Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with the Royal Colleges on a link between social media and mental health problems.

    Alistair Burt

    Departmental Ministers meet with representatives from the Royal Colleges regularly and discuss a wide range of issues, including mental health. We know that social media may have an effect of the behaviour and attitudes of people in relation to mental health issues and we are specifically aware of its influence in relation to suicide and self-harm. We are working with the Samaritans and the National Suicide Prevention Alliance to better understand the effect of social media on suicide and self-harm prevention.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2015-12-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether opposition to the death penalty remains a key human rights priority for them, in the light of the UK’s candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Our UN pledges renew our enduring commitment to promoting universal human rights. This includes work to abolish the death penalty. As I have said repeatedly in this House, this Government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and we continue to call on all states to abolish it.

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

    Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the What About YOUth survey, published 8 December 2015, what assessment he has made of the findings of that survey; and if he will commission further research on the health behaviour of young lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

    Jane Ellison

    We want all young people to have healthy lives, and reducing inequalities is central to our work. We have increased the National Health Service budget by £10 billion and introduced legal duties to ensure inequalities are taken into account when planning health services.

    Further research on the health of young lesbian, gay and bisexual people has not been commissioned. The data collected through What About YOUth survey is available on a dedicated tool on the Public Health England (PHE) Public Health Profiles webpage. Key indicators on this page can be viewed partitioned by different factors, such as sexuality, gender, ethnic groups and deprivation deciles.

    PHE has developed an action plan to address the health and wellbeing inequalities experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. A strand of this work considers ways to reduce the risk of suicide experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and includes training for nurses in a range of health and community settings and in schools.

    The Department is aware of the difficulties experienced by some LGB patients in accessing primary care, in response to this the Department recently funded work by the Lesbian & Gay Foundation to develop a benchmarking tool to identify general practitioner surgeries that are fully committed to assuring that their surgery is fully accessible to lesbian, gay and bisexual people, including their young LGB patients.

  • The Lord Bishop of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The Lord Bishop of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-02-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of the Department for International Development’s humanitarian aid package for Jordan is intended to meet the needs of Iraqi refugees in Jordan.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK’s humanitarian aid package for Jordan is not earmarked to a particular group of refugees, in line with international humanitarian principles of impartiality. Instead, it targets those most vulnerable and in urgent need, irrespective of nationality. In particular, DFID provides direct support to UNHCR’s protection mandate which serves all registered refugees and asylum seekers in Jordan, including the 53,756 registered Iraqis. DFID’s partners in Jordan subscribe to the same principles and operate an open door policy, providing health, protection services and basic needs support to all refugees, whether they be Syrian, Iraqi, Yemeni or from elsewhere.

    DFID also support projects aimed at improving overall public services used by all people living in Jordan, such as water supply, sanitation services and solid waste management. As well as the fact that Iraqi refugees have been in Jordan longer and are therefore better established, it is important to note that the number being met with humanitarian services is lower due to the fact that there are nearly 12 registered Syrian refugees to every one registered Iraqi refugee.

  • Lord Tebbit – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Tebbit – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Tebbit on 2016-03-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 16 March (HL6672), whether the respective Codes of Conduct for (1) ministers, (2) officials, and (3) special advisers, allow them to draft letters to be signed by retired military officers or business people and then published in national newspapers.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The respective Codes of Conduct for Ministers, officials and special advisers make clear the role of these individuals in developing and implementing Government policies.

  • Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2016-04-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many jobs in (a) his Department and (b) each of his Department’s non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies, non-ministerial departments, advisory bodies and other accountable statutory bodies (i) have been abolished in or relocated from East Cheshire Local Authority since 2010 and (ii) will be abolished in or relocated from East Cheshire Local Authority by 2020.

    Mr David Gauke

    No jobs in the Treasury or non-Departmental public bodies, executive agencies, advisory bodies falling under its remit have been abolished or relocated in the regions or time frames stated in the question.

    In April 2011, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – a non-ministerial Department falling under the remit of the Chancellor – closed Crewe House, an Enquiry Centre (EC), and relocated to Hornbeam House in Crewe. In 2014, following HMRC’s decision to close all ECs, the EC in Crewe was closed.

    In May 2011, Craven House, Macclesfield was closed and the EC relocated to Macclesfield Town Hall. In 2014, following HMRC’s decision to close all ECs, the EC in Macclesfield was closed.

  • Nusrat Ghani – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nusrat Ghani – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nusrat Ghani on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36176, what steps his Department is taking to support research to develop a non-invasive diagnostic technique for endometriosis.

    George Freeman

    The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including diagnosis of endometriosis. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

    The Director of the NIHR Diagnostic Evidence Cooperative Oxford, University of Oxford, provided mentorship and methodological expertise to support a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of cancer antigen 125 for endometriosis. This was published in May this year in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

  • Lord Blunkett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Blunkett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blunkett on 2016-07-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of funding for those units set up to provide assistance to children with visual impairments (1) in multi-academy trusts, (2) in individual schools, or (3) supported directly by local education authorities, on the education provided to those children.

    Lord Nash

    We commissioned the ISOS Partnership to research the use and impact of funding for special educational needs and disability, although they did not consider in detail the impact of funding on the education of children with visual impairments who receive assistance in special units. Their research report was published in July 2015.

    As set out in their school inspection handbook, Ofsted inspectors will consider and report on any differences between the progress and attainment of pupils in resource-based provision (such as specialist units for pupils with visual impairments) and those with similar starting points who are disabled or have special educational needs in the main school. Inspectors also consider the progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs in relation to the progress of all pupils nationally with similar starting points, and examine the impact of funded support for them on closing any gaps in progress and attainment.

  • Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Dental Contract Reform: Prototypes pilot in (a) improving the quality of dental care and (b) improving access to dental care.

    David Mowat

    The Government is committed to replacing the current National Health Service dental contract with one that better rewards dentists for improving the oral health of their patients in addition to providing treatment where needed.

    The dental pilots which ran from 2011-16 tested a new way of delivering care focussed on prevention. Based on the learning from that scheme, 79 high street practices are continuing to test the prevention based clinical pathway with the addition of testing a possible new remuneration system.

    The prototype scheme evaluation is expected during 2017-18. The evaluation will be overseen by an evidence and learning group, which includes clinical and stakeholder representation. If successful the new system could start to be rolled out nationally from 2018-19.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what campaigns he plans to implement over the Christmas period in 2015 to draw public attention to the dangers of drinking and driving.

    Andrew Jones

    On 1st December the Department for Transport’s THINK! campaign will launch a new Drink Drive campaign in England and Wales. The campaign will use paid-for advertising (including TV and radio) alongside social media and PR activities. We are also working with commercial partners including Coca-Cola, Johnnie Walker and Budweiser who provide incentives to help drivers make the right choice not to drink and drive.

    Targeted at men aged 17-34, the campaign aims to contribute to a reduction in the number of people killed and seriously injured as a result of drink driving by highlighting the potential danger of driving after drinking lower levels of alcohol. The campaign also aims to maintain the social unacceptability of drink driving amongst a wider ‘all adult’ audience who will see some of the advertising.