The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government plans to publish an updated cost-benefit analysis of the smart meter rollout programme.
Jesse Norman
The Government intends to publish an updated cost-benefit analysis for the rollout of smart meters in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Touhig on 2015-11-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to increase staff retention in the Defence Medical Services.
Earl Howe
The Defence Medical Services (DMS) takes very seriously the issue of retention and ensures the views expressed by personnel in exit interviews, conducted when they leave the Service, inform policy in this area.
There are no Financial Retention Incentives for personnel within the DMS as a whole. However, the Royal Navy has introduced Financial Retention Incentives for Submariner Medical Assistants based on their Return of Service. In addition, Medical and Dental Officers, Nurses (Officers and Other Ranks) and Veterinary Officers have bespoke pay spines which are seen as retention positive. Specialist Nurses are also able to claim Recruitment and Retention Pay.
There are a number of non-remunerative incentives for DMS personnel and these include access to funded Continuing Professional Development courses; career opportunities outside the main clinical roles and responsibilities; inter trade transfers (predominantly from Combat Medical Technicians and Medical Assistants into an Allied Health Professional trade or Nursing) and the availability of post graduate training.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on incorporating discussion of organ donation and transplantation into the school curriculum.
Jane Ellison
The National Curriculum sets the minimum requirements for what schools should teach and schools can build on that knowledge to cover topics such as organ donation and transplantation based on the needs of their pupils. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) have recently launched updated resources for teachers and others to promote discussion around organ donation in learning environments. These resources will be promoted to teachers in England early in the New Year. The lessons packs are available online at
https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/about-donation/educational-resources/
In addition Anthony Nolan, an organisation part-funded by the Department of Health, delivers an education programme in partnership with NHSBT, through which volunteers deliver talks in schools and colleges to students aged 16 -18.
Departmental officials and NHSBT will continue to explore additional opportunities to promote organ donation and transplantation to school age children.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government plans to carry out (a) a full health impact assessment for each of the airport expansion proposals under review and (b) an assessment of the effect on different sections of society of each such proposal.
Mr Robert Goodwill
An appraisal of the impacts on people, including health impacts and the impact on different sections of society, for each of the short-listed schemes will be carried out as part of the work on preparing the building blocks for an Airports National Policy Statement. The Airports Commission has already made its own assessment of these impacts and we are considering these carefully.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many days’ work were lost to industrial action taken by employees of the Government and its agencies in each year since 2010.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of (a) the number of people resident in refugee camps in Northern France, (b) the proportion of such people who are unaccompanied children and (c) how many extra reception places for asylum applicants have been created by the French authorities.
James Brokenshire
The management of the migrant camps in Calais, including healthcare provision is the responsibility of the French Government.
The French Government has recently stated that there are approximately 3,700 migrants living in the Calais camp and 1,050 in Dunkirk. The UK Government does not routinely assess the numbers of migrants in northern France or hold a breakdown of the ages of migrants.
The UK has funded a project aimed at identifying and protecting vulnerable people in the Calais migrant camp. The project is being delivered by the French NGO Terre D’Asile.
In addition, France has opened 102 reflection centres away from Calais and Dunkirk to help migrants with their asylum options and the UK is contributing towards the funding of this programme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 1.89 of Budget 2016, how much of the £20 million a year of new funding for a Northern Powerhouse school strategy she expects will be directly received by schools in Lancashire.
Mr Sam Gyimah
The allocation of this funding will depend on the identified need and will be reassessed each year, based on the evidence. We intend to build on the Department’s strategy for Achieving Excellence Areas, as identified in our recent White Paper.
Decisions on allocation of funding for the 16-17 financial year will be made by the autumn of this year and will be informed by the emerging findings of the review by Sir Nick Weller.
We will be publishing the terms of reference for Sir Nick Weller’s report in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the total (a) cost of monitoring and (b) number of full-time equivalent officials of her Department supporting the emergency authorisation period for neonicotinoid pesticides which expired on 20 November 2015.
George Eustice
Defra has not made any such estimates.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-06-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support the education of girls in developing countries.
Sir Desmond Swayne
The UK is strongly committed to providing education for girls. The UK’s flagship Girls’ Education Challenge (GEC) programme is the world’s largest global fund dedicated to girls’ education. UKAID has supported over 6.6 million girls in developing countries to receive a quality education, of whom 1.6 million were at particularly high risk of missing out.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department has had discussions with representatives from Japan on arrangements for Japanese pharmaceutical companies in the UK.
Greg Hands
The Department for International Trade (DIT) works with new investors from Japan as well as Japanese companies across many sectors that have a UK presence. The Life Sciences Organisation (LSO) in this Department as well as the overseas market team in Japan have been engaging directly with Japanese pharmaceutical companies in Japan and those with a UK footprint. We welcome engagement from Japan and senior officials will continue to engage in a structured way on all levels.