Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • John Baron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Baron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Baron on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of chronic loneliness among older people on demand for GP appointments in (a) England and (b) Basildon and Billericay constituency.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department has not carried out an assessment of the impact of loneliness in England or in Basildon and Billericay. The Campaign to End Loneliness report Loneliness: the State We’re In (2012) demonstrated that loneliness has a very negative impact on health. Research identified by the Campaign to End Loneliness has shown it has an effect on mortality that is similar in size to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and is worse for us than obesity. Loneliness and social isolation is also associated with conditions such as cardiovascular disease, dementia, poor sleep and depression.

    The Government has not made an assessment of the steps the National Health Service and local authorities have taken to tackle loneliness. Given the complexity of loneliness and the different ways that people are affected there is no single solution that can tackle loneliness and having a range of interventions and solutions is helpful. The Department has funded the Social Care Institute for Excellence to develop and run the Prevention Library which includes examples of emerging practice to prevent, reduce or delay peoples care and support needs from deteriorating. This includes examples of what NHS bodies and local authorities have done to tackle loneliness such as the NHS Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group Living Well programme and LinkAge supported by Bristol City Council.

    Prevention is core to the Government’s approach to people managing their health and care needs. My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health set out in his speech to the Local Government Association on 1 July that we all have a responsibility at an individual, family, and community level to identify people with care needs such as loneliness and provide support and improve their wellbeing.

    Through the Care Act 2014 the Government has placed a duty on local authorities to have measures in place to identify people in their area who would benefit from universal services to help reduce, delay or prevent needs for care and support. This includes needs that may arise from loneliness and social isolation.

    The Department has supported a ‘digital toolkit’ for local commissioners, which was developed by the Campaign to End Loneliness, and is now incorporated in their guidance Loneliness and Isolation: Guidance for Local Authorities and Commissioners. This supports commissioners in understanding, mapping and commissioning for loneliness and social isolation in their communities, and includes promising approaches to tackling loneliness.

    We are building a better understanding of how prevention can maintain people’s wellbeing and the evidence base on the effectiveness of interventions is expanding. Through the Prevention Library local authorities can learn from emerging practice, and exchange ideas and experience of the impact of information, advice and befriending services.

  • Steve Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons humanitarian organisations do not operate inside the refugee camps at Calais.

    James Brokenshire

    The management of the migrant camps in Calais, including the involvement of any particular organisation, is the responsibility of the French Government. The UK has, however, provided specific financial assistance to fund a project aimed at protecting the most vulnerable people in the camps. This project was agreed by the Home Secretary and French Interior Minister in the UK-France Joint Declaration of August 2015. The project aims to increase observation in the camps to identify vulnerable migrants including those who may be victims of human trafficking; to provide medical help and protection where required; to put in place a system to transfer them briskly to places of safety; and to ensure they are offered the appropriate advice and support from the French system.

  • Andrew Tyrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andrew Tyrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Tyrie on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much Chichester (a) County Court, (b) Crown Court and (c) Combined Court Centre collected in court fees in the 2014-15 financial year.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Court fees of £0.5m were collected in County Court and the Combined Court Centre in Chichester in 2014-15 financial year. This figure is net of fee remissions. Court fees were not payable in the Crown Courts during 2014-15 so no court fees were taken.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what compensation the Government has made available to road and rail freight and passenger operators affected by the ongoing disruption at Calais.

    Andrew Jones

    We are clear that the disruption caused to passengers and operators by the disruption in Calais is unacceptable.

    That is why we are working hard to find a long-term solution to Operation Stack, and closely with the French Government to minimise the causes of disruption.

    There are no specific provisions for compensation by Her Majesty’s Government in the circumstances where disruption does occur.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Leader of the House, if he will bring forward proposals to allow the online tabling and signing of Early Day Motions.

    Chris Grayling

    This issue was considered in the last Parliament by the House of Commons Procedure Committee in its first report of Session 2013-14 (HC189). The Committee considered whether to recommend the adoption of an e-tabling system, but concluded that it was not appropriate for EDMs to be tabled electronically unless significantly stronger authentication than was then required for parliamentary questions could be guaranteed. However, it did recognise that there might be benefits in allowing MPs to add their signatures to EDMs electronically.

    Following the closure of the savings programme, the House authorities continue to consider how they can improve effectiveness and drive innovation, including in the area of electronic delivery of services.

    I suggest that the Honourable Gentleman raises the issue with the Procedure Committee.

  • Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of accommodation and support available to vulnerable migrants in Calais; and what steps she is taking to ensure such migrants are appropriately cared for.

    James Brokenshire

    The provision of humanitarian assistance for people on French soil is a matter for the French authorities. However, both Governments are committed to identifying and helping those people who are especially vulnerable or potential victims of trafficking. This is why the Home Secretary and French Interior Minister agreed in the UK-France Joint Declaration in August 2015 to set up a project to increase observation in the camps to identify those people; to provide medical help and protection where required; to put in place a system to transfer them to places of safety; and to ensure they are offered the appropriate advice and support from the French system. The project will assist with our commitment to tackle the organised criminal gangs who facilitate human trafficking, and we are working together with French law enforcement partners to identify and target these gangs to prevent this occurring in the first place. The UK has contributed almost £550,000 towards this project as part of the Joint Fund announced in September 2014. The 2015 Joint Declaration also commits the UK to a further financial contribution of £3.6 million per year for two years to support the French Government in a range of activities to reduce the numbers of migrants in Calais and the incentives for them to stay there.

  • Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential (a) economic and (b) health effects of the provisions of the Housing and Planning Bill on people who receive housing benefit and who are subject to the benefit cap in each of the next five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Government will continue to assess the impacts of the Housing and Planning Bill as it progresses through Parliament. We will publish our assessments on Parliament’s website at:

    http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/housingandplanning/documents.html.

    These will be updated as further assessments are undertaken.

  • Crispin Blunt – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Crispin Blunt – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Crispin Blunt on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what risk assessments his Department has made of the Successor submarine and Trident missile renewal programmes; and whether a further such risk assessment is planned to inform a final main gate decision.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Ministry of Defence and Treasury officials are involved in scrutinising and assuring the costs and the levels of risk within the Successor submarine and Trident D5 missile life extension programmes, including before major investment decisions.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the difference between step-free access to trains and step-free access to platforms means in the context of plans for different Crossrail stations.

    Claire Perry

    Step-free access to trains provides direct access for a passenger from street level to the train via the use of ramps and lifts. Step-free access to platforms provides passengers with direct access from street level to platform via the use of ramps and lifts and further assistance with a ramp is required for those that require it to access the train.

    In the context of Crossrail, all stations between Paddington and Abbey Wood will have step-free access to train. This means that these stations will have ramps or lifts from the street to the platform, and only a very small gap between platform and train allowing for level boarding when getting on and off a train. Heathrow Airport’s stations at Terminals 1-3 and Terminal 4 will also have step-free access to trains.

    Those stations that Crossrail will serve on the existing network between Stratford and Shenfield and between Acton Mainline and Reading (not including Heathrow Airport) will have step-free access to platform. This means that there will be ramps or lifts from the street to the platform, but there will not be level access to the train without the aid of a ramp deployed by staff.

    All Crossrail stations will be staffed for the entire period that train services are operating, so there will be staff on hand to assist passengers who need to board and alight using platforms ramps.

  • Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-10-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the human rights situation in Iran.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Our assessment of human rights in Iran can be found in the FCO Human Rights Report, which was updated in July.