Tag: Mike Kane

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2015-12-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make it his policy to ensure that 15 per cent of the three million apprenticeships his Department plans to deliver over the next five years are taken up by disabled people.

Nick Boles

We are committed to reaching 3 million new apprenticeship starts by 2020. Thousands of disabled people have benefitted from apprenticeships. In the 2014/15 academic year 44,090 of those starting an apprenticeship declared a disability or learning difficulty (LDD). This is 8.8% of the total starts.

Apprenticeships are jobs with training and availability is dependent upon employers offering opportunities. However, we believe that there is more that can be done to ensure that people from a diverse range of backgrounds are in the best possible place to apply for and secure an apprenticeship. Employers must fulfil their duties as set out in the Equality Act 2010 for apprentices as they would for other employees.

An Apprenticeships Equality and Diversity Advisory group helps government understand and address any apprenticeship equality and diversity issues in order to reduce barriers and make apprenticeships as inclusive as possible.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-02-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development on the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, 12 January 2016, Official Report, column 248WH, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the Global Fund is addressing concentrated epidemics among key populations in middle income countries.

Mr Nick Hurd

The UK is a key supporter of the Global Fund and pledged up to £1 billion between 2014 and 2016, subject to a 10% donor share cap. Approximately 50% of Global Fund resources are directed to Middle Income Countries (MICs) and the UK has asked the Global Fund to focus more heavily on marginalised groups in MICs where they do invest.

The UK is working with the Global Fund and other partners to encourage MICs to develop their own self-financed programmes to combat concentrated epidemics, ensuring that investments are effectively reaching key populations and holding national governments to account so that vulnerable groups are not left behind.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether NHS England has placed a requirement on Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust to pay off its deficit.

Alistair Burt

We are advised that NHS England has placed no such requirements. These are matters for the Manchester Mental Health and Social Care NHS Trust and its commissioners.

We expect all National Health Service trusts to use their resources wisely and within their statutory responsibilities, while delivering high quality, sustainable services to patients. It is for the local NHS to determine the provision of local health services.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether healthcare professionals in Greater Manchester expressed support for the introduction of charging for (a) primary care and (b) emergency care in response to his Department’s consultation, Making a fair contribution: consultation on the extension of charging overseas visitors and migrants using the NHS in England.

Alistair Burt

The Government is currently analysing responses to this consultation and will publish its response in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2015-12-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of whether local provision through clinical commissioning groups and local authorities is ensuring that high-quality, personalised services are being delivered for young people with dementia and their carers.

Jane Ellison

The Government is clear that all types of dementia remain a priority and will implement the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2020 in full to make sure that dementia care, support, awareness and research are transformed by 2020. Under the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2020, we want to see:

– Every person diagnosed with dementia having meaningful care following their diagnosis, which supports them and those around them, with meaningful care being in accordance with published National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Quality Standards.

– Information on what post-diagnosis services are available locally and how these can be accessed, through for example an annual ‘information prescription’.

– Access to relevant advice and support to help and advice on what happens after a diagnosis and the support available through the journey.

– Carers of people with dementia being made aware of and offered the opportunity for respite, education, training, emotional and psychological support so that they feel able to cope with their caring responsibilities and to have a life alongside caring.

Under the 2020 Challenge, we wish to encourage greater personalisation in the provision of post-diagnosis services – this means building support around the individual with dementia, their carer and their family.

It is for clinical commissioning groups and local authorities, working together, to ensure that high quality, personalised services are delivered for people with dementia including younger people and their carers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what procedures schools are required to follow in order to withdraw from an academy trust.

Edward Timpson

Where there are concerns about the performance of an academy the Regional Schools Commissioner may decide that the support of a new academy trust is needed to bring about the necessary improvements. In these cases the Regional Schools Commissioner may be able to use the termination powers set out in the academy’s funding agreement to require the academy to move to a new trust without the agreement of the academy or the existing trust. The Education and Adoption Bill will give Regional Schools Commissioners stronger more consistent powers to do this with failing and coasting academies.

Where the academy is performing well this is a matter for discussion and agreement between the academy, the trust and the relevant Regional Schools Commissioner.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether NHS England requires mental health and social care trusts to monitor the effect on service users of service closures.

Alistair Burt

The Government is clear the reconfiguration of front line health services is a matter for the local National Health Service. Services should be tailored to meet the needs of the local population, and proposals for substantial service change must meet the four tests of reconfiguration which are (i) support from general practitioner commissioners (ii) strengthened public and patient engagement (iii) clarity on the clinical evidence base and (iv) support for patient choice.

Any proposals for NHS service reconfiguration, including closure of services, must include a robust case for change and impact assessment. NHS England’s good practice guide for commissioners on service reconfiguration advises that:

― Following the decision on which option to take forward, an implementation plan should be set out on how the changes will be taken forward, when and by whom. The plan should identify a clear benefits realisation timetable with key milestones against which progress can be monitored. NHS England’s local teams will offer commissioners support, guidance and ongoing assurance through the implementation phase.

The guidance and the assurance process is designed to ensure the outcomes and effects of proposed service changes are taken into account at an early stage. Local commissioners and providers routinely monitor patient outcomes.

The good practice guide can be found here:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/plan-ass-deliv-serv-chge.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-06-03.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Government’s policy is on requiring companies bidding for government contracts to declare their ultimate beneficial ownership before a decision to award such contracts is made.

Matthew Hancock

At the Anti-Corruption Summit held in London on 12 May we announced our intention to require foreign companies to provide ‘beneficial ownership’ information to a new, publicly accessible register prior to being able to buy or sell UK property or bid for UK central government procurement contracts. We will be consulting on proposals later this year.

The UK will be first country in the world to require this.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how her Department plans to ensure that data is collected on stateless children so that such children can be taken into account in measuring progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The UK has played a key role in creating a set of Global Goals that are universal and inclusive; underpinned by a commitment to leave no one behind. Goal 17 target 18 concerns the need for high-quality, timely and reliable disaggregated data. It will be essential to have this data to ensure we leave no one behind, including data on stateless children. DFID is currently undertaking a bilateral aid review to address priorities for this parliament and this will address how we will support better data to ensure the Prime Ministers Leave No One Behind promise is delivered.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2015-12-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking (a) in the short term to provide humanitarian relief to displaced people in Bangui in the Central African Republic and (b) to secure peace in that city.

Mr Nick Hurd

The Central African Republic (CAR) is facing a severe and protracted crisis that has displaced more than a million people since 2012. Despite the deployment of 12,000 peace-keepers, the country remains marred by sectarian tension, criminal violence, arms proliferation and armed groups.

In September the UK approved a £7 million uplift in our assistance to CAR and CAR refugees to address rising needs and aid gaps, bringing UK humanitarian funding to £25 million in 2015 and £58 million since 2013. This makes the UK the third largest humanitarian donor to CAR after the US and the EU in 2015. UK funding is enabling partners including the International Committee of the Red-Cross and the Common Humanitarian Fund to provide humanitarian assistance to people in need in Bangui and the rest of the country.

The UK is also working with and through international organisations to ensure an effective international response to the security crisis in CAR.The UN is a key partner in CAR.The UK contributes to the UN peacekeeping mission (a projected £33.2m this year in assessed contributions).