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Tag: 2016

  • Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Nandy on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings were held between Dame Lowell Goddard and Liz Sanderson in connection with the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse; who was present at each such meeting; and if she publish the minutes of those meetings.

    Sarah Newton

    Liz Sanderson was the then Home Secretary’s special adviser. The Department holds no records of separate meetings or conversations between Ms Sanderson and Dame Lowell Goddard, panel members or the statutory officers. However, she routinely attended the Home Secretary’s meetings, including with Dame Lowell Goddard and panel members during the appointment processes. She also had occasional conversations with the Secretary to the Inquiry.

  • Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding and other support her Department has given for UN agencies, non-governmental agencies and civil society to (a) identify children at risk of human rights violations in Yemen, (b) support the development and implementation of programmes to secure the release and rehabilitation of children associated with armed groups and (c) respond to other violations of children’s rights in that country.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK has more than doubled its humanitarian commitment to Yemen over the last year to £75 million for 2015/16. This includes funding for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Save The Children to raise awareness of child rights, monitor and support displaced children, and provide food, nutrition, water and sanitation to children.

    The UK continues to raise the importance of compliance with international law with all parties to the conflict, including urging against the recruitment and use of child soldiers. We are also supporting the UN’s efforts to achieve a ceasefire and end to the conflict.

  • Neil Parish – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Neil Parish – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent progress she has made on the implementation of a revised Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Reform of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme will take place in two stages. I intend that the first stage of reform will take effect from Spring 2016. We will be consulting on our proposals for the second stage of reform shortly.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the level of violent crime in Greater Manchester.

    Mr John Hayes

    The independent Crime Survey for England and Wales shows that in the year ending September 2015 violent crime was 25% lower than in June 2010 and shows no significant change compared to the previous year (September 2014). Knife crime offences recorded by the police also remain 14% below the level of offences in 2010.

    Ending gang violence and exploitation is a priority for the Government and on 13 January 2016 we published a paper setting out our refreshed approach. This has a twin focus concerned with both reducing violence, including knife crime, and protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation by gangs. We are taking a number of steps to reduce violent crime including supporting proactive policing on knife crime and working with retailers to promote the responsible sales of knives.

    In addition, as part of the Government’s Serious and Organised Crime Strategy, we are funding Greater Manchester Police to deliver a project that aims to identify individuals at risk of becoming engaged in serious and organised crime and offering them an alternative path through a series of potential interventions.

  • Christopher Pincher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Christopher Pincher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Pincher on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will estimate the costs to local authorities of (a) mixing a tonne of air pollution control residues into concrete blocks and (b) disposing of a tonne of air pollution control residues to secure hazardous waste landfill.

    Rory Stewart

    The derogation to allow the landfilling of air pollution control residues that are three times above normal waste acceptance criteria was originally granted because there was a lack of alternative treatment capacity at the time to either treat certain wastes to levels meeting normal waste acceptance limits, to treat the wastes via alternative treatment technologies or to recycle or recover the residues. The availability of sufficient alternative treatment capacity and the costs of that treatment are therefore the two central criteria that the government will use to decide whether or not to remove the derogation.

    The Government is making an assessment of the quantity of air pollution control residues produced at energy from waste facilities to inform its decision on whether or not to remove the derogation to allow the landfilling of air pollution control residues that are three times above normal waste acceptance criteria. These figures will be available following the announcement of that decision.

    The Government is making an assessment of the costs of the different forms of treatment for air pollution control residues, including their mixing into concrete blocks and their disposal to hazardous waste landfill, to inform its decision on whether or not to remove the derogation to allow the landfilling of air pollution control residues that are three times above normal waste acceptance criteria. These figures will be available following the announcement of that decision.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to increase the level of resources provided to enable those detained to meet the current test for release.

    Andrew Selous

    The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is not able to disaggregate spending on IPP prisoners from spending on all prisoners.

    Supporting IPP prisoners in progressing towards release once they have completed their tariff is a priority. In particular, there is considerable focus on getting IPP prisoners access to any accredited programmes and other interventions designed to help them reduce their risk of harm.

    In December 2014, NOMS established a Progression Regime in closed conditions for IPP and life sentence prisoners who are not eligible for open conditions. This provides such prisoners with an alternative way to demonstrate reduced risk to the Parole Board.

  • Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve the speed and accuracy of diagnosis for heart failure patients.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England is working with key partners to ensure better co-ordination and integration of all services with the aim of delivering person-centred and coordinated care which is tailored to the needs and preferences of the individual, their carer and family.

    Specifically on heart failure, NHS England is working with Health Education England to look at ways of improving the provision of and increase access to echocardiography, which is used for the diagnosis of heart failure.

    NHS England has also established a best practice tariff for acute heart failure. This aims to encourage better practice in the caring for heart failure patients. In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published quality standards for acute heart failure and chronic heart failure, which can be found at:

    https://www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/QS9

    https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs103

    NHS England expects commissioners and providers to take account of quality standards in the services that are delivered to patients.

    The use of natriuretic peptides in diagnosing heart failure is widely understood and pathology laboratories are used to measuring them. The NICE’s guidance on acute heart failure and chronic heart failure both cover the use of natriuretic peptides. This guidance can be found at:

    https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg108

    https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg187

    The NICE has also developed a commissioning toolkit for the use of natriuretic peptides assessment in primary care for suspected heart failure:

    https://www.nice.org.uk/sharedlearning/a-commissioning-toolkit-for-use-of-natriuretic-peptide-assessment-for-suspected-heart-failure-in-primary-care

    “

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2016 to Question 42910, on poultry: animal welfare, for what reasons the ban on conventional cages only applies to laying hens of the species gallus gallus.

    George Eustice

    The UK ban on conventional cages only applies to laying hens of the species Gallus gallus as the legislation implements the EU-wide ban on keeping laying hens in conventional cages in Council Directive 1999/74, which is specific to laying hens.

  • Mrs Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mrs Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Cheryl Gillan on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects a permanent High Speed 2 Construction Commissioner to be appointed.

    Andrew Jones

    A permanent Construction Commissioner will be appointed following Royal Assent of the High Speed Rail (London to West Midlands) Bill.

  • Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Written Statement of 11 January 2016, HCWS458, what steps his Government has taken to implement the Smith Commission’s recommendation to explore the possibility of introducing formal schemes to allow international higher education students graduating from Scottish further and higher education institutions to remain in Scotland and contribute to economic activity for a defined period of time; whether he has consulted with Scottish further and higher education institutions on this matter; and (c) for what reasons his Department has not discussed this matter with the Scottish Government.

    David Mundell

    I have regular discussions with the Scottish Government’s Deputy First Minister on all aspects of the Smith Commission Agreement, the UK and Scottish Governments have had a number of meetings to discuss this issue and my written ministerial statement was shared with the Scottish Government in advance of publication. Scotland Office Ministers and officials also have regular discussions with further and higher education institutions and representative organisations such as Universities Scotland.