Tag: 2016

  • Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the European Court of Human Rights’ ruling of 26 April 2016 on religious discrimination against the Alevi community in Turkey.

    Mr David Lidington

    We have noted the European Court of Human Rights’ ruling and regularly discuss issues concerning freedom of religion and belief, including those of the Alevi community, with our Turkish interlocutors. We will continue to do so. The Turkish government continues to improve protections for all religious minorities in Turkey. We welcome the continuing implementation of the Law on Foundations which has seen a number of properties returned to minority community foundations or the payment of compensation. As we highlighted to Turkey through the 2015 UN Universal Periodic Review of human rights, we would like to see Turkey implement legislation that increases protection of the rights of persons belonging to all minority religious groups, including the status of their places of worship.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions the Government has had with the Iraqi government on steps to tackle drug abuse in Iraq.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are aware of reports of drug abuse in Iraq but we have not had discussions with the Government of Iraq on this subject. We continue to support vulnerable communities through our humanitarian assistance. Since June 2014 the Department for International Development has committed £129.5 million to the humanitarian effort in Iraq. That assistance reaches hundreds of thousands of people across the country and includes essential medicine, emergency kits and psychological support.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with employers and providers of apprenticeships on the effect on take-up of the new funding arrangements proposed for apprenticeships for 16 to 18 year olds, published on 12 August 2016.

    Robert Halfon

    Department for Education officials have held regular discussions with employers, training providers and representative organisations since the publication of the funding proposals in August. We will be publishing details of our final funding policy for apprenticeships in England from May 2017 shortly.

  • Lord Whitty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Whitty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Whitty on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the effect of the reduction of the budget of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the veterinary service and research on animal disease.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Budgets for 2016/17 to 2020/21 have not yet been finalised. Defra’s internal business planning process is still underway, and it would not, therefore, be appropriate at this time to comment on how particular policy areas may be affected.

  • Melanie Onn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Melanie Onn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many state registered foster carers her Department estimates will be eligible for the Government’s proposed free 30 hours of childcare.

    Edward Timpson

    Foster carers will be able to access the existing 15 hour early education entitlement for three-and four-year olds for both their foster children and their own children. In addition, two year olds who are looked after by a local council or have left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order are also entitled to 15 hours of early education.

    Foster carers will be able to access the extended entitlement for three-and four-year olds for their own children provided that they meet the minimum income requirement. This means that foster parents should be earning the equivalent to 16 hours a week at National Minimum or Living Wage and their income should not exceed £100,000. This includes employed and self-employed parents.

    Since foster carers are separately funded for the care of foster children, they will not be able to access the extended entitlement for their foster children. This is in line with the treatment of foster carers under Tax-Free Childcare, tax credits and Universal Credit.

  • 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 2016-03-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to consider restructuring the NHS Drug Tariff Part IX on wound dressings based on their clinical performance and intended use.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The scope of the Department’s clinical specifications project is to assess wound care products available via the NHS Supply Chain to secondary care organisations. There are no plans at this time to extend this scope to include wound care products listed in Part IX of the Drug Tariff, which can be prescribed in primary care at National Health Service expense.

  • James Cartlidge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    James Cartlidge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-04-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Prudential Regulation Authority’s Draft Supervisory Statement on Buy-to-Let Underwriting Standards, published in March 2016, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the 20 per cent growth in buy-to-let mortgage lending over the next three years on home ownership.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government is committed to supporting homeowners. One part of this commitment is ensuring that there is a level playing field between homeowners and landlords. In the 2015 Autumn Statement, we announced a 3 percentage point increase in the rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax applying to the purchase of additional residential properties, such as second homes and buy-to-let properties; and in the Summer Budget of 2015, we acted to restrict, to the basic rate of income tax, the tax relief on finance costs received by landlords of residential property.

    The Financial Policy Committee recently stated that the combination of forthcoming changes to mortgage interest tax relief and the implementation of the PRA Supervisory Statement will probably dampen growth of buy-to-let mortgage lending relative to lenders’ plans.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help create consensus at the UN Security Council for a referral to the International Criminal Court of the acts committed by Daesh in Iraq and Syria as genocide.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    It is not possible to refer Daesh itself to the ICC. Any referral would cover all potential crimes within a specified geographic area, rather than by a specified organisation or set of actors.

    We judge that a referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC) by the UN Security Council is not practical at this time. When efforts were made to refer the situation in Syria to the ICC in 2014, it was vetoed by Russia and China.

    While we continue to draw the attention of the Security Council to the atrocities being committed in Iraq and Syria – on 4 May the Council held a session on the situation in Aleppo at the UK’s request – we expect that any Security Council resolution at this time seeking to refer the situations in Iraq or Syria to the ICC would likewise be blocked. Addition as per PQs 36262 and 35349.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2016 to Question 38191 on fertility: medical treatments, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the issues highlighted in the report in that Answer; and if he will write to clinical commissioning groups in England to highlight the findings of that report and the importance of delivering IVF services consistent with the NICE guidelines.

    Jane Ellison

    It is for clinical commission groups (CCGs) to decide locally the extent to which fertility treatment is offered. CCGs’ decisions should be underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. As such, provision of services may vary in response to local needs. NHS England has general intervention powers in relation to CCGs, should it be satisfied that a CCG is failing or has failed to discharge any of its functions, or there is a significant risk that it will fail to do so. It is also NHS England’s role to provide support and guidance to CCGs.

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has plans to improve the quality of Lyme disease tests.

    Nicola Blackwood

    The National Health Service and Public Health England (PHE) use well established validated diagnostic tests for Lyme disease that are highly reproducible between laboratories. International External Quality Assurance schemes are in place to ensure consistency between different tests centres.

    However, Lyme disease is a complex infection; we recognise that there are real challenges in diagnosis and we are further strengthening the evidence base. Commercial manufacturers and international academic groups have research programmes into improved tests. PHE continuously reviews new Lyme serology tests and will validate and implement new tests if appropriate.