Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • David Crausby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Crausby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average time taken was to resolve enquiries from hon. Members about tax credit cases; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce that time.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Tax Credit Office aims to prioritise and respond to representations from hon. Members as soon as possible. HMRC do not routinely record and collate performance against specific timescales for such representations.

  • Graham Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Graham Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total cost to the NHS has been of outsourced mental health services in each of the last three years.

    Alistair Burt

    We do not hold this information centrally.

    Departmental Ministers regularly discuss a number of mental health issues with NHS England officials, although no discussions specifically about the cost of outsourced mental health services have taken place.

  • Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the implications for his Department’s policies on people with rare forms of kidney disease are of the report of the Rare Disease Forum, Delivering for patients with rare diseases: Implementing a strategy, published on 29 February 2016; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    The Department is committed to improving the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases for all patients, including those with rare forms of kidney disease through implementation of the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases, published in November 2013.

    The UK Forum report, Delivering for patients with rare diseases: Implementing a strategy, published on 29 February 2016 includes 51 specific commitments to improve the lives of all those affected with rare diseases. The measures focus on improving diagnosis and early intervention for patients affected by a rare disease.

    The UK Rare Disease Forum is working to ensure that specific commitments in the Strategy are embedded in policy development and implementation across the United Kingdom.

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average time taken is for the NHS to diagnose cases of Lyme disease.

    Jane Ellison

    As services for the treatment of Lyme disease are commissioned locally information on the costs associated with laboratory testing and treatment of late stage Lyme disease is not collected centrally. Nor is information collected centrally on the average time to diagnose cases of Lyme disease.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is developing a clinical guideline on Lyme disease and reports progress on its website. NICE recently consulted on a draft scope for the guideline, and expects to publish final guidance in July 2018.

    Public Health England and NHS Choices publish information on their websites to raise awareness of Lyme disease and encourage timely medical consultation because early diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease is the best way of limiting complications from infection. Given the need to maintain public awareness these or similar mechanisms are expected to continue beyond 2018. Increased awareness is likely to encourage early consultation but no information on the time taken to seek medical advice is available.

    There are no plans to set targets for diagnosis and treatment as most cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed empirically by general practitioners using their clinical judgement rather than relying on a laboratory test, thus treatment can start immediately. Diagnosis of patients with late or complicated Lyme disease can be difficult and the National Health Service will continue to provide care taking account of the existing evidence base.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-05-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of coal produced and imported into the UK is used for (a) electricity generation, (b) steel production, (c) cement manufacture, (d) domestic uses, (e) carbon fibre goods, (f) liquid fuel manufacture, (g) mobile phone components and (h) heritage railways in the latest year for which figures are available.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The table below gives the proportion of coal produced and imported into the UK by sector for 2014. DECC only produces industry consumption data for the main industrial sectors. Therefore, data is not broken down specifically for cement manufacture, carbon fibre goods, liquid fuel manufacture and mobile phone components. For industry the table shows the two largest consumers and iron and steel.

    Thousand Tonnes

    Proportion %

    Total Demand

    48,500

    Transformation

    45,665

    94.1%

    Of which: Electricity Generation

    38,400

    79.2%

    Industry

    2,240

    4.6%

    Of which : Mineral Products

    1173

    2.4%

    Pulp, paper, printing, etc

    136

    0.2%

    Iron and Steel

    54

    0.1%

    Heritage railways

    13

    0.03%

    Domestic

    547

    1.1%

    *Other

    35

    0.1%

    *includes energy industry use, public administration, commercial and miscellaneous.

    Source:

    DUKES table 2.4 available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solid-fuels-and-derived-gases-chapter-2-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Carolyn Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many 999 calls were made by each prison establishment between January 2012 and December 2014.

    Andrew Selous

    The information could only be provided at a disproportionate costs.

  • Stephen Hammond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Stephen Hammond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hammond on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to ensure that telecommunications companies do more to protect customers from vishing fraud and similar scams.

    Matt Hancock

    The Government takes all types of fraud extremely seriously. We are working closely with telecommunications service providers and regulators to raise consumer awareness, in particular amongst those who are more vulnerable, to this practice and similar fraud that is carried out through the use of telephones.

    The Government recently introduced secondary legislation to make it a requirement for all direct marketing callers to provide Calling Line Identification (CLI). This requirement came into force on 16 May 2016. The measure will increase consumer choice, by making it easier for people to identify direct marketing calls, and choose whether to accept them. It will also increase the ICO’s ability to investigate such calls, by enabling consumers to provide better information and thus make it easier for the ICO to take action.

    In March 2016 we allocated £0.5m to the National Trading Standards Scams Team to provide call blocking devices to vulnerable people. The devices will be rolled out nationwide over the next two years and evaluation reports will be submitted to the Department for Culture Media and Sport on their effectiveness.

    The Home Office recently launched a new joint fraud taskforce to tackle the issue of scams more generally. Further information about the taskforce is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-secretary-launches-new-joint-fraud-taskforce

  • Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of aircraft on nitrous dioxide levels in Greater London.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Air quality emission levels by mode are only compiled at a national level by the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory. Its estimates are updated annually. Emissions from road vehicles are by far the greatest source of nitrous dioxide levels in Greater London.

    The main impact of aviation on ground local air quality relates to emissions during the landing and take-off phase up to about 3000 feet. Above this height the oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter which can cause respiratory problems get dispersed.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many staff made up the BIS Automotive sector team in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    Information on the number of staff in the BIS Automotive sector team over each of the last five years is illustrated in the table below.

    Year (Calendar)

    Number of Staff (Full-Time Equivalent)

    2011

    15

    2012

    15

    2013

    17

    2014

    20

    2015

    20

  • Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether targets have been set for Centre for Health and Disability Assessment staff on the number of people to take off personal independence payments.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Centre for Health and Disability Assessments delivers Work Capability Assessments for Employment and Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit claimants. They do not carry out assessments of Personal Independence Payment claimants which are delivered by Atos Healthcare and Capita.