Tag: 2016

  • Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many young people aged 17 or under of each age were sectioned under the Mental Health Act in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

    Alistair Burt

    The National Police Chiefs Council has reported figures on the number of children held in police custody as a place of safety under section 136 of the Mental Health Act for only three years. These were as follows:

    2012-13 256 255;

    2013-14 161 256; and

    2014-15 145 161.

    Data on children and young people sectioned under other sections of the Mental Health Act are not available centrally.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 27179, whether the requirement in the Lisbon Treaty that the EU shall accede to the European Convention on Human Rights is legally enforceable.

    Dominic Raab

    The Prime Minister told the house on 3 February that the Governments position is that the EU should not join the European Convention on Human Rights. We are committed in our manifesto to change Britain’s relationship with respect to the European Court of Human Rights through our own British Bill of Rights. We shall be coming up with proposals for that shortly.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department plans to take to support recommendation 17 of the Mental Health Taskforce report of February 2016, on 24/7 access to mental health services by 2020-21.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department welcomed the publication of the independent Mental Health Taskforce report and we are working with our delivery partners to develop a programme of work to embed its recommendations in our policies. We will provide further details in the summer.

    To support this programme, we announced in January that an additional £1 billion investment will help to transform mental health services by 2020. This investment includes over £400 million for crisis resolution and home treatment teams to deliver 24/7 treatment in communities and homes as a safe and effective alternative to hospitals and £247 million for liaison mental health services in every hospital emergency department.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the total cost to his Department of taxi journeys made by (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials of his Department in each of the last five years.

    Mr Mark Francois

    Ministers, special advisers and civil servants in this department undertake a variety of visits to support the delivery of Government’s objectives and other departmental business. Travel and subsistence costs are published annually in the departmental accounts. We do not hold figures for the estimated costs for taxi journeys undertaken, broken down in the format requested and this can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the security arrangements under the Common Travel Agreement in preventing illegal immigration into the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government is working with all members of the Common Travel Area (CTA) to prevent illegal immigration and maintain the security of the external CTA border. Home Office Ministers and Officials have regular contact with all CTA members and there continues to be excellent government and operational level co-operation on a joint programme of work which includes: investment in border procedures; increased data sharing to inform immigration and border security decisions; interoperable passenger data systems, including the collection and processing of Advance Passenger Information (API) on intra and extra CTA routes, and; harmonised visa policy and processes. In addition to this, Immigration Enforcement and Border Force conduct intelligence-led operations to identify and take action against individuals who are seeking to or have abused this travel arrangement.

  • Andrew Bridgen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Bridgen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Bridgen on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to make additional funds available to areas where specialist cerebral palsy facilities are not currently available.

    David Mowat

    Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning universal health services for their area that meet the needs of their local population. In doing so they should take account of best practice such as that set out in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. Funding for CCGs is allocated by NHS England using an agreed formula.

    Paediatric neurology services are provided in both out and in-patient settings. The majority of these are specialised services commissioned directly by NHS England. These specialised services are based in Neurosciences Centres which have the necessary infrastructure in terms of diagnostic services and other specialities. However, paediatric neurology provides out-patient services based in secondary care centres around the geographical region served. This allows specialist services to be provided as near to patients as is reasonably feasible

    When considering what services should be commissioned we expect commissioners to take account of best practice and guidance and, where appropriate, the local Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, and Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which captures local need.

    The Department has asked NICE to develop guidance on cerebral palsy. The guideline, Cerebral palsy: diagnosis and management in children and young people under 25 is currently open for consultation and is expected to be published in January 2017. Guidance for adults is also being developed and is expected to be published in 2019.

  • Lady Hermon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Lady Hermon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the merits of increasing the capacity of the Moyle electricity interconnector between Northern Ireland and Scotland to improve electricity interconnection within the UK; and if he will make a statement.

    Jesse Norman

    The Government supports the development of new interconnection where it delivers benefits to the consumer, and our approach is designed to deliver those benefits in the most efficient way. We have a developer-led approach to interconnection where the market identifies the best projects and applies to Ofgem to assess their merits. In the 2016 Budget the Government said that it supports the increase of interconnection capacity to at least 9GW; if a developer was to propose additional capacity between Northern Ireland and the GB market, Ofgem would assess it on its merits.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average wait has been for the first universal credit payment following receipt of a successful application since the introduction of that credit.

    Priti Patel

    The information you have requested is not currently available.

    During 2016 we will be increasing the range of statistics on Universal Credit which will be published in accordance with the relevant protocols in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 24 February 2015 to Question 224081, on social services: pay, whether HM Revenue and Customs has completed its investigations into the six social care companies.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has investigated over 400 care sector employers involving 330 complaints from workers and 79 targeted using our risking tools. Non-compliance has been found in about a third of completed investigations, identifying over £436,000 arrears for nearly 3,000 care workers. HMRC’s investigations have assured the working practices of the social care providers who employ almost 20% of the total workforce in that sector.

    HMRC has not completed all the investigations into the six social care companies. The Department does not discuss the results of specific investigations for reasons of confidentiality.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has paid to staff in overtime in each of the last 24 months.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The tables below contain information on the overtime spend by the Department for Transport, including the following agencies, for February 2014 – January 2016:

    • Department for Transport (central)
    • Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
    • Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
    • Maritime and Coastguard Agency
    • Vehicle Certification Agency
    • Highways Agency (February 2014 – March 2015 only. From April 2015 HA became Highways England.)

    Month

    Feb-14

    Mar-14

    Apr-14

    May-14

    Jun-14

    Jul-14

    Overtime spend

    £1,239,198

    £1,599,619

    £927,703

    £1,280,082

    £1,268,173

    £1,261,126

    Month

    Aug-14

    Sep-14

    Oct-14

    Nov-14

    Dec-14

    Jan-15

    Overtime spend

    £1,249,497

    £1,341,766

    £1,413,538

    £1,160,553

    £1,158,340

    £1,122,994

    Month

    Feb-15

    Mar-15

    Apr-15

    May-15

    Jun-15

    Jul-15

    Overtime spend

    £1,247,224

    £1,664,032

    £1,395,002

    £1,339,767

    £1,290,854

    £1,403,393

    Month

    Aug-15

    Sep-15

    Oct-15

    Nov-15

    Dec-15

    Jan-16

    Overtime spend

    £888,400

    £911,069

    £1,051,989

    £775,587

    £357,148

    £446,784

    Both the twelve month periods shown above – February 2014 to January 2015 and February 2015 to January 2016 – show a reduction in overtime spend compared to the first twelve-month period of the Coalition government in 2010/11.