Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Maria Caulfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Maria Caulfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Caulfield on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the government of Israel concerning recent anti-Christian vandalism at the Dormition Abbey.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    While we have not had any discussions with the Israeli authorities over this specific incident, we understand that the Israeli police have arrested two Israeli teenagers for the attack. This attack was widely condemned by Palestinian and Israeli leaders. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv is in regular contact with representatives of Churches on a range of issues, including to discuss concern about attacks on places of worship.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department’s estimate of the number of people who have been affected by HIV or hepatitis C through treatment with NHS-supplied blood or blood products has changed since the publication of Impact Assessment No. 3140 on 21 January 2015.

    Jane Ellison

    The figures provided in Impact Assessment No. 3140 have not been updated since publication on 21 January 2016.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-04-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Madaya in Syria.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Across Syria, Assad and other parties to the conflict are wilfully impeding humanitarian access on a day-by-day basis. We have given support to the UN and international NGOs since the start of the conflict to deliver aid to those in need and continue to push for humanitarian access to be granted to all besieged and hard to reach places. This includes through our participation in the International Syria Support Group’s Humanitarian Taskforce and our position in the UN Security Council.

    On Madaya, several inter-agency convoys have now reached the town delivering much-needed humanitarian assistance. On 23 March, the UN received written approval from the regime for further inter-agency convoys in April to six of eleven besieged locations including Madaya. Under this plan, deliveries are expected to reach 40,000 people in Madaya. We also are pleased that on 4 April, the Syria Arab Red Crescent was able to supervise medical evacuations from Madaya.

    However, progress is too slow and we are deeply concerned by reports of civilian deaths in Madaya due to blocked medical evacuations. We are calling for this to end, alongside the removal of medical equipment from convoys by the regime, and regular access to healthcare for besieged populations.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps have been taken by NHS England to commission access to molecular diagnostic tests for (a) melanoma, (b) lung cancer, (c) colorectal cancer, (d) breast cancer and (e) all paediatric cancers.

    Jane Ellison

    The independent Cancer Taskforce recognised the need for more accessible molecular diagnostic provision in its report, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: A Strategy for England 2015-2020, published in July 2015.

    Following this, in September 2015, we confirmed a commitment from NHS England to implement the recommendations on molecular diagnostics. This will mean that around 25,000 additional people a year will have their cancers genetically tested to identify the most effective treatments. NHS England worked with partners across the healthcare system to produce an implementation plan, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: Taking the strategy forward, which was published on 12 May 2016.

    Also in September 2015, the NHS England Board approved the development of a Personalised Medicine Strategy for the National Health Service, to be discussed at the NHS England Board in the summer. This work will build on the 100,000 Genomes Project, in which the NHS is a key delivery partner. The Project will sequence whole genomes from eligible patients with rare diseases and cancers. It is moving the NHS to a new model of diagnosis and treatment based on understanding of underlying genetic causes and drivers of disease and a comprehensive phenotypic characterisation of the disease (rather than deduction from symptoms and individual diagnostic tests). This will be critical in guiding the approach to molecular diagnostics.

    In addition, changes to the section 118 guidance implemented in the national tariff payment system for molecular diagnostics which were implemented from April 2016 will support clinical change and practice and have been broadly welcomed by industry bodies. This means molecular genetic tests which are companion diagnostics being funded separately by commissioners for the first three years before being incorporated into national prices for treatment episodes. There are six tests routinely commissioned in this way in their first three years which have been funded in this way with effect from April, and an annual process for ensuring that new tests which are clinically and cost-effective and adopted as commissioning policy by NHS England or mandated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, are reflected in ongoing arrangements.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to reassure university students that the outcome of the EU referendum will not prevent those students from studying abroad in Europe.

    Joseph Johnson

    There are no immediate changes following the EU Referendum, including in the circumstances of British citizens studying, or planning to study, in the EU. Future arrangements for studying abroad will need to be considered as part of wider discussions about the UK’s relationship with the EU.

  • Dominic Raab – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Dominic Raab – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dominic Raab on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what procedures are in place for her Department to monitor and deport former students of (a) the Cambridge College of Learning and (b) similar institutions which also closed before collection of sponsorship data of non-EU nationals began.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Home Office continues to take action at every opportunity to prevent immigration abuse, pursue immigration offenders and increase compliance with immigration law including arresting and returning illegal migrants to their country of origin.

    Information on former overseas students of the Cambridge College of Learning is not aggregated in national reporting systems. This information could only be obtained by a manual case by case review to collate the data, which would incur disproportionate cost.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Shaker Aamer has yet been released from detention at Guantanamo Bay to rejoin his family in England; if not, why not; and what representations they are making to the government of the United States on his behalf.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We can confirm that Shaker Aamer was released from Guantanamo Bay and returned to the UK on 30 October.

    It has been a longstanding British Government policy to secure Mr Aamer’s return to the UK. We welcome his release and continue to support President Obama’s commitment to closing the detention facility at Guantanamo.

  • Gordon Henderson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gordon Henderson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Henderson on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to monitor the security of the SS Richard Montgomery and prevent terror attacks on it.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Medway Port Authority, which guards the wreck under contract to the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, provides: 24 hour surveillance of the wreck, both visually and by radar; patrols of the area around the wreck; and an initial response to any potential incursions into the prohibited area. Incursions, and incidents likely to result in an incursion, are reported immediately to the Police and to HM Coastguard so that appropriate specialist support can be provided.

  • John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the size is of the area of land available for the direct commissioning site for housing at Northstowe.

    Brandon Lewis

    The planning process is ongoing for these sites. This will be completed in due course working closely with the local communities and local authorities.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of patients in England book their GP appointments online.

    George Freeman

    The latest figures available for November 2015 show 7.97 million patients are registered to enable them to book and cancel appointments online. This represents 13.9% of the general practitioner registered population.