Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-20.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what research the Government Equalities Office has (a) commissioned and (b) assessed on the extent to which women are asked about their plans to have children during job interviews; and what steps the Government plans to take to reduce the incidence of that practice.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Pregnancy and maternity discrimination is unlawful and wholly unacceptable. The Government and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission are working together on the largest independent research project of its kind in Great Britain to better understand the issues, including that of inappropriate interview questions.

    The Government’s next steps will be informed by the final findings of this research, due to be published later this year.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will extend the deadline for submissions on his Department’s Consultation on aids and appliances and the daily living component of personal independence payment.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department’s consultation on aids and appliances and the daily living component of PIP began on 10 December 2015 and is scheduled to run until 29 January 2015, a period of 7 weeks and one day.

    The time period for the consultation was decided in line with the Government’s consultation principles guidance. This advises that consultations should typically run for between 2 and 12 weeks, but that “the timing and length of a consultation should be decided on a case-by-case basis”.

    As we are consulting on the specific and discrete issue of how aids and appliances are accounted for when determining eligibility to the daily living component, we feel 6 weeks is an appropriate length. The last PIP consultation, on the Moving Around activity, also lasted for 6 weeks. As the consultation is running over the Christmas period this was extended by 8 days.

    The Department therefore believes that the existing consultation deadline allows reasonable time in which to respond.

  • Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people who had been wrongfully released from English prisons were recalled in 2013.

    Andrew Selous

    The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. My hon friend has very recently written to me about a specific case and I will reply to him shortly.

  • 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 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the report of the independent cancer taskforce, Achieving world class cancer outcomes: A strategy for England 2015-2020, published in July 2015, what progress NHS England has made in putting a mandate in place to ensure that GPs have direct access to key investigative tests for suspected cancers.

    Jane Ellison

    The Independent Cancer Taskforce’s five-year strategy Achieving World-class Cancer Outcomes A Strategy for England 2015-2020 recommends improvements across the cancer pathway, including improved access to investigative testing.

    We have already announced funding of up to £300 million a year by 2020 to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the new target that patients will be given a definitive cancer diagnosis, or the all clear, within 28 days of being referred by a general practitioner (GP). The NHS National Cancer Director has set up a new Cancer Transformation Board to lead the roll-out of the recommendations of the new strategy, and a Cancer Advisory Group, chaired by Dr Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, will oversee and scrutinise their work.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Suspected cancer: recognition and referral guideline which was published in June 2015 includes recommendations regarding when GPs should refer patients for direct access investigative tests. NHS England expects clinical commissioning groups to enable GPs to follow the guideline.

  • 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 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assistance his Department provides to support groups for people who have had organ transplants.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department does not directly provide assistance to support groups for people who have had organ transplants. In addition to post-transplant clinical care by the transplant centre, other post-transplant support is available from a number of national and local voluntary support groups such as the British Liver Trust or local transplant recipient groups such as the St James (Leeds) Liver transplant Group. These groups offer a range of emotional and practical help for transplant recipients and their families.

  • Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2016-04-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average training period for graduates newly appointed to the UK civil service, and whether that training includes learning about UK government and history.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The Civil Service graduate programme is known as the Fast Stream and its average training period is up to four years. The Fast Stream core curriculum includes learning about UK Government and history and the central induction for Fast Streamers also has activities relating to this topic. Graduates can also enter the civil service via direct appointment without being part of a formal training scheme. Those who do so have access to a wide range of training options, including how the UK government operates.

  • 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 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children living in the Copeland constituency have been eligible to receive free school meals in each of the last six years.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Data for the number of pupils eligible for free school meals in each school in England are available in the underlying data in each of the annual ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistical releases.[1]

    The number and proportion of pupils attending schools in Copeland who were known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals in each of the last six years is given in the table below.

    Year

    Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals

    Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals

    2010

    1,423

    12.1

    2011

    1,420

    12.0

    2012

    1,362

    11.8

    2013

    1,395

    12.3

    2014

    1,354

    12.1

    2015

    1,253

    11.1

    Source: School Census

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-and-pupil-numbers – click on the relevant year and then ‘underlying data.’ The data is contained in files with ‘Schools_Pupils’ in the title.

    “

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been handed a life sentence in each of the last 10 years.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    A life sentence is mandatory for murder. A life sentence must also be imposed for a second, very serious, specified violent or sexual offence – for example, manslaughter, GBH with intent, rape, and sexual assault on a child under 13 – unless the court finds that there are particular circumstances relating to the offence or the offender which would make it unjust to do so.

    Under a life sentence, the offender must serve the full minimum term imposed by the court before being considered for release on life licence by the Parole Board, which will only release an offender if and when it considers it safe to do so. Where a whole life order is imposed the offender is not eligible for parole.

    The number of life sentences imposed in each of the last ten years can be found on gov.uk.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel concerning reports about recent arrests by Israeli police of members of the Balad Party and failures to disclose the nature of the charges made against several of those arrested.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    While we have not made any representations to the Israeli authorities on this issue, we understand that the members of the Balad Party were detained as part of an investigation into fraud in connection with illegally obtained funds used to finance party activities.

  • Lord Boateng – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Boateng – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Boateng on 2015-11-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures were adopted at the Valetta Conference to strengthen law enforcement action against people smugglers in Sub-Saharan Africa, and to increase awareness amongst local populations in Sub-Saharan Africa of the dangers of informal migration routes across the Sahara and the Mediterranean.

    Lord Bates

    The UK played a leading role in agreeing an Action Plan at the Valletta Conference that will drive constructive and coherent joint action to tackle the causes as well as the consequences of current migratory pressures from Africa. In particular, the Action Plan sets out a series of initiatives to strengthen law enforcement action against people smugglers, and to increase awareness amongst populations in Sub-Saharan Africa of the dangers of illegal migration, as follows:

    • Establish or upgrade national and regional anti-smuggling and anti-trafficking legislation, policies and action plans in countries and regions of origin and transit of migration. Identify single national contact points for anti-smuggling and trafficking activities to enhance cooperation, including with counterparts in EU Member States and associated countries and in Europol

    • Implement projects focused on strengthening institutional capacities to fight against the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings networks, both in origin and transit countries located along the West Sahel routes, and raise awareness on this problem among the populations concerned

    • Set up a joint investigation team in Niger against migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings networks, as a pilot project to be potentially replicated in other countries or regions at their request

    • Organise information campaigns in countries of origin, transit and destination, to raise awareness of the general public and potential migrants and victims on the dangers of trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants, their recruitment processes, including through public broadcasting services programmes aimed at informing the general public and potential migrants about the migratory situation in Europe

    We are now focused on working with EU and African partners to implement the Action Plan quickly and fully.