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Tag: 2016

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

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what range of compensation payments is planned to be available under the Government’s proposals for people who have been affected by contaminated blood who undertake individual health assessments.

    Jane Ellison

    The detail of the potential payment bands can only be decided when decisions on the shape and structure of the new scheme have been made following consultation. It is anticipated that there would likely be a number of broadly defined bands of ill health with different levels of annual payment attached to each. The greatest impact of infection on health would attract the highest annual payment. We intend that the highest payment would be £15,000 per annum. The payments are not compensation but ex-gratia. Under the current scheme those who receive annual payments receive £14,749.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 31102, what assessment she has made of the effect of the Government’s proposal for every school to become an academy on (a) divergences between schools’ admissions arrangements and (b) proposals to limit who may refer objections to the Schools Adjudicator; and if she will make a statement.

    Nick Gibb

    The Department’s White Paper, ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’, sets out the Government’s aim that every school should have the opportunity to become an academy. In this context, it sets out our intention to seek views on a number of changes to the admissions system to make it simpler and clearer for parents to navigate.

    As part of these proposed changes, we intend to streamline the functions of the Office of the Schools Adjudicator so that objections to admission arrangements are resolved faster. This will include limiting who can object so only local parents and councils may refer objections, so that the adjudicator function can remain focused on resolving the concerns of those who may be directly affected by a school’s admission arrangements.

    The White Paper is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/educational-excellence-everywhere

    “

  • Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax avoidance cases the General Anti-Abuse Rule Advisory Panel considered in (a) 2013, (b) 2014, (c) 2015 and (d) 2016 to date.

    Mr David Gauke

    The General Anti-Abuse Rule (GAAR) was introduced in July 2013, and only applies to abusive tax arrangements entered into from this date.

    This means that it will first apply to income tax returns for the tax year ending 5 April 2014, which must have been filed with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) by 31 January 2015.

    For cases to be tackled by the GAAR, HMRC must first enquire into tax returns once they are received, and gather all relevant facts. It is therefore still early in the process of litigation action for cases to be tackled by the GAAR.

    The GAAR Advisory Panel is an external body separate to HMRC. Their independent role means that they do not report the number of meetings held to HMRC.

  • Jon Trickett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jon Trickett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jon Trickett on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS trusts have reported difficulty recruiting specialist nurses for patients with neurological conditions in the last three years.

    Ben Gummer

    Information on how many trusts have reported difficulty recruiting specialist nurses for patients with neurological conditions is not collected centrally.

    It is for local National Health Service organisations with their knowledge of the healthcare needs of their local population to invest in training for specialist skills and to deploy specialist nurses.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Natura 2000 scheme will be continued.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    Whilst we are still a member of the EU we will continue to implement the Habitats and Birds Directives, including management of the Natura 2000 network of European sites.

    We are committed to protecting vulnerable species and habitats and to being the first generation to leave the natural environment of England in a better state than that in which we found it.

  • Michael Fabricant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Michael Fabricant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Fabricant on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Defence ways by which vexatious claims against soldiers who have served on operations overseas can be minimised; and if he will make a statement.

    Dominic Raab

    As the Prime Minister announced last Friday we cannot have our armed forces being hounded by ambulance chasing lawyers pursuing spurious claims. I will be chairing a working group with the Minister for Armed forces that will look at every aspect of this issue, including conditional fee arrangements, legal aid rules and disciplinary sanctions against lawyers who abuse the system, to prevent malicious litigation being brought against our service personnel.

  • 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 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to review plans to introduce a click and collect service as a result of P2U service failings over the 2015 Christmas period.

    Alistair Burt

    All pharmacies should have a business continuity plan in place which covers not being able to provide a full or any service.

    NHS England, in conjunction with the General Pharmaceutical Council, worked urgently with Pharmacy 2 U once it became apparent that this pharmacy was failing to deliver its normal service over the Christmas period. They ensured that Pharmacy 2 U instigated several actions in addition to the business continuity plan that the pharmacy already had in place. The ability to ensure that, where necessary or as requested by the patient, prescriptions were diverted to another pharmacy of the patient’s choice was made significantly easier by the fact that the majority of the prescriptions dispensed by Pharmacy 2 U are sent to them via the Electronic Prescription Service.

    Patient safety was the number one priority at the immediate time. Pharmacy 2 U resumed its normal service, as publicised, on 11 January 2016, and there now continues to be a review of the events that led to this situation to ensure that the review of community pharmacy in England is fully informed and national lessons can be learnt from this unexpected and unfortunate event.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which local authorities will host Think Ahead graduate trainees on placement; and whether he has plans to expand that programme.

    Alistair Burt

    Arrangements are being finalised for the local authorities and National Health Service mental health trusts that will host Think Ahead participants and these partnerships will be announced in due course. Participants in Think Ahead’s first cohort are due to be based in the following regions: Yorkshire, the North East, the Midlands, London, and the South East.

    The Department will make a decision on the future of the programme once an evaluation of the first cohort has been undertaken.

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the effectiveness of the flushability tests used by manufacturers of disposable wipes.

    Rory Stewart

    Sewer blockages can be a serious problem, and sewer flooding can cause great distress to householders.

    We support the work that the industry is taking forward to reduce the number of blockages. Water UK, the representative body for the UK water and sewerage industry, has led on development of a voluntary test that sanitary manufacturers can use to establish whether or not their product is truly flushable.

  • Ian Paisley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian Paisley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the potential effect of the introduction of the soft drinks industry levy on the cost of the average weekly shop in real terms in each year to 2018-19.

    Damian Hinds

    The tax rates for the Soft Drinks Industry Levy have not yet been set. The levy has been designed to encourage producers to reformulate their overall product mixes, and it is up to the industry how they respond to it. For example, if producers reformulate, they will pay less.