Tag: Ms Margaret Ritchie

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the possible effect of reductions in accident and emergency opening hours on public health and medical treatment standards.

Jane Ellison

Changes to front line health services are a matter for local National Health Service commissioners and providers.

Any significant service change should take account of guidance published by NHS England on 29 October 2015: Planning, assuring and delivering service change for patients. This reflects the objective in the mandate from the Government to NHS England to ensure that significant changes to services meet four tests: (i) strong public and patient engagement; (ii) consistency with current and prospective need for patient choice; (iii) a clear clinical evidence base; and (iv) support for proposals from clinical commissioners.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking with the College of Emergency Medicine to help attract middle-grade and senior doctors to local hospitals.

Ben Gummer

Health Education England is working with the Royal College of Emergency Medicine to ensure they have a skilled, trained and motivated workforce in urgent and emergency care. This has included recruiting an additional 75 trainee emergency medicine doctors commissioned per year in 2014-2016, recruiting and appointing 29 international doctors in 2015 and supporting development of the multi-professional workforce.

National Health Service organisations are best placed to determine the size and skill mix of the workforce they need to deliver safe care and how, through local campaigns, they attract middle-grade and senior doctors to local hospitals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-25.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the Barnett consequentials are for Northern Ireland of the measures announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

Greg Hands

The Northern Ireland Executive’s block grant allocations for the Spending Review period were set out at the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015. The allocations were calculated by the application of the Barnett Formula to UK government departmental settlements in the normal way.

Further information regarding the Barnett Formula can be found in HM Treasury’s ‘Statement of Funding Policy’.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the report published by Ofcom on 1 December 2015 into broadband speeds in Northern Ireland.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Ofcom’s Connected Nations 2015 report shows that average download broadband speeds in Northern Ireland have improved over the last year. Work is underway to further improve broadband availability and speeds, and the impact of two additional schemes will be measured in due course.

Meanwhile, this Government is working closely with Ofcom to implement the broadband Universal Service Obligation by 2020, as recently announced by the Prime Minister. This will give people a legal right to request a broadband connection no matter where they live. A consultation will be launched early next year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will reintroduce the Super Highway Broadband Voucher Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The £40m government-funded Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme – which closed to new applications on 12 October 2015 – was a huge success, issuing well over 50,000 vouchers, as well as funding the cost of installation of wi-fi in more than 1500 public buildings. We have no plans to reintroduce the scheme, though it is worth noting that some commercial providers, such as Virgin media, are now offering free installation of business broadband.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development on (a) sheep carcase classification and (b) price reporting for sheep; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice

The Commissioner has established a series of workshops on the future of the sheep sector in the European Union. This forum is providing an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues relevant to the sector, including carcass classification and price reporting. Defra and the devolved administrations are fully engaged in these discussions.

In addition, Defra and the devolved administrations are contributing to the Commission’s review of regulations on carcass classification and price reporting as part of the EU Commission’s legislation simplification programme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the devolved administrations on (a) sheep carcase classification and (b) price reporting on sheep; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice

The Commissioner has established a series of workshops on the future of the sheep sector in the European Union. This forum is providing an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues relevant to the sector, including carcass classification and price reporting. Defra and the devolved administrations are fully engaged in these discussions.

In addition, Defra and the devolved administrations are contributing to the Commission’s review of regulations on carcass classification and price reporting as part of the EU Commission’s legislation simplification programme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce the use of chlorofluorocarbons; and if she will make a statement.

Rory Stewart

Most production, import and use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) has now been banned in the UK in accordance with our obligations under the United Nations’ Montreal Protocol and EC Regulation 1005/2009 on substances that deplete the ozone layer. Exemptions to the ban are granted under certain circumstances for essential laboratory and analytical uses. CFCs may also still be imported for destruction and may be used for the production and processing of other chemicals but emissions must be minimised. These measures are enforced in England by the Environment Agency and Local Authorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2015-12-09.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the Barnet consequentials for Northern Ireland are of the £50 million additional funding for flood relief; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Hands

As the Chancellor announced in the House on 9 December, the government is creating a new Community Recovery Scheme to support households and businesses affected by the floods in Cumbria and Lancashire.

The Barnett Formula has been applied to this funding in the normal way, and the Northern Ireland Executive will receive £1.322 million in additional funding.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2015-12-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proposals she plans to submit to the European Union Council of Fisheries Ministers on 14 and 15 December 2015 to safeguard fishing effort and quotas in terms of Cod, Haddock, Hake and Nephrops in the Irish Sea (Area VIIA); and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice

The UK Government worked hard to get the best possible deal for UK fish stocks and our fishing industry at the annual EU Fisheries Council, where fishing opportunities for 2016 were agreed. For fisheries in the Irish Sea we secured increased quotas for haddock, Nephrops and hake, a rollover of the 2015 quota for plaice, and kept a reduction for cod in line with the scientific advice. We also ensured that “days at sea” effort levels will be maintained at the existing level for all areas of the Cod Recovery Zone, including the Irish Sea.