of origin. If refugees return to their country of origin the Home Office does not keep in regular contact.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Bridget Phillipson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2016 to Question 22251, which (a) community rehabilitation companies have been issued with informal remedial action plans and (b) companies contracted to run probation services have failed an audit in each year since 2010; and what remedial action was required in each such case.

    Andrew Selous

    We hold providers rigorously to account for their performance and take action wherever they are falling short.

    Following operational assurance audits by the MoJ, seven CRCs have developed action plans. We will continue to monitor CRC performance closely. No CRC has been put on a formal Remedial Plan.

    Our probation reforms are designed to make sure that almost all offenders receive support on release, including, for the first time, those sentenced to less than 12 months.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-02-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel on the suspension of three Arab-Israeli members from speaking in the Knesset.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities.