Tag: Greg Mulholland

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect his proposals for a new junior doctors’ contract will have on junior doctors who do not work full time.

Ben Gummer

The new Junior Doctors Contract will continue to support those junior doctors who choose to work less than full time. Along with full time trainees, they will benefit from the strengthened controls on hours worked and also will benefit from an increase in base pay. Pay in future will be determined on fair pay principles related to the stage of training that junior doctors have reached. Junior doctors can expect to receive four or five progression pay increases in the course of their training as they progress and take on more responsibility.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what fields of data are held about people recorded by CCTV cameras with facial recognition and biometric tracking capabilities.

Mike Penning

I have received no representations about the use of CCTV cameras with facial recognition and biometric tracking capabilities.

The use of any CCTV system operating in a public place in England and Wales (whether or not any facial recognition or biometric tracking technology is being used) is subject to the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, issued as guidance under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. The police, as a relevant authority, are duty bound to have regard to the Code when performing their functions. Any use of such technology for covert investigative purposes by a public authority would be subject to the requirements of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and its related Code of Practice. Further, the use and disclosure of personal data, such as CCTV images, is generally governed by the Data Protection Act 1998.

Information on the fields of data which any CCTV system operator may use to identify individuals of interest is not held centrally. Further, any person (including those not suspected of an offence) may make a subject access request to a police force in respect of personal information which is held about them (including CCTV images). In broad terms, pursuant to the Code of Practice on the Management of Police Information (MOPI) and accompanying guidance published by the College of Policing, this should trigger a review of whether or not to delete such material based on an assessment of danger to the public and its value for policing purposes.

It is the longstanding policy of successive Governments not to comment on intelligence matters.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of legislation to prevent stone theft.

Mike Penning

We have received no recent representations from local authorities in Yorkshire on this issue.

Existing legislation provides the police and courts with sufficient powers to respond to stone theft.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 46 of her Department’s Counter-Extremism Strategy, published on 19 October 2015, how much funding her Department will make available for commissioning and funding research.

Karen Bradley

We are determining the requirements and precise funding allocation for research to be commissioned. We will be working closely with a range of experts, including academics and universities, to improve our understanding of extremism. Opportunities for part-funded research will be allocated competitively.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will give an undertaking to the British Medical Association not to impose a new junior doctors’ contract.

Ben Gummer

It remains the Government’s preference to reach a negotiated agreement with the British Medical Association (BMA). However, since the BMA Junior Doctors Committee withdrew from negotiations in October 2014, they have refused repeatedly to re-enter negotiations, even though they entered those negotiations recognising that the current contract was not fully fit for purpose and needed to change.

On 28 OctoberGovernment confirmed that the pay of all junior doctors working safe hours in the transition to the new contract would be protected and again appealed to the BMA to return to negotiations.

A new contract will be introduced from August 2016 that promotes safe working and rewards juniors more fairly in relation to the hours they work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2015 to Question 4425, when he expects Network Rail to publish an update to its industry electrification strategy.

Claire Perry

The Department expects that the industry electrification strategy will be published by Network Rail as a draft for consultation in early 2016, taking into account the outcome of the review by Sir Peter Hendy of Network Rail’s programme of rail investment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Government’s Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Government set up the first Anti-Muslim Hatred working group in 2012 and we are proud of its achievements. We are committed to tackling anti-Muslim hatred and see the group as an important role in advising Ministers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the criteria are for choosing the credible commentators referred to in paragraph 46 of her Department’s Counter-Extremism Strategy, published on 19 October 2015.

Karen Bradley

We have taken the question to mean the credible commentators referred to in paragraph 65 of the Counter-Extremism Strategy. We are determining the requirements and precise funding allocation for research to be commissioned. We will be working closely with a range of experts, including academics and universities, to improve our understanding of extremism. Opportunities for part-funded research will be allocated competitively.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his proposals for a new junior doctors’ contract, what penalties would be enforceable against employers who fail to keep junior doctors’ hours within safe limits.

Ben Gummer

Safeguards will be significantly improved compared to the existing contract, with employers contractually required to ensure safe working including:

– No junior will be contractually required to work more than an average of 48 hours a week;

– Those who choose to opt-out of the Working Time Regulations (WTR) (legally allowing them to work longer) will be limited to an average of 56 hours a week;

– The maximum number of hours in any week will be 72, less than the 91 currently possible under the WTR;

– There will be limits of no more than four consecutive night shifts and no more than five consecutive long days; and

– Employers will be required to take action where a junior is concerned about hours as part of an agreed system of work scheduling and review. In exceptional approved circumstances doctors would be compensated for hours worked outside their work schedule.

Employment contracts are legally enforceable. There will also be external NHS review processes relating to the educational experience and the impact of working patterns on safe care.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of legislation to prevent pavement parking in London.

Andrew Jones

Local authorities are best placed to assess the need for pavement parking controls in their area and the effectiveness of any restrictions in place. It would be for the relevant traffic authorities to conduct an assessment of legislation specific to London.

Last year this Department received around a thousand communications from Guide Dogs campaigners in support of two Private Members’ Bills on pavement parking. Departmental officials met with Guide Dogs officials as recently as 13 October this year.

Local authorities already have the powers to introduce enforceable pavement parking restrictions where they consider it appropriate. My Department’s guidance to local authorities makes clear that, during the appraisal of their parking policies, an authority should consider whether pavement parking is problematic in any part of its area. If it is, and is not covered by an existing Traffic Regulation Order, the authority should consider amending the existing Order or making a new one. We have issued councils with authorisation to place specifically designed traffic signs without the need for Whitehall approval.