Tag: Grahame Morris

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for material changes to safety cases covering oil and gas installations were submitted to the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last five years.

Justin Tomlinson

HSE received material change safety case submissions from UK continental shelf oil and gas installation operators as follows: 2011 – 26; 2012 – 84; 2013 – 53; 2014 – 45; 2015 – 51.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-12-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is his policy that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will be required to meet current national service standards for the provision of obesity surgery after the planned transfer of obesity surgery commissioning responsibilities from NHS England to CCGs in April 2016.

George Freeman

CCGs will have the full commissioning responsibility for the obesity services within their remit to set standards for services for their population and to make clinical commissioning policy decisions in terms of patient eligibility with effect from April 2016.

NHS England is supporting the transfer of commissioning responsibilities to CCGs by providing clinical guidance on standards for the adult obesity surgery pathway. This guidance is in development, supported by national clinical experts.

The draft clinical commissioning policy includes reference to the relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance to support CCGs in determining patient eligibility to obesity surgery. The draft service specification will reflect best practice and describes the standard providers will need to meet for the surgical service.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-01-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what guidance his Department has issued on the standard, quality and nutritional content of food served to UK armed forces.

Mr Philip Dunne

All food procured for Ministry of Defence (MOD) personnel must comply with MOD food quality standards. These standards comply with all UK and EU production standards, Farm Assurance or equivalent. The Defence Food Quality Standards (DFQS) establishes the minimum quality criteria that the Department requires a supplier to deliver. It sets the standard of what food and ingredients should be provided as part of the contracts to provide nutritious and balanced meals to Service Personnel. The DFQS publication is available online through the gov.uk website at:

(www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/479299/20151006-DFQS-V12-U.pdf).

The MOD requires all of its food suppliers to comply with both EU and National legislation whilst operating to industry standards and monitors the suppliers’ compliance with the DFQS through a combination of product testing and conducting inspections of their premises/production facilities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the proportion of starter homes that will be wheelchair accessible.

Brandon Lewis

Starter Homes like all new homes, will ahve to meet Building Regulations’ access requirements which ensure reasonable provision for people to gain access to and use, the dwelling and its facilities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department takes to advise HM Revenue and Customs when an individual is moved from the employment and support allowance work related activity group into the support group.

Priti Patel

The Department does not automatically share information on moves between the work related activity group and the support group with HM Revenue and Customs.

At the end of each financial year the Department reports to the HM Revenue and Customs details of the tax code operated, the total amount of taxable benefit paid and the total amount of tax deducted for that tax year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated to improve local transport infrastructure in Easington constituency in each of the next five years.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Easington constituency in County Durham is in the area covered by the North East Combined Authority and North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The Combined Authority receives annual capital allocations for Highways Maintenance and Integrated Transport and it is for the Combined Authority and Durham County Council to decide how much of this funding is spent in Easington Constituency.

The North East LEP has been awarded Local Growth Funding for two schemes in the Easington constituency. The proposal to construct a new station at Horden has been allocated £3.3 million and the package of five junction improvements on the A1 and A19, which includes a scheme at the A19/A182 Seaham Murton Interchange, has been allocated £19.0 million.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-05-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether a jobseeker’s allowance claimant can be sanctioned for failing to attend an interview at an unspecified time.

Priti Patel

Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants can incur a sanction if they fail to participate in an interview, without good reason. However, in accordance with the Jobseeker’s Allowance legislation, where a claimant is required to participate in an interview, they must be notified, of the time and place of that interview.

Therefore, Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants cannot be sanctioned for failing to attend an interview at an unspecified time.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on pharmacy services in (a) the North East, (b) County Durham and (c) Easington constituency of the Government’s proposed changes to the budget for community pharmacy.

David Mowat

The proposals on which we have consulted will apply throughout England.

Our proposals are about improving services for patients and the public and securing efficiencies and savings. The Government believes these efficiencies can be made within community pharmacy without compromising the quality of services or public access to them.

We have been consulting on the introduction of a Pharmacy Access Scheme, which will provide more NHS funds to certain pharmacies compared with others, considering factors such as location and the health needs of the local population.

In addition we are providing a further £112 million to ensure that an additional 1,500 pharmacists join general practices by 2020. This initiative includes coverage of the three regions referenced.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on the potential numbers for junior doctors who may leave the NHS should a new contract for that role be imposed.

Ben Gummer

The Government has received a number of representations from individuals and on behalf of organisations about the introduction of a new junior doctors contract.

The proposals are for a fairer contract that will maintain average earnings and will not require juniors to work longer. It will also put in place improved safeguards for patients and doctors that go beyond those in legislation (and go beyond those in the current contract) that will reduce maximum working hours which will not be the case in other countries. On 28 October, the Government also committed to protect the pay of all junior doctors working safe hours in the transition to a new contract, and appealed to the British Medical Association (BMA) to return to negotiations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many operators in the North Sea have yet to submit a safety case assessment to the Health and Safety Executive for the purposes of compliance with the provisions of the EU Directive on the safety of offshore oil and gas operations.

Justin Tomlinson

As of 11 November 2015, forty-four operators of oil and gas installations have yet to submit a safety case for one or more installations to the Offshore Safety Directive Regulator for assessment. This is in line with an agreed transition schedule which is due for completion by 18 July 2018.