Tag: Caroline Lucas

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for what reasons the process for including Citizens Advice as the statutory consumer watchdog differs for changes to Crown post offices outside compared with those within the Crown Transformation Programme.

George Freeman

The arrangements in place for the Crown Transformation Programme were specific to this significant programme which encompassed the entire Crown network and which was a directly government funded investment programme. How Post Office handles business as usual changes to its branch estate is an operational matter for it. Post Office has a Code of Practice for changes to the network (such as relocations of branches) and this includes a role for Citizen’s Advice.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-04-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on how many occasions in the last five years HM Revenue and Customs officials have raised concerns internally that UK taxpayers who are customers of the (a) High Net Worth Unit and (b) Large Business Unit have received preferential or inappropriate tax treatment as a result of their position.

Mr David Gauke

HMRC has a Whistleblowing and Raising a Concern Policy. Since April 2014 concerns raised under this policy have been captured centrally but the data has been captured at a high level and does not have sufficient detail to enable HMRC to reliably identify concerns relating to customers of the High Net Worth Unit and Large Business Unit over the last 5 years.

HMRC does not offer preferential treatment to any tax payer or group. HMRC is even handed in its treatment of all customers, and manages different customers by allocating its resources to those groups which need more support or present higher risks of not meeting their tax obligations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-05-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the work of the UN High Level Panel on Access to Medicines; with reference to the Prime Minister’s comments on the pharmaceutical industry to the BBC on 2 July 2014, what recent assessment she has made of the steps to take to resolve market failure related to the development of new classes of antibiotics in that industry; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Nick Hurd

The UK is committed to ensuring access to low cost, effective medicines in the developing world, providing a range of significant inputs to increasing access to essential medicines.

We support the provision of essential medicines and other health products through innovative global partnerships such as the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM), UNITAID, GAVI and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP). We work to strengthen systems weaknesses, such as weak supply chains or poor procurement, which deter private investment, keep medicines prices high or lead to misuse or waste of medicines. We also place a great emphasis on research and development of new vaccines, medicines and diagnostics for conditions that affect millions of poor people. A new £1 billion fund – the Ross Fund – was recently announced with the aim of developing, testing and delivering a range of new products to help combat the world’s most serious diseases, such as malaria, Ebola and TB in developing countries.

Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance is a key priority for this Government. We are awaiting the final report of the O’Neill Independent Review on Antimicrobial Resistance later this month and the Department of Health will then lead a cross-Government response.

We support the aims of the UN High Level Panel on Access to Medicines. For it to fulfil its potential to improve access to affordable and quality medicines, including antibiotics, it will need to take a balanced approach, building on the WHO Global Strategy and Plan of Action and engaging with existing global partnerships, and use its influence to galvanise Member States, public and private sectors around a common approach to this important issue.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish guidance on the Dublin III regulation.

James Brokenshire

The Dublin III Regulation clearly sets out the criteria and process for determining responsibility for asylum cases. Caseworkers refer to the detail of the Regulation when determining cases, along with the relevant case law. We are aiming to update and publish some additional guidance shortly. Caseworkers have access to policy and legal advisers on a regular basis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has investigated, in his Department’s work assessing the reasons for delays and cancellations on the Brighton Mainline, whether or not GTR are preventing staff who took part in recent strike action from working overtime; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry

GTR are providing the Department with information on the current disruption in line with their franchise agreement. Management of staff is a matter between GTR and its employees, however I have been assured by GTR that it is not the case that they are preventing staff who participated in industrial action from working overtime.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the ability of refugees in Turkey to receive international protection in that country.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Turkey currently hosts over 2.7 million refugees from Syria and around 250,000 from other nationalities. Turkey now hosts more refugees than any other country in the world.

Turkey has established very detailed legislation setting out a comprehensive international protection system for migrants in need of protection.

We are monitoring the situation in Turkey very closely following the attempted coup. At this stage there is no indication that the conditions and protections available to refugees have been impacted.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on plans to cap housing benefit and (b) assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed cap on housing benefit on people who live in supported housing and have mental illness; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes

Ministers have held various discussions during the development of the policy to introduce Local Housing Allowance rates into the social rented sector.

Full impact and equality impact assessments will be undertaken in due course.

The Secretary of State has confirmed that the Government expects to make an announcement on the way forward for supported housing in early autumn.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what (a) national and (b) local arrangements are in place for issuing iodine tablets in the event of a radiation emergency involving an operational civil nuclear reactor or reprocessing facility; which localities have had a pre-distribution of iodine tablets to households and what the radii of those localities are; to which nuclear reactors those (a) national and (b) local arrangements are linked; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman

Civil nuclear emergency preparedness is a devolved issue, with the Scottish Government taking responsibility for planning in Scotland. England and Wales have arrangements in place to ensure stable iodine is available to potentially affected populations around civil nuclear reactor sites.

Locally, stable iodine is pre-distributed around civil nuclear reactor sites to a distance that has been assessed by the Office for Nuclear Regulation to be sufficient for all reasonably foreseeable emergencies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will undertake an Equality Impact Assessment of Driver Only Operation.

Paul Maynard

We are not planning to undertake an assessment, as it is for the individual operator to decide what level of assessment to carry out, in relation to their Legal obligations under the Equality Act and their Disabled Peoples Protection Policy which is a Passenger Operator License Condition.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the timetable is for the review of the Code of Practice for Privately Kept Non-Human Primates; and whether that review will include consultation with (a) members of the public and (b) animal welfare organisations.

George Eustice

Defra plans to review the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-human Primates next year. The review will include a consultation with industry, keepers, veterinarians and animal welfare organisations.