Tag: Parliamentary Question

Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-03-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2016 to Question 27968, what the opening and closing dates are for the public consultation of the UK National Screening Committee’s review of group B streptococcus policy; and on what date the meeting at which a decision will be made is planned.

Ben Gummer

In December 2015 the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) commissioned an update review into antenatal screening for Group B Streptococcus (GBS) as per its published process. A public consultation is expected to be held in the autumn for a three month period. The UK NSC will then review the recommendation for GBS at the successive meeting. Specific dates will be announced in due course.

01/01/2023
Graham Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department plans to assist with the implementation of new refractive surgery standards being drawn up by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.

Alistair Burt

Refractive eye surgery is regulated through providers being registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and doctors carrying out the surgery must be registered with the General Medical Council.

Once the Royal College of Ophthalmologists refractive surgery standards are published, the General Medical Council would expect a doctor to be aware of them. When carrying out inspections and assessments of services, the CQC would also expect a provider to be following best practice guidance, which would include the standards published by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.

These processes are well established and so the Department would not have a direct role in assisting in the implementation of the refractive surgery standards. However, the Department will maintain an interest in the consultation and the work of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in this area.

01/01/2023
Bridget Phillipson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2016-05-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has for the future level of funding for researching the causes of and treatments for endometriosis.

George Freeman

The usual practice of the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and of the Medical Research Council is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available.

The Department’s NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including endometriosis. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity. The NIHR has funded a number of studies relevant to the condition.

01/01/2023
Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date the emergency timetable for Southern rail services to be introduced by Govia Thameslink Railway from 11 July 2016 was agreed by his Department; and what consultation his Department undertook on that timetable prior to its agreement.

Claire Perry

It is not for the Department to approve changes to the timetable. GTR has informed us of their intention to change the timetable in order to provide a more reliable timetable for passengers.

01/01/2023
Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-09-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to increase the number of Departments of Community Mental Health.

Mark Lancaster

The provision of mental healthcare to the Armed Forces is kept under regular review, to ensure that it continues to meet the demands placed on it in the light of changes to the size and location of the UK Armed Forces.

Following a recent review of the Defence Mental Health Services, we are in the process of reshaping the current network of Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs) into a "hub and spoke" model. Once implementation is complete, we will have moved from a total of 16 DCMHs in the UK (plus satellite centres overseas), to 11 "hub" DCMHs located in main centres of military population, plus "spoke" Mental Health Teams (MHTs) serving a further eight locations, making 19 sites in total. Regular visiting clinics will also be held at other military centres around the country.

Focussing on fewer but larger DCMHs will enable us to provide greater resilience and a more consistent range of clinical and operational capabilities, while the additional of MHTs will increase accessibility and provide a more robust support for delivery to Cyprus, the North West and Wales, as well as improving access for eligible reservists and veterans.

01/01/2023
Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2015-11-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to embed the Family Test into its policy making.

Priti Patel

Officials have undertaken a number of activities to embed the Family Test into the policy making process. This has included training officials on applying the Test, as well as disseminating relevant evidence, learning materials and best practice.

01/01/2023
Catherine West – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether apprentices are required to achieve a Level 2 qualification, including mathematics and English, in order (a) to be entered for an Advanced Level Apprenticeship and (b) for entries to be in accordance with the Specification of Apprenticeships Standards for England.

Nick Boles

In order to maximise accessibility, there are no centrally set entry requirements to start an apprenticeship. However, as apprenticeships are jobs with training, individual employers may set their own entry requirements for a specific apprenticeship.

The government does set requirements relating to training and achievement in English and maths during apprenticeships. This is because English and maths are fundamental to career progression and access to further learning.

All apprenticeship frameworks must comply with the Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England (SASE). Under SASE, English and maths qualifications are a mandatory component of all Intermediate and Advanced apprenticeships. However, all adult apprentices are assessed for prior learning, and people who start an apprenticeship with current English and maths qualifications at the right level need not repeat these.

We are reforming apprenticeships to ensure that they are based on standards designed by employers.The government sets minimum requirements for apprenticeship standards, though employers are able to go further in the standards they design. They are able to specify a higher level of English and/or maths achievement or to specify a particular qualification or qualifications where this is needed for a particular occupation or sector. . The minimum requirements are – passing level 1 English and maths and taking the test for level 2 before taking the end-point assessment for an intermediate apprenticeship; and passing level 2 English and maths before taking the end-point assessment for an advanced or higher apprenticeship.

01/01/2023
Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Eagle on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps the Government has requested be taken at EU level to respond to the effects of over-production of Chinese steel.

Anna Soubry

My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues, EU Commissioners and EU counterparts about a range of issues, including Market Economy Status (MES) for China. He most recently discussed trade aspects of the steel industry with Trade Commissioner Malmstrom on 20 January.

We are awaiting a European Commission proposal on granting MES. We understand that the Commission will also be undertaking a detailed assessment of the economic impacts of granting MES as part of their consideration of this issue. We will examine any proposal and assessment carefully. The Prime Minister has previously stated that he will make the case for China to be granted MES but China will need to show that it is committed to becoming more open as it becomes more prosperous. In considering the Commission’s proposal it will be important to consider the wider trade and international political context including compliance with international commitments. If China is granted MES, the Commission will still be able to pursue anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases and impose measures where evidence of dumping or subsidy is found.

The government is strongly in favour of effective trade defences to tackle unfair trade practices. The Government voted in favour of anti-dumping measures on steel products in July and November and lobbied successfully for an investigation into re-bar. The Government is also pushing for faster, more effective action to deal with dumping of steel: this was one of the conclusions of the Extraordinary Competitiveness Council on Steel in November. The Secretary of State also raised the issue with the Trade Commissioner.

The Government is playing an active role in the European Commission’s steel stakeholder’s conference summit on 15 February and is supporting a robust discussion of the issue of overcapacity through the EU’s ongoing dialogue with the Chinese.

01/01/2023

John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what receipts were received by each police force from the proceeds of crime in 2015.

Mr John Hayes

More assets were taken off criminals in 2014/15 than ever before. £199 million was recovered, and hundreds of millions more was frozen and put beyond the reach of criminals. The table below shows the total receipts from cash forfeited by each police force, and receipts from confiscation orders in the financial year 1 April 2014-31 March 2015.

The table includes data for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, the figures for the Police Service of Northern Ireland are for cash forfeitures only, as under the devolution settlement, all confiscation receipts are retained by Northern Ireland, and the Home Office holds no data.

Police Force	Total receipts from cash forfeiture orders and confiscation orders in the year 2014-15
Avon & Somerset Constabulary	£1,490,611.90
Bedfordshire Police	£1,094,410.68
British Transport Police	£556,348.90
Cambridgeshire Constabulary	£720,660.84
Cheshire Constabulary	£2,484,655.12
City of London Police	£2,555,229.61
Cleveland Police	£556,308.05
Cumbria Constabulary	£1,135,771.58
Derbyshire Constabulary	£676,892.51
Devon & Cornwall Constabulary	£1,398,001.79
Dorset Police	£275,603.19
Durham Constabulary	£739,926.17
Dyfed-Powys Police	£196,955.52
Essex Police	£1,636,232.98
Gloucestershire Constabulary	£1,321,446.18
Greater Manchester Police	£6,823,306.05
Gwent Police	£755,622.39
Hampshire Constabulary	£1,357,509.31
Hertfordshire Constabulary	£1,895,544.77
Humberside Police	£1,009,594.15
Kent Police	£1,710,364.42
Lancashire Constabulary	£2,125,492.14
Leicestershire Constabulary	£1,462,857.28
Lincolnshire Police	£440,109.19
Merseyside Police	£3,971,554.79
Metropolitan Police Service	£23,518,346.51
Norfolk Constabulary	£605,485.18
North Wales Police	£555,579.35
North Yorkshire Police	£395,279.48
Northamptonshire Police	£1,607,162.05
Northumbria Police	£827,194.86
Nottinghamshire Police	£924,929.87
Police Service of Northern Ireland	£521,050.22
South Wales Police	£1,313,813.78
South Yorkshire Police	£1,666,790.98
Staffordshire Police	£1,099,376.89
Suffolk Constabulary	£939,571.40
Surrey Police	£1,081,929.13
Sussex Police	£1,089,285.30
Thames Valley Police	£834,890.14
Warwickshire Police	£263,041.41
West Mercia Constabulary	£698,110.14
West Midlands Police	£4,689,385.89
West Yorkshire Police	£5,062,763.87
Wiltshire Constabulary	£430,894.47

01/01/2023

Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-03-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the value of UK-funded structures that were demolished or confiscated in Area C of the Occupied Palestinian Territory in (a) 2015 and (b) 2016.

Mr Desmond Swayne

No UK funded structures have been demolished or confiscated in Area C in 2015 or 2016. A number of EU ECHO-funded structures have been demolished in recent months. The UK contributes to the EU budget as a whole, not individual instruments within it. The UK’s share on EU expenditure in EU instruments is approximately 15%.

01/01/2023