Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the results were of temperature tests to determine eligibility to receive winter fuel allowance of people living abroad in 2015.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The winter fuel payment eligibility criteria for people who normally live in the EEA, was changed for winter 2015-16. A temperature criterion was introduced by the DWP using information from a report it commissioned from the Met Office. This report showed the average winter temperature data for each EEA country and Switzerland and for the regions of the UK. The Met Office report was produced in 2012 and used information from a dataset for the reference period 1961-1990 available through the Climatic Research Unit of the University of East Anglia.

    The average winter temperature in the warmest part of the UK, the South West, is 5.6oC. This point is the basis for the changes made to the winter fuel payment eligibility criteria. People living in countries with an average winter temperature of no more than 5.6oC, or a temperature that is close enough to that to be statistically equivalent, are eligible for a winter fuel payment.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-02-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 27 January (HL5039), what evidence the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has received that a major cause of miscarriage is the failure of embryos to develop to the blastocyst stage; what records they hold regarding miscarriages occurring after human embryos that were known to be unable to develop further in vitro had been deliberately transferred to the uterus of a patient; and what sanctions are imposed on clinics in which such implantations take place.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has not received any such evidence. With regards the role of the HFEA in granting a research licence, its role is to ensure that any project fulfils one of the purposed set out below:

    – Increasing knowledge about serious disease or other serious conditions.

    – Developing treatments for serious diseases or other serious medical conditions.

    – Increasing knowledge about the causes of congenital diseases.

    – Promoting the advances in the treatment of infertility.

    – Increasing knowledge about the causes of miscarriages.

    – Developing more efficient techniques of contraception.

    – Developing methods for detecting gene, chromosome or mitochondrion abnormalities in embryos before implantation.

    – Increasing knowledge about the development of embryos.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to ensure diabetes (a) care and (b) information provided by Southampton City CCG is responsive and relevant to the needs of the patient.

    Jane Ellison

    We are advised by NHS England that the Southampton City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) commissions diabetes services in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines across primary, community and secondary care. All services are regularly reviewed and service providers are required to report service level data to ensure that the provision is meeting the NICE quality standards. We understand this will include service access data and patient reported satisfaction. The CCG commissions an integrated pathway of diabetes care of which 80% is delivered in primary care.

    We are also informed that the Diabetes Community Team provides support into primary care and sees more complex patients as appropriate, it also provides professional education and training and structured education for patients which is in line with the NICE guidelines. NHS England advises that the Southampton City CCG’s acute in-patient team provides care for those admitted into hospital with more acute needs and also provides appropriate out-patient services, professional education and support for patients who access the insulin pump service.

    Additionally, in April 2016 the CCG advises it will be implementing a new integrated foot care pathway that will meet the needs of those with low, moderate and increased risk of foot complications and for those with active foot disease.

    In regards to providing people with diabetes with information to improve self-management and promote better health and wellbeing, the CCG confirms it works closely with organisations such as Diabetes UK in order to do this. The CCG has engaged with local patients, more recently this engagement has focused on the foot care provision, building on the evidence from the Patient Experience of Diabetes Services Survey in 2013.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with other Commonwealth countries on recent unrest in the Handwara and Kupwara districts of Kashmir.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The British High Commission in Delhi is closely following the situation in Kashmir. I was saddened to learn of the deaths of 5 civilians last week and I extend my condolences to their families. I am aware that the State Government and the Army are both looking into these incidents. I have not recently discussed Kashmir with other Commonwealth countries.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission is a credible body to investigate human rights violations committed by the Ethiopian security forces in their response to the Oromo protests.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The British Government remains deeply concerned about the handling of demonstrations in Oromia and the reported deaths of a number of protestors, and has repeatedly made representations to the Ethiopian Government over the ongoing situation in Oromia. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and raise our concerns with the Ethiopian Government, including on the use of force.

    The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has been appointed to look into the handling of the protests in Oromia. We will not pre-judge the outcome of their investigation and we await the publication of their report. We will continue to urge the EHRC and the Government of Ethiopia to ensure that their report is credible, transparent and leads to concrete action. We will take a view on what further lobbying, if any might be appropriate following the publication of the EHRC report.

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to improve BME representation on the Board of his Department.

    Ben Gummer

    Diversity and inclusion is a key priority for the Civil Service and for the Cabinet Office. The Executive Committee of the Cabinet Office recently commissioned work on a departmental diversity and inclusion strategy, which will be published this month. This strategy promotes a more inclusive culture in the department through key strands of work on leadership, declaration data, supporting those from under-represented groups and promoting the work of the employee diversity networks. A key aim of the strategy is to promote the advancement of those from all under-represented groups, including women and black and minority ethnic staff.

  • Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Mexican government on co-operation with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights investigation into the disappearance of 43 teacher training students of the Escuela Normal in Ayotzinapa on 26 September 2014; and if he will make a statement.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    The Government has been clear in expressing to the Mexican authorities its deep concern over this case.

    The then Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. David Cameron, raised the case with the President of Mexico during his State Visit to the UK in March 2015. The case has also been raised on numerous occasions by other British Ministers, including the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) during his visit to Mexico on 2 May.

    We welcome the Mexican Government’s agreement to a formal follow-up mechanism with the Inter American Court on Human Rights and urge them to work constructively with the Court to implement the mechanism. Two years on from the disappearance of the students in Ayotzinapa, it is important for the Mexican Government to redouble its efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) Grade I listed buildings, (b) Grade II* listed buildings, (c) Grade II listed buildings and (d) scheduled monuments his Department owns; under which top level budget those buildings and monuments fall; and what plans he has for their disposal.

    Mark Lancaster

    Details of all Grade I listed buildings, Grade II* listed buildings, Grade II listed buildings and scheduled monuments the Department owns, including those which are located on sites that are currently in disposal are shown in the attached tables.

    Details of the top level budget for these Monuments and Buildings could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Melanie Onn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Melanie Onn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost is of the veterans badge.

    Mark Lancaster

    The annual cost of Armed Forces Veterans’ Badges from November 2014 to October 2015 was £44,655.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people no longer receive the disability premium following their transfer from receipt of disability living allowance to personal independence payments.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Disability premium is an extra amount automatically added to Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) for those who qualify.

    Information on the payment of this premium for those who were also receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and have now transferred to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.