Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    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.

  • Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    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.

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    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.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    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.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    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
  • Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    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.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    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.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    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.

  • Kevin Barron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Kevin Barron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Barron on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of proposed reductions in the level of community pharmacy funding on the support available for frail and elderly people to live independently in their own homes.

    David Mowat

    The Government’s proposals for community pharmacy in 2016/17 and beyond, on which we have consulted, are being considered against the public sector equality duty, the family test and the relevant duties of my Rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, under the National Health Service Act 2006.

    Our assessments include consideration of the potential impacts on the adequate provision of NHS pharmaceutical services, including the supply of medicines, access to NHS pharmaceutical services, supplementary hours, non-commissioned services, individuals with protected characteristics, impacts on other NHS services, health inequalities, individuals with restricted mobility and access to healthcare for deprived communities.

    An impact assessment will be completed to inform final decisions and published in due course.

    Our proposals are about improving services for patients and the public and securing efficiencies and savings. We believe these efficiencies can be made within community pharmacy without compromising the quality of services or public access to them.

    Our aim is to ensure that those community pharmacies upon which people depend continue to thrive. We are consulting on the introduction of a Pharmacy Access Scheme, which will provide more NHS funds to certain pharmacies compared with others, considering factors such as location and the health needs of the local population.

    We want a clinically focussed community pharmacy service that is better integrated with primary care and public health in line with the Five Year Forward View. This will help relieve the pressure on general practitioners and accident and emergency departments, ensure better use of medicines and better patient outcomes, and contribute to delivering seven day health and care services.

    The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, Dr Keith Ridge has commissioned an independent review of community pharmacy clinical services. The review is being led by Richard Murray, Director of Policy at The King’s Fund. The final recommendations will be considered as part of the development of clinical and cost effective patient care by pharmacists and their teams.

    NHS England is also setting up a Pharmacy Integration Fund to support the development of clinical pharmacy practice in a wider range of primary care settings, resulting in a more integrated and effective NHS primary care patient pathway.

    The rollout of the additional 1,500 clinical pharmacists announced by NHS England will help to ease current pressures in general practice by working with patients who have long term conditions and others with multiple medications. Having a pharmacist on site will mean that patients who receive care from their general practice will be able to benefit from the expertise in medicines that these pharmacists provide.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of senior civil servants in his Department are from a lower socio-economic background.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    This information is not held.