The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36373, which overseas territories and Crown dependencies declined the invitation to attend the Anti-Corruption Summit on 12 May 2016.
Matthew Hancock
None.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-07-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) hon. Members, (b) members of the local authority and (c) the public are consulted about the sustainability and transformation plans being developed for Warrington and its surrounding area.
Mr Jeremy Hunt
We acknowledge that local government are vital in helping to set the strategic direction of health and care service development locally.
The March guidance to Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) leads clarified that submissions should state how:
– partnership arrangements should include local government and explain fit with existing plans, including Health and Wellbeing Strategies and Joint Strategic Needs Assessments;
– systems will work with local government to deliver prevention and public health improvements; and
– the footprint will engage other employers, working with local government, to improve health and wellbeing of local people.
At a regional level, National Health Service arm’s length bodies (ALBs) have:
– worked initially with local authority colleagues to agree footprints and STP leadership;
– offered membership of the four new regional STP boards to Local Government Association representatives (including the potential for involvement in the assessment of initial returns); and
– asked their regional colleagues to continue to work with the STP footprints in their area to encourage them to reflect the knowledge, expertise and experience of local government colleagues where appropriate, e.g. Health and Wellbeing Board leads’ insight into the plans for, and effects on, the local system.
As set out in the NHS Shared Planning Guidance, published in December 2015, the success of STPs will depend on having an open, engaging, and iterative process that involves patients, carers, citizens, clinicians, local community partners, parliamentarians, the independent and voluntary sectors, and local government through health and wellbeing boards. The arm’s length bodies responsible for the NHS Five Year Forward View – NHS England, NHS Improvement, the Care Quality Commission, Public Health England, Health Education England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence – have asked for local engagement plans as part of the STP process, building where appropriate on existing engagement through health and wellbeing boards and other local arrangements. Where plans propose service changes, formal consultation will follow in due course in line with good practice and legislative requirements. The arm’s length bodies will be holding conversations with each area to assess their plans for local engagement.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has for road investment in the north of England.
Mr John Hayes
This Government is committing a total of £15.2 billion in the enhancement and long-term maintenance of the Strategic Road Network between 2015/16 and 2020/21 including 127 major schemes. Of these there are 42 schemes for the North of England with a value of £2.9 billion investment.
On the local road network, we have been providing significant investment for roads in the North. This includes eight schemes completed including the Crewe Green Link Road, five under construction including the Heysham-M6 Link Road and the Mersey Gateway Bridge, as well as a further five which are under development. In addition we are currently considering further bids for development funding for large schemes on the local network, including the A6 to M60 Relief Road Scheme. These bids are currently being assessed and the successful schemes will be announced in the autumn.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eric Pickles on 2015-11-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will support the inclusion of a specific exemption for Holocaust research in the forthcoming European General Data Protection Regulation.
Mr Edward Vaizey
I agree that it is vital that the General Data Protection Regulation, currently being negotiated, provides safeguards to enable historical researchers and archivists to continue with important work.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to integrate the use in military operations of unmanned vehicles in the air, at sea, and on land.
Earl Howe
Unmanned vehicles already play an important role in UK Armed Forces’ operations across all environments. On the basis of the Government’s National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review of November 2015, the Department is continuing to examine where unmanned systems may offer advantages over manned alternatives and to invest in new unmanned capabilities. For example, the Department is more than doubling the number of armed remotely piloted aircraft available to the UK Armed Forces under the Protector programme to replace the existing Reaper aircraft, and is also developing high-end technologies – including in collaboration with France and the US – under a future Unmanned Combat Air System programme.
Throughout the Department’s development and integration of unmanned systems, the policy is that a human must always be responsible for any decisions on targeting.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Touhig on 2016-01-28.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial arrangements are in place to support reservists upon leaving (1) the army, (2) the Royal Navy, and (3) the Royal Air Force, and what is the total cost of those arrangements.
Earl Howe
From 1 April 2015 Reserve personnel have had access to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 (AFPS 15), unless covered by Transitional Protection in an existing scheme. For the first time, pay received for Man Training Days is pensionable. This represents an increase in the overall package for Reserves and one that aligns the structure of Reservists’ remuneration more closely with that of Regulars. In common with all Service personnel, Reservists qualify for pension benefits under AFPS 15 after completing the mandatory vesting period of two calendar years and pension benefits are based on the average pensionable pay received from the date of joining the scheme. Other main features of the scheme are ill-health pensions, dependants’ benefits and death-in-service benefits. Any benefits built up in a legacy pension scheme prior to 1 April 2015 are protected.
As with other unfunded public sector pension schemes the Ministry of Defence’s contribution to meet the cost of these pensions is calculated by the Superannuation Charges Adjusted for Past Experience (SCAPE) mechanism – this is expressed as a percentage of the pay bill and following the last valuation is set at 50.4%.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many key lock incidents there have been in each month since May 2010; how many such incidents related to doors of gates left unlocked; and in which establishments those incidents took place.
Andrew Selous
The information requested can only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rupa Huq on 2016-03-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the potential merits of the Children’s House model for children who are victims of abuse.
Mike Penning
This government has made tackling child abuse a priority. We set up the first ever cross-government Child Protection Taskforce to overhaul the way police, schools, social services and others work together in tackling this abhorrent crime. We have also invested an extra £100m to support vulnerable children and we are providing £7m for services supporting child abuse survivors.
We have not had any ministerial discussions about the Children’s House model, but more widely the Government is committed to improving the experience of child witnesses in the criminal justice system. We have increased the number of intermediaries to support them to give their best evidence. In addition, vulnerable witnesses can give evidence away from the courtroom and away from the court building at remote sites set up nationally in each criminal justice region.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-04-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust has a Risk Register covering staffing at the Accident and Emergency department at Chorley and South Ribble District Hospital.
Ben Gummer
These are operational matters for the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and we have written to Stuart Heys, Chair of the Trust informing him of the hon. Member’s questions. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-05-23.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the income tax paid each year by EU nationals who remain in the UK for less than one year in each of the last three years.
Damian Hinds
The information requested is not available.