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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her Department’s policy on the factors influencing migration to the UK of the findings of the Overseas Development Institute in its report, Journeys to Europe: the role of policy in migrant decision-making, published in February 2016.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government believes that a comprehensive solution is needed to deal with the causes of the migration crisis, not just its consequences. This includes stability in source and transit countries; swift assistance to those in need of humanitarian protection and speedy return of those who are not. We will continue to work with EU partners to solve the immediate issues, and to implement a wider plan: in particular, we are supporting more effective management of the EU’s external border, joint action on people smuggling, and stronger cooperation with third countries.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases related to the Independent Police Complaints Commission have been referred back to the police for investigation in each of the last six years.

    Mike Penning

    Police forces are required to refer (i) all Death and Serious Injury (DSI) matters and (ii) complaints and conduct matters that meet certain criteria, as set out in regulations, to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The IPCC assesses each referral on a case-by-case basis, by considering the seriousness of the matter and any relevant public interest factors. The IPCC may decide that an investigation is not required, in which case the matter will be referred back to the police force to decide what action to take. Alternatively, if the IPCC decides that the matter requires investigation, the IPCC must make a determination to undertake an independent investigation, an investigation under the supervision or management of the IPCC, or can refer back to the police force to investigate.

    In 2013 the Home Secretary announced a commitment to transfer resources to the IPCC to enable it to expand to undertake all serious and sensitive matters involving the police. The IPCC is currently undertaking a change programme to deliver this expansion. In 2013/14 the IPCC commenced 109 independent investigations whilst 241 were opened in 2014/15. The IPCC is on course to meet its target of delivering between 400 and 700 independent investigations in 2015/16.

    Reforms in the Policing and Crime Bill will build on this, enhancing the overall level of independence across IPCC investigations by removing managed and supervised investigations. Where the IPCC decides not to refer a matter back to the police force for investigation, it must undertake an independent investigation unless it considers that a directed investigation, a new form of investigation established by the Bill, is more appropriate.

    Information on how many cases referred to the IPCC have been referred back to the police for investigation is available on the IPCC’s website for the majority of the last six years (link: http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/page/archive-corporate-reports-and-plans). I will ask the IPCC to write to the Honourable Member, providing fuller information, and will ask for this response to be made available in the House Library.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which medicines have been reclassified from (a) prescription only medicine to pharmacy medicine status, (b) pharmacy medicine to general sales list medicine status and (c) prescription only medicine to general sales list medicine status in each of the last 25 years; for each of those medicines so reclassified what condition that medicine was designed to treat; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    The Government is committed to the continued reclassification of medicines from prescription only to pharmacy classification and from pharmacy to general sales list classification when it is safe to do so and there is a clear benefit to public health. This is an important part of empowering patients to manage their own care. The Government’s medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, is at the forefront of moves to reclassify medicines to non-prescription and is recognised as a leader in Europe in this regard.

    Over the years reclassification has been facilitated by improving the regulatory environment for manufacturers to achieve successful reclassification of their products. Amendments to legislation were introduced in 2002 to reduce the legislative burden for reclassification; new guidance was published in 2012 to streamline the process; and in 2015 a United Kingdom platform was set up to maximise stakeholder engagement with the aim of encouraging further reclassification of medicines.

    Patient safety remains the prime consideration in any decision to make a medicine available without prescription.

    We are unable to calculate the total difference in cost to the public purse following these medicine reclassifications.

    The attached tables contain the information for each of the last 25 years on medicines reclassified from prescription only medicine (POM) to Pharmacy (P) medicine and P medicine to general sales list (GSL) medicine. There are no examples of medicines which have been reclassified from POM to GSL. Where relevant, brand names have been included in brackets.

    The lists represent the first reclassification either from POM to P or P to GSL of the product and further extensions such as wider indications, additional pack sizes or higher strengths have not been included.

    Not all products listed are currently available, for various reasons, including both commercial and regulatory.

  • Liz Kendall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Liz Kendall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Kendall on 2016-05-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) average and (b) longest wait was for a carers’ assessment after an initial request was made since the introduction of the Carers Act 2014.

    Alistair Burt

    There is no central collection of data on the average and longest wait for a carer’s assessment after an initial request was made since the introduction of the Carers Act 2014. Nor is data collected centrally on the number of people currently on the waiting list for a carer’s assessment.

    Data on the number of carers assessed during the financial year 2014-15 by local authority is attached. It should be noted that these figures include both joint and separate assessments from the cared for person. The source for this data is Short and Long Term Support (SALT), England 2014-15. This return is collected and published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

    Link to SALT:

    http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB18663

    “

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-07-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 27 June (HL649), how many unaccompanied refugee children have reached the UK so far this year from (1) Europe, (2) the Middle East, and (3) elsewhere, for family reunion or otherwise for resettlement.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    In the year ending March 2016 the UK received 3,206 asylum applications from unaccompanied children who had reached the UK.

    We continue to fulfil our obligations under the Dublin Regulation to unaccompanied children who qualify for transfer to the UK under family reunification provisions. Since January 2016 our records show that over 60 children have been transferred from other EU countries to the UK.

    In addtion, the government continues to implement the Immigration Act 2016, including the provision to transfer unaccompained refugee children to the UK from elswhere in Europe. We are consulting local authorities as required and are also working closely with relevant Member States and other partners such as UNHCR, UNICEF and Save the Children.

    We are working with UNHCR on our Children at Risk Resettlement Scheme to resettle vulnerable children, both unaccompanied and with their family members from the Middle East and North Africa region. We have committed to resettling several hundred individuals in the first year.

    Information on the number of unaccompanied children granted under refugee family reunion provisions in the Immigration Rules is not captured in our data and would require a manual review. This information cannot therefore be provided without exceeding proportionate costs.

  • Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the US’s decision to deploy the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system in South Korea.

    Mike Penning

    The Secretary of State for Defence has not discussed this issue with his US counterpart.

  • – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further consideration they have given to whether amending the Equality Act 2010 to include the word caste” would change or clarify the legal position

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    This Government has been giving consideration to the legal position on caste discrimination in light of the Tirkey v Chandhok Employment Appeal Tribunal judgment which suggests there is an existing legal remedy for claims of caste-associated discrimination under the ‘ethnic origins’ element of Section 9 of the Equality Act 2010.

    Our consideration of the research report commissioned by the coalition Government, designed to determine the feasibility of conducting a national survey to quantify the extent of caste discrimination in Britain, is part of this process.

    We remain mindful of the Open Government Action Plan published by the Coalition Government in 2013, to the extent that this concerns the results of commissioned research.

  • Robert Flello – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Robert Flello – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that lorry drivers have the correct status for the purposes of tax payment.

    Mr David Gauke

    It is the responsibility of engagers to determine the correct status of workers they engage. HM Revenue & Customs have developed an Employment Status Indicator to help engagers: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-status-indicator

    There is also further help with the status of lorry drivers: www.hmrc.gov.uk/Manuals/esmmanual/ESM4210.htm

    HM Revenue & Customs is aware that false self-employment presents a tax risk and has deployed compliance resources to address that risk.

    “

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many businesses were compensated for the indirect costs of the (a) EU Emissions Trading System and (b) carbon price floor; what the average award per eligible business was; and what the total monetary value of such compensation was in (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16 to date.

    Anna Soubry

    Since the compensation schemes for indirect costs of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and the Carbon Price Support (CPS) mechanism began, the total number of businesses compensated is 60 and 58 respectively. The table below sets out the amounts of compensation paid from 2013 to 2015 in calendar years. CPS compensation payments began in 2014. The average award per business over that period can be calculated from the table.

    2013

    2014

    2015 (to 21 January 2016)*

    TOTAL

    (£)

    (£)

    (£)

    EU ETS

    31,707,192.00

    19,632,228.00

    18,130,331.00

    69,469,751.00

    CPS

    33,247,349.00

    44,811,626.00

    78,058,975.00

    TOTAL

    31,707,192.00

    52,879,577.00

    62,941,957.00

    147,528,726.00

    (* Claimants have until 31 March 2016 to submit Quarter 4 2015 applications).

  • John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children arriving at UK airports from which countries were not eligible for entry clearance in 2015.

    James Brokenshire

    This information is not held centrally.

    The UK Government takes child safeguarding extremely seriously. All Border Force officers have received training in keeping children safe and all operational processes involving children comply with requirements as set out in the Children and Young Persons Act.