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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department made before the announcement of 15 September 2016 of the extent of the potential security issue facing the development of Hinkley Point C.

    Jesse Norman

    Security matters are an integral part of reaching agreement on all new nuclear developments. Following my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State’s announcement on 28 July 2016, the Government undertook a comprehensive review of the Hinkley Point C project; the review considered all component parts of the Hinkley deal. In the interest of security, we do not comment on security-specific matters.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of adults with learning disabilities using day centres which are not regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department does not collect information about the number of complaints received or the number of adults with learning disabilities using day centres. Day centres are not regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

  • The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the detention and trial of human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang in China.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are seriously concerned by Pu Zhiqiang’s conviction despite the suspension of his sentence. This case has again raised issues about due process and transparency of justice in China. It has also highlighted the situation faced by human rights lawyers in the country. We urge China to make sure freedom of expression and other civil and political rights are protected, in line with their constitution and international human rights commitments. We have also raised specific concerns over the physical mistreatment of British and other journalists and diplomats attempting to attend Pu’s trial on 14 December. The Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my Right Hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) did so in his meeting with Vice Minister Chen Fengxiang on 16 December.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Prime Minister’s speech of 11 January 2016, on life chances, how the waiting time target for patients with psychosis will be monitored; and when the first results of that monitoring will be published.

    George Freeman

    The Early Intervention Psychosis access standard will be monitored via the new Mental Health Service Dataset which is managed and reported against by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

    As this is a new collection, reporting will be phased starting with basic counts in March 2016 and building in detail as quality is assured. In the meantime NHS England has implemented a bespoke collection to monitor progress against the referral to treatment element of the standard, the first report of which is likely to be available in March 2016.

  • Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the decision to cancel the transfer of police custody healthcare services to the NHS, what assessment they have made of the minimum standards of training, skills and competence for healthcare professionals working in a police custody setting; and what steps they have taken to advise Police and Crime Commissioners about the need to adhere to such minimum standards for all healthcare professionals, as recommended by the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine, the UK Association of Forensic Nurses, and the College of Paramedics.

    Lord Bates

    The decision not to pursue the transfer of custody healthcare commissioning from Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to NHS England was taken in the context of wider decisions about the Provisional Police Funding Settlement for 2016/17, details of which were announced to Parliament in a written statement by the Minister of State for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice and Victims on 17 December.

    The Government is clear that Police and Crime Commissioners should retain full flexibility to be able to prioritise resources towards police custody healthcare functions based on their local needs.

    A number of sources of information and guidance are available to PCCs to inform their commissioning of custody healthcare services.

    The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1983 (PACE) sets out the statutory framework for custodial care and the rights and entitlements of a detainee in police custody. The College of Policing, as the professional body for policing, has published Approved Professional Practice (APP) on custody and detention. Police officers and staff are expected to have regard to the APP in discharging their responsibilities.The APP references wider guidance published by professional medical bodies including the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. In addition there is a NHS England national service specification setting out clinical standards for the commissioning and provision of police custody healthcare functions. This is currently being reviewed and updated.

    In many police force areas the close ties which PCCs have established to local NHS England commissioners over recent years have already helped to drive up the standards and quality of provision. On 11 February my Rt Hon Friend the Home Secretary and my Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Health wrote to Police and Crime Commissioners and NHS England Commissioners encouraging them to continue to build upon this work to further improve healthcare service delivery.

    Any recommendations made by the forthcoming independent review of deaths and serious incidents in police custody will be carefully considered in due course.

  • Ian Mearns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Ian Mearns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2016-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will update the actuarial analysis used for the Risk Protection Arrangement to include the effect of the recent storms in the assessment of exposure to risk.

    Edward Timpson

    All claims received up to 31 March 2016, including those arising from the recent storm events, will form part of the next actuarial analysis of claim experience and will inform the assessment of risk to the Risk Protection Agreement. Our next actuarial analysis exercise will be finalised in July 2016.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2016 to Question 30916, for what reasons related party transactions by academy trusts can be classified as irregular or improper by the Education Funding Agency.

    Edward Timpson

    Related party transactions by academy trusts can be classified as irregular or improper if they are not dealt with in accordance with Parliament’s intentions, legislation, the terms of the trust’s funding agreement, the Academies Financial Handbook or the trust’s internal procedures. This includes spending money other than for the purposes intended by Parliament or without the appropriate standards of conduct.

    Academy trusts operate under a robust accountability system which holds them to account for the results they achieve and their use of resources. This includes a requirement to publish audited accounts each year allowing the wider public the chance to hold academy trusts to account to help make sure that spend is securing better outcomes for pupils.

    The 26 related party transactions are irregular and noted in the table below (together with our findings from reviewing 2013/14 financial statements). It is important to note that irregular classification can occur where there is insufficient evidence to form an opinion.

    Concern type

    Summary of concern

    Number of breaches

    At cost

    The trust either confirmed that services from a related party were not provided at cost or there was insufficient evidence of this.

    5

    Off-payroll

    The trust confirmed that they were not compliant with HM Treasury’s off-payroll requirements for a senior member of staff.

    5

    Procurement

    The trust confirmed they did not follow an adequate procurement process for certain purchases from a related party.

    6

    Procurement issues/ recruitment of family

    The trust confirmed they did not follow an adequate procurement process for certain purchases from a familial related party.

    1

    Procurement/ at cost

    The trust confirmed they did not follow an adequate procurement process for certain purchases from a related party. The trust also either confirmed that services from a related party were not provided at cost or there was insufficient evidence of this.

    9

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to minimise the difference between the number of words to which young children in low-income and high-income households are exposed.

    Nick Gibb

    No matter where they live or what their background, every child in this country deserves the opportunity to read, to read widely, and to read well. The Government wants all children to develop a wide vocabulary irrespective of their background. In August 2015, the Secretary of State launched a literacy campaign to make children in this country the most literate in Europe, in the next five years.

    We placed phonics at the heart of the curriculum to give all young children the skills to decode words and provide the foundation for them to read fluently.

    The National Curriculum framework sets a clear expectation that teachers develop pupils’ vocabulary, building on pupils’ current knowledge. This covers both general vocabulary development and the subject specific language that pupils need to be able to use to progress in, for example, mathematics and science.

    Vocabulary development is emphasised and integrated throughout the programmes of study for English and linked to their reading, writing and spelling. Both the reading and writing domains of the English programmes of study emphasise the importance of building pupils’ vocabulary.

    Reading widely and often, together with reading for pleasure is also reinforced throughout the programmes of study, and attention to the quantity and quality of reading will support vocabulary development.

    We are working with The Reading Agency to set up book clubs in hundreds of primary schools across the country; we are supporting their work to enrol 8 year olds in libraries; and we support the voluntary sector’s ‘Read On. Get On’ campaign, which is playing a key role in raising literacy. Our ambition is that children can get to know the classics of English literature whether or not these books are on the bookshelves at home. In February 2016, Penguin Classics launched their ‘Classics in Schools’ initiative to give sets of 100 classics to schools at reduced cost.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with pharmaceutical companies on steps to reduce the cost of cancer drugs for the NHS.

    Nicola Blackwood

    The Department has frequent discussions with representatives of the United Kingdom pharmaceutical industry as well as with individual pharmaceutical companies on a range of topics. We want to see the latest and most advanced drugs made available to National Health Service patients in a way that ensures value for money.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rishi Sunak – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rishi Sunak on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve the safety of maternity care.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    In November 2015, the Department announced an ambitious campaign to halve the national rates of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries occurring during or soon after birth, by 2030.

    The Government has already invested in a capital fund for equipment to improve safety and training programmes for staff.