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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Rowe-Beddoe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Rowe-Beddoe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rowe-Beddoe on 2016-04-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of costs incurred by them in connection with the recent visit of the President of the United States.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    It is long established Government policy not to comment upon matters of personal protective security and their associated costs. Disclosure of such information could compromise the integrity of those arrangements and affect the security of the individuals concerned.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the amount spent by his Department on audio-visual systems intended for buses in the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department has not funded audio/visual equipment on buses, but we understand the importance of accessible on-board information to many passengers, including those who are visually impaired, and have supported initiatives to develop innovative and low-cost approaches for delivering it.

    For instance, we worked with the Transport Systems Catapult on the All Aboard Competition, resulting in the development of a prototype vibrating wristband which alerts users to upcoming stops.

    Many bus operators have already embraced audible and visual next stop announcements, and I encourage the wider industry to consider the potential benefit for all of its customers.

  • Nick Clegg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Nick Clegg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Clegg on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much his Department has spent to date on legal advice relating to Britain’s exit from the EU from (a) the Government Legal Department and (b) external legal firms; and how much he plans to spend on such advice over the next 12 months.

    Mark Garnier

    DIT already has a strong and capable in-house legal team and has not needed to spend on external legal advice. In the next two years we will be developing our in-house team to build the expertise needed to deliver the best outcomes for the UK and position the UK as a global leader in free trade. We have also received many offers of pro bono support from the UK’s outstanding legal profession.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions Ministers of his Department have had with Ministers of the Department for Justice on the investigation of stillbirths and neonatal deaths.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    No recent meetings have been held with colleagues at the Ministry of Justice to discuss this subject.

    By law coroners can only investigate deaths of a baby when they have lived independently of their mother. Coroners have no role in investigating stillbirths, and there are no plans to change this. If there is doubt as to whether a baby was stillborn or lived independently of their mother the loss should be reported to the coroner to consider whether an investigation should be carried out.

    We are providing £500,000 of funding, via the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership, for the development of a new system – the Standardised Perinatal Mortality Review Tool – which once complete will be used across the National Health Service to enable maternity services to review and learn from every stillbirth and neonatal death. We have also asked the new independent Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch, established in April 2016, to consider a particular focus on maternity services in its first year.

    On 17 October my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health announced a comprehensive package of measures designed dramatically to improve the safety of maternity care in the NHS, with a particular focus on learning and supporting the NHS to become the world’s largest learning organisation. The announcement introduced the commitment to consult on a new voluntary alternative to litigation for families affected by severe birth injury (Rapid Resolution and Redress (RRR)).

    RRR will provide an independent and thorough investigation of all instances of severe avoidable birth injury (around 500 cases per year), and for eligible cases the option to join an alternative system of compensation that offers support and regular payments without the need to bring a claim through the courts. We will be consulting to ensure the policy design best meets the needs of families.

  • Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-11-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of how many working households including people under 25 are likely to lose income as a result of changes he has announced to tax credits.

    Damian Hinds

    The Government is committed to achieving a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare economy. That means more emphasis on support to working families on low incomes through reducing tax and increasing wages, than on topping up low wages through tax credits.

    The Chancellor is listening to concerns raised by colleagues and will announce in his Autumn Statement how he plans to achieve the same goal of reforming tax credits and saving the money we need to secure our economy, while at the same time helping in the transition.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2015 to Question 16575, if he will review the adequacy of the number and accessibility of pharmacy facilities; and if he will make a statement.

    Alistair Burt

    NHS England is responsible for ensuring the adequate provision of pharmaceutical services. Local authority Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) assess the need for pharmaceutical services for the relevant area and describe this in the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA). Each HWB was required to publish its first PNA by April 2015 following a full local consultation. NHS England determine applications from a prospective contractor to provide NHS pharmaceutical services by reference to the most recent PNA and whether there is an need identified in the PNA.

    The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013 (as amended) require the Secretary of State to carry out a review of the Regulations and publish the report before the end of August 2017.

  • Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in the government of (a) Jamaica and (b) Trinidad and Tobago on the abolition of the death penalty.

    Mr David Lidington

    It has been a long-standing aspiration of this and previous Governments to persuade Caribbean countries, including Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, to abolish the death penalty. Both Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago have refrained from executing any prisoners for some years. We hope that the final steps necessary to abolish the death penalty permanently will be taken. We formally recommended that Jamaica should abolish the death penalty during its last United Nations Universal Periodic Review. The UK is working with the new government in Trinidad and Tobago to improve judicial processes, including effective sentencing. We are also funding an abolitionist project in the Caribbean, which is designed to turn public opinion against the injustices and cruelties that come with use of the death penalty.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to respond to people in Moseley in Birmingham who have written to him to express their opposition to proposed boundary changes; and if he will take their views into account in considering such changes.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    People who have written to the Secretary of State about the electoral review in Birmingham have received a response explaining that the Secretary of State has no role in this matter which, in accordance with the statute, is being undertaken by the independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England. This Commission is a Parliamentary body which will lay before Parliament a draft of any Order it intends to make to implement the electoral review; the Commission will consider any representations it receives about the review before laying such an Order.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the rate of pay is for cleaners in her Department.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The hourly rate of pay for cleaners working in the Department of Energy and Climate Change is between £7.85 and £9.15 depending on location.

    From 1 April 2016, the rate of pay will be increased to the 2016 Living Wage Foundation rates.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects the Supported Accommodation review to be completed.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department for Work and Pensions jointly with the Department for Communities and Local Government commissioned an evidence review into the shape, scale and cost of the supported housing sector.

    Off the back of this evidence, we will conduct a policy review to ensure support is focused on the most vulnerable and the appropriate groups are safeguarded.

    This review report will be published later this year.