Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Theresa Villiers – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Theresa Villiers – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Theresa Villiers on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to prevent the pollution of urban waterways caused by the misconnection of household drainage pipes.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    I recognise that misconnection of household drainage pipes can cause problems in urban areas. Defra and the Environment Agency have been working with water companies to highlight and target areas of greatest risk. Water companies that have a greater risk of pollution have also allocated resources for dealing with misconnections over the next five years.

    Defra and the Environment Agency are working with Water and Sewerage Companies and the Consumer Council for Water through a National Misconnections Strategy Group (NMSG) to develop good practice for the industry, as well as looking at measures to limit misconnections being made in the first place. We see that continued proactive communication direct with customers, white goods manufacturers and trade organisations, is a key preventative tool.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the NHS England moratorium on the commissioning of new specialised mental health services imposed in 2013 has been lifted; and if he will make a statement.

    Nicola Blackwood

    NHS England is reviewing the provision of specialised beds for adult secure mental health services, tier 4 child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and perinatal mental health services. NHS England is expected to start a procurement process soon to ensure that the provision of mental health beds across the country supports improved access and care close to home where possible.

    Since 2013 NHS England has continued to commission additional specialised mental health beds to provide further capacity in areas where it is required. This has included 56 tier 4 CAMHS beds, seven perinatal mental health beds and two medium secure mental health services beds.

    The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health made recommendations for improving the commissioning of inpatient specialised mental health services, including national commissioners working more closely with local commissioners to better meet the needs of local populations.

  • Ian Murray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Murray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal Colleges on the devolution of abortion legislation to the Scottish Parliament.

    Jane Ellison

    I have had discussions with Ministers on the Smith Commission Agreement and the Scotland Bill. The Secretary of State for Scotland has spoken to women’s groups in Scotland about devolution of abortion legislation, and Department of Health officials have had informal discussions and communication with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on this matter.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of whether the Code of Conduct for bookmakers is meeting the aims for which it was drawn up.

    Tracey Crouch

    All betting shop operators are required by the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Code of Practice to have social responsibility policies and processes in place. In addition, the industry trade body the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB) has a mandatory code of conduct in place, which is reviewed regularly to evaluate its effectiveness.

    I have explained to the industry that I expect them to demonstrate that they are improving existing player protection initiatives and evaluating the effects of previous initiatives. As I said at the recent RGT harm minimisation conference, government and industry should never feel that there is an end point to social responsibility. Industry owes a duty of care to its customers.

  • Baroness Pinnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Pinnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Pinnock on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what strategic oversight is provided to acute hospital trusts in determining the location of specialties in hospitals within that trust.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has advised that it does not collect data on the average time taken in England for the ambulance service to take a patient from their home to an accident and emergency department.

    The Government is clear the reconfiguration of front line health services is a matter for the local NHS. Services should be tailored to meet the needs of the local population, and proposals for substantial service change must meet the four tests of reconfiguration which are: (i) support from GP commissioners; (ii) strengthened public and patient engagement; (iii) clarity on the clinical evidence base and (iv) support for patient choice.

    Locally driven elements of reconfiguration mean delivery will largely be managed by NHS England, who will work closely with commissioners, the Trust Development Authority and Monitor, and only approve the progression of proposals to consultation that have local support. We are aware that NHS England, in their guidance ‘Planning and delivering service changes for patients’, emphasise that NHS service change planners include an analysis of distance and travel times, the impact of these on transport users, as well as the ambulance service. A copy of this guidance is attached.

  • 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 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost was of refitting and refuelling HMS Vengeance between March 2012 and December 2015.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Long Overhaul Period (Refuel) of HMS Vengeance between March 2012 and December 2015 was carried out under a contract worth just over £350 million.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Transport on steps to meet the Government’s objective to increase the proportion of children walking to school from 46 per cent to 55 per cent.

    Nick Gibb

    The Department supports the Department for Transport’s target to increase the numbers of pupils walking to school. Local authorities have a duty to promote sustainable school travel and transport, and our statutory guidance on home to school transport states that strategies for encouraging walking should form part of that duty. Departmental officials have recently met the Living Streets Charity to discuss how we can further help local authorities in promoting walking to school and we continue to support and promote initiatives such as Living Streets, Modeshift and Sustrans both by engaging with consultations and through our guidance.

    The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/445407/Home_to_School_Travel_and_Transport_Guidance.pdf

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  • Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what advice he has received from the Office for Budget Responsibility on the effect on the economy in the event of the UK leaving the EU.

    Mr David Gauke

    A vote to leave the EU is identified as an economic risk in the OBR’s March 2016 Economic and Fiscal Outlook, which states that it “could usher in an extended period of uncertainty regarding the precise terms of the UK’s future relationship with the EU. This could have negative implications for activity via business and consumer confidence and might result in greater volatility in financial and other asset markets”.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Indonesian government on the Gerakan Fajar Nusantara Gafatar religious community in Indonesia.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Our Ambassador in Jakarta has raised these issues with the Minister of Religious Affairs, Indonesian civil society, and religious leaders. He urged them to ensure the rights of all individuals to practise their religion or belief freely were fully respected and protected. Our Deputy Head of Mission in Jakarta has also raised the situation of the Gafatar community with the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection.

  • Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which authorities she has directed since May 2015 to prepare a report assessing and managing their level of climate risk under Section 62 of the Climate Change Act 2008.

    Rory Stewart

    No direction has been issued since May 2015 under Section 62 of the Climate Change Act 2008. As required by Section 65 of the Act, the second strategy for exercising the power under Section 62 of the Act (the adaptation reporting power) was published alongside the first National Adaptation Programme report in July 2013. The strategy and the list of organisations invited to provide reports between 2013 and 2016 can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adapting-to-climate-change-2013-strategy-for-exercising-the-adaptation-reporting-power.

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