Tag: Parliamentary Question

Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with the UN, the EU and authorities in affected countries on (a) the spread of the Zika virus and (b) strategies to prevent the spread of the virus.

Jane Ellison

The Chief Medical Officer, Chief Scientific Adviser and Public Health England (PHE) have had a number of discussions over recent weeks with a wider range of international authorities. The Secretary of State has been briefed about all such discussions.

PHE and the National Travel Health Network and Centre have been carefully monitoring the Zika virus outbreak in the Americas since it was first reported in Brazil during May 2015. PHE and the Department attended a European Union Health Security Committee teleconference and PHE has shared a recent European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) risk assessment on Zika virus with colleagues in England, the Devolved Administrations and Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. PHE has been in discussion with infectious disease authorities in Brazil with respect to understanding the epidemiological and clinical picture associated with Zika virus and microcephaly and other congenital malformations.

Through the International Health Regulations National Focal Point, PHE has shared information with the European Union, ECDC and other European Member States on the number of cases of Zika virus infection in returning travellers.

01/01/2023

Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much and what proportion of her Department’s overseas development assistance budget her Department spent was subject to the International Development Act 2002 in each of the last three years.

Andrea Leadsom

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has spent the following amounts of Official Development Assistance (ODA) over the past three years

*Year*	2013	2014	2015
*Total ODA*	£408.4m	£192.4m	£336m
*Amount under the International Development Act 2002*	£402.8m	£187.7m	£328.2m
*% under the International Development Act 2002*	98.6%	97.5%	97.6%

The spend that is under the International Development Act 2002 comes from the UK’s International Climate Fund (ICF) and the ODA-eligible proportion of the annual subscription to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The remaining DECC ODA spend is the ODA-eligible proportion of the annual subscriptions relating to the International Atomic Energy Agency. This spend is governed by the Supply and Appropriation Act; we seek to ensure this expenditure is consistent with the aims of the International Development Act.

01/01/2023

Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2016-03-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the average time in post of Trade Ministers of Her Majesty’s Government in (1) the last five years, and (2) the five years before that.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The average tenure of Ministers for Trade & Investment from 2011 until the departure of my noble Friend Lord Maude in March 2016 is 628 days or approximately 1 year, 8 months.

The average tenure of Ministers for Trade & Investment between 2006 and 2011 was 342 days or approximately 11 months.

01/01/2023
Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-04-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the flying of the Red Ensign on Merchant Navy Day on 3 September will be added to the list of mandatory days for flag flying in the UK.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The designated days for flying the Union Flag on Government buildings have been specifically set to mark special occasions by command of Her Majesty the Queen and on the advice of Government. Any additions or changes must be discussed with the Lord Chamberlain’s Office. There are currently no plans to change the list.

However, as flag flying is deregulated, any organisation may fly any flag at any time, so long as they have the necessary planning permission, therefore anyone may fly the Red Ensign on this day if they wish.

01/01/2023
Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the threats facing the Baltic states; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Julian Brazier

The 2014 Wales Summit, under UK leadership, delivered an effective and united response to Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and its actions in Eastern Ukraine.

NATO has agreed to strengthen its defence and deterrence posture to provide further reassurance to Allies and deter Russian aggression.

In February 2016 Defence Ministers agreed to address specific concerns raised by the Baltic States and Poland. Ahead of the Warsaw Summit in July, work continues within the Alliance to determine the size and scale of an enhanced forward presence in the East. The proposed measures are proportionate, defensive in nature, and not a threat to Russia, but demonstrate unequivocally the unity within the Alliance and the continued commitment of all Allies to the NATO principles of collective defence and security.

A UK contribution will ultimately be shaped by what is agreed by all Allies.

01/01/2023
Caroline Flint – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to tackle access to and use of psychoactive substances in prisons.

Mr Sam Gyimah

The Justice Secretary is clear that safety is fundamental to the proper functioning of our justice system and a vital part of our reform plans. There are a number of factors, including the availability of psychoactive substances in prisons, which must be tackled in order to make our prisons safe and places of rehabilitation.

We have introduced tough new laws which will see those who smuggle packages over prison walls, including new psychoactive substances, face up to two years in prison. Those who involve themselves in the distribution of drugs in our prisons should know that they could face prosecution and extra time behind bars. We have a comprehensive range of security measures and searching techniques in place to detect drugs, and to prevent smuggling into prisons.

01/01/2023
Chris Elmore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to facilitate the learning of the Welsh language by pupils in England.

Nick Gibb

Primary and secondary schools can choose to teach the Welsh language to pupils if there is sufficient demand. It is possible for a pupil in England to take privately a Welsh language GCSE offered in Wales if an examination centre is willing to enter them. This will include a revised Welsh Second Language GCSE available for first teaching from September 2017.

01/01/2023
Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-10-28.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to support growing small businesses that require more facilities after they leave business hubs.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

Growing small businesses can get assistance from a number of Government schemes. For example the Government set up Enterprise Zones across England to support new and expanding businesses by offering incentives such as tax relief on top of the doubling of Small Business Rates Relief which we have extended for a further year until April 2016.

There are also Catapult centres round the country – places where the very best of the UK’s businesses, scientists and engineers work together to transform ideas into products and services. They allow small businesses access to resources and equipment they may need.

Small businesses can find out more about these schemes and also obtain other advice that may help them by approaching their local Growth Hub. There are now 30 Growth Hubs across England that are bringing together local and national business support so that people can find the help they need quickly and easily.[i]

[i] http://www.lepnetwork.net/about-leps/the-network-of-leps/

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01/01/2023
Matthew Offord – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2015-11-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for disparities between clinical commissioning groups in achieving the recovery target for mental health patients who have received NHS treatment.

Alistair Burt

NHS England monitors clinical commissioning groups’ (CCGs) performance against the recovery target for people who have received psychological therapies through the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme.

The Department is working closely with NHS England to reduce the variation in recovery rates across CCG areas. Key factors that have been identified are variation in data quality, waiting times, numbers of sessions completed by patients, leadership and supervision of services and particular challenges in areas with high deprivation.

NHS England is working with good performers and is analysing data from the IAPT programme to better understand factors that impact on recovery performance.

NHS England is also supporting lowest performing IAPT providers to improve their recovery rates and is offering workshops to spread good practice to all commissioners and providers.

01/01/2023
Bernard Jenkin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bernard Jenkin on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff in his Department are working on matters related to (a) European policy, (b) the future of Europe, (c) reform of the EU, (d) the renegotiation of the UK’s relationship with the EU, (e) the EU referendum and (f) the consequences of the EU referendum; how many full-time equivalent staff are working on such matters; what the (i) staff and (ii) other cost of such work is; what proportion of that work is undertaken by such staff on (A) communications, (B) strategy and (C) policy; whether his Department has established any specific unit or units to deal with those matters; to whom such (1) staff and (2) units report; whether his Department has issued guidelines to staff on those matters; and if he will make a statement.

Matthew Hancock

The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in Britain – so we get a better deal for our country and secure our future. Departments are appropriately resourced to support the Government’s priorities in Europe, including the renegotiation and referendum.

01/01/2023