The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were admitted to hospital as a result of NHS 111 calls made in 2015 in (a) Lancashire and (b) Burnley.
Jane Ellison
The data is not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Shinkwin on 2016-03-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that the UK complies with its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities if cell-free DNA, non-invasive prenatal testing techniques are made available to pregnant women on the NHS.
Lord Prior of Brampton
There is a long established Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme that prospective parents can choose whether to participate in. The United Kingdom National Screening Committee recommendation on non-invasive prenatal testing does not change the choices available to prospective parents within the programme. We are satisfied that the UK is compliant with its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and that the Programme is compliant with all obligations under the Equality Act 2010. We would also note that English law does not recognise a foetus as a separate legal person.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-04-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that broken accessibility equipment on buses is considered as a priority for repair.
Andrew Jones
From 1 January 2016 all single-deck buses designed to carry over twenty-two passengers on local and scheduled routes must comply with the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR), which require them to incorporate a wheelchair space and boarding facility, priority seating and other features to make journeys easier for a range of disabled people. Double deckers must comply by January 2017, and coaches by 2020.
Currently 89% of buses are compliant, and last year just 47 of the 7,343 public service vehicles subject to routine checks were found to have PSVAR related defects. Operators of vehicles found to be non-compliant are required to rectify faults promptly or risk enforcement action.
We expect all operators to comply with the law and are working with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency to ensure it continues to be enforced effectively.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-06-06.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his Department’s policy is on requests from taxation treaty partners for changes to the levels of source taxation in such treaties.
Mr David Gauke
The UK responds positively to requests from developing countries for renegotiation of tax treaties.
The UK recognises that treaty partners may now want higher levels of source taxation than are contained in treaties negotiated many years ago. However, the eventual level of source state taxation in a renegotiated treaty reflects the balance of the agreed priorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the (a) potential benefits to security and (b) viability of effective implementation of requiring proof of identification prior to purchase of a SIM card.
Sarah Newton
This issue was considered in detail by an expert group comprising representatives of law enforcement, the security and intelligence agencies and communication service providers following the terrorist attacks in London in July 2005. The experts’ findings remain valid. They concluded that the registration of ownership of mobile telephones would not deliver any significant new benefits to the investigatory process.
Mobile phones are not the only devices capable of making calls or sending messages. Many laptops, computers, popular MP3 players and games consoles also support the sending of messages and phone calls. These devices are increasingly being used for communications. It would be necessary to include these other devices in any mandatory registration scheme.
Separately, the person who buys the device is not necessarily the person who will use it. Mobile phones are often sold or given to family members or friends which would mean that such information would quickly become out of date.
Furthermore, those who were keen to avoid providing details would still find ways to circumvent the scheme, such as purchasing or registering phones under false identities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-10-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce youth unemployment in areas with high levels of youth unemployment.
Damian Hinds
Since 2010 the youth claimant count has fallen in all regions, and only 5.7% of the youth population are unemployed and not in full-time education, a rate that is near record low. We are investing further in an intensive support regime for young people, equipping them with vital skills to not only find a job, but build capability to sustain work.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-01-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether a hon. Member is regarded under paragraph 3.1.2 of JSP441 Defence Records Management Policy and Procedures as a person entitled (a) to access records which provide evidence of the activities that took place, (b) establish what happened and (c) understand why decisions were taken in relation to numbers of attendees on training courses, costs maintenance improvement and development costs, building of storage facilities, travel and accommodation costs in relation to (i) MOD Grantown-on-Spey, (ii) MOD Llanrwst, (iii) MOD Fairbourne and (iv) MOD Crickhowell; and if he will make a statement.
Mark Lancaster
There is no general entitlement to access to Ministry of Defence (MOD) records for Honourable Members, other than through the relevant legislation. In respect of records related to the MOD units at Grantown-on-Spey, Llanrwst, Fairbourne and Crickhowell, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 4 December 2015 to Question number 18405.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2016-01-28.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2015 to Question 19012, how many households in the North East and Houghton and Sunderland South constituency are in receipt of child tax credits (a) not equal to but higher than the mode and (b) not equal to but higher than the mean for each year in the data sets provided in that Answer.
Mr David Gauke
The number of families in receipt of Child Tax Credit broken down by region and parliamentary constituency can be found in the following publications.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to reply to the letters dated 11 December 2015, 14 January and 10 February 2016 from the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner on port security and border controls; and if she will place a copy of her responses in the Library.
James Brokenshire
The Home Secretary sent a response to the letters dated 11th December 2015 and 14th January 2016 on 22nd February 2016. She has not received a third letter. Responses will not be added to the library, this is not usual practice for private correspondence.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-03-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce regional variation of access to (a) minimally invasive technology and (b) drug eluting stents designed to tackle peripheral arterial disease.
George Freeman
Vascular services manage the treatment and care of patients with diseases related to disorders of the arteries, veins and lymphatic system. These can be managed by medical therapy, minimally-invasive catheter procedures and surgical reconstruction. NHS England commissions these services as part of its specialised commissioning portfolio.
The vascular disease specialised commissioning clinical reference group has prepared a service specification for specialised vascular services. This aims to ensure that services deliver improved patient experience, provide equality of access to the full range of vascular diagnostics and interventions, and ensue that patients are receiving a high quality of service, with access to the most modern techniques.
Implementation of the service specification for specialised vascular services through the local service review processes is designed to reduce regional variation.
The service specification can be found at:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/a04-spec-vascu-adult.pdf
The Government has made no assessment of the effects of drug eluting stents on lower limb amputation rates.
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