Tag: Catherine West

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to improve trade with (a) Hong Kong and (b) China as a whole.

Anna Soubry

Increasing trade and growth through exports, to all overseas markets including Hong Kong and China is a key factor in the Government’s long-term economic plan. Government departments are working together to support UK businesses looking to take advantage of overseas opportunities and to create a strong business environment that allows them to flourish on the international stage.

The focus on China and Hong Kong is exemplified by the fact that UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has some 180 full-time equivalent posts in these markets, representing its largest overseas team working on trade and investment. UKTI also works in partnership with the China Britain Business Council (CBBC) which delivers volume trade support on its behalf for UK companies looking to export to China. CBBC offers support for UK businesses across 13 strategic locations in China.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many regional or minority languages are recognised by his Department; and how many of those languages receive funding for language programmes.

James Wharton

The United Kingdom has recognised seven languages under the Council of Europe’s European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages: Welsh, Gaelic, Irish, Scots, Ulster Scots, Cornish and Manx. Cornish is the only language in England to have this status and since April 2010 the Department for Communities and Local Government has provided £650,000 to Cornwall Council for the development of the Cornish Language.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-05-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the target response times are for ambulances responding to C1 and C2 incidents.

Jane Ellison

Category C1 and category C2 are terms used by London Ambulance Service to describe the first two categories of green calls.

Green calls are lower acuity calls where there is still a need for an ambulance, but in slower time scales than life-threatening or more urgent calls. They are usually split into four categories and the response times for these are agreed and set locally.

Data on green call performance is not centrally held.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effects on public health of changes in the number of paramedics employed by the London Ambulance Service.

Ben Gummer

We are advised by London Ambulance Service NHS Trust (LAS) that during 2015/16 it recruited 717 frontline staff. In doing so, LAS achieved its recruitment target and filled all its available frontline posts.

We understand that LAS has put in place a number of measures to help it support and retain staff. These measures include updating the vehicle fleet and re-launching the trust’s learning and development function. LAS has also established a new clinical team leader role, with 50% of the role devoted to supporting staff.

Demand on the service has increased significantly over the past five years. During March 2016, demand was the highest on record for patients with serious and life threatening illnesses. LAS continues to work to improve services for patients by focusing on reducing demand, recruiting more staff and supporting staff to work more efficiently.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the frequency with which children move (a) house and (b) school.

Edward Timpson

The Department does not hold any information specifically on the frequency with which a child moves house or school. Via the termly school census we collect pupil level data, which includes pupil home address and school entry and leaving dates. The National Pupil Database (NPD) is populated with data from the school census and other pupil level collections. To the extent that data are collected termly, it is possible to use NPD data to provide data on home and school moves. However, such analysis has not been carried out to date and developing a sufficiently robust approach and quality assuring the results could only be completed at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much his Department has allocated to schemes to encourage investment in nuclear energy in each of the last five years.

Jesse Norman

The Government welcomes investment in nuclear energy. Under the Electricity Market Reform (EMR) framework, Contracts for Difference (CfDs) are available to potential developers of new nuclear plant – a mechanism which offers a return on private sector investment in the sector. In September 2016 a CfD for Hinkley Point C was awarded to EDF and China General Nuclear (CGN), giving a strike price of £92.50 per megawatt hour for 35 years.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the recommendations in the fourth report of the House of Lords Committee on the Constitution Session 2016-17, HL44.

Mr Robin Walker

The Secretary of State welcomes the report HL44 by the Constitution Committee, issued on 12 September, and will respond in due course in the usual way.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in (a) Haiti, (b) Jamaica, (c) Cuba and (d) the Bahamas as a result of hurricane Matthew.

Rory Stewart

In Haiti, the Department is working with the United Nations, international partners and the Government of Haiti to assess the level of humanitarian need. The Government of Haiti and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimate 2.1 million people in Haiti have been affected by Hurricane Matthew. We are now beginning to see the full scale of the devastation wrought by the worst storm to hit this region in almost a decade.

In Jamaica, no significant humanitarian need has been identified. In respect of Cuba, the Department is working closely with the International Federation of the Red Cross to ascertain their understanding of needs and potential response plans. We are also working with the British Red Cross to deepen our understanding of the humanitarian situation in the Bahamas.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether bids can continue to be made by British cities to become European capital of culture after the vote to leave the EU.

Matt Hancock

DCMS is currently reviewing the impact of the referendum result on the UK’s ability to participate in this competition, and will provide clarity to all interested cities once we are in a position to do so.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions officials of his Department have had with NHS England on its August 2016 update on the commissioning and provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention

Nicola Blackwood

As an independent body NHS England produced and agreed the content of the August 2016 update on pre-exposure prophylaxis.