Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • 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 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional funding will be provided to HM Passport Office for the development of new technology for remote interview sites after the proposed closure of 15 HM Passport Office interview offices.

    James Brokenshire

    Her Majesty’s Passport office currently offers passport application interviews via secure link from 25 locations. From May 2016 there will be an additional five locations offering video interviews.

    The cost of establishing video interview services at these additional five locations is estimated to be £15,000 per site. This cost will be met by our existing budget with no additional funding required.

  • Lord Luce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Luce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Luce on 2016-04-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria govern the regulation of financial services in Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The regulation of financial services are domestic responsibilities of the governments of the Crown Dependencies and the Overseas Territories. In line with its status Gibraltar complies with applicable EU law. The Crown Dependencies and other British Overseas Territories are encouraged by the UK to meet internationally agreed standards.

  • Nigel Mills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nigel Mills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Mills on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the relationship between hand hygiene compliance levels across the NHS and rates of E.coli bacteraemia in 2015.

    Ben Gummer

    Tackling healthcare associated infections is complex and requires a strong patient safety system that integrates cleanliness, infection prevention and control and antibiotic use. Hand hygiene is an important component and we continuously review and enhance national measures, systems and guidance. For example hand hygiene references in The Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice for prevention and control of infections and related guidance, were strengthened when it was revised in 2015. It will also form part of forthcoming guidance on reducing Gram negative infections such as E. coli.

    Auditing of hand hygiene is a local responsibility and information on hand hygiene compliance is not collected centrally. Therefore, no national assessment has been made of the potential links between hand hygiene compliance levels and the above infections.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy that payments delivered through the Common Agricultural Policy will in future be delivered at the same level by the Government in the event of the UK leaving the EU.

    George Eustice

    Defra is currently working on a range of proposals to inform discussions about the shape of a future agricultural policy to replace the CAP and we will be involving stakeholders in those discussions.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Pakistani government on overturning the death sentence of Imdad Ali.

    Alok Sharma

    I am concerned about Mr Ali’s case and continue to follow developments closely. The UK remains firmly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. Abolitionist work is high on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) agenda and is part of the day-to-day work of all diplomatic missions to countries that retain the death penalty. The FCO human rights and democracy report 2015 makes clear our views on the death penalty and the resumption of executions in Pakistan.

    The former Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Philip Hammond), raised the issue of the death penalty with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 2015, and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Tobias Ellwood), wrote subsequently to the Pakistani High Commissioner to the UK expressing deep concern about ongoing executions. Together with our EU partners, we continue to raise our concerns about the death penalty with the Government of Pakistan and urge compliance with its international obligations.

  • Julian Knight – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Julian Knight – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will provide exemptions from the pay to stay scheme for tenants in affordable rent-to-buy properties.

    Brandon Lewis

    We will consider the case carefully for exceptions from the policy and will set out the detail in due course.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2015 to Question 13072, for what reasons the Prime Minister decided to transfer responsibility for the Freedom of Information Act from the Ministry of Justice to the Cabinet Office.

    Matthew Hancock

    I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement of 17 July [HLWS134].

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the dates were of all meetings between July and November 2015 of the Cabinet Sub-committee on airports.

    Mr Oliver Letwin

    In line with previous answers on this topic, information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees, including when and how often they meet, and which Ministers have attended, is generally not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

  • 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, what his Department’s spending on the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit was in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Intellectual Property Office has funded the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit as follows;

    (a) 2013-14 £0.975m

    (b) 2014-15 £1.423m

    (c) 2015-16 £0.677m billed to September 2015 (funding period still ongoing)

  • 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 steps he is taking to prevent patient data being used for purposes other than direct care.

    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.