Tag: Lord Blencathra

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2015-11-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to follow the example of the government of Belgium which has passed a law to arrest all suspected extremists who have returned to Belgium from Syria or Iraq.

Lord Bates

The UK has a wide range of disruptive tools and offences under which a suspected terrorist or violent extremist can be arrested and prosecuted. Earlier this year, we legislated, through the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 and the Serious Crime Act 2015, to strengthen further our capabilities to deal with the threat from foreign fighters and British-born jihadis who seek to harm the UK, including where they have undertaken prohibited activities abroad.We keep our counter-terrorism powers under constant review.

All decisions relating to the arrest, charge and prosecution of terrorism suspects are a matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-05-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role of fast broadband and mobile phones in sending diagnostic information between patients in their own homes and medical practitioners.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Government supports the wider use of information technologies in health and social care and the creation of a paperless National Health Service by 2020.

Investments in health technology were announced in the autumn statement and will help patients and staff access the services they need and facilitate use of online services and apps including those that enable communication between patients and their medical and other health and social care practitioners.

The Government welcomes the recommendations to increase take-up of internet enabled services that were made by Martha Lane Fox in December 2015. These recommendations will inform the delivery of the National Implementation Board’s contribution to the implementation of the NHS strategic plan for England outlined in the NHS Five Year Forward View.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-07-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of doctors from other EU countries who have inadequate clinical English language skills.

Lord Prior of Brampton

In June 2014 the General Medical Council (GMC) was given powers to carry out proportionate language controls on all applicants from the European Economic Area (EEA) to ensure that doctors have the necessary English language skills to practise safely in the United Kingdom. In addition the GMC was given powers to take fitness to practise action if a doctor working in the UK has insufficient language skills to carry out their job safely. Doctors must register with the GMC to practise in the UK.

Since June 2014 a total of 1,659 doctors from the EEA have been unable to demonstrate to the GMC that they have sufficient language skills to practise safely in the UK; 564 of those doctors have gone on to reach the standard required by the GMC and have been issued with a licence to practise.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-09-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to putting in place immediate arrangements for members of the armed forces to be trained in train driving, operating and management.

Earl Howe

Defence has no current plans in place to provide training in train driving, operating or management.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-10-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 15 September (HL1768), and in the light of the need to maintain compliance with EU law until the UK leaves the EU, what steps they are taking now to ensure that once the UK has left the EU they are ready to move quickly to a new drugs and treatment approval regime.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Government is now working to understand, in full, the implications of withdrawing from the European Union (EU) and to develop a future approach to medicines regulation. The Government will ensure that the United Kingdom’s approval regime is ready and operational as soon as the UK has formally departed the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2015-11-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why 450 British extremists who have been, or are believed to have been, fighting in Syria have been permitted to re-enter the UK, and why only three of those individuals have been charged with terrorist offences.

Lord Bates

Approximately 800 British nationals have travelled to Syria to take part in the conflict since it began, and of those who are known to have travelled about half have returned.

It is a general convention of international law that a state should allow entry of its own citizens.

However, everyone who returns from taking part in the conflict in Syria or Iraq – which includes those who voluntarily decide to live in areas controlled by ISIL – must expect to be subject to review by the police to determine if they have committed criminal offences abroad, and to ensure that they do not pose a threat to our national security.

British citizens and residents who commit offences abroad can be prosecuted under a wide range of terrorism and criminal law offences including training for terrorism and murder.

Decisions on charging are taken independently on a case-by-case basis by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-05-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to make morbidly obese persons whose obesity is caused by over-eating and lack of exercise pay some or all of the cost of NHS treatment received for that condition.

Lord Prior of Brampton

There are no plans to make persons whose obesity is caused by over-eating and lack of exercise pay any of the cost of National Health Service treatment received for that condition.

The NHS Constitution states in its second principle “Access to NHS services is based on clinical need, not an individual’s ability to pay. NHS services are free of charge, except in limited circumstances sanctioned by Parliament.” A copy of the NHS Constitution is attached.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-07-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to issue instructions to NHS Trusts to draw up doctors’ schedules that ignore the EU Working Time Directive.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Government has no plans to issue instructions to ignore the Working Time Directive (WTD).

There will be no immediate changes to our relationship with the European Union. We remain a part of the EU until negotiations are concluded, which could take up two years or more if agreement isn’t reached. While the United Kingdom remains a member of the EU, we must meet our obligations as a member of the EU, including the WTD.

It is the responsibility of individual National Health Service trusts to ensure service rotas are compliant with the WTD.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-09-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are planning to take to honour the British soldiers who fought in Musa Qala in Afghanistan in the autumn of 2006.

Earl Howe

Service in Afghanistan is recognised by the Operational Service Medal. All those who deployed to Afghanistan will have been eligible to receive the medal if they met the qualifying criteria. There is a long-standing rule that decisions taken with regards to medallic recognition should not be revisited once five years have passed since the conclusion of a military operation. The ‘five year’ rule has been looked at by the Committee on the Grants of Honours, Decorations and Medals (HD Committee) on a number of occasions, and on each occasion it has concluded that the rule is sound and should not be changed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-10-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 25 July (HL1283), and in the light of the need to maintain compliance with EU law until the UK leaves the EU, what plans they have to discuss with NHS Trusts the introduction of new rotas for doctors which, following the UK’s departure from the EU, would exceed the current hours prescribed by the Working Time Directive.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The new rotas being introduced as part of the new contract for doctors in training include contractual limits on working hours that are stronger than those prescribed in the Working Time Directive. The contract limits weekly average hours to 48, and it places a cap of 72 hours on the number of hours that can be worked in any one week, compared to 91 hours under the Directive. It also reduces the number of consecutive nights and consecutive long days that doctors in training can work, compared to the current arrangements. Trusts are contractually obliged to observe these limits, regardless of the Working Time limits. Robust arrangements are in place to ensure this happens, with Guardians of Safe Working Hours in each trust. Trusts will be fined if junior doctors miss more than 25% of their designated meal breaks, work more than an average of 48 hours a week over 17 weeks or work more than the 72 hours limit in any one week.

Negotiations on a new contract for consultants have included a similar focus on safe working hours and limits. Discussions have been constructive and are continuing.