Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessments he has made of the role of libraries in reducing digital exclusion.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Libraries play a significant role in supporting digital engagement, by providing computers and WiFi to enable people to access the internet and digital services, as well as offering digital skills training and support.

    Thanks to Government funding, free WiFi is available in 99% of public libraries in England. DCMS and the Leadership for Libraries Taskforce are working with national partners to develop the role of libraries in improving digital engagement. From 1 October 2015 to 31 March 2016, The Tinder Foundation, in partnership with the Taskforce, carried out a Libraries Digital Inclusion Action Research Project. This supported 16 library authorities across England to pilot and assess new approaches to build digital engagement in socially excluded, hard to reach groups. The Foundation published interim findings in February 2016, and a final report is due in this summer that will help inform future digital engagement activity for libraries.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the proportion of people in the UK (a) who smoke and (b) from other EU member states who smoke.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department considers a range of published statistics relating to smoking prevalence in England. These are drawn together in the Health and Social Care Information Centre report Statistics on Smoking, England, which is available at the link below:

    http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB20781

    The Integrated Household Survey gives figures for the other United Kingdom countries and is available at the link below:

    http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_418136.pdf

    Information on smoking prevalence in European countries is available from the World Health Organization European Region Tobacco Control Database at the link below:

    http://data.euro.who.int/Tobacco/

    “

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the reasons are for changes to the level of funding available through the electric vehicle homecharge scheme for householders wishing to install ultra-low emission vehicle charging technology at home.

    Mr John Hayes

    As the market for plug-in vehicles grows we have reduced the level of grant available under the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme reflecting falling costs, so that Government support can be maintained and more motorists can benefit.

  • The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about the imminent appeal hearing for Asia Bibi at the Pakistani Supreme Court on the charge of blasphemy.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    On 13 October the Supreme Court in Pakistan postponed Ms Asia Bibi’s appeal hearing indefinitely. I remain concerned about Ms Bibi and continue to follow developments in her case closely. We raise regularly our concerns about misuse of the blasphemy laws with the Pakistani Government, and continue to urge Pakistan to adhere to its international obligations and uphold the rule of law. During his visit to Pakistan in March, the former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), made clear our concerns about minority communities and misuse of the blasphemy laws.

    The UK supported the EU statement of October 2014 following the decision of the Lahore High Court to uphold the conviction of Ms Bibi. We will continue to work with our EU and other international partners to ensure our views are made clear to the Pakistani authorities.

  • Lord Marlesford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Marlesford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2015-10-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish the scoping study on littering from vehicles legislation, and why such legislation was not implemented nationally in April.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    We expect to publish the study later this month.

    Before any regulations to tackle littering from vehicles are implemented, it will be important to get the details right. This will include matters such as the size of the fine, the form and content of the penalty notice, and exceptions to the keeper’s liability (for example if the vehicle has been stolen). We will therefore want to seek Local Authorities’ and others’ views before legislating. Any such regulations must be approved by both Houses of Parliament before coming into effect.

    Legislation to enable the seizure of vehicles involved in fly-tipping came into force in April 2015. As set out in our manifesto, we will be giving councils the power to tackle small scale fly-tipping through Penalty Notices, as an alternative to prosecutions, in spring 2016, and we will review the case for increasing fixed penalties for littering.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of the £40 million his Department has allocated to refurbish homeless hostels to support health improvement in 2015-16 (a) has been spent and (b) has been allocated to support mental health improvement; at which hostels such refurbishment work has started; and when at which hostels such refurbishment work is planned.

    Alistair Burt

    The bidding and assessment process for the Homelessness Change/Platform for Life programme is now complete. We are looking forward to making an announcement of the successful bids shortly. Mental health is a key issue for homeless people – often part of a range of multiple and complex conditions. The programme will help address these mental health issues by providing decent accommodation and health support for some of the most vulnerable people in the community.

  • Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether it is her Department’s policy to support the G7 Initiative on Climate Risk Insurance.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The UK supports the G7 Climate Risk Insurance Initiative and is committed to contributing to meeting the collective target set out in the Elmau declaration of helping up to an additional 400 million people in the most vulnerable developing countries to gain access to climate risk insurance by 2020.

    UK support under the Initiative includes contributions to the African Risk Capacity and the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative. In September the Prime Minister announced that the UK would provide at least £5.8 billion of climate finance over the next five years which will include support for climate risk insurance.

  • Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has received requests to expedite the timetable of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation for a decision on HPV vaccination for boys; and whether he plans to review that timetable.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department and Public Health England (PHE) have received correspondence from hon. members, organisations and members of the public asking for the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI’s) advice to be expedited.

    The JCVI has requested modelling work to help inform whether a human papillomavirus vaccination programme for boys would be cost-effective. It is anticipated that PHE will submit this to JCVI by early 2017. This is not an issue of resources, as the process of model development and checking the validity of the results is complex and requires close working between the modelling team and the scientific and clinical experts. We need to follow due process and ensure that decisions are based upon robust and rigorous cost-effectiveness analysis.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of Personal Medical Services contracts by general practices in (a) Hampstead and Kilburn, (b) London and (c) England have been reviewed by NHS England; and in how many such cases have the surgeries been advised of the future funding arrangements to financial year 2021-22.

    Alistair Burt

    NHS England carried out a stocktake of progress in completing Personal Medical Services (PMS) reviews in December 2015. This found:

    a) There are 10 PMS practices in Hampstead and Kilburn; none of these have had a PMS contract review as yet;

    b) 620 (100%) PMS contract reviews are still to be completed in London; and

    c) 1,847 (61%) PMS contract reviews have been completed in England.

    The proposed London-wide contract and funding has been communicated to practices. Camden Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Brent CCG commissioning intentions are currently being agreed and will be communicated to practices in line with the timetable.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will conduct a new review of the case for recommending a pardon for Dic Penderyn.

    Dominic Raab

    By convention, the Secretary of State for Justice only recommends the exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy to grant a free pardon where evidence has come to light which demonstrates conclusively that the convicted individual was innocent and where all of the relevant appeal mechanisms have been exhausted.

    As far as I am aware, no approach has been made either to the Court of Appeal or to the Criminal Cases Review Commission to appeal or review the conviction of Dic Penderyn. In light of that, it would not be appropriate for the Secretary of State for Justice to consider whether to recommend to Her Majesty The Queen that she exercise the Royal Prerogative of Mercy.