Tag: Baroness Quin

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Quin on 2016-02-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average waiting time for a result to be given of a DEXA bone density scan in each NHS region in England; and what assessment they have made of the average waiting time for such results in (1) Scotland, and (2) Wales.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Data are not collected on the average waiting time for a result to be given for a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan. Data are collected on the average waiting time from referral to test, and these are shown in the following table for the four NHS England commissioning regions for most recent period, which is November 2015. Health is a devolved matter in Scotland and Wales.

Table: average median waiting times in weeks for a DEXA scan from referral by NHS England commissioning region, November 2015

Region	Number of weeks
North of England	2.1
Midlands and East of England	1.7
London	1.8
South of England	1.8
England	1.9

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Quin on 2016-02-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultations took place with the government of New Zealand prior to their decision to introduce new charges for New Zealand citizens for health and dental treatment in the UK from 6 April.

Lord Prior of Brampton

On 6 April 2015 the United Kingdom introduced an immigration health surcharge for non-European Economic Area nationals who come to the UK to temporarily reside for a period of over six months. At the time New Zealand nationals were granted a temporary exemption and we entered into a series of discussions with the New Zealand Government on the introduction of the surcharge for its nationals. The Secretary of State for Health wrote to the New Zealand High Commissioner confirming introduction of the surcharge on 17 December 2015. Introduction of the surcharge for New Zealand nationals was publicly announced by the Home Office on 4 February 2016 and subject to Parliamentary approval, it will come into effect from 6 April 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Quin on 2016-02-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the start-up and annual costs of administering the new health and dental charges for New Zealand citizens coming into force on 6 April.

Lord Bates

An Impact Assessment was published on 4 February 2016, alongside the draft Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2016. The draft Order will, subject to Parliamentary approval, remove the surcharge exemption for nationals of Australia and New Zealand and reduce the Youth Mobility Scheme charge from £200 to £150.

The Impact Assessment, which can be viewed at the link below, sets out the reason for these changes and estimates associated costs and benefits: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2016/9780111143278/impacts

These documents are available in the following locations of the House: The Vote Office (Commons) Printed Paper Office (Lords)

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Quin on 2016-03-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the proportion of people on zero-hours contracts who are seeking full-time employment with guaranteed pay and hours of work.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The Government has not made an assessment.

ONS statistics published on 9 March 2016, for the fourth quarter of 2015, show that for those individuals on a zero hours contract in their main job, 63 per cent were not looking for more hours or a different job.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Quin on 2016-09-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to undertake a consultation with farmers and farmers’ organisations on any proposal to release lynx into Kielder Forest in Northumberland.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

In accordance with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Natural England, as the licensing authority, considers any application for the reintroduction of former native species in England.

No application has been received to reintroduce lynx into England. If a licence application is received Natural England would consider it carefully in accordance with appropriate international guidelines, taking account of socio-economic impacts and the impact on the welfare of the animals themselves.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Quin on 2016-09-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the future of the European Health Insurance Card in the light of the EU referendum result.

Lord Prior of Brampton

As the Prime Minister stated on 20 July 2016, as long as we are a member of the European Union we will respect the rights and obligations of EU membership, therefore the current arrangements for European Health Insurance Cards remain in place. As we move to a new relationship with Europe, our guiding principle will be ensuring the best possible outcome for British people.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Quin on 2016-10-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effects of the UK leaving the EU on the audio-visual industry.

Lord Ashton of Hyde

The Government is determined to ensure the UK audio-visual industry thrives outside of the EU. The Secretary of State held a roundtable with key stakeholders to discuss implications for the industry, and over the coming weeks and months government will be engaging in further discussions with the businesses and key stakeholders.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Quin on 2016-10-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings they have held with representatives of the audio-visual industry about the implications for the industry of the result of the referendum on EU membership; and which government departments have been involved in such meetings.

Lord Ashton of Hyde

The Government is determined to ensure the UK audio-visual industry thrives outside of the EU. The Secretary of State held a roundtable with key stakeholders to discuss implications for the industry, and over the coming weeks and months government will be engaging in further discussions with the businesses and key stakeholders.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Quin on 2016-10-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to hold meetings with representatives of the audio-visual industry about the effects of the UK leaving the EU; and if so, which government departments will be involved in such meetings.

Lord Ashton of Hyde

The Government is determined to ensure the UK audio-visual industry thrives outside of the EU. The Secretary of State held a roundtable with key stakeholders to discuss implications for the industry, and over the coming weeks and months government will be engaging in further discussions with the businesses and key stakeholders.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Quin on 2015-11-04.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what evidence they have to support the statement in the 2012 impact assessment Housing Benefit: Under-occupation of social housing that the introduction of the under-occupancy charge would have no impact on health and well-being.

Lord Freud

Following on from the 2012 impact assessment an independent two year evaluation was commissioned that looked at the effects of this policy.

The report is due to be published by the end of the year.