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Tag: 2016

  • Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will continue to lead on consumer affairs; and if so, which minister has responsibility for that area.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will continue to lead on consumer affairs. Margot James MP is the Minister for Small Business, Consumers, and Corporate Responsibility.

  • Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what standard of medical expertise is expected of personal independence payment assessors; and what (a) experience and (b) training is required to understand the symptoms of medical conditions.

    Penny Mordaunt

    All Health Professionals (HPs) undertaking assessments on behalf of DWP must be registered practitioners who have also met requirements around training, experience and competence. Approval to work as an HP must be conferred by the DWP Chief Medical Adviser on behalf of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

    For the delivery of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments, they must be an occupational therapist, level 1 nurse, physiotherapist, paramedic or doctor. They must also be fully registered and have at least two years’ post full-registration experience. In addition to their profession, the Department recognises the importance of ensuring that individuals also have sufficient experience, skills and training to carry out their duties and PIP providers are required to ensure that the HPs carrying out assessments have knowledge of the clinical aspects and likely functional effects of a wide range of health conditions and impairments.

    This means that all HPs receive comprehensive training in disability analysis which includes a functional evaluation as to how medical conditions and the long-term medical treatment of those conditions affect an individual’s ability to perform day-to-day activities. Prior to carrying out an assessment the HP routinely refreshes their knowledge of any condition with which they are not fully familiar.

    Claimants who consider the result of an assessment to be an inaccurate representation of their condition can ask for a “mandatory reconsideration”, in writing or by telephone, giving their reasons. They may include further information to support their case.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many press and public relations staff are employed by (a) National Savings and Investments, (b) the Government Internal Audit Agency, (c) the UK Debt Management Office, (d) the Office for Budget Responsibility, (e) the Crown Estate, (f) the FCA, (g) the National Infrastructure Commission, (h) the Payment Systems Regulator, (i) the Royal Mint, (j) UK Financial Investments Ltd and (k) HM Revenue and Customs; how many of those employees earn more than (i) £50,000 and (ii) £100,000; and what the total expenditure was on press and public relations by each of those organisations in the most recent year for which figures are available.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The information requested is not held centrally. Details on staffing costs are available in the Annual Report and Accounts for the organisations referred to in the question.

    Across Government the government communications profession saved £330 million for taxpayers last year compared to 2009 to 2010 – by making its campaigns more cost effective.

    This means that this government reduced communications spending by a total of £1 billion during the last Parliament.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-01-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 27 January (HL5017) concerning equality and parity of esteem, whether terrorists and members of the security forces who reside outside Northern Ireland do not have parity of esteem with those who reside there.

    Lord Dunlop

    The Government is committed to affording due respect and parity of esteem to all the people in Northern Ireland as underpinned by the 1998 Belfast Agreement and in accordance with the obligations on the Government to promote equality and prevent discrimination across the United Kingdom.

  • Corri Wilson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Corri Wilson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Corri Wilson on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with cancer have been placed in the work-related activity group in (a) each of the last five years and (b) total since the introduction of employment and support allowance.

    Priti Patel

    The specific information requested is not readily available, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    The information we do have for Employment and Support Allowance claimants by medical condition, including Neoplasms and phase of claim, is published and available at:

    https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp

    Guidance for users can be found at:

    https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp

    “

  • Baroness Howells of St Davids – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Howells of St Davids – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howells of St Davids on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve the treatment of prisoners with mental health conditions, and in particular to increase the number of staff available to escort them to treatment.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England’s national specifications for prison health services are improving standards of mental health services across all prisons in England. Clear commissioning models, focusing on outcomes specific to custodial settings for improving mental health, include improving the provision of support for common mental health conditions within the prison, earlier identification of prisoners who require transfer to secure hospitals and effective communication and planning with secure hospitals to enable safe transfer.

    NHS England is working closely with the National Offender Management Service to consider the demand for escorts and identify options for improvement.

  • Julie Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Julie Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with rail franchises in the North of England on improving the service to Sunderland rail station.

    Andrew Jones

    Given that the Northern and TPE franchises only started on 1st April 2016, no such discussions have yet taken place and would in any case be led by the devolved franchise management team based in Leeds.

    ‎Separately, Virgin Trains East Coast introduced a new daily service to Sunderland on 14 December 2015.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to publish the outcome of its consultation with local authorities on the resettling of child refugees under the Immigration Act 2016.

    James Brokenshire

    The UK Government takes it’s responsibility in all cases involving children seriously and we will continue to ensure that all unaccompanied children are provided with appropriate care, regardless of their route to the UK.

    It is important that we work with local authorities to understand their capacity to support all unaccompanied children and ensure their needs can be met. That is why my officials are working closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Education to ensure consultation with local authorities is consistent and coordinated across all resettlement and relocation programmes. Consultation with local government partners will take place over the coming weeks and Parliament will be updated in due course.

    We are keen to ensure that there is a more equitable distribution of unaccompanied children across the UK and that no local authority is required to take more children than they can support.

    The Home Office provides funding to local authorities for the care of unaccompanied asylum seeking children and recently announced new enhanced rates to support the transfer scheme. We will continue to measure the impacts on local authorities, but are clear that funding for unaccompanied asylum seeking children and refugees must be aligned, regardless of the route of entry for the child.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to introduce further restrictions on the posts that EU nationals are able to (a) work in and (b) apply for within the Civil Service; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Davis

    As yet, no consideration has been given, or decisions taken, about the laws or policies relevant to EU nationals applying for, or being employed in civil service posts.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Government plans to formally respond to Lord Oxburgh’s report on carbon capture and storage in the UK, published on 12 September 2016; and if he will make a statement.

    Jesse Norman

    The Government will consider closely the findings and recommendations made in the report, ‘Lowest Cost Decarbonisation for the UK: the critical role of carbon capture and storage’, published by the Lord Oxburgh- led Parliamentary Advisory Group on CCS.

    Government will be setting out its future approach to CCS in due course.