Tag: Greg Mulholland

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will discuss with the Secretary of State for Defence the possibility of using RAF pilots to assist in the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion in response to the crisis in Syria and the region, making us the second largest bilateral donor after the US. For example, by the end of June 2015, UK support inside Syria and in the surrounding region had delivered almost 20 million food rations; over 2.5 million medical consultations; and relief items for 4.6 million people. In addition, we have provided ongoing support to the UN and international NGOs (INGOs) since the start of the conflict to deliver aid in hard to reach and besieged areas of Syria.

The Department for International Development works closely with the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office as part of a whole of government response to the Syria crisis. When it comes to helping Syrians in besieged and hard-to-reach areas, we do not rule anything out but at this time air drops are not the most appropriate way of getting help to those in need.

Alongside this, our efforts will continue whether through supporting a political solution to deal with the root cause of the crisis or through humanitarian efforts, which provide immediate, life-saving relief. A key moment is the ‘Supporting Syria and the Region’ conference in London, which we will co-host this week.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent progress has been made on access to Translarna in discussions between NICE, NHS England and the relevant pharmaceutical company.

George Freeman

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently evaluating Translarna (ataluren) for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy through its highly specialised technology programme. The publication date for NICE’s final guidance is to be confirmed.

NHS England has advised that it is in constructive discussions with the pharmaceutical company about the development of a managed access agreement for Translarna and a progress update will be given at the next NICE Evaluation Committee meeting on 17 February 2016.

In the absence of guidance from NICE, it is for commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund medicines based on an assessment of the available evidence.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average amount of time taken for an autism diagnosis was in (a) Leeds, (b) Yorkshire and (c) England in each of the last three years.

Alistair Burt

The information collected centrally about this is gathered as part of the Autism Self-Assessment Framework undertaken by Public Health England on behalf of the Department. This covers adults only and the first time this topic was included was 2013. In 2013 Leeds reported an average wait for referral to diagnostic services of 36 weeks. In 2014 Leeds reported that the average wait between referral and assessment in their autism diagnosis service was 14 weeks.

In view of the informal nature of the data collection and the incompleteness of responses, we do not routinely produce data aggregated to regional or England level.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many people were invited to interviews for the post of Pubs Code Adjudicator; and how many people attended such interviews.

Anna Soubry

I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East on 10 March, Official Report, Vol 607, Col 428.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-21.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.205 of the Budget 2016, if he will publish the calculations referred to in footnote 143 on the potential costs to consumers of the rise in the standard rate of insurance premium tax.

Harriett Baldwin

We do not usually publish such calculations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-04-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the progress of the taskforce on reducing violence against women and girls on university campuses.

Joseph Johnson

The Government asked Universities UK to establish a taskforce to explore what more can be done by the higher education sector to prevent, and respond effectively, to incidents of violence and sexual harassment against women, hate crimes and other forms of harassment. The taskforce is expected to report its findings in the autumn.

To date Universities UK have received 59 written representations from universities, plus additional evidence from a wide range of agencies and organisations.

Universities UK has published an update of the recent taskforce meeting, which addressed the Zellick guidelines. The Government looks forward to receiving the taskforce’s final report in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-04-25.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Northern Powerhouse strategy will include his pledge in paragraph 2.256 of Budget 2016 to support the UK’s bid for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Hands

As stated in Spending Review 15 the government supports the ambition to host the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in the Northern Powerhouse.

Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-05-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the average hourly earnings were of her Department’s (a) BME and (b) non-BME employees in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The tables below are the average hourly rates for all employees (Senior Civil Service and below within DFID). The not declared BAME figure includes: those declared as white; those who selected “prefer not to say”; and those who have not declared. However, I would note to the Hon. Member that such simple averages do not paint an accurate figure of our workforce and recruitment practices.

DFID HCS Staff	March 2015 Average Hourly Earnings	March 2016 Average Hourly Earnings
Declared BAME	£25.05	£25.23
Not Declared BAME	£25.99	£26.01

The Civil Service is changing, and our recruitment seeks to reflect the make-up and composition of our nation as a whole. Historically, BME staff were under-represented: both in terms of previous recruitment patterns and the number and proportion in higher grades, both of these factors have contributed to the differences in average salaries.

We are making progress the proportion of BME staff in the Civil Service has risen from 9.2% in 2010 to 10.6% in 2015, but we recognise that there is still more to do.

In March, the Government published its 2016 Talent Action Plan for the Civil Service. It provides a progress update on initiatives to increase diversity in the Civil Service, including cross-Government talent programmes aimed at under-represented groups.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/talent-action-plan-2016-removing-the-barriers-to-success

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average hourly earnings were of 10 Downing Street’s (a) BME and (b) non-BME employees in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016.

Matthew Hancock

The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

Cabinet Office staff are paid an annual salary, not on the basis of an hourly rate.

The Department uses a grading structure to determine annual salary rates. This is underpinned by Job Evaluation and Grading Support (JEGS), an analytical job evaluation tool which meets all requirements of legislation and EHRC statutory codes of practice on Equal Pay. The use of JEGS and its application in determining the appropriate grade for a role enables us to determine where employees are doing equal work based on “work rated as equivalent.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2016 to Question 41528, what discussions the Civil Service Chief People Officer, Rupert McNeil, has had with permanent secretaries of other government departments on meeting external organisations to discuss meeting temporary or permanent skills and staff needs.

Ben Gummer

The Civil Service constantly reviews its capabilities in order to deliver the Government’s agenda. Civil Servants regularly meet with external organisations and stakeholders to discuss how best to deliver that agenda, including seeking advice and assistance where appropriate. Following the decision to exit the European Union, Rupert McNeil, the Chief People Officer, is working closely with departments and functions across government to understand the capabilities required, including considering what new skills the Civil Service may require. To do that, he is in the process of meeting all Departmental Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Function.

Work is on-going to establish the new Department for Exiting the European Union and the new Department for International Trade and all departments are currently reviewing their own structures and resources to ensure we get the best deal for the whole of Britain.