Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of children in England received the meningitis B vaccine in 2015-16; and what steps he is taking to maximise take-up rates.

    Jane Ellison

    Meningitis B (MenB) immunisation for infants was introduced on 1 September 2015 on the basis of expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the independent body which advises Government on all immunisation matters. The vaccine is offered alongside other routine immunisations at two and four months of age, with a booster dose at 12-13 months. A limited one-off catch-up programme was also offered, targeting infants born in May and June 2015.

    Preliminary vaccine coverage for children born in July 2015 was 94.0% for one dose and 84.8% for two doses when measured at six months of age.

    The introduction of MenB immunisation has been supported by a comprehensive media and communications campaign in partnership with health partners and meningitis charities. This resulted in significant coverage across national, local, parenting and social media. New patient information leaflets and posters have also supported the campaign, and comprehensive guidance has been added to the NHS Choices website. Existing children’s immunisation information booklets and leaflets have been amended to reflect the new immunisation schedule. A training factsheet and video for health professionals have also been produced.

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to encourage students to train as learning disability nurses.

    Ben Gummer

    In January 2016 the Health Education England Learning Disability Programme supported Health Careers in a two-week Learning Disability Nursing promotion with a significant increase in web page and twitter activity.

    In February 2016 a learning disability leadership signposting page was launched and the campaign #inspiringleadersinLD will feature a series of short video clips of inspiring learning disability nurses in a variety of roles. It is anticipated this campaign will raise profile of a career in learning disability nursing amongst the current learning disability workforce.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many times he has attended public meetings of the Scottish Affairs Committee since his appointment.

    David Mundell

    I have met and appeared in front of the Scottish Affairs Committee on two occasions since my appointment as Secretary of State for Scotland and will next be appearing in May.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether parity of esteem as established in the Belfast Agreement 1998 applies to people who live in the Republic of Ireland.

    Lord Dunlop

    This Government understands the concept of parity of esteem, as set out in the 1998 Belfast Agreement, as placing a general obligation on the UK Government to treat people of different traditions in Northern Ireland fairly and with equal respect. In the Agreement it is clearly expressed and defined in relation to people living in Northern Ireland.

    As a general obligation there is no definition of particular circumstances in which it does or does not apply.

    As I have set out in previous replies to the Noble Lord, this Government is firm in its commitment to the protection of people against any form of discrimination, and the promotion of opportunity for all, across the whole of our United Kingdom.

    In respect of the Noble Lord’s question about those who might march wearing army uniforms but who are not members of an army, the concept of parity of esteem clearly does not absolve people from upholding the law. This Government has made clear many times that we will never accept any form of equivalence between members of the security forces and those who engage in terrorism or other forms of paramilitary activity.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of hate crime were reported in Croydon in each of the last 12 months.

    Sarah Newton

    The Home Office collects information on the number of hate crimes recorded by the police at the police force area level. The Metropolitan police force recorded 13,889 hate crimes in 2014/15.

    Further information on hate crime can be found in Hate Crimes, England and Wales, 2014/15, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hate-crime-england-and-wales-2014-to-2015

    Data for 2015/16 are due to be published in October 2016.

    This Government is committed to tackling hate crime. The UK has one of the strongest legislative frameworks in the world to tackle hate crime. We are working across Government with police, (including National Community Tensions Team), the Crown Prosecution Service and community partners to send out a clear message that hate crime will not be tolerated and we will vigorously pursue and prosecute those who commit these crimes.

  • Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many UK medical students entered undergraduate training in each year since 2000.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Information on the number of United Kingdom medical students is not held centrally; this is collected by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

  • Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department has taken to embed the Family Test into its policy making.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Officials in my Department have liaised with the Department for Work and Pensions as the lead Department for the Family Test to embed it into the policy process. This has included training officials on applying the Test, disseminating relevant evidence, learning materials and best practice.

  • Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the implications are for his Department’s policy of the analysis undertaken by the Resolution Foundation set out in its report, The Pinch, published on 10 December 2015, of (a) the effects of the financial events of the last 10 years on those aged 16 to 44 relative to those aged 55 to 64 and (b) the changes in that period in levels of real median weekly earnings across different cohorts of the population.

    Nick Boles

    The financial crisis triggered the worst recession in living memory. However, GDP surpassed its pre-recession level in Q2 2013 and the UK’s economic recovery is now well established. Since 2010, on average, the UK has been the joint fastest growing economy in the G7 and the labour market has continued to make strong progress.

    According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), excluding full-time students under the age of 25, the employment rate of people aged 16-49 fell from 76.9% in the three months to May 2008 to a post-recession low of 74.0% in the three months to March 2010. Since mid-2011, the employment rate for this group has increased over time and the latest data shows that it reached a record high of 77.7% in the three months to October 2015.

    While the recession had less of an impact on the employment rate of people aged 50-64, their current employment has also reached a record high for this group, of 70.0%.

    The analysis in Resolution Foundation’s report you mention looked at real median weekly earnings of various cohorts over time. While not strictly cohort analysis, more recent cross-sectional data from the ONS’s Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) shows that the increase in nominal median gross weekly pay between April 2014 and April 2015 varied across age groups as follows[1]:

    • 16-17 year olds: 8.2%[2]
    • 18-21 year olds: 4.0%
    • 22-29 year olds: 3.2%
    • 30-39 year olds: 1.1%
    • 40-49 year olds: 2.6%
    • 50-59 year olds: 2.5%
    • 60+ year olds: 1.9%

    CPI inflation over the same period was -0.1% in the year to April 2015.

    Pay, and ultimately living standards are strongly linked to productivity. That is why the Government is working hard to boost productivity, and therefore wages, with the ambitious measures outlined in our Productivity Plan. Our higher pay, lower tax, lower welfare society is the route to raising living standards for everyone in the UK.

    [1] Employees on adult rates of pay whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence

    [2] Figures for 16-17 year olds include employees not on adult rates of pay

  • Jessica Morden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jessica Morden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that the privatisation of the Green Investment Bank represents value for money to the public purse.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government is following best practice recommended by the National Audit Office (NAO) to ensure a sale of the Green Investment Bank achieves value for money. This includes following the NAO’s recommendations on Government asset sales that were set out in its report on the sale of the Government’s shares in Eurostar.

    We are consulting with the NAO about the approach we are taking, and will continue to assess whether we are achieving value for money for the taxpayer through all stages of this process.

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of how the EU Refugee Facility for Turkey will reduce migration from Turkey.

    James Brokenshire

    The UK supports the Turkey-EU Action Plan of which the EU Refugee Facility is part of, which was signed on 29 November between the EU and Turkey. Implementation will not be straightforward given the volume of numbers and the determination of individuals to cross land and sea borders. The facility will positively impact on the numbers of refugees leaving Turkey. The Refugee facility will provide immediate humanitarian support and access to schools, hospitals, housing and employment required over the longer term to support refugees and the communities which host them. The Action Plan is just one aspect of efforts to respond to the migration crisis seen in the Mediterranean last year.