Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • 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 2016-05-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 10 May (HL7949), what factors are thought to be responsible for differences in the number of serious adverse incidents of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) between each of the three years from 2010 to 2012 compared to 2013 and 2014; and whether the reference to professional standards applies only to clinicians or also to the activities of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in attempting to mitigate the risks of OHSS.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that whilst certain factors may increase the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), there is no agreed method to predict the amount of severe OHSS that will occur. Therefore, the Authority cannot infer what factors, if any, would cause year to year variation in the number of incidents reported.

    Professional clinical standards are set by the appropriate Royal Colleges and issued to guide clinicians and health professionals directly, not the HFEA.

  • Lord Maclennan of Rogart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Maclennan of Rogart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maclennan of Rogart on 2016-07-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of victims of female genital mutilation in each of the four nations of the UK; and what steps they are taking to eradicate that practice throughout the UK.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The most recent NHS data released on 7 June showed 1,242 newly identified cases of FGM within the NHS between January and March 2016. 98% of cases were in adult women, and in the vast majority of these the FGM took place in Asia or Africa.

    A 2015 prevalence study part funded by the Home Office estimated that approximately 137,000 women and girls in England and Wales are affected by FGM and 60,000 girls were born to women who had undergone it.

    We have significantly strengthened the law through the Serious Crime Act 2015, including introducing FGM Protection Orders to protect girls at risk, and a mandatory reporting duty requiring specified professionals to report known cases in under 18s to the police.

    We are improving the response of professionals through the Department of Health’s £4m FGM prevention programme, up to £2m from the Department for Education to support the Barnardo’s and Local Government Association’s National FGM Centre which is strengthening the social care response; and updated multi-agency guidance which we published on the 1 April and which is statutory for the first time.

    FGM is a devolved matter and we work closely with the Devolved Administrations in taking forward this work.

  • Stephen Hammond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Hammond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hammond on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the incidence of vishing fraud.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Home Office do not hold any data on the incidence of vishing fraud. Vishing is when fraudsters obtain personal details of a victim by phone, usually with the intention of using this information to commit fraud. It is an enabler to commit fraud, rather than a fraud type in itself. The Home Office only collects data on the number of incidents of frauds, with no breakdown currently available for enablers used to commit them.

    The Joint Fraud Taskforce, which brings together government, law enforcement and industry is considering options to reduce social engineering, alongside other initiatives to combat fraud more broadly.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Debbie Abrahams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) men and (b) women by (i) age and (ii) incident have been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England (PHE) is responsible for collecting cancer data to support national cancer registration in England and recognises the importance of collecting data on recurrent breast cancer; however data on the number of people diagnosed with secondary breast cancer is not currently available. Pilot work undertaken in April 2012 in acute trusts has improved the reporting for breast cancer recurrence and metastasis to the National Cancer Registration Service (NCRS). In order to drive up data completeness for the submissions to the NCRS, monthly reports on data quality and completeness of the Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset are made available to all acute providers.

    Since the completion of the pilot project the NCRS in PHE has been working with all acute National Health Service providers in England to improve the reporting of breast cancer recurrence. The collection of this particular item of data remains challenging because relapsed patients may represent in many different ways and through many referral routes.

    Further work is being scoped by NHS England and PHE based on the recommendation in the recent Independent Cancer Taskforce report to establish robust surveillance systems to collect this data on all cancers.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to raise the level of skills and technical capability in the civil service to support the Government’s digital transformation programme.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Government Digital Servicehavesupported departments to recruit nearly 200 senior digital and technology experts. Through those appointments, we have helped to establish senior leadership across government that is able to deliver digital and technology transformation.

    They have established strong knowledge and expertise within government to support us to make better technology choices, supported by networks of digital and technology leaders. More broadly, improving the digital skills of the Civil Service is an important and ongoing task.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the likely average change in the amount received by workless 18 to 21 year olds as a result of the removal of housing allowance from such people in April 2017.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The amount of Universal Credit awarded where the housing element is payable is not being changed; this policy will simply remove entitlement from certain 18 -21 year olds. Some 18-21 year olds will be unaffected by this change as exemptions will allow support with housing costs to continue in their award.

    The Department continues to liaise with a range of key stakeholders as it develops exemptions. This includes discussing this policy with landlords, housing associations and charities. Once this work has been completed we will bring forward detailed proposals.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what change there was in the number of (a) full-time and (b) part-time employees of HM Revenue and Customs in Northern Ireland between 2010 and 2015.

    Mr David Gauke

    As of 31 March 2010, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) employed 1500 full-time and 640 part-time staff in Northern Ireland.

    As of 31 March 2015, there were 1,050 full-time and 620 part-time staff.

  • David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many Government-sponsored new social and council houses were built between (a) 1997 and 2010 and (b) 2010 and 2016.

    Brandon Lewis

    The numbers of dwellings completed by houisng associations and local authorities in England between 1997 and 2015 were as follows:

    Year

    Housing associations

    Local authorities

    1997

    20,970

    290

    1998

    19,900

    240

    1999

    17,780

    50

    2000

    16.680

    90

    2001

    14,500

    160

    2002

    13,310

    180

    2003

    12,820

    180

    2004

    16.600

    130

    2005

    17,540

    180

    2006

    20,660

    280

    2007

    22,180

    250

    2008

    26,470

    430

    2009

    26,990

    360

    2010

    22,650

    790

    2011

    25,940

    2,230

    2012

    25,440

    1,410

    2013

    21,590

    840

    2014

    23,780

    1,180

    2015

    30,200

    1,640

    Statistics on new build housing starts and completions in England, and in each local authority district, are published on the Department’s website at:

    http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building

  • Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ronnie Cowan on 2016-04-12.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Revenue and Customs plans to drop proposals currently under consultation to increase VAT on solar in response to the EU VAT action plan published on 7 April 2016.

    Mr David Gauke

    The reduced VAT rate for solar products remains unchanged and in place.

  • Lord Low of Dalston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Low of Dalston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Low of Dalston on 2016-05-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps the Department for International Development is taking to reach the ambition it set out in the 2015 discussion paper Delivering quality education in protracted crises.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK has played a leading role in the development of Education Cannot Wait, a new fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises. The fund is designed to address many of the issues identified in the 2015 discussion paper – such as improving the co-ordination and funding of education in crises, and building evidence and data – with the aim of reaching 13.6 children and young people a year living in protracted crises and emergency affected countries by 2021.

    The Secretary of State has recently announced a multi-year commitment of £30 million to the fund at the World Humanitarian Summit on 23rd May, as a founding donor to this important initiative.