Tag: Mike Kane

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).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what property and land assets his Department holds in Greater Manchester.

Mark Lancaster

The property and land assets held by the MOD in Greater Manchester are shown below:

Ardwick Green Army Reserve Centre

Ashton-under-Lyne Army Reserve Centre

Belle Vue Street Army Reserve Centre

Bolton Army Reserve Centre

Bury Army Reserve Centre

Defence Business Services Cheadle Hulme

Failsworth Oldham Road Army Reserve Centre

Haldane Barracks Army Reserve Centre

Holcombe Moor Training Area

Holcombe Moor Training Camp

Kings Road Army Reserve Centre

Manchester Road Army Reserve Centre

Norman Road Army Reserve Centre

Ramsbottom Weekend Training Centre

Stockport Territorial Army Centre

Upper Chorlton Road Army Reserve Centre

University Barracks Territorial Army, Army Cadet Force & Army Cadet Force Headquarters

Wigan Territorial Army Centre, Army Cadet Force & Air Training Corps

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what requirements NHS England has placed on Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust to provide alternative services to replace services which are to be closed.

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 2016-06-03.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to empower regulators and law enforcement agencies to prevent and detect the laundering of corrupt assets through the UK financial system.

Harriett Baldwin

In April, we launched the Action Plan for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist finance, to address the gaps identified in the National Risk Assessment, and to make significant changes to improve our response to threats.

The Action Plan will reform the supervisory regime so that the high anti-money laundering standards and controls that the UK subscribes to are implemented successfully.

It also commits us to establish an enhanced law enforcement response to the threats we face through building new capabilities in law enforcement agencies and exploring tough new legal powers to enable the relentless disruption and prosecution of criminals and terrorists.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister’s Anti-Corruption Summit in May launched a number of new initiatives to address illicit financial flows and give momentum to existing projects.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will fund training costs of disabled apprentices aged 18 to 24 in accordance with the recommendations of Creating an inclusive apprenticeship offer, commissioned by the Apprenticeships Unit and published in January 2012.

Nick Boles

Apprenticeship training for 16-18 year olds is fully funded by Government to provide an incentive to employers. Government also fully funds apprentices aged 19 to 24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan). Apprentices aged 19 to 24 without an EHC Plan, who have a learning difficulty and/or disability can be supported through Learning Support.

Learning Support is provided to help providers to work flexibly and provide support activity to meet the learning needs of their apprentices who have an identified learning difficulty and/or disability. Learning Support also provides funding to meet the cost of reasonable adjustments as set out in the Equality Act 2010.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will discuss with her ministerial colleagues in other departments (a) reducing UK support for fossil fuels overseas and (b) ensuring that support for energy in developing countries is directed towards low-carbon technologies.

Mr Nick Hurd

My Department works closely with other government departments on UK energy policy overseas, including the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the Treasury, and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The UK Government has committed to end public funding for coal fired power plants, , except in rare circumstances, in the world’s poorest countries. This policy has been agreed with DECC and was announced at the Warsaw Climate Change conference in 2013.

DFID will continue to support international initiatives to promote cleaner energy sources and other low carbon technologies. For example, the Energy Africa campaign will accelerate the expansion of the household solar market in Africa, helping to bring universal energy access to the continent. The International Climate Fund (ICF) managed by DECC and DFID also actively supports low-carbon technologies, and monitors this through Key Performance Indicators. The UK reports publicly on achievements through the ICF (see https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/463954/ICF_Results_Note_Final.pdf).

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has made representations to the EU on its funding of aid and development projects in Eritrea.

Mr Nick Hurd

Between 2013 and 2015 DFID provided UNICEF in Eritrea with £10 million for child and maternal health and the provision of clean water and sanitation.

In December 2015 DFID provided a further £3 million for nutrition support activities and water and sanitation in areas affected by El Nino in the Horn of Africa through UNICEF’s regional programme, which covers Eritrea.

Over the past 2 years funding to support primarily Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia totalled £1.6 million and focussed on child protection and related work on anti-smuggling and trafficking.