Tag: Lyn Brown

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will take steps to reduce the number of non-recyclable paper coffee cups used in the UK.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

Paper coffee cups are covered by the Packaging Waste Regulations. The UK meets its packaging waste recovery and recycling targets through a market-based approach. These targets are reviewed periodically to encourage more recycling of packaging, including paper and cardboard. Packaging producers who put more than 50 tonnes a year of packaging materials on the market and have an annual turnover of more than £2 million are required to recover and recycle a proportion of their packaging waste. As a result, major coffee chains pick up a financial obligation to recycle their packaging waste, including paper coffee cups, through this mechanism.

We are aware of many major chains who are taking their own action to incentivise environmentally friendly behaviour, for example, offering a reusable cup discount on drinks if people bring their own cups.

Industry has also put in place the Paper Cup Recycling and Recovery Group (PCRRG). As part of this, a manifesto signed by over 40 companies was launched on 27 June this year, with the aim of “significantly increasing paper cup recovery and recycling rates by 2020”.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many call-handling staff are employed by the Action Fraud helpline; and how many of those employees were employed on (a) 1 May 2015 and (b) 1 November 2014.

Mike Penning

With regards to the number of call-handling staff employed by the Action Fraud helpline:

• As of December 2015 there were69.78 FTEs

• As of May 2015 there were 81.92 FTEs

• As of November 2014 there were 84.67 FTEs

With regards to the number of frontline staff employed by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB): The NFIB is overseen by the City of London Police, it is not a public facing part of the Force, so does not employ any frontline staff.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have successfully completed training courses on cyber-crime in the last (a) six and (b) 12 months.

Mike Penning

There are a number of training courses dealing with cyber crime available to police officers, for example, through the College of Policing and other external providers. The Home Office does not hold a central record of the number of such training courses. Furthermore, the Home Office does not hold a central record of how many police officers have completed training courses on cyber crime in the last six months or in the last year. However, the Government recognises that driving up cyber knowledge and capabilities at the local policing level is very important, that is why we are delivering training in cyber crime to officers in local police forces funded by the National Cyber Security Programme. The second phase of the Mainstream Cyber Crime Training course was launched on 30 September 2015 by College of Policing. This is a modular course consisting of a series of self-teach and interactive modules accessible to all police officers and staff, and which gives an introduction to how to recognise and investigate cyber crimes.

Cyber Security, including combating cyber crime, is a top priority threat to national security. That is why we have invested over £90 million over the last five years to bolster the law enforcement response, and we will continue to invest. As the Chancellor announced on 17 November, we plan to almost double investment in cyber security, including cyber crime, to £1.9 billion over the next five years. This will enable us to continue to invest in training for police officers at the national, regional and local levels.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many operational frontline staff are employed at the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau; and how many of those employees were employed on (a) 1 May 2015 and (b) 1 November 2014.

Mike Penning

With regards to the number of call-handling staff employed by the Action Fraud helpline:

• As of December 2015 there were69.78 FTEs

• As of May 2015 there were 81.92 FTEs

• As of November 2014 there were 84.67 FTEs

With regards to the number of frontline staff employed by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB): The NFIB is overseen by the City of London Police, it is not a public facing part of the Force, so does not employ any frontline staff.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what academic research he has commissioned on the expected behavioural response of employers to the introduction of the apprenticeship levy.

Nick Boles

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have commissioned academics at The Institute of Employment Research and IFF Research to undertake detailed research into employers’ response to the apprenticeship levy. We expect to be able to publish this in late summer 2016.

Additionally we are in the process of commissioning further independent work in this area.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what academic research he has commissioned on the expected behavioural response of employers to the introduction of the apprenticeship levy.

Nick Boles

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have commissioned academics at The Institute of Employment Research and IFF Research to undertake detailed research into employers’ response to the apprenticeship levy. We expect to be able to publish this in late summer 2016.

Additionally we are in the process of commissioning further independent work in this area.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2016-05-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons NHS England is reconsidering its positioning on commissioning pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV.

Jane Ellison

NHS England decided to reconsider its decision in relation to the commissioning of pre-exposure prophylaxis following questions concerning interpretation of powers to commission HIV prevention services being raised by some stakeholders.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2016-05-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the £2 million allocated by NHS England over the next two years to make pre-exposure prophylaxis available at early implementer test sites will be in addition to funding from the specialised commissioning budget.

Jane Ellison

NHS England is in the process of re-considering its decision to remove pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) from the specialised commissioning annual prioritisation process. As such, no final decisions have yet been taken by NHS England as to whether or not they will routinely commission PrEP. This process, which is being overseen by NHS England’s Specialised Services Commissioning Committee, is expected to complete by the end of May 2016. Until the outcome of this process is known, NHS England will continue to work with Public Health England and the Department on planning for the proposed £2 million investment in an early implementer test site programme for PrEP. As part of this, NHS England will be exploring how, and where appropriate, a period of further support might be offered to the participants enrolled on the PROUD study. All the PROUD trial participants signed an explicit consent form that made clear that there was no long term commitment to continue providing PrEP beyond the trial.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2016-05-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ensure that the PROUD trial participants will continue to receive a supply of the pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV drugs after June 2016.

Jane Ellison

NHS England is in the process of re-considering its decision to remove pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) from the specialised commissioning annual prioritisation process. As such, no final decisions have yet been taken by NHS England as to whether or not they will routinely commission PrEP. This process, which is being overseen by NHS England’s Specialised Services Commissioning Committee, is expected to complete by the end of May 2016. Until the outcome of this process is known, NHS England will continue to work with Public Health England and the Department on planning for the proposed £2 million investment in an early implementer test site programme for PrEP. As part of this, NHS England will be exploring how, and where appropriate, a period of further support might be offered to the participants enrolled on the PROUD study. All the PROUD trial participants signed an explicit consent form that made clear that there was no long term commitment to continue providing PrEP beyond the trial.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2016-05-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects a final decision to be made and announced on whether HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis is commissioned.

Jane Ellison

NHS England is in the process of re-considering its decision to remove pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) from the specialised commissioning annual prioritisation process. As such, no final decisions have yet been taken by NHS England as to whether or not they will routinely commission PrEP. This process, which is being overseen by NHS England’s Specialised Services Commissioning Committee, is expected to complete by the end of May 2016. Until the outcome of this process is known, NHS England will continue to work with Public Health England and the Department on planning for the proposed £2 million investment in an early implementer test site programme for PrEP. As part of this, NHS England will be exploring how, and where appropriate, a period of further support might be offered to the participants enrolled on the PROUD study. All the PROUD trial participants signed an explicit consent form that made clear that there was no long term commitment to continue providing PrEP beyond the trial.