The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications for retrospective reviews for continuing healthcare have been refused in each of the last five years; and what the reasons were for each such refusal.
David Mowat
NHS England does not collect this information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with animal welfare groups on the mandatory use of CCTV in slaughterhouses.
George Eustice
On 3/2/15, the Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC) published a report entitled “Opinion on CCTV in slaughterhouses”. I have had discussions with a number of animal welfare groups on the topic.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which companies have signed decommissioning relief deeds with his Department.
Damian Hinds
At Budget 2013, the government announced it would begin signing decommissioning relief deeds. These deeds represent a new contractual approach to provide oil and gas companies with certainty on the level of tax relief they will receive on future decommissioning costs.
Since October 2013, the government has entered into 72 decommissioning relief deeds. Oil & Gas UK estimates that these deeds have so far unlocked more than £3.5bn of capital, which can now be invested elsewhere.
The government committed to report to Parliament every year on progress with the deeds. The report for financial year 2014-15 can be found at:
The government does not publish the names of companies with which it has entered into decommissioning relief deeds as this information is commercially sensitive.
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many clinical commissioning groups implement in full the Infertility Network UK recommendations on access to IVF treatment.
Jane Ellison
The Department funded Infertility Network UK (INUK) to develop advice to NHS Commissioners on standardising eligibility criteria for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment. The Department has consistently encouraged NHS Commissioners to have regard to this advice. The INUK advice is listed as a resource for clinical commissioning groups (CCG) in the NHS England “Commissioning Fertility Services Factsheet”.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend that eligible couples should receive three full cycles of IVF treatment. The Government has made clear that blanket restrictions on treatment are unacceptable and all decisions on treatment should be made by doctors based on a patient’s individual clinical needs and in line with NICE Guidelines.
While we have not made an assessment of access to IVF treatment, we are aware of the annual survey by Fertility Fairness. I have written to stakeholders, including Fertility Fairness, and invited them to discuss what could be done to improve the provision of IVF services along with representatives of NHS England and Monitor.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what timetable has been set for the introduction of NHS England’s new National Clinical Director for Cardiac Services after April 2016.
George Freeman
NHS England expect the National Clinical Director for Cardiac Services to take up their role from 1 April 2016.
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 number of people requiring wheelchair accessible homes in (a) Easington, (b) the North East and (c) England.
Brandon Lewis
The Government has published data on the housing need of older and disabled people in England to support local authorities in assessing likely need in their local area. This can be found at link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-regulations-guide-to-available-disability-data
It is for local authorities to determine specific needs in their local areas.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-03-04.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of women in Easington constituency who will be affected by the reduction of the income rise disregard for tax credits to £2,500.
Damian Hinds
This information is not held and statistically reliable projections at constituency level could only be provided at disproportionate cost. From April 2016, the income rise disregard – the amount by which a tax credit claimant’s income can increase within a year before their tax credit award is adjusted – will be reduced from £5,000 to £2,500.
The only people who will be affected by this will be those who see an increase in their in-year income by more than £2,500. There will be no net cash losers because their income will have increased.
In the subsequent tax year, a claimant’s tax credits award will be calculated in the usual way, using their full annual income for the previous year to determine their tax credit entitlement. This means that after the change in the tax year, whether the claimant’s increase in income was above or below the disregard level, their tax credit award for the following year will be adjusted to what it would have been had no disregard existed
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to introduce or pilot a system of automatic electoral registration.
John Penrose
I have considered a range of proposals from local authorities and civil society organisations that could change how registration is currently delivered. The Government is committed to further modernising and improving electoral registration, building on the successful transition to Individual Electoral Registration (IER).
We are keen to explore further possibilities in this area but are concerned there may be tension between some forms of automatic registration and the principles underpinning IER, namely individual responsibility and ownership over registering to vote.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the time taken to conduct its Supported Accommodation Review on the number of beds available in the supported accommodation sector.
Brandon Lewis
We understand the importance of ensuring that those people living in supported accommodation, who are generally the most vulnerable members of our society, receive appropriate protections.
The supported housing sector provides valuable support to some of our country’s most vulnerable people.
We have commissioned an evidence review of the supported housing sector which we expect to report shortly. Building on this review, we will continue to work with and listen to providers as part of developing a long-term sustainable funding regime.
In the meantime we have put in place a one-year exception for all supported accommodation from the social rent reduction measures and the Local Housing Allowance cap, so there will be no material change in this financial year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-06-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the reasons are for the difference in the figures quoted as payments to HM Treasury in respect of its guarantee for the Mineworkers Pension Scheme and the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme in paragraph 1.21 of the National Audit Office report on Department of Trade and Industry: Sale of the mining operations of the British Coal Corporation, HC 360 1995-96, and the Answer of 8 March 2007 to Question 125573, HC Deb, Column 2124W.
Andrea Leadsom
Analysis by Binder Hamlyn in 2006 for the NAO had estimated the net present value of payments to the Government (net of any payments from the Government arising from its guarantee) at £2bn over 25 years. This reflects the value at the time of the expected future net payments.
The parliamentary question 125573 answered on 8 March 2007 records that the Binder Hamlyn report found that the total gross payments to the Treasury would be £8bn. This would have been both gross of any payments from the Government and also in cash terms i.e. allowing for the returns achieved on the funds before payment.