Tag: Charlotte Leslie

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his Department plans to review its policy on the safety of private firework use in residential areas.

Anna Soubry

I am aware of concerns raised recently regarding the safety of fireworks available for sale to the general public. However, I have no immediate plans to review the regulations governing their use.

The general public are allowed by law to buy and use Category 1 to 3 fireworks which have low risk and noise levels and are considered safe for family use and for private displays in residential areas.

They are banned from purchasing, using or possessing Category 4 fireworks which present higher levels of risk and noise. These can only be bought and used by professional fireworks display operators who have successfully undertaken an accredited pyrotechnics training course.

Although a minority of anti-social people misuse fireworks, the majority enjoy them sensibly, responsibly and in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many nurses were brought before a fitness to practise panel for lack of competence, communication issues between 2013 and 2015; and how many such nurses (a) were and (b) were not suspended.

Ben Gummer

The information requested is not held by the Department. As an independent body the Nursing and Midwifery Council is responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties including fitness-to-practise investigations in respect of its registrants.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the effect of a result in favour of leaving the EU at the EU referendum would be on the UK’s membership of the (a) European Economic Area and (b) European Free Trade Area.

Anna Soubry

At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

As required by the EU Referendum Act 2015, the Government is committed to producing clear information, ahead of the Referendum, on: the outcome of the renegotiation, rights and obligations in European Union law, the process for leaving and alternatives to membership.

The UK is not a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). EFTA is an intergovernmental organisation to which Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are parties. If the UK sought to retain membership of the European Economic Area (EEA) along the lines of the Norway model, all EEA members, including Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland, would also need to agree.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-03-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2016 to Question 27866, what powers EEA states which are not EU members have to (a) terminate and (b) change the terms of the membership of the EEA of another EEA state which is not a member of the EU.

Anna Soubry

As set out by the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA), the contracting parties of the Agreement are the EU, the EU Member States and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The Agreement does not set out what powers Contracting Parties have over the termination or change of others’ engagement with the Agreement. The only mention in the Agreement of termination is that each Contracting Party may withdraw from this Agreement provided it gives at least twelve months’ notice in writing to the other Contracting Parties. Meanwhile, the Agreement states that any European State becoming a member of the EU or of the European Free Trade Association may apply to become a party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area and that the terms and conditions for such participation shall be the subject of an agreement between the Contracting Parties and the applicant State.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total cost of defending judicial reviews brought against her Department has been since 2010.

Karen Bradley

No central records are kept of (i) the number of judicial reviews initiated against the department since 2010; (ii) the cost of defending such challenges; or (iii) the number of such challenges which have been successful. It would incur disproportionate cost to try to acquire this information.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prosecutions have been instigated by NHS Protect in each year since 2010.

George Freeman

NHS Protect co-ordinates anti-crime work in the National Health Service in England. This not only includes investigations and prosecutions but also managing information and intelligence and, wherever possible, ensuring crime is deterred and prevented.

	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15	2015/16
Number of NHS Protect prosecutions	105	41	18	7	16	9

Note:

1. Not all prosecutions relate to cases where the investigation commenced in the year shown as complex investigations may take more than one year to conclude and, if appropriate, prosecute.

NHS Protect staff are employed on NHS Agenda for Change terms and conditions and the following table shows the number of NHS Protect staff by NHS pay scales.

Number of NHS Protect staff by grade	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15	2015/16
Band 3	3	2	1	1	1	1
Band 4	22	17	13	15	16	15
Band 5	23	34	28	30	30	30
Band 6	11	0	0	1	1	2
Band 7	106	87	78	78	85	81
Band 8a	30	32	34	34	35	30
Band 8b	13	10	11	10	10	10
Band 8c	6	5	6	6	6	3
Band 8d	1	1	0	0	0	0
Band 9	1	1	1	1	1	1
Associates	1	1	1	2	1	1
Total	217	190	173	178	186	174

Note:

1. Associates are clinical specialists employed to provide advice and guidance in their area of expertise.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-10-07.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will continue to allow entry fees for chess tournaments to remain VAT exempt.

Jane Ellison

Entry fees for chess tournaments have always been taxable at the standard rate of VAT.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the US administration on the effect on UK citizens seeking to enter the US of recent changes to the US visa waiver programme affecting people who have previously visited Iran, Iraq, Syria or Sudan or hold dual citizenship of those countries.

Mr Hugo Swire

US Congress passed legislation making changes to the US visa waiver programme on 18 December. We had been in close and regular contact with the US administration, as well as members of Congress, while the bill was under consideration but ultimately this was a decision for them. Since then, officials at our Embassy in Washington have been in contact with the US administration as they consider the bill’s implementation, to ensure British travellers understand the impact of the changes, and avoid disruption to their travel plans. As ever, we will keep our Travel Advice under review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the risk of radicalisation of asylum claimants whose asylum claim has been refused but who cannot legally be deported because their destination country is deemed unsafe.

James Brokenshire

Those claiming asylum in the UK undergo a series of checks against immigration and police databases. Asylum claimants are screened to identify individuals who may have been involved in serious criminality outside of the UK, this includes (but is not limited to) war crimes, crimes against humanity and terrorism. Asylum claimants are also screened for indicators of national security interest and where identified further checks and investigations are undertaken.

The Prevent statutory duty has made it a legal obligation for specified public bodies, including the police, local authorities, and health services, to have due regard to the need to prevent people being drawn into, or supporting, terrorism. We would expect authorities in contact with asylum claimants to have due regard to the risk of radicalisation in the same way that they would any other safeguarding issue.

No one who is at risk of serious harm in their country is expected to return there, but we do expect those who do not need our protection to return home voluntarily.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that failed asylum claimants who have spoken out against the government of their country of origin are not deported in such a way as to draw the case to the attention of immigration officials in the destination country.

James Brokenshire

We carefully consider all asylum claims on their individual merits and provide protection for those who need it, in accordance with our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). This includes an assessment about whether a person who has spoken out against their government is likely to be at risk of persecution or serious harm on return.

We do not provide any information relating to an asylum claim to the government of a claimant’s country of origin. No one who is at risk of serious harm in their country is expected to return there, but we do expect those who do not need our protection to return home voluntarily.