Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the government of Argentina on the future of the Falkland Islands.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) has made clear to President Macri that while we are keen to improve UK-Argentine relations, this does not, and will not, change our position on sovereignty or the Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination. We shall always defend the right of the Falkland Islanders to determine their own political future.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-05-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether it is his policy that the proposed public register of beneficial owners of companies will provide details of the names of (a) trust or company service providers and (b) other third parties which incorporate those companies.

    Anna Soubry

    Since 6th April this year, UK companies (with exception of listed companies), limited liability partnerships and societates europaeae have been required to hold a register of people with significant control (PSC register). The register records the ultimate owners and controllers of UK companies. It is designed to record individuals. However, where a company is owned by another company that is also required to hold a PSC register, or is subject to equivalent disclosure requirements, those companies should be recorded on the register.

    Where a company is owned and or controlled by a third party incorporation agent including Trust and Company Service Providers (TCSP) and they are also required to hold a PSC register or are subject to equivalent transparency requirements then they would be required to be registered on that company’s PSC register. If the third party incorporation agent is not required to hold its own PSC register then the UK company would be required to look further up the ownership chain to identify who owns and controls the TCSP. The ultimate owner would be recorded on the PSC register.

    Where a third party incorporation agent has incorporated a company on behalf of someone else and they do not own or control the company, then the register would not record the third party incorporation agent details. It would instead record who actually owns and controls that UK company.

    How the PSC register works is explained in detailed guidance that has been prepared by BIS with the help of a working group of businesses, lawyers and civil society organisations. The guidance can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-the-people-with-significant-control-requirements-for-companies-and-limited-liability-partnerships.

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  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to pages 17 and 20 of the NHS England Review of Uniting Care Contract, published in April 2016, when he expects NHS England’s review into the role, function and effectiveness of advisors involved in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group contract procurement to be published.

    George Freeman

    This is a matter for NHS England. NHS England advises that the second part of its review of the UnitingCare Partnership limited liability partnership contract is looking at specific areas, including the role of external advisors, and will be used to inform and improve its internal processes. PricewaterhouseCoopers is currently completing the first draft of the review. NHS England expects to receive this imminently, and the report will then be finalised over the next few weeks. The arrangements for publicising the report are a matter for NHS England.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-09-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of tax credit cases awaiting consideration by Concentrix.

    Jane Ellison

    As at 12 October 2016, 181,054 cases have been passed to HM Revenue and Customs by Concentrix of which 149,211 have been resolved. Of the cases remaining with Concentrix, there are currently 4,385 outstanding cases for consideration. These are the cases that are yet to be worked and/or receive a decision around entitlement.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to attach conditions to aid to Pakistan relating to the prevention of persecution of and discrimination against Christians.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Our aid relationship with any government is based on an assessment of their commitment to our Partnership Principles, which include human rights. The Government of Pakistan has publicly recognised the problems facing minorities, and the need to bring an end to religious persecution. We remain fully committed to working in partnership with them to achieve this.

    We raise these issues regularly with the Government of Pakistan; most recently the Head of DFID Pakistan raised this issue in October as part of the annual Bilateral Assistance Talks. Withdrawing aid would undermine our ability to protect the poorest, including many minority and excluded groups.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any decision has been made about the introduction of the new Long Service medal proposed by the Secretary of State for Defence in March.

    Earl Howe

    I can confirm that officials are currently working on the eligibility criteria for a new Long Service Medal. Details will be made available in 2016.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on Tata Steel’s recent announcement on job losses.

    Stephen Crabb

    The recent announcement of job losses at Port Talbot is another hammer blow to the industry and the wider South Wales economy.

    I have had regular contact with the Welsh Government Minister for Economy, Science and Transport since the announcement. With the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise, I have offered the UK Government’s full commitment to working collaboratively with the Welsh Government.

    My Ministerial colleague, Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth, has also accepted an invitation from the Welsh Government to be part of a High Level Task Force charged with supporting everyone affected by the job losses at Port Talbot.

    Our immediate priority is to support those who have suffered job losses and to ensure the industry has a sustainable future in Wales.

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the salaries are of the directors of each clinical commissioning group in Leicestershire.

    Alistair Burt

    Information about the salaries of the directors of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) is published in each CCG’s annual report, which are available on the CCGs’ websites.

    East Leicestershire and Rutland CCG’s annual report can be found at:

    https://eastleicestershireandrutlandccg.nhs.uk/about-us/publications/reports-and-plans/

    West Leicestershire CCG’s annual report can be found at:

    http://www.westleicestershireccg.nhs.uk/page/corporate-documents

    Leicester City CCG’s annual report can be found at:

    https://www.leicestercityccg.nhs.uk/about-us/strategies-and-reports/

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  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Annual Report of the National Clinical Audit for Rheumatoid and Early Inflammatory Arthritis, published on 22 January 2016, what steps he is taking to ensure that patients with suspected inflammatory arthritis have their first specialist appointment within the three weeks recommended by NICE.

    Jane Ellison

    National Clinical Audits are commissioned and managed on behalf of NHS England by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP). Audits help drive improvement by providing local trusts with individual benchmarked reports on their performance against a range of measures, feeding back comparative findings to help participants identify necessary improvements for patients

    The first annual report of the national clinical audit of rheumatoid and early inflammatory arthritis was published on 22 January 2016. The report identifies that although most services offer prompt educational support and agree targets for treatment with their patients, performance against criteria for referral and assessment could be improved. Since the audit, HQIP has reported that a number of trusts have successfully reconfigured their services in order to improve patient care. More information can be found at the following link:

    www.hqip.org.uk/national-programmes/a-z-of-nca/arthritis-rheumatoid-and-early-inflammatory

    To help clinicians to identify the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and make prompt referrals to specialists, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published Rheumatoid arthritis: The management of rheumatoid arthritis in adults, in 2009. This best practice guideline sets out the signs and symptoms of the disease and emphasises the need for early diagnosis with urgent referral to a specialist rheumatologist on suspicion of RA. For those diagnosed with the condition, the guidance also recommends they should be offered the opportunity to take part in educational activities, including self-management programmes.

    The NICE RA quality standard (QS), published in 2013, is based on the NICE guideline, and one of the seven quality statements recommends that people with suspected RA are assessed in a rheumatology service within three weeks of referral. However, whilst providers and commissioners must have regard to these standards in planning and delivering services, they do not provide a comprehensive service specification and are not mandatory.

    Regarding the establishment of early arthritis clinics, the configuration of services, including decisions to such arthritis clinics, is a matter for the local National Health Service.

    The latest monthly workforce statistics published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre showed that, as of November 2015, there were 563 full time equivalent rheumatology consultants employed in the NHS. This is an increase of 119 (26.8%) since May 2010. The recruitment and retention of staff is matter for local NHS services.

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking before the introduction of new guidelines on the recognition and treatment of Lyme disease expected by July 2018 to ensure that people with that disease are diagnosed quickly.

    Jane Ellison

    As services for the treatment of Lyme disease are commissioned locally information on the costs associated with laboratory testing and treatment of late stage Lyme disease is not collected centrally. Nor is information collected centrally on the average time to diagnose cases of Lyme disease.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is developing a clinical guideline on Lyme disease and reports progress on its website. NICE recently consulted on a draft scope for the guideline, and expects to publish final guidance in July 2018.

    Public Health England and NHS Choices publish information on their websites to raise awareness of Lyme disease and encourage timely medical consultation because early diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease is the best way of limiting complications from infection. Given the need to maintain public awareness these or similar mechanisms are expected to continue beyond 2018. Increased awareness is likely to encourage early consultation but no information on the time taken to seek medical advice is available.

    There are no plans to set targets for diagnosis and treatment as most cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed empirically by general practitioners using their clinical judgement rather than relying on a laboratory test, thus treatment can start immediately. Diagnosis of patients with late or complicated Lyme disease can be difficult and the National Health Service will continue to provide care taking account of the existing evidence base.