Tag: 2016

  • 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.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his German counterpart on compensation for thalidomide survivors in the last year; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Lidington

    At a meeting with representatives of the Thalidomide Trust on 11 January, I agreed to raise with the German Ambassador the Trust’s request for a further meeting with the German authorities. I wrote in these terms to the Ambassador on 4 February.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the UK is intending to take steps to ensure that effective benchmarks for extractive-sector governance are included on the agenda for the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The Brussels Conference on Afghanistan in October 2016 will consider progress against the Self Reliance through the Mutual Accountability Framework agreed between the National Unity Government and the international community in September 2015. This Framework includes an objective to improve the investment climate and a commitment on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

    Responsible development of the extractives sector is a UK priority. We are supporting the Government to strengthen legal frameworks, contract management and fiscal regimes, and to implement the Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which cases of human rights violations against Tibetans he or ministerial colleagues have taken up with their Chinese counterparts in each of the last three years.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Over the course of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogues held in Beijing in April 2015 and in London in 2014, senior officials raised the cases of 22 Tibetans detained by the Chinese authorities. We also raised the full range of our wider human rights concerns on Tibet at each of these rounds, including allegations of torture, freedom of expression, right to a fair trial and freedom of religion or belief. A round of the Human Rights Dialogue was not held in 2013.

  • 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 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2016 to Question 34911, which contracted employment support initiatives other than the Work Programme and Work Choice are included in the figure for the total budget for Contract Employment Programmes for 2016-17 given in that Answer.

    Priti Patel

    Pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2016 to Question 34911 programmes included within the Contracted Employment Programmes budget for 2016-17 are:

    • Work Programme (as previously shown);
    • Youth Support, which includes:

    o Youth Engagement Fund;

    o Youth Contract Wage Incentive.

    • Pre and Post Work Programme Support, which includes:

    o New Enterprise Allowance;

    o English Language Requirement;

    o Community Work Placement.

    • Specialist Disability Programmes, which includes:

    o Work Choice including Remploy (as previously shown);

    o Residential Training

    o Specialist Employability Support.