Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what account he has made of the adequacy of tariffs in the armed forces compensation scheme for former service personnel with an employment-related mental illness.

    Mark Lancaster

    In 2009 Lord Boyce was asked to review the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS), including its associated tariffs, to ensure that the Scheme was fit for purpose. Lord Boyce made his recommendations in February 2010, and as a result the Ministry of Defence tripled the maximum lump sum award for mental illness from £48,875 to £140,000 in order to accurately reflect the impact of the most serious mental health conditions. While Lord Boyce was clear in his report that a further fundamental review of the AFCS should not be required, we recognise that it is appropriate to review our policies and associated tariffs on a regular basis.

    In addition to the AFCS lump sum, the most seriously injured receive a tax-free Guaranteed Income Payment for life. This is uplifted annually by the Consumer Price Index.

    An Independent Medical Expert Group (IMEG) was also established in 2010 to advise on appropriate levels of compensation for several specific injuries and illnesses, including mental health. The IMEG has looked at how best to compensate for mental health problems and they keep this under review.

  • Jack Dromey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jack Dromey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect on police workloads of planned reductions in Ministry of Justice spending in (a) victims’ support services, (b) vulnerability strategies, (c) youth offending services and the Youth Justice Board and (d) legal aid.

    Mike Penning

    Funding for these services is a matter for the Secretary of State for Justice, who has confirmed that Police and Crime Commissioners’ budgets for victims’ services have been protected over the period of the spending review, and final funding levels for 2016/17 will be confirmed as soon as possible. The Secretary of State for Justice has also appointed Charlie Taylor to conduct a review of the youth justice system which will report in the summer of 2016 and will make recommendations on how the youth justice system will operate in future.

    The Ministry of Justice’s spending review settlement does not depend upon a reduction in criminal legal aid.

    We expect Police and Crime Commissioners to continue to work closely with local partners to provide an efficient and effective criminal justice system for their police force areas.

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-01-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what outcomes her Department is working for at the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference in February 2016.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Through the “Supporting Syria and the Region (London 2016)” Conference we aim to raise significant new funding to meet the immediate and longer-term needs of all those affected by the crisis within Syria, and to support neighbouring countries who have shown enormous generosity in hosting refugees.

    The Conference will address the longer-term needs of those affected by the crisis through supporting the creation of jobs and providing education in the region, offering those that have been forced to flee their homes greater hope for the future. Specifically, we aim to ensure access to education for all refugee and host community children by the end of the 2016-17 school year.

    The Conference will also maintain pressure on all parties to the conflict to stop the obstruction of humanitarian relief and abuse of civilians that perpetuate the crisis and respect International Humanitarian Law. We aim to agree action to give people inside Syria safer healthcare, safer education, and support for the most vulnerable, especially girls and women. Looking ahead, it will need to ensure the international community is well prepared to support a coordinated stabilisation effort.

  • Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, by what proportion the rent for premises leased by Network Rail has increased for businesses based in (a) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency, (b) London and (c) England in each of the last five years.

    Claire Perry

    I am unable to provide this information as it is held by Network Rail and is commercially sensitive.

  • The Countess of Mar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The Countess of Mar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Countess of Mar on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are any other circumstances in which 2,500/100,000 serious adverse events and 3,300/100,000 cases of autoimmune disorders, as reported by the human papilloma virus vaccine manufacturers, would be accepted in order to try to prevent the occurrence of 10/100,000 cases of cervical cancer.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Thorough reviews undertaken by health authorities, most recently by the World Health Organization in December 2015, across the world have found no evidence to support a link between the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine and the development of autoimmune and chronic illnesses. The safety of HPV vaccines was thoroughly evaluated prior to being licensed. Around three million girls have been vaccinated so far in the United Kingdom, with more than 80 million people vaccinated worldwide. As with any vaccine or medicine, all reports of serious adverse events following HPV vaccination are taken seriously and remain under continual review. However, such events are not necessarily due to the vaccine and coincidence can also be a factor. The available scientific evidence does not suggest that HPV vaccines are associated with these rates of serious side effects.

    The aim of the vaccination programme is to prevent cervical cancer related to HPV infection and the best way to do this is to vaccinate girls and young women. The HPV vaccine has a good safety record, and surveillance shows it has contributed to a significant decrease in rates of infection with the two main cancer-causing HPVs. The UK programme is expected to eventually prevent hundreds of deaths from cervical cancer every year.

  • Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Black of Brentwood on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the successful tender for the procurement of the human papilloma virus vaccine will be announced.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Following the conclusion of the contract for the human papilloma virus vaccine, information on the award will be placed in the public domain by way of a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, and a copy of the contract published on the Contracts Finder website at: www.gov.uk/contracts-finder. We expect to publish both of these by the end of April 2016.

  • Paul Scully – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paul Scully – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Scully on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many hospitals in England are equipped to deliver thrombectomy to stroke patients.

    Jane Ellison

    Information is not collected centrally on the number of hospitals in England which are currently equipped to deliver thrombectomy for stroke.

    In February this year, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published interventional procedure guidance on mechanical clot retrieval (thrombectomy) for treating acute ischaemic stroke. The guidance sets out that current evidence on the safety and efficacy of this procedure is adequate to support its use, provided that standard arrangements are in place for clinical governance, consent and audit. This guidance does not oblige commissioners to commission thrombectomy nor hospitals to provide it. The guidance is available at:

    www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ipg548

    NHS England is now undertaking work to inform a decision on whether this is a procedure that should be made more widely available.

    “

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-07-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department plans to publish its (a) Civil Society Review, (b) Multilateral Aid Review and (c) Bilateral Aid Review before the summer recess.

    Sir Desmond Swayne

    The Government intends to publish the outcome of the Civil Society Review, Multilateral Aid Review and Bilateral Aid Review in the early summer.

  • Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale on 2016-09-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to implement the recommendation in the Smith Commission Report on post-study work visas; and if so, how.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    We will shortly be publishing the Government’s response to the recommendations made in the Scottish Affairs Committee’s report: “Post-study work schemes”.

  • Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the effect on investor confidence in the UK electricity generation market following the recent announcements surrounding the Renewables Obligation closure and reductions in feed-in tariffs.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We conducted an engagement exercise to better understand the views of stakeholders on the early closure of the Renewable Obligation to onshore wind. To protect investor confidence a grace period was proposed in June, and we have subsequently proposed amendments to this in response to stakeholder feedback over the summer. We consider this will strike the right balance between consumer and industry interests.

    We also ran a consultation on changes to support for small scale solar projects under the Renewable Obligation and one on the feed-in tariff review. We strongly welcomed evidence from the sector during these consultations and we hope this will allow us to improve our understanding of the impact on jobs and investment.

    The measures we announced are about getting costs under control, which is essential to provide the foundations for clean electricity investment in the future. We will still be delivering at or above the EMR Delivery Plan ranges and reaching at least 30% electricity generation from renewables by 2020. So we are still supporting a strong pipeline of projects that are bringing jobs and investment across the UK.