Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the second bullet point of page 26 of the report, entitled Getting it right in social welfare law, published by the Low Commission in March 2015, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the Commission’s recommendation.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The Ministry of Justice welcomes the work done by the Low Commission in producing its reports, and notes its recommendation on Alternative Dispute Resolution. As part of our work to reform the courts we are considering how to make processes speedier and more accessible.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of when treatments for diabetes involving the use of skin cells will become available.

    Jane Ellison

    Whilst we welcome any new forms of treatment or technology that may improve patient care, it is however too early to say whether current research on the potential to modify human skin cells into working pancreas cells will result in possible treatments for people with diabetes.

    Skin cells have also been studied for the application of promoting healing in diabetic foot ulcers. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline NG19 Diabetic foot problems: prevention and management, published in August 2015 recommends that, on the advice of the multidisciplinary foot care service, dermal or skin substitutes can be used in addition to standard care when treating diabetic foot ulcers.

    https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng19/chapter/1-Recommendations

    Health and care professionals are expected to take NICE guidance on the treatment of relevant conditions fully into account when deciding how to treat a patient.

  • Ben Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ben Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether (a) ex-intravenous drug users and (b) former-sex workers will be included in the review of blood donations by the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs.

    Jane Ellison

    The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) is carrying out a review of blood donor selection criteria. Currently a working group is being formed. The process will fully involve stakeholders, similar to the previous 2011 SaBTO review, and contacting stakeholders inviting their contribution to the review will begin imminently. The terms of reference will include input from stakeholders and be published once approved by SaBTO which will be at their next meeting. The review will be holistic and evidence relating to the risks of blood-borne infections in people who have previously injected drugs or received money or drugs for sex will be included. The review will be incremental, with published progress reports and any intermediate advice.

    It is anticipated that the group will publish its final report in 2017.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the South Korean government on animal welfare as part of the preparations for the Winter Olympics in 2018.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I wrote to Ambassadors in the Asia Pacific region in January 2016 to review our approach and assess what progress could be made in the future. Our Ambassador has raised the issue of cruelty related to the dog meat trade with the South Korean authorities, explaining that UK Parliamentarians and the public would like to see regulation that would bring this to an end. As we approach the Winter Olympics in 2018 we will continue to monitor and raise as appropriate.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many hon. Members of each party she has met as a result of a request for such a meeting since her appointment.

    Nick Gibb

    My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Education frequently meets Hon Members from across the political spectrum in the performance of her duties.

    Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to improve the ability of Border Force to gather and exploit information to improve its performance in enforcing general maritime security; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    Border Force works very closely with law enforcement partners to harness the collective knowledge of risks associated with maritime and aviation security. This includes intelligence flows to Border Force and partner agencies from overseas partners, the maritime and aviation industries, voluntary organisations and the public. Border Force also works with the NCA through a series of Joint Border Intelligence units to share and develop intelligence across all modes including maritime and aviation.

    The National Maritime Information Centre (NMIC), for which Border Force provides the executive lead, acts as the focal point for all agencies maritime information and provides the UK with unified maritime situational awareness to assist in countering potential threats to UK Maritime Security.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have transferred to universal credit since its implementation; and how many of those people have challenged the payment accredited to them.

    Damian Hinds

    No existing legacy benefit claimant has yet been moved onto Universal Credit. The managed migration of existing legacy benefit claimants will commence in July 2019 and be completed in March 2022.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has received any reports that Concentrix has used postcode areas to target tax credit claimants with allegations that they have provided incorrect claim information.

    Jane Ellison

    Concentrix’s workload is delegated by HM Revenue and Customs. Using postcode areas for selection criteria is outside the scope of Concentrix. Information about the use of profiling techniques can be found in section A10.1 of the Concentrix contract at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/85d1b730-5e4e-4be8-ae4c-3ac1f359afc7

  • Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what ability the Government plans to retain to ensure that the Green Investment Bank operates according to its original purposes after that body’s privatisation.

    Anna Soubry

    Green investment is what the Green Investment Bank (GIB) does and is where its value lies. It is clear from preliminary feedback that potential investors are interested in GIB precisely because of its unique green specialism and its existing forward business plan and pipeline of green projects. Investors will have sound commercial reasons to maintain GIB’s green focus and continue operating in accordance with its clearly stated green principles and highly transparent and robust green reporting practices.

    As a key part of any sale discussions, potential investors will be asked to confirm their commitment to these values and to set out how they propose to protect them. We envisage this would involve new shareholders agreeing to:

    • ensure GIB continues to invest in a way that achieves a positive green impact; and
    • maintain GIB’s existing standards for reporting on its green investment performance as well as continue providing for independent assurance of this.

    It is important to understand Government could not impose binding conditions on future owners of GIB to act in a particular way while also securing our key objective of removing state control over GIB so it can be reclassified to the private sector.

  • Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicola Blackwood on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much of her Department’s funding allocated in the Spending Review 2015 will be for research and development expenditure up to 2020.

    Karen Bradley

    The Spending Review announcement set the overall budget for the Home Office. Officials are now going through the detail and will continue to provide advice to the Home Secretary on individual allocations and spending commitments. We anticipate that funding allocations for research and development will be confirmed in the new year.