Tag: Barry Sheerman

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-06-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that prospective parents are given adequate and balanced information on (a) living with Down’s Syndrome and its effect on families, (b) the life prospects of people with Down’s Syndrome and (c) community and other support available for people with Down’s Syndrome and their families.

Jane Ellison

If testing during pregnancy indicates the baby will be born with Down’s syndrome, the parents should be offered genetic counselling to allow them to discuss the impact of the diagnosis. They may also be offered an appointment to meet a doctor or other health professional who works with children with Down’s syndrome, who can also tell them more about the condition and answer any questions they may have. This may include information on the support available.

More detailed information for parents is also available from NHS Choices.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her policy is on the implementation of Part 2 of the Leveson inquiry.

Matt Hancock

Criminal proceedings connected to the subject matter of the Leveson Inquiry, including the appeals process, have not yet completed. We‎ have always been clear that these cases must conclude before we consider Part 2 of the Inquiry.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that clinical commissioning groups consider the effect of hospital reconfigurations on (a) other health services, (b) pharmacies, (c) GPs and (d) ambulance services.

David Mowat

In November 2015, NHS England published a good practice guide for commissioners on the NHS England assurance process for major service changes and reconfigurations. This includes information about the involvement of patients and the public as well as other stakeholder engagement and consideration of the impact on other services.

The Government’s four tests for service reconfiguration are: strong public and patient engagement; consistent with current and prospective need for patient choice; clear, clinical evidence base and support for proposals from commissioners.

A copy of the guide can be found at the following address:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/plan-ass-deliv-serv-chge.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils with special educational needs in schools in England (a) have an education, health and care plan and (b) are educated in a special school.

Edward Timpson

As of January 2016, the number of pupils with special educational needs in schools for whom local authorities maintain an education, health and care (EHC) plan in England was 59,270; of which, 26,229 were in special schools.

The latest statistics providing the number of children and young people with special educational needs for whom local authorities maintain an EHC plan broken down by establishment type can be found in Table 1 of the ‘Statements of SEN and EHC plans: England, 2016’ statistical first release, which is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statements-of-sen-and-ehc-plans-england-2016

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of codes of conduct protecting officers of local authorities from bullying and intimidation.

Mr Marcus Jones

Bullying and intimidation are serious matters and all employers, including local authorities, should have in place arrangements to ensure employees can safely report this behaviour, including by those in a senior position.

My Department does not collect information about incidents of bullying or intimidation of local authority staff, nor have we made any assessment of council codes of conduct to protect officers from such behaviour.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to protect and conserve the UK’s coastlines.

Rory Stewart

This Government is making a record six year commitment to invest £2.3 billion in providing better protection for 300,000 households in England by 2021. We estimate that 45% of this funding will help reduce the risk of coastal flooding or erosion.

Flood and coastal erosion risk management is devolved to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with internet service providers on preventing sexual abuse, cyber bullying and social media abuse of young people on the internet; and whether that industry adheres to a code of good practice on such matters.

Edward Timpson

I co-chair the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS), along with from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Home Office and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Internet Safety and Security. UKCCIS is a group of more than 200 organisations drawn from across government, industry, law, academia, and charity sectors that work in partnership to help keep children safe online. The four main internet service providers are executive members of the UKCCIS Board and the Board regularly discuss the best ways to prevent all forms of online abuse.

Under the UKCCIS, the UK’s Communications regulator, Ofcom, is leading a working group to develop best practice guidance for providers of social media for emerging social media platforms to encourage responsible practice from industry, and ensure children using their services are able to do so in a safe and protected way. This guidance will be delivered shortly. All the key players are round the table in this important collaborative project, including Twitter, Facebook, Google, Ask.FM, MindCandy and Microsoft.

The government will continue to work closely with social media companies to make sure they are committed to protecting children who use their platforms.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the UN and the EU on helping the Haitian authorities conclude the second round of a presidential election.

Mr Hugo Swire

Our Ambassador to Haiti and her Embassy team regularly consult the UN, US, Canada and other EU member states with the aim of helping the Haitian authorities to conclude the Presidential election process. The issue is also being discussed by the UN Security Council.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts (a) in South America and (b) elsewhere on steps to prevent the spread of the Zika virus.

Mr Hugo Swire

British officials across the region have been working closely with their counterparts on steps to understand and prevent the spread of the Zika Virus. We have focused particularly on Brazil, which has seen the highest number of cases in the region. On 26 January, the UK announced a new Zika research project between Glasgow University and Fiocruz, a leading biomedical research centre in Brazil. The following day, a scientist from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine arrived in Recife to support Zika research led by the Pan American Health Organisation. Discussions are also ongoing between Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials and the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency with regards to combating this virus. On 1 February, I discussed Zika with Ambassadors from the Group of Latin America Countries (GRULAC), highlighting UK assistance to date on this issue and stressing the importance of providing information to those planning their travel now, not least to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations he has received from airlines on alcohol misuse on commercial flights.

Mr Robert Goodwill

I and my officials have met and corresponded with industry representatives to discuss the issue of disruptive passengers on a number of occasions over the last year. In particular we have been working closely with airlines, airports, the police and duty free retailers to understand the challenges posed by disruptive behaviour on aircraft and to explore practical steps that can be taken to both reduce the frequency of these instances and to ensure that they are dealt with appropriately when they do occur. We are very supportive of industry’s efforts, including to collating and disseminating best practice and guidance; we will continue to provide assistance where appropriate.