Tag: James Cartlidge

The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been spent in England on NHS Continuing Healthcare in each of the last five years.

David Mowat

Primary care trusts held statutory responsibilities for NHS Continuing Healthcare until 31 March 2013 and the cost of funding such packages was not captured specifically in their audited accounts. From 2009, the Department collected information on the total cost of NHS Continuing Healthcare packages through a financial information management system1. The annual costs (England total) from that date were as follows:

2011/12 – £2,324,655,000

2012/13 – £2,762,532,000

From 1 April 2013, statutory responsibilities for NHS Continuing Healthcare transferred to clinical commissioning groups and to NHS England. The annual costs from that date (England total) are as follows:

2013/14 – £2,647,176,411

2014/15 – £2,824,041,529

2015/16 – £3,062,102,151

Note:

1 This is management information and is not audited for Departmental accounts.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2015-11-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on beak trimming of laying hens.

George Eustice

Since 2010, the use of a hot blade to routinely beak trim laying hens has been banned in the UK. In order to prevent injurious feather pecking, use of infra-red technology only is permitted on day old chicks. The Government established the Beak Trimming Action Group (BTAG), comprising representatives from industry, welfare groups, retailers, Defra, scientific and veterinary professions to look at ways birds might be managed so that even infra-red beak trimming would no longer be necessary. Having reviewed all the available evidence, BTAG has now submitted its recommendations, and the report will be placed in the House Library. I have accepted all of the Group’s recommendations.

The Group advised that the risks of introducing a ban on infra-red beak trimming are too great. It could result in outbreaks of severe feather pecking and having to employ emergency beak trimming using the hot blade method, which is a far worse outcome from an animal welfare perspective. However, the BTAG report also identified improved management techniques that could reduce feather pecking. The Government expects to see these techniques introduced across the laying hen sector.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to tackle people trafficking.

Karen Bradley

This Government is committed to stamping out Modern Slavery, including human trafficking. Our Modern slavery Act gives law enforcement agencies the tools they need to tackle this heinous crime, places a duty on large businesses to report on their steps to prevent modern slavery in their global supply chains, and ensures that perpetrators can receive suitably severe sentences of up to life imprisonment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government has taken with the food, farming and agri-tech industries to treble the number of apprenticeships in those sectors.

George Eustice

Food, farming and agri-tech apprenticeships provide exciting career opportunities and the Food and Drink Federation predict they will need 130,000 new skilled recruits by 2024.

Food and farming businesses have led the way in developing new standards, so that apprenticeships such as “Dairy Technologist” are ready for delivery.

We are also encouraging food and farming apprentices to feature in the “Get In Go Far” apprenticeships campaign.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2015-11-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase the representation on the boards of NHS England, Monitor and other relevant health bodies at local, regional and national levels of people with a background in the mental health services; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman

Non-executive appointments to the boards of the Department’s arm’s length bodies, including NHS England and Monitor, are advertised widely and open to all in line with the requirements of the Commissioner for Public appointments. The application process is open to candidates with a background in mental health services.

Applications are treated equally and appointments are made on merit. There are board members of arm’s length bodies appointed through this process that have a mental health services background.

Non-executive appointments to National Health Service trusts are made by the NHS Trust Development Authority and are also regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Candidates are appointed on merit where they can add the best value to the needs of the individual board, ensuring that the board contains a balance of experience and skills in different areas, which can include mental health services.

Executive board appointments are made by the organisations themselves.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to tackle people trafficking.

Karen Bradley

This Government is committed to stamping out Modern Slavery, including human trafficking. Our Modern slavery Act gives law enforcement agencies the tools they need to tackle this heinous crime, places a duty on large businesses to report on their steps to prevent modern slavery in their global supply chains, and ensures that perpetrators can receive suitably severe sentences of up to life imprisonment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-10-20.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 17 December 2015 to Question 20232, what progress the Financial Conduct Authority has made in its investigation into issues relating to the Connaught fund.

Simon Kirby

This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government.

This question has been passed on to the FCA. They will reply directly to the Honourable Member by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2015-12-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with bidders for the current East Anglian rail franchise about the closure of the Sudbury to Marks Tey railway line and other branch lines in Suffolk in November 2015 as a result of leaf damage to diesel rolling stock.

Claire Perry

No specific discussions with bidders have taken place in regard to leaf fall damage to diesel rolling stock. As a minimum, we expect bidders to deliver on the ambitious performance benchmarks we have set, and to minimise delay and disruption for passengers across the franchise.

The East Anglia Invitation to Tender issued in September sets out that train performance will receive a weighting that is reflective of the level of improvements we want to see.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-04-08.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of new buy-to-let mortgage loans over the next five years which will be advanced on an (a) capital repayment and (b) interest-only basis.

Harriett Baldwin

HM Treasury has not made any estimates of the proportion of new buy-to-let mortgage loans over the next five years which will be advanced on a (a) capital repayment and (b) interest-only basis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2015-12-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to amend the current East Anglian rail franchise tender to reflect the closure of the Sudbury to Marks Tey railway line and other branch lines in Suffolk in November 2015 as a result of leaf damage to diesel rolling stock.

Claire Perry

No specific discussions with bidders have taken place in regard to leaf fall damage to diesel rolling stock. As a minimum, we expect bidders to deliver on the ambitious performance benchmarks we have set, and to minimise delay and disruption for passengers across the franchise.

The East Anglia Invitation to Tender issued in September sets out that train performance will receive a weighting that is reflective of the level of improvements we want to see.