Tag: Chi Onwurah

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether NHS charges claim forms include a box for universal credit.

Alistair Burt

Some NHS Help with Health Costs claim forms, for example HC5 refund claim forms, have been amended to include a specific tick box to enable Universal Credit recipients to claim entitlement.

Form HC1 (NHS Low Income Scheme application form) has been amended to include a sentence about Universal Credit, to advise those applying that until 31 October 2015, anyone in receipt of Universal Credit does not need to complete the form, as they will already be entitled to Help with Health Costs.

Other forms, including: NHS prescription forms (FP10); dental treatment claim forms (FP17) and claims for NHS funded sight tests (GOS 1) and for vouchers for glasses or contact lenses (GOS 3) will be amended to include a Universal Credit box in due course.

A patient can make a claim for entitlement by ticking the “gets income based Jobseekers Allowance” on relevant forms. Guidance for both the public and healthcare practitioners (such as pharmacists, dentist and opticians) has been included on NHS Choices with links from the Universal Credit webpages on Gov.uk.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on the Quicksilver project to build out wifi and mobile infrastructure alongside rail lines; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry

Project Quicksilver was a rail industry procurement led by Network Rail to improve mobile coverage along railway routes for the benefit of passengers.

Despite receiving a number of positive bids, the industry was not able to find a solution that satisfied the commercial requirements of all parties and delivered the desired connectivity improvements. As a result, Network Rail terminated the procurement.

The Government recognises that dropped calls and intermittent access to the internet are frustrations felt by many rail passengers. We are working with the rail and telecommunications industries to reach a collective understanding of the technical and commercial challenges and the potential solution to this problem.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-25.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an estimate of the amount of financial provision required to affect the level of competition between broadband providers by means of the broadband investment fund announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

Greg Hands

The Spending Review and Autumn Statement announced that the government will investigate the feasibility of setting up a new broadband investment fund, to be supported by both public and private investors, and managed by the private sector on a commercial basis.

Access to cost effective, commercial finance is critical for any business to grow and expand. The government will hold discussions with industry participants to determine whether enhancing access to finance through a dedicated, commercial investment fund could help support the growth of alternative network developers in the broadband market. Decisions on the feasibility and size of the fund will be made following this market engagement.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many convictions resulted from reports to Action Fraud in each year since it was set up.

Mike Penning

The Home Office does not hold this information. The Ministry of Justice are responsible for statistics on convictions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-01-13.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of (a) the number of websites using the HM Revenue and Customs logo without permission and (b) how many people have paid to use them; and what steps he is taking to identify and proceed against such websites.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has a dedicated Customer Protection Team, within its Cyber Security capability, who proactively seek out websites abusing their brand. Such websites fall into two categories: fraudulent websites that seek to dupe unsuspecting customers into divulging personal information and websites which inappropriately use the HMRC brand and/or logo in order to purvey an affiliation with HMRC when offering services to customers.

HMRC’s Customer Protection Team has taken down over 15,000 fraudulent websites in the last year and taken successful action against 130 websites inappropriately using the HMRC brand.

The Customer Protection Team utilises a blended approach of internally developed tools and processes alongside partnerships with leading third parties, search engines and enforcement agencies, such as the National Trading Standards Board e-Crime Unit, to take action against any websites using the HMRC logo or brand without permission, undertaking criminal proceedings where appropriate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what his policy is on the number of spaces which should be available for disabled people in music venues across the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The huge variation in size, type and location of music venues across the UK makes it impractical to require venue operators to make a specific number of spaces available for disabled people. However, we believe that everyone should have access to arts and culture – having a disability should not be a barrier to enjoying Britain’s awe-inspiring cultural treasures. That is why we are working with venues and organisations representing disabled people to identify barriers to access, while at the same time seeing how we can share examples of best practice and what more cultural venues need to do to be accessible to people with disabilities. We support the work of Attitude is Everything, which works with audiences, artists, and the music industry to improve deaf and disabled people’s access to live events. Ialso recently held a roundtable meeting with Justin Tomlinson, Minister for Disabled People to look at access to cultural venues and events for disabled people. Additionally, provisions in the Equality Act 2010 require providers of services to the public (for example music venues), to make a ‘reasonable adjustment’ so that disabled people are not placed at a “substantial disadvantage” to non-disabled people.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 26900, if he will request that Ofcom publish an assessment of the extent to which the indicative assessment of BT’s ducts in the report, Telecoms infrastructure access – sample survey of duct access, published in March 2009, was borne out in the subsequent rollout by BT of superfast broadband.

Mr Edward Vaizey

It is a matter for Ofcom as the independent regulator to consider whether the benefits of conducting and publishing such an assessment are proportionate to the costs.

On 25 February Ofcom published the initial conclusions of its Strategic Review of Digital Communications, including its strategy to promote large-scale roll-out of new ultrafast broadband networks.

As part of that, Ofcom has said it will ask Openreach to provide a new database showing the physical location and characteristics of all of its ducts and poles, and to provide greatly improved systems and processes for access to them. This will allow competing operators to invest, plan and lay advanced networks. Ofcom will be working closely with industry to drive this forward over the coming months.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-03-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make an assessment of the current outbreak of yellow fever in Angola and its regional implications; and whether the Government will assist the World Health Organisation supported vaccination campaign led by the Angolan government.

Mr Nick Hurd

This Government’s assessment is that the national response to the yellow fever outbreak in Angola is growing in strength with support from the international community and the strategic use of donated vaccines. To date surrounding countries have not suffered related outbreaks and exported yellow fever cases to China, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo have been managed effectively.

The United Kingdom is supporting the national vaccination campaign in Angola through its core funding to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and to the World Health Organisation. The international response has provided 7.3 million doses of yellow fever vaccine to Angola to respond to the outbreak.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the (a) Law Society and (b) other representatives of the legal profession on the issuing of seven day notices of legal proceedings at the same time as invoices for payment to consumers.

Mr Shailesh Vara

Ministers at the Ministry of Justice have had no such discussions with the Law Society or other representatives of the legal profession on this issue.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-05-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36437, if he will publish a list of cultural events and organisations located (a) north of Leeds and (b) elsewhere directly funded by his Department, outside of funding for the Arts Councils in (i) the last three years and (ii) the next three years.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Northern Powerhouse is a priority for Government, and through projects like The Great Exhibition of the North, we will look to showcase the innovation and imagination of the region, give a real boost to local tourism, and provide an important creative legacy. The information you have requested is published annually in the Department’s report and accounts. It lists all cultural events and organisations throughout the country that are directly funded by the Department. In the last three years we have provided direct funding to a number of institutions, including the Royal Armouries, Leeds (£24.3 million), while the National Railway Museum in York receives annual funding via the Science Museums Group* who have distributed approximately £128 Million to their eight bodies between 2012/13 and 2014/15. Elsewhere in England the Government funds a number of cultural organisations directly, including the Peoples Museum in Manchester (£484,760 between 2012/13 and 2013/15) and National Museums Liverpool (£63.5 million between 2012/13 and 2014/15).​In addition, a number of the Department’s Arm’s Length Bodies such as the BFI, Tate,​and Heritage Lottery Fund have financed a number of cultural events and projects throughout England. The next three years’ funding will be published in future reports and will include current projects such as the Great Exhibition of the North​, Hull City of Culture 2017​ and the Factory in Manchester​; where the Government has announced £78 million of funding.