Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2016 to Question 42347, what assessment she has made of the public health implications of slag and metal contaminants in surface and ground waters at the former SSI site; and if she will make an assessment of the (a) likely cost and (b) timetable for remediation of those contaminants.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    Government Officials continue to work with the Official Receiver to maintain a ‘safe state’ position for the SSI site, including managing risks to human health and the water environment.

    Government has committed to fund site assessments to understand the scale and complexity of the SSI site, which will help inform future decisions about the site.

  • Rosie Cooper – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rosie Cooper – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether Ms Patricia Hart was employed on a full-time basis continuously from 2011 until her retirement.

    Ben Gummer

    This information is not collected centrally.

    We have written to Deborah Jenkins, Chair of South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, informing her of the hon. Member’s enquiry. She will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

  • Baroness Kramer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Kramer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kramer on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the amount of the Bus Service Operators Grant in (1) 2014–15, and (2) 2015–16.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The amount of Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) paid out for services in England during 2014/15 was some £253 million. As BSOG is demand-led, it is too early to estimate accurately the amount likely to be paid out during 2015/16, although we would expect it to be broadly similar to that for 2014/15.

    The amount to be paid out in future years will depend upon the number of eligible claims submitted by the operators of bus services in each year.However, I can confirm that we were able to protect the grant as part of the 2015 Spending Review. Moreover, we will be publishing more details early next year of how we will be reforming the way BSOG is paid to make it even more effective in supporting bus services.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many affordable rent-to-buy houses are being constructed.

    Brandon Lewis

    Through the Autumn Statement 2015, the Government has committed to investing £8 billion to deliver over 400,000 affordable housing starts by 2020/21. This includes £1.7 billion to deliver around 100,000 homes for affordable or intermediate rent, of which 10,000 are to be affordable rent to buy homes that enable tenants to have the opportunity to save for a deposit while renting.

    Bids into the Rent to Buy 2015-2017 programme are currently being considered. The prospectus for the new Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21 will be launched shortly.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2015 to Question 902477, when he expects the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information to publish its review of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

    Matthew Hancock

    It is for the independent Commission to determine the timing for submitting its response to Government.

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

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effects of proposed changes to the way in which drugs are assessed for inclusion in the Cancer Drugs Fund on cancer drug patients.

    George Freeman

    NHS England has advised that it envisages, under the new arrangements for the Cancer Drugs Fund, that a greater number of cancer drugs will be funded from baseline commissioning. This will be as a consequence of more appropriate pricing arrangements proposed by pharmaceutical manufacturers and better evidence being available through the Fund as to longer term patient outcomes.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that community pharmacies are not adversely affected by the localising of clinical pharmacists in GP surgeries.

    Alistair Burt

    Community pharmacy is a vital part of the National Health Service and can play an even greater role. In the Spending Review, the Government re-affirmed the need for the NHS to deliver £22 billion in efficiency savings by 2020/21 as set out in the NHS’s own plan, the Five Year Forward View. Community pharmacy is a core part of NHS primary care and has an important contribution to make as the NHS rises to these challenges. The Government believes efficiencies can be made 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 and so we are consulting on the introduction of a Pharmacy Access Scheme, which will provide more NHS funds to certain pharmacies compared to others, considering factors such as location and the health needs of the local population.

    The Government’s vision is for a more efficient, modern system that will free up pharmacists to spend more time delivering clinical and public health services to the benefit of patients and the public.

    We have been in detailed discussions with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) since December 2015 regarding the Government’s proposals for community pharmacy in 2016/17 and beyond, including the proposal for a Pharmacy Access Scheme. In parallel, we also want to hear views on our proposals from across the sector and from patient groups. We published our open letter to the PSNC on 17 December 2015 and on 27 January 2016 we published a set of slides setting out the proposals with a foreword by the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer.

    We announced on 16 March 2016 that the consultation period was to be extended to allow more time to develop the proposed changes with the PSNC and others. It will now close on 24 May 2016.

    Once we have carefully considered the outcomes from the consultation, we are looking to communicate final decisions as soon as possible, so that pharmacy contractors are fully informed some months before the funding reduction starts from October 2016.

    The role of the general practice pharmacist is distinct from the role of the pharmacist in a community setting. However, they are synergistic. Pharmacists working in general practice will, in the main, work with patients who have long term conditions to support them with their medicines and self-management of their condition by helping with the development and review of individual care plans. These patients will not generally be those with minor illnesses which can be treated by seeing a pharmacist in a community setting and for whom community pharmacy will remain the first, and most appropriate, option.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions she has had with the French government and EDF on whether there will be changes to the timetable for the development of Hinkley Point C.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We are in close contact with EDF and the French Government regarding the Hinkley Point C project. EDF are confident that the plant will begin generating electricity in 2025.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the contribution of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 13 April 2016, Official Report, column 374, how many (a) cases of offshore tax evasion were investigated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and (b) individuals were subject to criminal investigation for offshore tax evasion by HMRC in each year since 2009-10.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) undertakes a broad range of civil compliance activity to tackle offshore tax evasion. No definitive year by year assessment of the total number of HMRC investigations applying civil sanctions is recorded. Over 1,100 cases of offshore evasion are currently under investigation, with more than 90 individuals currently being investigated for offshore offences.

  • Chris Law – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Chris Law – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many flights for the purposes of deporting people whose asylum or human rights claims were refused were chartered by the Government in each of the last five years.

    James Brokenshire

    Home Office charter flights are used to remove individuals who have been refused asylum in the UK, but also individuals who have committed other immigration and criminal offences. Home Office records indicate that there were 45 charters in 2012, 48 in 2013, 46 in 2014, 38 in 2015 and 18 to date in 2016.

    In addition to charter flights the Home Office also removes people via scheduled commercial services.

    This is provisional management information that is subject to change. It has not been assured to the standard of Official Statistics.