Tag: Andrew Percy

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the campaign by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service to raise awareness of the importance of parental orders for new parents and surrogates.

Jane Ellison

Surrogacy is a complex issue, the legislation about which has not been significantly addressed by respective administrations since the Surrogacy Arrangements Act was introduced in 1985. The Government recognises the arguments for the need for a review, and we have therefore asked the Law Commission, as part of the consultation on its 13th work programme this summer, to consider including a project on surrogacy.

The Department has not issued guidance about surrogacy to professional groups or the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS). The Government recognises surrogacy as an important option for some people wishing to start a family and is currently considering how best to clarify the current legal arrangements for intended parents, surrogates and their families. The CAFCASS campaign to increase awareness of Parental Orders is ongoing and targeted at health workers, local authority registration staff and surrogacy agencies. It will be evaluated in full upon completion in autumn 2016; in-campaign monitoring indicates its messaging is reaching the target audience.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken since 23 June 2016 to promote trade and diplomatic connections between the UK and other Commonwealth countries.

Mr Hugo Swire

We are committed to strengthening our trade and diplomatic relationships with Commonwealth members, with whom we already enjoy important trading partnerships. In March we announced that we would co-host with Malta the inaugural Commonwealth Trade Ministers meeting early next year, which will be organised by the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC). The UK will also host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in early 2018, which will be a further opportunity to promote greater trade and investment within the Commonwealth.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support his Department is providing to the Care Quality Commission for improving the quality of food in care and nursing homes.

Alistair Burt

Public Health England (PHE) advocates a healthy food provision for all regardless of age, including those who are undernourished. This is a selection of food and drink which meets daily nutrient needs in a healthier more sustainable way.

PHE has published a range of catering guidance and supporting tools offering practical advice to support healthier and more sustainable food provision across a range of settings. This includes a toolkit for serving food to older people (including those in residential settings or community settings where older people may receive support, such as “meals on wheels” and take part in social activity such as lunch clubs).

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, all providers of regulated activities have to register with the CQC and follow a set of fundamental standards of safety and quality, below which care should never fall. Regulation 14 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, requires registered providers to meet nutritional and hydration needs.

This fundamental standard requires that a service user receives suitable and nutritious food and hydration which is adequate to sustain life and good health. Care providers need to take into account the service users preferences or their religious or cultural background. Service users should also receive support to eat and drink if necessary.

The CQC inspects providers to see if they are meeting these fundamental standards and provides clear direction on areas that require improvement. The CQC has a wide range of enforcement powers if a provider fails to meet the fundamental standards.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-12-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is take to ensure that the £22 billion NHS efficiency savings proposed in the NHS Five-Year Forward View, published in October 2014, do not affect the quality of services which people with Parkinson’s Disease require to assist them with their condition.

Alistair Burt

Efficiency and high quality care go hand-in-hand; cutting waste and safer care are integral to ensuring better outcomes at a lower cost. The efficiencies the National Health Service needs to find are linked to the challenge of continued improvements in care across all services, including for people with Parkinson’s disease. We are introducing a number of measures to help the NHS spend taxpayers’ money more efficiently by making sure that the health and care system is supported to invest in areas where they can make the most positive impact on the health of their local population.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many defibrillators are provided in each building his Department manages.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

At the 18 January 2016, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) had a total of 12 public use Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) across the FCO’s four UK sites while FCO tenants at Hanslope Park have an additional 15 AEDs for their own internal use.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many defibrillators are provided in each building his Department manages.

Brandon Lewis

The Department for Communities and Local Government provides the following number of defibrillators in each of its buildings:

Building	No. of defibrillators
5 St. Philips Place, Birmingham,	1
2 Rivergate, Bristol,	1
Temple Quay House, Bristol,	1
Citygate, Newcastle upon Tyne,	0
High Trees, Hemel Hempstead,	1
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre , London,	1

The building that houses the Department’s headquarters is not managed by DCLG but, we are aware that there are no defibrillators on site.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department plans to take with insurance companies to ensure that savings from Flood Re are passed on to consumers in flood-risk areas.

Rory Stewart

Through the prices it charges insurers that cede policies to it, Flood Re will enable insurers to offer subsidised premiums, set by council Tax bands or equivalent, and reduced excesses to those at the highest risk of flooding. This is a competitive market and insurers are confident there will be a wide range of products available to consumers under Flood Re. It will remain important that households continue to shop around to ensure they can access the best prices.

Flood Re will regularly monitor the accessibility and affordability of insurance for those at high flood risk. Defra and Flood Re will evaluate the success of the scheme at least every five years.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to maintain a strong commercial bus market in northern regions of the UK.

Andrew Jones

The forthcoming Buses Bill will provide local transport authorities, including those in the North, with a range of tools that will enable them to improve their bus services by introducing new franchising powers and stronger partnership arrangements, as well as a step change in the information available to passengers.

The Government is also supporting bus services outside London – including in the North – with some £250 million a year of funding through the Bus Service Operators Grant system.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of recent trends in apprenticeship start-ups.

Nick Boles

There were 2.4 million apprenticeship starts over the previous parliament, and 499,900 apprenticeship starts in the 2014/15 academic year – an increase of 13.5 per cent on 2013/14.

The number of under-19 apprenticeships starts in 2014/15 was 125,900, this was up 5.1 percent on 2013/14. There were 19,800 starts on Higher and Degree Apprenticeships in 2014/15, an increase of 115 per cent on 2013/14 (9,200 starts).

We are taking action to support and encourage the growth of apprenticeships to meet our commitment to reaching 3 million starts by 2020.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on improving (a) business and (b) personal access to broadband.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Government recognises the importance of broadband access throughout the UK for both businesses and individuals. I have regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on how the UK can become a world leader in broadband, and on 24 February my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) announced a joint BIS/DCMS Review into Business Broadband to ensure that businesses are able to access the affordable, high-speed broadband they need.