Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to address the mental health needs of people with autism.

    Alistair Burt

    In 2015, new statutory guidance building on the 2010 Autism Strategy, and the 2014 Think Autism update, set out expectations for local authorities and the National Health Service in relation to autism training. It is the responsibility for the General Pharmaceutical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, to ensure newly qualified pharmacists and health visitors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide high quality patient care. The Department has worked the Royal College of Nursing, and Skills for Health and Skills for Care, to develop autism training material. Health Education England is also working with the Royal Colleges and other stakeholders to increase awareness and knowledge of autism for NHS health professionals.

    The Department has also provided financial support to the Royal College of General Practitioners’ clinical priorities programme on autism which is undertaking practical work on autism awareness and training for general practitioners (GPs). GPs should be aware of what the local arrangements are for making referrals for autism diagnosis and how to access appropriate post-diagnostic interventions.

    NHS England has commenced a programme to visit clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to identify and share good practice in accessing timely autism diagnosis and post diagnostic support. NHS England with support from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services is to visit a selection of areas to talk to CCGs and local authorities about their Autism Diagnostic Care Pathways. A report on the work will be completed by the end of April 2016.

    We know that people with autism can experience common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, as well as other mental illnesses. Over £400 million has been invested in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies to ensure access to talking therapies for those who need them, including those with autism.

  • Corri Wilson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Corri Wilson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what charges the Government plans to levy for connection to the National Grid on the proposed interconnector cable from Iceland.

    Andrea Leadsom

    My rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced a UK/Iceland taskforce to consider the potential for interconnection between the two countries. The taskforce is considering a high-level assessment of the costs and benefits and will make recommendations to Government in May as to whether to continue with a more detailed stage of discussions. This will include an assessment of the impact of the interconnector on system costs.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to use big data in healthcare.

    George Freeman

    The pace of technological advance and digitisation of healthcare is transforming the way healthcare systems use data and informatics to provide individual care, system safety and performance, and research for new treatments and cures. The Government is committed to complete the digitisation of the National Health Service and, through the National Information Board and implementation of the Personalised Health and Care 2020 Strategy, to deliver a series of important digital milestones on the road to a paperless NHS by 2020.

    The Health and Social Care Information Centre has set up a new Centre of Excellence for big data and data science under the Government’s Data Science Programme to support the use of big data and data science. Patient trust, confidentiality and consent is crucial to delivering the better use of data which is why the Government has commissioned Dame Fiona Caldicott to advise on the right approach to patient consent and ensuring confidentiality.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2016 to Question 25082, how many unauthorised entries were recorded in relation to each of the bases listed in the Answer; what form of unauthorised entries were recorded in each case; which cases were investigated by (a) the Ministry of Defence Police, (b) a military police force and (c) a local civilian police force; and which such investigations led to a prosecution.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) treats all unauthorised entries to military bases very seriously. They are investigated to a level commensurate with their complexity and impact by Military Police, MOD Police or local constabulary.

    A breakdown of unauthorised entries to military bases recorded within the MOD for 2015 is set out in the attached table. None of these incidents resulted in any significant ramifications for Defence security.

    In drafting the answer to these questions, it has become apparent that the answer to Question 24141 was incorrect, understating the number of unauthorised entries to military bases in 2015 by one, the correct number is 45; a second security incident of this category occurred at MOD Lyneham. The information has been corrected in this answer.

  • Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to publish post-occupancy evaluations of primary and secondary schools built under wave 1 of the Priority Schools Building Programme.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department for Education is collecting a range of post-occupancy data on schools built under wave 1 of the Priority Schools Building Programme. This data considers all potential benefits realised including user satisfaction and building performance. The results of this exercise will be published once it is complete.

  • Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Efford on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GP practices in Greenwich borough have vacancies for practice nurses; what the consequential cost savings were per practice in (a) 2015-16 and (b) the current financial year to date; and if he will make a statement.

    David Mowat

    The information requested is not centrally held.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government plans to substitute any funding for High Speed 2 that was part of an EU grant.

    Andrew Jones

    The funding envelope of £55.7 billion for delivering HS2 does not rely on EU grant funding. HS2 was awarded a grant of €39 million from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for ground investigation works. My Department will work with HM Treasury to see if this should be covered by the government’s commitment to provide continuity of funding for participants in EU programmes (announced by my Right Honourable Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the 13th August). I refer my Right Honourable Friend to my response of the 15th September, UIN 46680, (http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=46680).

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  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether ending her Department’s funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit would affect the UK’s Commitment to Action on the illegal wildlife trade.

    Rory Stewart

    An assessment of the effect of future funding decisions regarding the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit on the UK’s Commitment to Action on the Illegal Wildlife Trade has not yet been made.

    Decisions on future funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit beyond March 2016 will be made as part of the current Spending Review process.

  • 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 are the employment projections for electoral offices in Northern Ireland in 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.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the NHS of (a) fixing eye operations contracted out by Musgrove Park Hospital which had a high failure rate and (b) paying compensation for eye injuries sustained as a result of operations outsourced by Musgrove Park Hospital.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department does not hold the information requested; a response has been supplied by the National Health Service Litigation Authority.

    To date 10 claims have been received in relation to this initiative. Two claims have been paid at a total cost of £87,250 inclusive of legal costs. The remaining eight claims are outstanding and it would not be appropriate to reveal financial information at this stage.