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Tag: Chris Heaton-Harris

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2023 Statement on the Northern Ireland Executive Formation

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2023 Statement on the Northern Ireland Executive Formation

    The statement made by Chris Heaton-Harris, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, in the House of Commons on 9 February 2023.

    Today, the Government is introducing the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill, to extend the period within which the Northern Ireland parties can form an Executive to 18 January 2024.

    Over a year has passed since the then First Minister of Northern Ireland resigned. Twelve months and one Assembly election later, it is disappointing that people in Northern Ireland still do not have the strong devolved institutions that they deserve.

    The restoration of the Executive, in line with the Belfast (Good Friday) agreement, remains my top priority. I will continue to do all I can to help the Northern Ireland parties work together to make that happen. It was on that basis that we legislated in the autumn to extend the Executive formation period through the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2022. Since that period ended on 20 January 2023, I have once again been under a statutory duty to hold an Assembly election within 12 weeks (that is on or before 13 April 2023).

    Having spoken to political representatives, businesses and communities in Northern Ireland, I have concluded that another election at this time is not the best course of action to facilitate the restoration of the Executive.

    On that basis, this Bill will provide for a single retrospective extension of the Executive formation period of one year from 19 January 2023. That would mean that, if the parties are unable to form an Executive before 19 January 2024, I would again fall under a duty to hold an Assembly election within 12 weeks. The legislation will also enable the Government to bring this new period to an early end and move to elections sooner, if necessary.

    Yesterday, in a meeting with vice-president of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič in Brussels, I reiterated that the UK Government are working hard to resolve the problems caused by the Northern Ireland protocol, and the desire to see an agreed solution with the EU. I was clear that this extension does not influence protocol discussions.

    I remain focused on restoring devolved institutions as soon as possible and this Bill creates the best opportunity to do that. I will continue to do all I can to support the people of Northern Ireland in the meantime. I will also host Northern Ireland party leaders at a roundtable in Belfast today to urge them to restore the Executive as soon as possible.

    I very much hope that the parties will recognise the importance of getting back to work, so that a functioning Executive can take the actions needed, to address the challenges facing public services in Northern Ireland.

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2015-12-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total number is of national insurance numbers registered to EEA nationals and linked to (a) an active claim for benefits, (b) an active claim for tax credits and (c) active payments under PAYE; and how many in each such category are for EEA nationals who received national insurance numbers in the last four years.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Department for Work and Pensions has published statistics on National Insurance number (NINo) allocations, including nationality at point of NINo registration, of those of working age who were in receipt of a Department for Work and Pensions administered benefits. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-insurance-number-allocations-to-adult-overseas-nationals-entering-the-uk

    HM Revenue and Customs are planning to publish further information early in 2016 once it has been properly collated.

    “

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions officials of his Department have had with the UK Statistics Authority on the ad hoc release of the document, Benefit claims by EEA nationals in November 2015; and if he will make a statement.

    Priti Patel

    Departmental officials had discussions with the UK Statistics Authority on the day of publication to confirm publication. Further discussions took place shortly after publication on the methodology used.

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons the age at which the death of people with learning disabilities is classified as premature has been set at 60 in the draft NHS Outcomes Framework.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department worked with Public Health England (PHE) and the confidential inquiry into premature deaths of people with learning disabilities (CIPOLD) team at the Norah Fry Centre, University of Bristol to define the learning disability mortality indicator in the NHS Outcomes Framework. The placeholder indicator was set at age 60 based on the findings of the CIPOLD at the time which identified the mean age of death in people with learning disability as 60 years old.

    The Department, NHS England, PHE and the Norah Fry Centre are currently reviewing the definition of the indicator to establish if there is evidence to support it being redefined and to establish a robust and stable data source in order for the indicator to be reported and measured.

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the legal effect is of registering the Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council on 18 and 19 February 2016, with the UN.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Decision of the Heads of State or Government is a treaty between the 28 Member States. Article 102 of the UN Charter and Article 80 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties provide that every treaty and every international agreement shall be registered with the UN Secretariat. Registration with the UN is a clear indicator that the document is a treaty.

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department has provided to the European Commission on whether criteria for triggering the proposed emergency brake on EEA welfare payments have been met.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Government has had detailed technical talks with the European Institutions, during which information was shared across a range of issues including the nature of the United Kingdom’s welfare system.

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has plans to change the workforce requirements for learning disability nurses.

    Ben Gummer

    Health Education England (HEE) was established to deliver a better healthcare workforce for England and using all available data is accountable for ensuring that we have a National Health Service workforce in the right numbers, with the right skills, values and behaviours to respond to the current and future needs of patients.

    HEE has been working with Skills for Care, Skills for Health and national transforming care partners to deliver a comprehensive workforce strategy to transform services for people with a learning disability, autism and/or behaviour that challenges to make significant and lasting improvements to their care and lives.

    HEE has developed and made available a number of enabling tools and resources that can be utilised throughout Transforming Care Partnership including:

    ― a Learning Disability Skills and Competency Framework which adopts a competency based approach to workforce planning and development;

    ― a series of role templates to support the development of community and enhanced community teams; and

    ― HEE Learning Disability Expert Reference Group Chaired by Baroness Hollins is exploring the career framework opportunities within health and social care for the development of new roles and education and training pathway.

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made on the options circulated by the President of the European Council on the UK’s relationship with the EU.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    As The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) made clear in his statement to the House yesterday, the renegotiation deal delivers on the Government’s commitment to fix the problems with the EU that have frustrated people in the UK. It is legally binding, irreversible and delivers for the UK. The deal gives the UK the best of both worlds: in to the parts of Europe that work for us and out of those parts which don’t.

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many student training places there were in England for learning disability nursing in each of the last five years.

    Ben Gummer

    The following table shows the number of pre-registration learning disability nurse places that were available for each year since 2012/13.

    Learning disability nursing

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    2015/16

    2016/17

    Planned

    612

    628

    653

    664

    638

    Source: multi professional education and training budget monitoring returns

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to create a fiscal surplus by the end of this Parliament.

    Greg Hands

    The government has made significant progress on deficit reduction to date – the deficit has more than halved as a share of GDP from the post-war peak we inherited in 2009-10. The government will reduce public sector net borrowing at the same average rate as the previous Parliament. But with warnings of a weaker outlook for the economy, we cannot be complacent in thinking the job is done and we must continue with the plan to return the public finances to a more sustainable position.