Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Empey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Empey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the budget for the delivery of electoral services in Northern Ireland in 2013–14, 2014–15 and 2015–16, and what will be the budget for 2016–17, 2017–18 and 2018–19.

    Lord Dunlop

    The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is currently considering a range of options for reforming his Office. This includes capitalising on new technology by introducing on-line registration.

    The Chief Electoral Officer will have regard to the continued effective delivery of elections in Northern Ireland and ensuring that his Office remains on a sustainable financial footing. The Northern Ireland Office fully supports him in this approach. I understand that work on some options is at an early stage.

    The Representation of the People Act 1983 makes provision for the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland to delegate returning officer functions to the clerk of a district council.

    Detailed questions on headcount and budget are operational matters for the Chief Electoral Officer who is independent of Government. The Chief Electoral Officer publishes all such information in his annual report which is presented to Parliament and copies are made available in the Library of the House.

    The headline budgets allocated to the Chief Electoral Office are:

    Financial Year

    Operational Funding

    Capital Funding

    2013/14

    £5.452m *

    £100k

    2014/15

    £2.336m

    £56.2k

    2015/16

    £2.296m

    £25k

    * includes £3m for the 2013 canvass

    The Northern Ireland Office has not agreed any budgets with the Chief Electoral Officer for future years pending receipt of the Department’s detailed Spending Review 2015 settlement letter from HM Treasury.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the funding for health measures and services referred to by the Prime Minister in his speech of 11 January 2016, on life chances, will be derived from invest to save measures.

    Ben Gummer

    The £30 million of funding to tackle drug and alcohol dependency is part of the larger £80 million fund announced by the Chancellor in the Spending Review, to catalyse new local solutions to complex and expensive social issues through Social Impact Bonds.

    Funding for the remaining mental health measures and services is derived from the additional funding announced in the Autumn Statement 2014 and March Budget 2015 to support children and young people’s mental health and eating disorders services, and in November 2015 as part of the Department’s overall Spending Review settlement.

  • Corri Wilson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Corri Wilson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Corri Wilson on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions have taken place with the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development on the situation in the dairy industry since the early support payments were made in November 2015.

    George Eustice

    Difficulties with low prices in the dairy sector were discussed with Commissioner Hogan at Agriculture Council on 15 February. Member States have been invited to present their initial suggestions for how to deal with the ongoing pressure on EU farmers ahead of further talks at Council on 14 March.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on the agreement of a long-term arrangement to control the cost of medical indemnity cover for out-of-hours GPs.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department and NHS England are committed to addressing the issue of increasing medical indemnity costs for general practitioners (GPs), including those working out of hours.

    Increasing costs of indemnity cover associated with out of hours work may discourage GPs from undertaking out-of-hours shifts in primary care.

    The Department was represented at a roundtable event held by NHS England on 17 November 2015 to develop a shared understanding of how to address rising medical indemnity costs. A range of stakeholders, including the British Medical Association and Medical Defence Organisations (MDOs), also attended.

    On 9 December 2015, NHS England announced a winter indemnity scheme to offset the additional indemnity premium for GPs who wish to work additional sessions for their out-of-hours providers. In addition they have negotiated changes to the products offered by MDOs to bring down costs of indemnity for extended access.

    Discussions are ongoing between the Department and NHS England on a long-term solution.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34222, on the humanitarian situation in Madaya, what medical equipment has been removed from convoys by the Syrian regime.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    It is unacceptable that medical items are being systematically removed from humanitarian convoys inside Syria, the vast majority by the Assad Regime. According to the UN, 80,000 medical treatments were excluded or removed from their convoys in February 2016 alone. Items removed include essential life-saving medical items such as surgical and anaesthetic supplies and blood bags. These are exactly the items that are vital to treat victims of bombings or shelling, as well as essential to treat accidental trauma and for Caesarean sections or some complicated deliveries. Other items such as diarrhoea kits, emergency health kits, antibiotics, and other medicines have been removed.

    The UK continues to use our position in the UN Security Council and the International Syria Support Group to press for an end to the removal of medical equipment from convoys by the Regime, the evacuation of critical medical cases and regular access to healthcare for besieged populations.

  • Lord Inglewood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Inglewood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Inglewood on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what calculation they have made of the effect of leaving the EU single market on total UK tax revenue.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The Treasury has published rigorous and objective analysis on the long-term economic impact of EU membership and the alternatives in April 2016, and on the immediate economic impact of leaving the EU in May 2016.

    From the short-run analysis, in 2017-18 the deterioration in receipts is £17.9 billion in the ‘shock scenario’ and is larger at £31.9 billion in the ‘severe shock scenario’.

    The long-term economic analysis assesses the continued membership of the EU against three different alternatives. The analysis shows that after 15 years, even with savings from reduced contributions to the EU, receipts would be £20 billion a year lower in the central estimate of the European Economic Area alternative, £36 billion a year lower for the negotiated bilateral agreement alternative and £45 billion a year lower for the World Trade Organization alternative. These figures are expressed in terms of 2015 GDP in 2015 prices.

  • Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations her Department has received on the future of the school milk subsidy scheme since the outcome of the EU referendum.

    George Eustice

    Following the outcome of the EU Referendum we continue to receive views across the range of the Department’s responsibilities. Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the EU and current EU funding arrangements will continue unchanged. The UK currently claims around £3.5 million a year under the current EU milk scheme, compared with the much larger nursery milk scheme for children under 5 which is funded by UK Health and Education departments, and is worth £67m a year.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which devolution deals have been agreed between his Department and local authorities; when each such deal will come into force; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Percy

    Devolution deals are a key part of our plan to support growth up and down the country as we build an economy that works for everyone.

    The Government has agreed and announced nine ground-breaking devolution deals with areas all across the country: Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Midlands, Sheffield City Region, Tees Valley, West of England, Cornwall, Greater Lincolnshire & East Anglia, all of which need to provide local consent before final orders are laid.

    The Government is working with local areas to bring forward the secondary legislation necessary to deliver devolution deal commitments by establishing and conferring powers on local institutions. This includes orders to create elected mayors, who will provide a single point of accountability for residents and a powerful voice for local areas, boosting their profile and helping to attract investment.

    The Government will never impose a devolution deal on an area. Government is clear that this is a locally led process and will work with areas to negotiate and deliver deals which are right for them.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Debbie Abrahams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions the Government has had with the Indian Prime Minister on Kashmir during his recent visit to the UK.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) and Indian Prime Minister Modi did not discuss Kashmir during the recent visit. The long standing position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

  • Baroness Kennedy of Cradley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Kennedy of Cradley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of GCSE and A-level exams that were changed after challenges this summer.

    Lord Nash

    This is a matter for the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) and I have asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey to write directly to the noble Baroness. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Lords Library.