The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking to promote the use of credit unions in the work of his Department; and if he will make a statement.
David Mundell
I refer the hon Member to the answer given by my hon Friend, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Harriett Baldwin) on 2 November 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on how whole-school activities will be managed by the recently approved grammar school site in Kent and the existing grammar school that it will be annexed to.
Edward Timpson
The expansion proposal from the Weald of Kent confirms that the school intends to provide students with a range of opportunities across the curriculum, utilising facilities on both sites. Extra-curricular activities and assemblies will also be shared across both locations.
The proposal confirms that the expanded school will have the same leadership, governance, and management arrangements as the existing academy. A single governing body, one headteacher, and one senior leadership team (SLT) with whole school responsibilities will ensure that the current ethos, standards, and quality of learning would be secured in the expanded school.
In addition to the headteacher and SLT, heads of department will work across both sites. All new staff contracts will include a requirement that staff may be deployed across the school estate, and all staff will attend training sessions at both sites.
The frequency of movement will be in line with delivery of the curriculum.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to tackle obesity.
Jane Ellison
We will put forward our plans to tackle obesity in our childhood obesity strategy in the new year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions Ministers and officials from his Department had with the Insolvency Service on Redcar steelworks prior to the announcement of SSI entering administration.
Anna Soubry
I can confirm that Government agencies, including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and the Insolvency Service discussed the situation at Redcar prior to SSI’s entry into liquidation, given the parlous state of SSI’s finances and its huge losses.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of his Department’s performance in adhering to the statutory time limit for responding to Freedom of Information requests.
Matthew Hancock
The Government publishes statistics on the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 within central government, including on timeliness and the number of requests rejected by each government department. These reports can be accessed at the following webpage: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of vedolizumab as a treatment for Crohn’s disease.
George Freeman
Information is not collected centrally on the number of people prescribed medicines or the medical condition being treated.
Some data is available for the administration of vedolizumab however this data does not correspond to patient numbers nor can it be linked to the treatment of specific diseases. Some information on cost is also available but this is the cost of the medicines at NHS list price and not necessarily the price that hospitals paid.
In guidance published in August 2015, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) advised that vedolizumab is the recommended treatment for adults with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease if a type of treatment called a tumour necrosis factor alpha inhibitor is not suitable or has not worked well enough. NICE also recommend vedolizumab as a possible treatment for adults with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis in separate guidance published on 5 June 2015.
In both cases, people should be able to have vedolizumab until it stops working, or surgery is needed, or for 12 months after starting it, whichever is shorter. Their condition should be assessed 12 months after they started taking vedolizumab. If they still have symptoms but it is clear that the treatment is helping, they can continue to have the drug. If they no longer have symptoms, treatment can be stopped, and later restarted if their symptoms return. Drugs recommended by NICE should be available on the NHS within three months of the technology appraisal guidance being issued.
NICE has set out best practice in the diagnosis, treatment care and support of patients with Crohn’s diseases and ulcerative colitis in its guidance Crohn’s Disease Management in Adults, Children and Young People in October 2012, and Ulcerative Colitis Management in Adults, Children and Young People , published in June 2013. Treatment for both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis is largely directed at symptom relief to improve quality of life, rather than cure. Management options include drug therapy, dietary and lifestyle advice and, in severe or chronic active disease, surgery.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what measures are available to an individual to ensure the enforcement of orders by the Family Court.
Caroline Dinenage
If an order made in the family court is breached, a party named in that order may apply to the court to consider appropriate enforcement action.
The family courts have the power to treat breach of an order as a contempt of court, punishable by imprisonment or a fine or both. Where a child arrangements order is breached the court can only make an enforcement order if it is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that a party has breached the relevant order and has no good reason for doing so.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2015 to Question 11101, on what dates his Department plans to begin and end its consultation on its mandate to NHS England.
George Freeman
A public consultation on the Government’s mandate to NHS England for 2016/17 launched on 29 October 2015. The mandate sets the Government’s objectives for NHS England, as well as its budget. The consultation document sets out our proposed approach and the strategic priorities that will form the new mandate.
The consultation closes on 23 November, and the mandate will be finalised in light of responses and the outcome of the Government’s Spending Review, ahead of publication in December.
To find out more and submit a consultation response go to:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/setting-the-mandate-to-nhs-england-for-2016-to-2017
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he intends that the apprenticeships levy will replace the one-third contributions for post-19 apprenticeships as part of the Richard Review reforms.
Nick Boles
My Rt hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will announce further details of the apprenticeship levy at the Spending Review, including the scope and rate of the levy and how it will operate with respect to the Devolved Administrations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects the London and South Coast rail corridor study to be published.
Claire Perry
The Department anticipates receiving the findings of the London and South Coast Rail Corridor Study by the end of 2015. The Government will subsequently consider the timeframe for releasing the study findings, including our response.