Tag: 2016

  • Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Cox on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives from the health sector on the development of services to treat arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department is in regular contact with stakeholders, such as Arthritis Research UK, and hosted a roundtable with them in November. The group is in the process of producing a toolkit for commissioners to support commissioning of physical activity interventions for people with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.

    Whilst the Department has no plans to publish an arthritis action plan, NHS England and Public Health England are taking forward a number of projects.

    Specifically on MSK conditions, the National Health Service National Clinical Director for MSK, Peter Kay, has been working in partnership with the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance, to develop new MSK clinical networks across England to build consensus on the way forward for models of care. In addition, in February 2015, Public Health England, in partnership with NHS England and the Department, ran a local pilot campaign to raise public awareness of the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in Nottingham City and Hardwick Clinical Commissioning Group. The aim of the campaign was to support earlier diagnosis and thereby enable treatment to begin earlier to improve the quality of life for people with the condition. The results of the campaign are currently being evaluated.

  • John Cryer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Cryer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Cryer on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many meetings he or other Ministers of his Department have had with representatives of Care UK, BUPA, Virgin Care, The Practice, United Health/Optum, Serco, Nestor Primecare, General Healthcare (BMI Netcare), Spire/Classic, HCA International, Ramsay and Capio in each month of (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014, (f) 2015 and (g) 2016 to date.

    Ben Gummer

    Information regarding all meetings between Departmental Ministers and external organisations is included in the Transparency Data, published quarterly. This can be accessed at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-of-health&publication_type=transparency-data.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Bahrain pressing for (a) the release of all people arrested in relation to peaceful protest and (b) reconsideration of the July 2014 amendments to the nationality laws in that country.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK encourages Bahrain to respect the rights of all peaceful opposition figures. We call on the Bahraini government to act proportionately in all such cases to protect the universal rights of freedom of expression and assembly. We also continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to meets its human rights obligations and honour all conventions to which it is a party – including on citizenship rights. We regularly discuss human rights with the Government of Bahrain. I most recently raised human rights with the Bahraini Ambassador to the UK, His Excellency Sheikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, on 8 March.

  • Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will extend the English national concessionary travel scheme for disabled people beyond off-peak times.

    Andrew Jones

    Whilst I appreciate that concessionary pass holders might wish to use buses before 9.30am, there are no plans to extend the statutory scheme to include morning peak time travel. Local authorities already have powers to introduce “discretionary concessions” building on the minimum national standard. Authorities can, for instance, enable some disabled pass holders to use services during peak hours, to use modes of transport other than buses or to travel with a companion free of charge. Such enhancements are however, entirely a matter for the respective authorities and are funded locally. It follows that any decision on whether to create such enhancements is a matter for the authority concerned.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his Department’s budget allocation was for reducing the number of young people who were classified as not in employment, education or training in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2015-16.

    Nick Boles

    Young and unemployed people are prioritised in the skills funding system through entitlements to free training, as well as specific programmes and initiatives, such as Traineeships and the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers. The Adult Education Budget is not ring-fenced for any provision and providers have the freedom and flexibility to put on provision to meet the needs of learners and local labour markets.

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to encourage local authorities to include information about the New Enterprise Allowance, Small Business Rate Relief and Disability Confident with the business rate summaries sent to businesses.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government has no plans to encourage local authorities to include information about the New Enterprise Allowance and Disability Confident with business rates demand notices. Demand Notices are the statutory means by which local authorities inform non-domestic ratepayers of their rate liability for the year ahead. The demand notice also provides useful information about rate bills.

    Small Business Rate Relief information is directly related to business rates and is already included on demand notices.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions officials of his Department have had with NHS England on its August 2016 update on the commissioning and provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention

    Nicola Blackwood

    As an independent body NHS England produced and agreed the content of the August 2016 update on pre-exposure prophylaxis.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will support a claim by (a) petroleum suppliers who supply home heating oil and (b) other petroleum suppliers for a derogation from the EU rules on the amount of weekly rest required by such suppliers’ drivers; and what stage that application for a derogation has reached.

    Andrew Jones

    In December 2015 the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers sent the Department for Transport an application for the UK to submit a request to the European Commission, under Article 14(1) of Regulation (EC) 561/2006, for a derogation on the weekly rest requirement in the EU drivers’ hours rules for drivers of tankers delivering domestic fuel. This application is being considered and a decision on whether to support it and apply to the Commission will be made in due course.

  • 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 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with clinical bodies on the link between diabetes and heart disease.

    Jane Ellison

    There have been no such recent discussions.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to provide certified copies of identity documents to visa applicants to support their applications to undertake an approved English language test.

    James Brokenshire

    There is no intention to change the current policy with regards to identity checks for Secure English Language Testing (SELT). Photocopies, whether certified or not, are not accepted when a candidate sits a test. Only original and valid documents are acceptable. This will allow test centre staff to confirm that the document is genuine and relates to the individual who is sitting the test.

    The only acceptable forms of identification in the UK are:

    • a passport or travel document;

    • a EU Identity Card;

    • a Biometric Residence Permit.