Tag: Andrew Smith

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions (a) RAF Reapers, (b) RAF Tornados and (c) other RAF aircraft have come into radar contact with Russian military aircraft inside Syria since 30 September 2015.

Penny Mordaunt

We do not routinely collect information on radar contacts. It is inevitable when operating in the same airspace as other nations that RAF aircraft will come into radar contact with those nations. This is one of the ways in which the RAF, as part of the US-led coalition, ensures safe-separation of aircraft in Syrian airspace and enables the UK to continue to fly missions to help degrade and destroy Daesh.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make an assessment of the effect on poverty reduction in West Papua, Indonesia, of the reported ban on non-governmental organisations working in that area.

Mr Desmond Swayne

DFID no longer has a bilateral poverty reduction programme in Indonesia. However, as part of UK Government action to mitigate against climate change, we work in partnership with the Indonesian national and provincial governments to help secure community access to forest land in Papua to promote a sustainable green economy, whilst supporting local livelihoods.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions his Department has had with universities on the potential effect on university research of the proposed ban on public funds being used to lobby Government.

Matthew Hancock

This information can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Details of ministerial meetings are provided in transparency documents available on Gov.uk.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the proportion of each Sustainability and Transformation Plan area’s total place-based target allocation was calculated.

George Freeman

The proportion was calculated by adding together the place-based target allocation in 2020/21 for each of the clinical commissioning group (CCG) areas within a Sustainability and Transformation Plan footprint, and expressing that total as a percentage of the total national place-based target allocation in 2020/21.

Figures by CCG area for place-based target allocations are available at:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/total-place-allocations.pdf

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received from representatives in Abyei on the alleged detention without charge of members of the Misseriya peace committee in Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We were aware of the arrest of four members of the Misseriya peace committee in October 2015, and are able to confirm that they were released without charge in early December 2015. We have not received any more recent reports of arrests of this kind from representatives in Abyei.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2015-11-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of total NHS expenditure spending on maternity services represented in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Gummer

Not all of the information requested is collected centrally. Data for primary care trusts (PCTs) secondary healthcare commissioning spend on maternity services for the years 2005/06 to 2012/13 is shown in the tables below. Maternity services may also be commissioned in primary care environments. However, it is not possible to separately identify the amount of primary care expenditure on maternity services from the statutory accounting data collected by the Department.

Table 1: 2005/06 to 2007/08. NHS expenditure figures on a pre-Clear Line of Sight resource budgeting basis.

Year	Maternity services commissioned by PCTs 2005/06 to 2012/13 ( £ billion)	Spend on maternity services as % of NHS revenue expenditure
2005/06	1.67	2.25%
2006/07	1.62	2.06%
2007/08	1.79	2.07%

Source: NHS (England) Summarised Account (2005/06 to 2010/11)

Table 2: 2008/09 to 2012/13. NHS expenditure figures on an aligned basis following the HM Treasury’s Clear Line of Sight programme.

Year	Maternity services commissioned by PCTs 2005/06 to 2012/13 ( £ billion)	Spend on maternity services as % of NHS revenue expenditure
2008/09	1.97	2.25%
2009/10	2.41	2.55%
2010/11	2.53	2.60%
2011/12	2.62	2.61%
2012/13	2.58	2.52%

Source: NHS (England) Summarised Account (2005/06 to 2010/11) and the Department of Health Annual Report and Accounts (2011/12 and 2012/13).

Notes:

1. Commissioning expenditure on maternity services relates to the payments made by commissioners to providers for delivery of maternity services.
2. The Clear Line of Sight HM Treasury alignment project simplified financial reporting to Parliament by ensuring improved consistency between accounts and HM Treasury budgeting rules.

Following the abolition of PCTs and strategic health authorities at 31 March 2013, NHS England became responsible for the commissioning of healthcare in England via the network of individual clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). The Department does not collect data on maternity services spend by CCGs.

NHS England has published expenditure on ‘maternity and reproductive health’ services commissioned by CCGs for 2013/14, which was estimated to be £2.8 billion (4% of total CCG expenditure). CCG spend represents a proportion of overall NHS expenditure on maternity services. NHS England also commissions some services that were previously included within PCT estimates, such as antenatal screening services. NHS England is currently reviewing the data on direct commissioning expenditure and plans to publish this when finalised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicles purchased from Thales have been handed over to the British Army.

Mr Philip Dunne

As at 15 December 2015, 37 Watchkeeper Unmanned Air Vehicles have been delivered by Thales and accepted by the Ministry of Defence. Of these, 10 are currently held by the Army to meet its current flying training programme and readiness requirements. The remainder are either being used for flight trials at West Wales Airport, or being stored and maintained until required by the Army.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-03-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children are being supported under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 where their parents have no recourse to public funds.

Edward Timpson

Information on children supported under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 is published in the annual Children in Need Census statistical first release. This data collection does not identify the number of children supported where their parents have no recourse to public funds.

Information in the form requested is therefore not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to exempt universities and university research from the proposed ban on non-government organisations using funds from Government to lobby Government.

Matthew Hancock

As I made clear in the House on 27 April, we are continuing to consider the comments of all interested parties, ahead of the introduction into grant agreements of the clause aimed at protecting taxpayers’ money from being wasted on government lobbying government. We are pausing the implementation, pending a review of the representations made, and to give further time to consider any necessary adjustments to the wording of the clause, or the policy on its implementation, to help to deliver this policy in the best possible way for all involved.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what accountability mechanics are in place related to decisions in Sustainability and Transformation Plan footprints.

George Freeman

Each Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) footprint is convened by a senior leader who has agreed to chair and lead the meetings on behalf of their peers. Each footprint has agreed its own governance and representation, depending on local circumstances and to ensure that all relevant National Health Service bodies and partners are included. An STP footprint supports organisations to come together to agree how best to improve and sustain services and health for their local populations.

The local, statutory architecture for health and care remains. The arm’s length bodies Regional Directors will retain accountability for delivery in their regions. Existing accountabilities for Chief Executives of provider organisations and Accountable Officers of Clinical Commissioning Groups are unchanged.