The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she has taken to assist people in the Indonesian province of Province of Davao del Norte affected by the drought in that province.
Justine Greening
There is no province called Davao del Norte in Indonesia.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that clinical commissioning groups consider the effect of hospital reconfigurations on (a) other health services, (b) pharmacies, (c) GPs and (d) ambulance services.
David Mowat
In November 2015, NHS England published a good practice guide for commissioners on the NHS England assurance process for major service changes and reconfigurations. This includes information about the involvement of patients and the public as well as other stakeholder engagement and consideration of the impact on other services.
The Government’s four tests for service reconfiguration are: strong public and patient engagement; consistent with current and prospective need for patient choice; clear, clinical evidence base and support for proposals from commissioners.
A copy of the guide can be found at the following address:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/plan-ass-deliv-serv-chge.pdf
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to monitor and control eye surgery.
Alistair Burt
There are currently no plans to bring forward new legislative proposals for regulating refractive laser eye surgery.
Providers of laser eye surgery are required to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), as this is a regulated activity. All providers of regulated activities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 must be registered with the CQC and meet the new fundamental standards of safety and quality that came onto force on 1 April this year. The CQC has a range of enforcement actions that it can take if providers do not meet the fundamental standards.
Doctors performing laser eye surgery in the United Kingdom must also be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). All registered doctors are expected to be familiar with the GMC’s publication Good medical practice and supporting guidance, which describes what is expected of them. This document makes clear that medical doctors must recognise and work within the limits of their competence
Further work is underway to improve the delivery, safety and standards for patient information regarding these procedures and this is being led by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-12-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average age of Tornado GR4-trained navigators in the RAF.
Earl Howe
The average age of Tornado GR4 trained navigators in the Royal Air Force is 41 years and three months.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-01-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent representations she has received on changing the way school performance data is published so that data on children in designation provision is disaggregated from data on children in mainstream schooling; and if she will make a statement.
Edward Timpson
We have received recent representations on this issue. Most recently we received a letter, on 8th January 2016, from Paul King, the headteacher of Green Lane special school, on behalf of designated provision and special schools in Warrington.
We do not disaggregate the results of children in designation provision from the results of children in mainstream schooling when publishing performance data as to do so would be at odds with our principle of inclusivity. Designated provision caters for pupils with a wide range of special educational needs (SEN) and ability; disaggregating their results could suggest that we have a different or lower expectation of them. In many schools, children split their time between mainstream and designated provision. Disaggregating results would create an inconsistent approach between schools with separate provision and those where SEN children are integrated. This could create an incentive to either move SEN children from mainstream to designated provision, or to reduce the amount of integration in schools. However, the performance tables do provide additional contextual information on the number and percentage of pupils on roll with SEN.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-02-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation, published by his Department in December 2015, how his Department defines physical literacy.
David Evennett
We recognise that a number of definitions of physical literacy exist and are used in a variety of contexts within the sport and education sectors. Sport England and a number of national partners have developed the ‘Primary School Physical Literacy Framework’ – which can be found here – http://www.sportengland.org/media/332143/Physical-literacy-framework.pdf
It provides a useful reference to those who deliver PE and school sport and is designed to ensure that schools provide maximum opportunity for all pupils to develop their physical literacy. In this context, physical literacy can be described as the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding that provides children with the foundation for lifelong participation in physical activity.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to give young carers under the age of 16 (a) financial support and (b) other assistance to continue with mainstream education.
Edward Timpson
Schools play an important part in identifying pupils who are young carers and in offering them appropriate support. That is why the Department for Education has worked with Carers Trust and The Children’s Society for many years to share tools, good practice and increase awareness in schools of young carers’ issues. Ofsted inspectors will also pay particular attention to the outcomes achieved by young carers in schools.
We have changed the law so that, since April 2015, all young carers are entitled to an assessment of their needs for support, regardless of who they care for, what type of care they provide or how much time they spend caring.
It is worth noting that a significant proportion, around 60%, of young carers are thought to be eligible for free school meals, and those who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the last six years will be attracting pupil premium funding to the schools that they attend.
We are also grant-funding Suffolk Family Carers over £111,000 in 2015-16 to run a local project to raise awareness of young carers amongst teachers, non-teaching staff and school nurses, including a focus on young carers’ mental health, supporting Suffolk County Council’s strategy on young carers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Egyptian authorities ahead of the planned asset freeze trial in Egypt which could affect the activities of non-governmental organisations working in that country.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are deeply concerned by growing restrictions on civil society in Egypt, including a proposed asset freeze against investigative journalist Hossam Bahgat and human rights defender Gamal Eid. After issuing a statement on 22 March, I raised this with the Egyptian Ambassador on 23 March and on 11 April. I encourage the Government of Egypt to work with civil society organisations to implement the rights guaranteed by the Egyptian constitution and allow non-government organisations to operate freely.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if his Department will consider securing a suitable site in central London for a permanent monument to the death of Sikh people in the First World War.
David Evennett
Government fully recognises the outstanding military contribution of Sikhs during the First World War.
It is for local groups and organisations interested in establishing such a memorial to work with the relevant local planning authority and other organisations to identify a suitable site and obtain the necessary planning permissions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what work his Department is carrying out in advance of the International Maritime Organisation’s 70th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee to ensure a collective agreement on (a) fair share and (b) other possible measures needed to reduce carbon emissions.
Mr Robert Goodwill
With greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping expected to grow as others sectors act to reduce theirs, the UK Government is clear that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) must take further steps to reduce emissions and improve the energy efficiency of ships.
At the 69th session of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee, there was broad support from Member States and industry for proposals to define international shipping’s fair share of global greenhouse gas emissions. The UK strongly supports the establishing of a Working Group at the 70th session of the Committee (MEPC70) to discuss how the Organization should take this work forward and will play an active part in this group.
Department for Transport officials are continuing to engage with international partners to consider how these proposals can be taken forward in the IMO and to ensure that international shipping plays its part in working towards the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
Regarding the energy efficiency of ships, the UK is actively contributing to the Intersessional Correspondence Group on the data collection system for fuel consumption of ships ahead of the MEPC70. The establishing of the data collection system is the first step in an agreed three step process towards further technical and operational measures applicable to new and existing ships. We are confident that the data collection system will be adopted at MEPC70 and the UK will continue to contribute to the work of this group to ensure that the data collection system is robust and transparent.