The below Parliamentary question was asked by Desmond Swayne on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the new high commissioner for St Lucia will be accredited to the Court of St James.
Sir Alan Duncan
The request is proceeding in line with normal procedures. We will respond to the St Lucia High Commission when the process is completed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will change planning procedures for local authorities to speed up the construction of new affordable homes to buy.
Brandon Lewis
The Government has committed, through the Productivity Plan, to introduce a dispute resolution mechanism to speed up section 106 negotiations to enable housing and other development to be built more quickly. We intend to do this through the Housing and Planning Bill.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-11-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions the Government has had with the Irish government on the control of foreign nationals entering the Irish Republic who seek to enter the UK from that country.
James Brokenshire
Home Office Ministers and Officials have regular contact with their Irish counterparts; there is excellent government and operational level co-operation. In particular, we are working together to further align our respective border and visa policy processes in order to strengthen the external CTA border.
Immigration Enforcement and Border Force conduct intelligence-led operations to identify and take action against individuals who are seeking to or have entered the UK from the Republic of Ireland without the necessary leave.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-12-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether Government subsidies and financial incentives to retail companies to encourage the creation of apprenticeships in the retail sector were given to companies known to use zero-hours or casual contract since 2010.
Nick Boles
We do not hold this information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-01-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many successful convictions were secured by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Figures for the years in question are as follows;
(a) 2013-14, 16 arrests, 2 cautions
(b) 2014-15, 33 arrests, 11 cautions
(c) 2015-16, 13 arrests, 1 caution, 1 conviction
Securing convictions is not the sole aim of the unit. Equally important in the fight against IP crime is the Unit’s work on taking down infringing websites and pursuing broader disruptive activity.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what security arrangements are in place to protect patient data.
George Freeman
The Department takes protection of patient data very seriously. It is the role of the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) to ensure that high quality information is used appropriately to improve patient care. The organisation has legal powers to collect and analyse information from all providers of National Health Service care. It is committed, and legally bound to the very highest standards of privacy, security and confidentiality to ensure that patient confidential information is protected at all times. Access to information is strictly controlled. Under further safeguards introduced by the Care Act 2014, the HSCIC may only use its general dissemination powers for information where there is a clear purpose for the provision of health care or adult social care or the promotion of health.
The Department has recently made considerable investment in conjunction with the HSCIC and strategic partners in order to create the Care Computer Emergency Response Team service (CareCERT).
CareCERT was launched in September 2015 and exists to be a centre of excellence for Cyber Security advice and Security Incident Management.
CareCERT has sent regular alerts and advisories to every NHS organisation and local authority on a range of Cyber Security issues. This specifically helps to protect patient data by ensuring health and care organisations are prepared and implement appropriate security technology to protect information.
To improve health and social care services for everyone patient information is used for purposes beyond direct care, including for commissioning, public health, research and monitoring services. Commissioners need good information about the types of illnesses people have and the treatments they receive, as well as the result of that care or treatment so that they can commission the services that people need. Information also helps researchers to improve medicines and treatments for patients and to find better ways to prevent illness and treat conditions. Health and care information can also be used to identify who is most at risk of particular diseases and conditions.
The NHS Constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. It sets out rights to which patients, public and staff are entitled, and pledges which the NHS is committed to achieve, together with responsibilities, which the public, patients and staff owe to one another to ensure that the NHS operates fairly and effectively. The NHS Constitution states that:
― You have the right of access to your own health records and to have any factual inaccuracies corrected.
― You have the right to privacy and confidentiality and to expect the NHS to keep your confidential information safe and secure.
― You have the right to be informed about how your information is used.
― You have the right to request that your confidential information is not used beyond your own care and treatment and to have your objections considered, and where your wishes cannot be followed, to be told the reasons including the legal basis.
Dame Fiona Caldicott, the National Data Guardian, is taking forward an independent review to develop clear guidelines for the protection of personal data against which every NHS and care organisation will be held to account and will be recommending a new data security standards and a new consent or objections model for health and care information. The Independent Review is expected to report to the Secretary of State for Health shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools participated in the Schools Direct programme in each year since 2010.
Nick Gibb
The School Direct programme began in 2012. School Direct lead school information was not published prior to 2013/14 and partner school information was not collected prior to 2015/16. The summary data below reflects this:
|
2013/14 |
2014/15 |
2015/16 |
2016/17 |
|
|
Number of School Direct lead schools |
788 |
887 |
773 |
818 |
|
Number of partner schools |
No data available |
No data available |
8,184 |
8,956 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2016-04-19.
To ask the Attorney General, what his policy is on expanding the Unduly Lenient Scheme; and if he will consult on any such changes before their introduction.
Jeremy Wright
The Government has committed to extending the scope of the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme and is carefully considering its approach.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-05-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is planned that the Government’s childhood obesity strategy will include targets for industry to reduce levels of (a) fat and (b) salt in food and drink.
Jane Ellison
Our Childhood Obesity Strategy, which will be launched in the summer, will look at everything that contributes to a child becoming overweight and obese. It will set out what more can be done by all.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-07-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy to impose an embargo on the sale of arms between the UK and Israel.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria. We do not believe that imposing a blanket arms embargo on Israel would promote the urgent progress towards the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which we want to see. We continue to monitor the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and take into account the latest circumstances when assessing licence applications. Israel, like any state, has the right to ensure its own security, as its citizens also have the right to live without fear of attack and we will continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself.