Tag: 2016

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the average patient waiting times for A&E departments at hospital sites that have introduced a (a) co-located urgent care centre and (b) model that integrates primary care staff within the A&E department in the last 12 months.

    Jane Ellison

    The location and structure of urgent and emergency care services is a matter for local commissioners, taking account of guidance issued by NHS England. This guidance includes Safer, faster better: good practice in delivering urgent and emergency care, which was published in August 2015, to support frontline providers and commissioners in re-designing urgent and emergency care services.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2016 to Question 27610, for what reasons the technical solution offered by VW was accepted in the EU but not in the US.

    Andrew Jones

    Manufacturers are required to comply with different technical standards between the EU market and the USA market. The engineering solution proposed by VW will bring its diesel cars into compliance with the EU emissions limits and testing is underway to confirm that this solution works for all model types. We do not have information regarding VW’s technical solutions in the USA.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a cap and floor funding approach for the development of new pumped storage capacity in Scotland.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We are investigating the potential barriers to deployment of energy storage and possible mitigating actions, focussing in the first instance on removing regulatory and policy barriers. We will be publishing a call for evidence on a smart systems route map, including storage, shortly. In addition, DECC is in regular dialogue with prospective developers of new pumped hydro storage projects, both in and outside of Scotland, and is keen to understand the extent to which any barriers to deployment can be overcome in a way that is affordable to consumers.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance is issued to family court judges on Parental Alienation syndrome and implacable hostility.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Guidance on Parental Alienation Syndrome is not issued to family court judges as the ‘syndrome’ is not recognised as such by many professionals in this country.

    The Children Act 1989 contains adequate provisions to protect against the effects of parental alienation or implacable hostility. These include the requirement for the court to ascertain the wishes and feelings of a child who is the subject of a parental dispute, commensurate with that child’s age and level of understanding and the power to request Cafcass to prepare a welfare report into any matters relevant to the child or the family.

    Cafcass practitioners are aware of the potential for children to be influenced or alienated by parental views and are alert to this possibility throughout the case.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will wait until the Committee on Climate Change report on the compatibility of UK onshore petroleum with meeting UK carbon budgets and the Government’s response is published before taking any decision to reverse (a) the planning decision against fracking made by Lancashire County Council and (b) any other planning decisions that are made by local authorities concerning the extraction of shale gas.

    James Wharton

    Secretary of State planning casework decisions are taken on the basis of the material considerations before the Secretary of State.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, (a) how much funding and (b) how many full-time equivalent staff will be transferred to her Department from the former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills as a result of her Department’s policy responsibility for universities.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Discussions and negotiations are still ongoing. We are currently unable to provide information on how much funding and how many full-time equivalent staff will transfer as a result of the Department for Education receiving policy responsibility for universities.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether UK nationals who are also nationals of other Commonwealth realms are required to renounce their UK citizenship if they wish to use a titular honour or knighthood granted to them by Her Majesty the Queen or her representatives in right of another of her Commonwealth Realms or Overseas Territories; and whether his Department’s rules on the use, style and designation of honours to dual nationals has changed in the last two years.

    James Duddridge

    If a Realm honour has been awarded to an individual when they were a British national, whether or not they were also a national of that Realm, then permission will not be given for the use of a title at a later date if the recipient later renounces their British nationality.

    The titles of Realm nationals, who are not British, and have been awarded a knighthood by their own country, are recognised in the United Kingdom as an official courtesy. Official courtesy means that other parties, including official bodies, may refer to the individual’s title if they wish to do so.

    The recognition of foreign honours is a matter for the Royal Prerogative and is governed by convention. The convention has not changed in the last two years. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office does not set rules or regulations for these matters.

  • Fabian Hamilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Fabian Hamilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he received a document on UK Sikhs from the Indian delegation during the Indian Prime Minister’s recent visit to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I did not receive a document on UK Sikhs from the Indian delegation during Prime Minister Modi’s visit.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was overpaid in tax credits in 2014-15; and what forecast he has made of the level of such overpayments in each of the next three years.

    Damian Hinds

    The amount of tax credit overpayments for 2014-15 were published in HMRC’s Annual Report and Accounts. The Annual Report and Accounts for 2015-16 are due to be published in June this year.

  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the costs of administering the Common Agricultural Policy in each of the (a) last and (b) next five years.

    George Eustice

    The Common Agricultural Policy is a devolved policy and Defra is responsible for its delivery in England. Decisions relating to the implementation of the CAP are integrated into numerous policy areas within the department and the delivery of the CAP is carried out primarily by the Rural Payments Agency, Natural England, and the Forestry Commission, alongside other business. This arrangement allows the various objectives of the CAP to be delivered effectively. However, this integrated approach to delivery also makes it difficult to calculate the total annual cost of the CAP in isolation. This is something that was identified by the National Audit Office in its recent report ‘Early Development of the CAP Delivery Programme’, and Defra is currently considering how to respond to this recommendation.