Tag: Alison McGovern

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will take steps to reduce sales of highly caffeinated drinks to children.

Jane Ellison

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has advised us that the safety of caffeine has been reviewed by the European Food Safety Authority, which specified a level of caffeine for children and adolescents which does not raise safety concerns. For a 10-year-old child this is equivalent to the amount of caffeine in one 250 ml can of high caffeine drink.

The FSA does not collect data on the sale of high caffeine drinks and has no plans to restrict the sale of these drinks to children. However, the FSA advises that children and other people who are sensitive to caffeine should consume caffeine only in moderation. High caffeine drinks must be labelled with an advisory statement that they are not recommended for children.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions her Department has conducted with its French counterpart on co-ordinating humanitarian relief efforts in Calais.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office is in regular discussions with French counterparts at ministerial and official level on all aspects of the migrant situation in Calais. The French Government is responsible for the care of migrants in Calais, including support over the winter. However, both governments are committed to finding a sustainable solution to the situation in Calais. One aspect of the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August, committed the UK to providing a £3.6 million (or €5 million) per year for two years to help support a range of work to manage the migrant population in Calais, in particular to provide support and facilities elsewhere in France. Additionally, the UK has provided £530,000 (€750,000) to fund a project to identify those in the camps at risk of trafficking and exploitation, to transfer them to places of safety; and to provide them with appropriate support within the French system.

The UK and French Governments are unified in their response to the migratory phenomenon and both governments recognise the importance of close partnership and collaboration to reach a long-term solution. This is a global challenge, and we will also work together to ensure that other EU states, as well as source and transit countries outside Europe, are doing everything they ought to be to stop people making these dangerous journeys in the first place.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects that a paperless NHS will be achieved.

George Freeman

The National Information Board framework Personalised Health and Care 2020 published in November 2014 outlined by 2020 all care records will be digital real-time and interoperable. Progress is being made and the recent announcement of significant investment in digital technology will help support the National Health Service to achieve this commitment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assistance and advice her Department is providing to UK volunteers offering assistance to refugees in Calais.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office is in regular discussions with French counterparts at ministerial and official level on all aspects of the migrant situation in Calais. The French Government is responsible for the care of migrants in Calais, including support over the winter. However, both governments are committed to finding a sustainable solution to the situation in Calais. One aspect of the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August, committed the UK to providing a £3.6 million (or €5 million) per year for two years to help support a range of work to manage the migrant population in Calais, in particular to provide support and facilities elsewhere in France. Additionally, the UK has provided £530,000 (€750,000) to fund a project to identify those in the camps at risk of trafficking and exploitation, to transfer them to places of safety; and to provide them with appropriate support within the French system.

The UK and French Governments are unified in their response to the migratory phenomenon and both governments recognise the importance of close partnership and collaboration to reach a long-term solution. This is a global challenge, and we will also work together to ensure that other EU states, as well as source and transit countries outside Europe, are doing everything they ought to be to stop people making these dangerous journeys in the first place.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of recent changes to benefits on levels of child poverty.

Priti Patel

The intended impact of the tax and benefit reforms introduced in the Summer Budget and Autumn Statement is to incentivise work, ensure work always pays, and to allow people to keep more of what they earn.

The Government is committed to working to eliminate child poverty and improving life chances for children.

Our new Life Chances measures will drive continued action on work and education, which will make the biggest difference to disadvantaged children, now and in the future.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with her French counterpart on securing a long-term solution to the situation in Calais.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office is in regular discussions with French counterparts at ministerial and official level on all aspects of the migrant situation in Calais. The French Government is responsible for the care of migrants in Calais, including support over the winter. However, both governments are committed to finding a sustainable solution to the situation in Calais. One aspect of the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August, committed the UK to providing a £3.6 million (or €5 million) per year for two years to help support a range of work to manage the migrant population in Calais, in particular to provide support and facilities elsewhere in France. Additionally, the UK has provided £530,000 (€750,000) to fund a project to identify those in the camps at risk of trafficking and exploitation, to transfer them to places of safety; and to provide them with appropriate support within the French system.

The UK and French Governments are unified in their response to the migratory phenomenon and both governments recognise the importance of close partnership and collaboration to reach a long-term solution. This is a global challenge, and we will also work together to ensure that other EU states, as well as source and transit countries outside Europe, are doing everything they ought to be to stop people making these dangerous journeys in the first place.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2016-03-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the proportion of local authorities that will exercise their right to levy the two per cent social care tax precept; and what assessment he has made of whether the revenue so raised will be sufficient to cover the funding gap for adult social care.

Alistair Burt

It is the decision of local councils whether to raise the adult social care precept in order to pay for adult social care in their local area. The precept gives local areas who are best placed to respond to local needs and pressures the flexibility to be able to do so. There will be a statistical release showing the number of councils taking up the precept on 30 March 2016.

Additionally, from April 2017 the Spending Review makes available social care funds for local government, rising to £1.5 billion by 2019-20, to be included in the Better Care Fund (BCF). We have deliberately distributed the improved BCF in such a way that those councils with low council tax bases will benefit most.

Taken together, the new precept and additional BCF contribution mean local government has access to the funding it needs to increase social care spending in real terms by the end of the Parliament.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what preparations her Department has made for the increased level of aid required in Calais when winter sets in.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office is in regular discussions with French counterparts at ministerial and official level on all aspects of the migrant situation in Calais. The French Government is responsible for the care of migrants in Calais, including support over the winter. However, both governments are committed to finding a sustainable solution to the situation in Calais. One aspect of the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August, committed the UK to providing a £3.6 million (or €5 million) per year for two years to help support a range of work to manage the migrant population in Calais, in particular to provide support and facilities elsewhere in France. Additionally, the UK has provided £530,000 (€750,000) to fund a project to identify those in the camps at risk of trafficking and exploitation, to transfer them to places of safety; and to provide them with appropriate support within the French system.

The UK and French Governments are unified in their response to the migratory phenomenon and both governments recognise the importance of close partnership and collaboration to reach a long-term solution. This is a global challenge, and we will also work together to ensure that other EU states, as well as source and transit countries outside Europe, are doing everything they ought to be to stop people making these dangerous journeys in the first place.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how long the average anticipated response time is for a review of a driving licence due to medical reasons.

Andrew Jones

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) deals with more than 600,000 medical driver licensing applications annually. The length of time taken to deal with an individual application depends on the medical condition and whether further information is required from medical professionals.

Between April 2016 and the end of August 2016, the average time taken for a licensing decision to be made was 38 working days. The average time for the period April 2015 to March 2016 was 53 working days.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department took into account the global growth potential of solar energy in making its decision to end Government support for the UK solar sector.

Andrea Leadsom

We are currently consulting on revised rates under the Feed-in Tariff scheme, and our proposal includes tariffs that would continue to provide a reasonable rate of return for the best sited solar PV projects.

We have additionally recently consulted on closing the Renewables Obligation to new solar PV projects of 5MW and below.

In both cases, the tariffs under consultation and the Impact Assessments have been conducted including analysis of the global cost trajectory of solar panels, and other materials in the solar supply chain.

The Impact Assessments for the FIT Review and RO Closure consultation can be found at:

FIT Review Consultation: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-a-review-of-the-feed-in-tariff-scheme;

RO Consultation: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changes-to-financial-support-for-solar-pv.

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