Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason a number of the Committed Obligations agreed between NXET Trains Limited and his Department on 15 July 2014 regarding the Essex Thameside franchise are redacted in the published version of the agreement.

    Claire Perry

    Where text has been omitted from the document, this is because the Director General Rail or Secretary of State has decided to exclude the text in accordance with the provisions within the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what mechanism is in place to allow drivers voluntarily to surrender their driving licence if assessed as unfit to drive.

    Andrew Jones

    Drivers who decide to stop driving may voluntarily surrender their driving licence by confirming this in writing and returning their licence to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). Alternatively, they may complete a form which is available on GOV.UK or from the DVLA.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had on Kashmir with the governments of India and Pakistan in the last six months.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Our Deputy High Commissioner to India visited Indian administered Kashmir from 23 to 29 May and met with representatives from the State Government of Jammu and Kashmir. Officials from our High Commission in Islamabad met with representatives from the Government of Pakistan Administered Kashmir in February. I discussed this issue with India’s Foreign Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister in Delhi on 31.05.16.

  • Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to update the list of medical conditions covered by industrial injuries disablement benefit.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) is the scientific body with the statutory role of advising Ministers on the list of prescribed diseases under the Industrial Injures Disablement Benefit scheme. In particular, which diseases and occupations should be prescribed for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit purposes.

    IIAC continually reviews the scientific literature to ascertain whether the necessary level of proof may have become available with regard to diseases and occupations not currently included or if further consideration is required in respect of those already listed.

    IIAC will revisit any subject if new, sound and consistent scientific evidence becomes available. The Government will then give careful consideration to any advice the Council may provide, and consider legislative proposals in the light of that advice.

  • 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 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2016 to Question 44621, how investments made from the public purse for mental health services in the community are monitored for their effectiveness.

    Nicola Blackwood

    Information on investment in community mental health services is not held centrally. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning community mental health services for their local population. CCGs are required to increase their spending on mental health each year, at least in line with the growth in their overall funding allocations. From this year, NHS England’s financial reporting will be aligned to mental health priorities, increasing transparency and allowing resources to be tracked at CCG level.

  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to communicate the requirements of the European Commission’s Interpretative Notice on indication of origin of goods from the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967, published on 11 November 2015, to (a) businesses, (b) importers and (c) consumers.

    George Eustice

    The principal feature of the Interpretative Notice is a recommendation that goods imported into the EU which originate from Israeli settlements in the territories occupied by Israel since 1967 should bear an indication which makes that provenance clear. That recommendation was included in technical advice to UK retailers and importers concerning labelling agricultural produce from the West Bank that was issued by Defra in 2009. We are currently in discussion with other Departments to consider whether revisions need to be made to the 2009 advice in the light of the Interpretative Notice.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in single occupancy households who qualified for the full winter fuel payment only received a partial payment because they did not apply for the additional payment in each of the last three years.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested is not available.

  • Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Cox on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to tackle bovine TB in Torridge and West Devon constituency; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    As outlined in a Written Ministerial Statement on 17 December 2015, the Government is taking strong action to deliver a long-term plan to eradicate the disease and protect the future of the UK’s dairy and beef industries. The comprehensive strategy includes strengthening cattle testing and movement controls, improving biosecurity on farm and when trading, and badger control in areas where TB is rife. As part of the strategy the Government wants to see badger control over a wider number of areas in line with the UK Chief Veterinary Officer’s advice.

  • Baroness Hodgson of Abinger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Hodgson of Abinger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger on 2016-02-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of people with autism who have a learning disability.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The number of children, young people and adults diagnosed with autism by the National Health Service is not collected centrally. Latest figures from the School Census (2015) state that there were 90,775 pupils with an autistic spectrum disorder at state funded schools and non-maintained special schools in England. This has increased from a total of 56,250 in 2010 who were recorded as having a primary need of autism, but it is not directly comparable to the 2015 figures because of a change in collection methodology. Local authority areas provide information for Public Health England’s annual self-assessment exercise on implementing the Autism Strategy. This includes the number of adults receiving an autism diagnosis but because information is submitted on a voluntary basis a complete total for England is not available.

    The Department has discussed with NHS England the difficulties that people on the autistic spectrum can have in getting an appropriate diagnosis and support in a timely manner. NHS England has commenced a programme to visit clinical commissioning groups to identify and share good practice in accessing autism diagnosis, and look at possible barriers. The Department is funding the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services to support this work. NHS England will complete a report on this by the end of April 2016.

    The Department is also encouraging the autism third sector to work together and the four charity representatives on the Cross Government Autism Programme Board, which oversees the implementation of the Autism Strategy, gave presentations at the meeting on 18 February on work they are doing to increase public awareness. The charities are the National Autistic Society, the Autism Alliance UK, Autism Plus and Ambitious about Autism. The Autism Alliance UK is also being funded by the Department to undertake work with national and local organisations, to make reasonable adjustments to services and to train staff to be aware of what autism can mean to individuals who have the condition and their families.

    The Health and Social Care Information Centre’s publication Estimating the Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Conditions in Adults – Extending the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) gave the overall prevalence of autism in England as 1.1% (95% confidence interval 0.3% to 1.9%). Among adults with learning disabilities living in private households whose learning disability was sufficiently severe that they could not have taken part in the 2007 APMS, the prevalence of autism was 35.4% (95% confidence interval 24.7% to 46.2%). Among adults with mild or severe learning disabilities living in communal care establishments, the prevalence of autism was 31% (95% confidence interval 23.9% to 38%). Detailed supporting information regarding the underlying data and how figures have been derived is found within the detail of the report, a copy of which is attached.

    The APMS was repeated in 2014 and findings are scheduled to be published in September 2016.

  • Luke Hall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Luke Hall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luke Hall on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many patients in (a) Ashworth, (b) Broadmoor and (c) Rampton high security psychiatric hospitals received income support between 2012 and 2015; and what the average weekly payment of that benefit was to such recipients.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested is not readily available, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.