Tag: Imran Hussain

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to conduct a review of dentistry provision contracts.

David Mowat

The Government is committed to replacing the current National Health Service dental contract with one that better rewards dentists for improving the oral health of their patients in addition to providing treatment where needed.

The dental pilots which ran from 2011-16 tested a new way of delivering care focussed on prevention. Based on the learning from that scheme, 79 high street practices are continuing to test the prevention based clinical pathway with the addition of testing a possible new remuneration system.

The prototype scheme evaluation is expected during 2017-18. The evaluation will be overseen by an evidence and learning group, which includes clinical and stakeholder representation. If successful the new system could start to be rolled out nationally from 2018-19.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of (a) disqualifications of parliamentary candidates, (b) disenfranchisement of ethnic groups and (c) inaccuracy and omissions from the voter lists in elections in Burma in November 2015.

Mr Hugo Swire

The British Govenment was concerned by the disqualification of parliamentary candidates, which disproportionately affected Muslim nominees. Of the 6,074 candidates who registered, 99 nominations were rejected, of which 22 were Muslim. Of these, 67 appealed, and 24 decisions were overturned of which 11 were Muslim. The EU Election Observation Mission’s (EOM) preliminary statement of 10 November stated that since the rejections predominantly focused on the strict application of the citizenship requirement, this impacted particularly heavily on Muslim candidates. The EU EOM estimated that only 28 Muslim candidates stood in total. The UK has regularly expressed its deep disappointment with the decision to revoke Temporary Residence Cards (‘White Cards’) which effectively disenfranchised the Rohingya community from the vote, as well as some other minorities. The EU EOM noted that, as a result, universal suffrage was not properly provided for, and the elections were not fully inclusive. Improving the conditions for the Rohingya remains a top priority for the UK. As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymead and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) said in his statement of 10 November: ‘The UK stands ready to support the people of Burma as they continue to work towards a more democratic and accountable government, including those unable to vote in this election.’ Ahead of polling day there were widespread concerns about the accuracy of the voter lists. However, on the day, the EU EOM noted that: ‘Most voters, in polling stations visited, found their names on the voter list, but in 7% of polling stations visited some absences on the list were observed.’

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that claimants with limited English are referred to a structured programme to improve their English skills.

Priti Patel

All Jobseekers are screened for their ability in English Language skills and referred to appropriate English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) training to improve their skills to help support them into employment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-03-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which (a) fixed and (b) mobile structures funded by her Department in Area C of the Occupied Palestinian Territory have been (i) demolished and (ii) confiscated by the Israeli authorities in (A) 2015 and (B) 2016.

Mr Desmond Swayne

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I provided on 17 March to Question number 30955

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-12.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to allow the exchange of tax information of UK-listed companies with developing countries.

Mr David Gauke

The UK supports efforts to improve tax transparency. We initiated international work on country-by-country (CbC) reporting during our G8 Presidency in 2013, calling on the OECD to develop a framework for CbC reporting to tax authorities as part of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project. This important initiative will enhance transparency between business and tax authorities, including those of developing countries.

The UK has published regulations on 26 February 2016 implementing the OECD CbC reporting framework.

We have also signed the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement which allows from the automatic exchange of the OECD CbC reports between relevant tax authorities. All countries are free to enter into international agreements so that they can exchange reports under the Multilateral Convention, bilateral double tax conventions or tax information exchange agreements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department plans to increase the number of interventions to tackle violence against women and girls through programmes funded by her Department at (a) donor and (b) country level.

Mr Nick Hurd

As set out in our UK Strategy to end violence against women and girls: 2016 to 2020 we are pursuing an ambitious programme of work at the international level. Scaling up efforts to eliminate VAWG requires global action and leadership. DFID is continuing to demonstrate leadership internationally, for example, at the World Humanitarian Summit the UK announced an expansion of the VAWG programme in Syria with UNFPA. DFID will continue to support VAWG interventions at country and central level where it is appropriate and where there is a comparative advantage for DFID to do so .

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with her foreign counterparts on the use of pellet guns and other non-lethal weapons for crowd control purposes.

Brandon Lewis

The Home Office has not had any discussions with foreign counterparts on the use of pellet guns and other non-lethal weapons for crowd control purposes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much overtime was paid to NHS staff in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2013-14.

Mr Philip Dunne

The total overtime payments to National Health Service staff are estimated to have been:

– £380 million in 2015-16;

– £362 million in 2014-15; and

– £330 million in 2013-14

These estimates are based on pay information from the NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR), which is the Human Resources and Payroll system for almost all trusts in England. These estimates do not include overtime payments to general practitioners or their staff.

ESR includes hundreds of payment type codes and payment figures are aggregated to high-level groupings using a mapping system. One of the high-level groupings is Overtime/Additional Duty Hours. The estimates provided in the answer above are based on this.

Overtime/Additional Duty Hours is just one way of buying extra staffing resource in the NHS. Shifts, absence and vacancies are also filled using additional activity payments (e.g. additional programmed activities and additional hours at plain time rates for part-time staff), bank contracts, and agency staffing.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance his Department has provided to the EU election observation mission overseeing elections in Burma in November 2015.

Mr Hugo Swire

The United Kingdom lobbied the EU to deploy an Election Observation Mission to Burma and we welcomed their deployment of a 136-person mission. The presence of international observers, including from the EU, was a key part of the United Kingdom’s strategy for deterring fraud in Burma’s elections on 8 November.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the withdrawal of ESOL funding on levels of poverty.

Priti Patel

We are committed to supporting those who are unemployed to finding and keeping employment. In doing so, we ensure that any learning provision is delivered in the context of local employment and labour market demand. Data shows that the numbers of learners in England previously being referred to ESOL Plus (Mandation) provision was significantly lower than originally anticipated and the ESOL Plus (Mandation) budget was underspent in 2014/15.

The decision to remove the specific English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Plus (Mandation) funding for 2015/16 enables providers, as independent organisations which manage their own budgets, to have the flexibility to use their adult skills budget more effectively to support jobseekers. They are able to continue to provide ESOL training for jobseekers where it is likely to result in the most effective labour market outcome, and jobseekers with poor English language skills can still be mandated to this training. All new claimants are screened for spoken English at their first interview and if below entry level 2, they are referred for a more detailed assessment and, if appropriate, training provision.