The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrea Jenkyns on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on taking account of the effect on the demand for school places caused by immigration (a) in general and (b) from nationals from other EEA countries.
Edward Timpson
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-06-28.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was NHS England’s expenditure on all specialised services, disaggregated by different condition areas, in the last financial year, and what is their planned expenditure for the current year.
Lord Prior of Brampton
Planned spend figures for specialised commissioning by NHS England at programme of care level are not generally available. However, the hepatitis C budget for 2016/17 has been published and is £191 million.
Actual spend levels by NHS England are analysed to provide a breakdown for the previous year. An exercise to establish these figures is due to begin shortly.
Services for Multiple Sclerosis are commissioned mainly by clinical commissioning groups and spend data is not collected centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2016-09-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the National Food Crime Unit’s budget and enforcement powers are being reviewed in the light of Professor Chris Elliott’s recent comments that it does not have enough authority.
Lord Prior of Brampton
In response to Professor Elliott’s 2014 review of the integrity and assurance of food supply networks, the Government established a National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) to give a focus to enforcement efforts against fraud and criminality in the food chain. The Government, in its response to the Elliott review, agreed there should be a review of progress and likely future need after two years. A copy of the Elliot review and the Government’s response is attached.
The NFCU reaches the two year milestone at the end of December 2016 with the review scheduled to be completed by that time. Work has already begun on the review, which is being carried out within the Food Standards Agency’s resources under the oversight of an independent steering group, made up of three external experts representing law enforcement, consumers and industry. Among other issues the review is considering the resources and enforcement powers available to the NFCU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to improve the resilience of healthcare provision in West Africa.
Grant Shapps
In countries affected by the Ebola virus, DFID is committed to building resilient health systems and to ensuring we learn the lessons from the crisis.
The World Health Organisation declared Sierra Leone ‘Ebola free’ on 7 November 2015. The UK’s objective is to maintain the vigilance necessary to prevent any future outbreaks from growing into epidemics. The UK has announced a two-year £240 million package of support to Sierra Leone’s long term recovery, which includes boosting capability to respond to future Ebola outbreaks, and improving basic services including, vitally, healthcare. DFID will also support Liberia’s Health Pooled fund with £6 million to help ensure that health system is resilient to future shocks.
Beyond Sierra Leone and Liberia, DFID is providing £17 million through its Regional Preparedness Programme, which aims to prevent the transmission and spread of the Ebola in at-risk countries in West Africa; and to strengthen national capacities to accelerate preparedness measures and improve readiness to detect and act to contain disease outbreaks.
In doing this, as well as through wider health programmes across West Africa, we are helping countries to have better health systems for normal times – as well as in case of emergency.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken since the Jobseeker’s Allowance (Homeless Claimants) Amendment Regulations 2014 came into force to increase awareness of the easement of conditionality rules among Jobcentre Plus staff.
Priti Patel
All Jobcentre Plus staff have access to comprehensive and clear procedures, instructions and learning which equips them to advise customers appropriately. These products were updated to reflect the implementation of the conditionality easement for homeless claimants.
In addition, the homeless easement was communicated separately through internal staff memos and on the Department’s internal Intranet site. More recently, an internal Homelessness ‘Ask the Expert’ telephone conference was hosted for managers and staff. The event was aimed at improving services to homeless customers and covered the conditionality easement introduced in 2014.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Young of Old Scone on 2016-01-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether an environmental assessment has been made of the impact of the likely withdrawal of the landfill operators from the Landfill Communities Fund scheme as a result of the proposed removal of the provision for contributing third parties on the environment and projects funded through that scheme, and if so, what environmental impact has been assessed; and what measures the Government are planning to put in place to counteract that impact.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
Since its introduction in 1996, the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) has contributed over £1.4 billion to community projects in areas near a local landfill site or other qualifying site and the Government acknowledges the positive impact of this funding for communities. However, as the LCF is a tax credit scheme, it reduces the Government’s tax revenues and we therefore have a responsibility to seek value for money for the taxpayer. This is a particular concern given the need to reduce the deficit and return the public finances to a sustainable path.
Despite difficult decisions on spending, the Government has decided to retain and reform the LCF. The aim of these reforms is to encourage money to get to communities more quickly. The LCF will provide £39.3 million of additional funding in 2016-17 alone. We also hope more unspent funds, which this year totalled £118 million, will reach projects as soon as possible.
The Government is committed to providing the best value for communities, and over the next five years £20 million of the additional Landfill Tax revenues will be used by the Environment Agency to address waste crime, which can be a danger to both human health and the environment.
The government has received representations on the LCF reforms. We are taking views into consideration and our priority is to ensure that the LCF operates effectively and encourages money to be spent in the communities that need it.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of non-emergency care in the NHS for non-EEA seafarers employed on UK registered ships in each year since 2009-10.
Alistair Burt
The Department does not hold this information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2016-03-01.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action is being taken about consultant lobbyists not on the Register of Consultant Lobbyists.
Lord Bridges of Headley
Enforcement is a matter for the independent Registrar who has a duty to monitor compliance. The legislation provides a range of powers and sanctions for the Registrar to use in pursuance of this duty and in dealing with those who will not comply, including both civil and criminal measures.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many verbal and physical assaults on NHS staff have been recorded in the last three years.
Ben Gummer
Information on the number of verbal assaults on National Health Service staff is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
NHS Protect collates figures annually on reported physical assaults on NHS staff in England.
The table below shows the number of reported physical assaults in the last three years:
Reported physical assaults against NHS staff
|
2012-13 |
2013-14 |
2014-15 |
|
63,199 |
68,683 |
67,864 |
Detailed tables of information on the number of physical assaults since 2004-05, as reported by each health body, is at:
http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/3645.aspx
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the effect of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas in Yemen.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We consider a range of information from government sources, foreign governments, the media and international non-governmental organisations regarding reports of potential breaches of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). We regularly raise the importance of compliance with IHL with the Saudi Arabian Government and other members of the military Coalition. We also praise the importance of compliance with IHL with the Houthis.