Tag: 2016

  • Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy McDonald on 2016-09-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to tender a public contract to perform the function of operator of last resort for (a) long distance and (b) regional passenger rail franchises.

    Paul Maynard

    The Secretary of State has a duty under Section 30 of the Railways Act 1993, to maintain the continuity of passenger rail services in the event that a passenger rail franchise terminates and is not immediately replaced. Following a successful procurement competition using the new STAR (Specialist Technical Advice for Rail) Framework Agreement, the Department has appointed a partnership comprising Arup, SNC-Lavalin Transport Advisory and EY to provide services to support the Secretary of State in connection with these duties. This includes advice in connection with the mobilisation and operation of a Public Sector Operator of Last Resort should the need arise.

    The Department does not intend to tender any other contracts to perform the functions of Operator of Last Resort at this stage.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the effect of the Tier 2 visa scheme’s minimum salary threshold on the ability of curry restaurants to recruit chefs from abroad.

    James Brokenshire

    Acquiring this information on visa applications from chefs would involve examining each individual case record held by UK Visas & Immigration for the Tier 2 category. To do so would incur a disproportionate cost.

    The Home Office regularly receives representations to lower the criteria (including the salary requirement) for sponsoring chefs under Tier 2, the skilled worker route. Tier 2 is, however, reserved for graduate level occupations. We continue to welcome the very top chefs who promote innovative and authentic cuisine here in the UK — and these types of skilled chefs are on the shortage occupation list. The salary threshold applied to chefs was based on expert advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee.

    We have been clear, however, that the restaurant industry needs to move away from an unsustainable reliance on migrant workers. We want to nurture more home-grown talent and encourage young people in this country who want to pursue a skilled career. This means the restaurant sector offering training to attract and recruit resident workers to meet their staffing needs.

    The industry is starting to make progress in this area, recruiting and training more chefs in the UK, and this needs to continue.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Home Affairs on enabling foreign nurses to fill vacancies in the NHS.

    Ben Gummer

    Overseas nurses and their contribution to the National Health Service was discussed with the Home Office Secretary on 17 June 2015 in a scheduled bilateral meeting.

  • Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Saville Roberts on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to permit a future Welsh Government to apply directly to the EU Solidarity Fund using UK status as a member state.

    Mr David Gauke

    The current regulation states that an application for an EU Solidarity Fund grant must come from an EU member state government.

    The Treasury leads on negotiations relating to the EU’s seven-year budget, or ‘Multiannual Financial Framework’ (MFF). We can expect the rules governing the implementation of the Fund, including the application process, to be reviewed in the context of negotiations relating to the next MFF, which will take effect from 2021.

    The Devolved Administrations will be consulted in preparation for those negotiations.

  • Paul Maynard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paul Maynard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Maynard on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to help improve awareness of cerebral palsy amongst health practitioners.

    Jane Ellison

    There are no plans to establish a national register of children with cerebral palsy. PACE, the charity which supports children and families affected by motor disorders such as cerebral palsy indicates that the current United Kingdom incidence rate of cerebral palsy is around one in 400 births and that approximately 1,800 children are diagnosed with cerebral palsy every year.

    It is the responsibility of the professional regulators to set the standards and outcomes for education and training and approve training curricula to ensure newly qualified healthcare professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide high quality patient care. This includes training to diagnose and provide care for children with cerebral palsy.

    Health Education England works with bodies that set curricula such as the General Medical Council and the royal colleges to seek to ensure training meets the needs of patients.

    Employers are responsible for ensuring that staff receive appropriate development to continue to deliver safe and effective healthcare.

    The Health Visitor training programme is not a condition specific programme of training. Health Visitors are all qualified nurses and/or midwives with a broad range of clinical skills. They undertake an additional year of training to be a health visitor during which they specialise in child and family issues.

    Health Visitors can support families with a child with cerebral palsy in the management of the clinical aspects of the condition. They can also advise on links to other specialist services, resources and groups to support the needs of the family and the child.

    The Department has asked the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence to prepare a clinical guideline on the diagnosis and management of cerebral palsy. It is expected to be published in January 2017.

  • Julie Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Julie Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answers of 16 February 2016 to Question 26010 and 11 April 2016 to Question 32109, when he now plans to establish a reading room for hon. Members to access Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership documents.

    Anna Soubry

    It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the lessons to be learnt from the flight of refugees from Fallujah and applied to the liberation of Mosul when it takes place; and what assistance will be provided to the minorities from Mosul’s neighbouring towns and villages to ensure that towns, villages and homes vacated by Christians, Yazidis and ethnic Shiites are restored to the rightful occupants.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK is working closely with the United Nations, Government of Iraq and other partners to learn lessons from the displacement of civilians from Fallujah and ensure they are factored into humanitarian contingency planning for Mosul. The UK is also working with the Coalition to support the Government of Iraq in developing plans to stabilise areas, like Fallujah, which have been liberated from Daesh, and by working to provide the governance, services and security necessary to enable the safe return of all communities, including those of minorities, to their homes.

  • Lord Foulkes of Cumnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Foulkes of Cumnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock on 2016-09-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish and place in the Library of both Houses the Met Office Report on climatology and wind shear relating to St Helena airport, submitted in October 2014.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK Met Office report was commissioned by the St Helena Government. It is therefore their report. Information in this report, and more recent data on the climatology and wind shear, is provided by the airport operator to airlines and pilots when applying to fly into St Helena.

  • Conor McGinn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Conor McGinn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Conor McGinn on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the proposed increase in the small claims limit for personal injury on access to justice.

    Dominic Raab

    The Government will consult on the detail of the new reforms in due course, including any necessary safeguards. The consultation will be accompanied by an impact assessment.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish data on out-of-area acute psychiatric care placements.

    Alistair Burt

    Experimental data on non-specialist out of area treatments for inpatients has been published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) since July 2015. Non specialist includes acute, older adult, psychiatric intensive care and rehabilitation treatment. There will be a gap in publication of this data from March 2016 whilst a new dataset is being introduced by HSCIC which will include data on out of area treatments.