Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to promote freedom of speech in Saudi Arabia.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK is a strong and leading supporter of freedom of expression around the world. We continue to raise a range of human rights issues with the Saudi authorities including the right to freedom of expression. Earlier this month we raised freedom of expression at a senior level with the Saudi authorities.

  • George Hollingbery – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    George Hollingbery – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Hollingbery on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2015 to Question 219112, what management measures will be examined in the review of domestic management measures for bass.

    George Eustice

    The current review of the domestic management measures for bass should be completed within the next few weeks. Aligned with work at European level to reverse the steep decline in bass stocks, the high-level review will focus principally on the need for any change to our current domestic management measures, such as the catch limits on commercial fishing for bass, minimum landing size for bass and protection of bass nursery areas. Where it is identified that action is required, this work will be further developed and, where national legislation may be required, will follow the usual legislative process. We will seek the views of key stakeholders on the way forward. Any proposed national legislation will be subject to public consultation involving stakeholders, other government departments and interested parties. The relevant documentation to support the new legislation will be made publically available, where not already published.

  • Meg Munn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Meg Munn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Meg Munn on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for continuous positive airways pressure therapy for those diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnoea.

    Jane Ellison

    Local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for assessing the needs of their local populations and for commissioning services to meet those needs. For patients with obstructive sleep apnoea, NHS England expects CCGs to take into account the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines when deciding what services should be made available.

    NICE has published technology appraisal guidance which recommends the use of continuous positive airway pressure as a treatment option for adults with moderate or severe symptomatic obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome, where certain criteria are met.

    NICE has been commissioned to develop a quality standard on sleep disordered breathing and will in due course consider which conditions will be covered under the scope of the quality standard and the need for associated clinical guidance.

    There are currently no special provisions for people with sleep apnoea who drive for a living, but this will be considered as part of the guideline.

    Individuals diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnoea and who are waiting for continuous positive airways pressure therapy are prioritised according to clinical need.

    We do not collect information centrally on the time people wait between diagnosis and treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea. The Referral to Treatment operational standards state that 90% admitted and 95% of non-admitted patients should start consultant-led treatment within 18 weeks of referral. In order to sustain delivery of these standards, 92% of patients who have not yet started treatment should have been waiting no more than 18 weeks. Whilst individual National Health Service organisations are monitored on their performance in this area, obstructive sleep apnoea is not separately identified.

  • Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much public expenditure was allocated from her Department to Unilever in each financial year from 2009-10; and how much public expenditure is allocated to that company for 2015-16.

    Justine Greening

    No resources have been allocated to Unilever.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-01-14.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the total funds provided by Government for (a) corporate welfare grants and support schemes and (b) tax forgone.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government offers a wide range of financial support to business through different grants and tax reliefs. For example the Regional Growth Fund has so far committed £2.6 billion of support to over 400 awards which are expected to deliver £16 billion of private sector investment and 573,000 jobs.

    Overall Government grants and reliefs serve to support UK businesses to invest and grow, generating jobs and economic growth. Business investment has grown 26% since early 2010, there are more people in work now than ever before, and the IMF have forecast the UK as having the fastest growing economy in the G7 in 2014.

  • Dame Joan Ruddock – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Dame Joan Ruddock – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dame Joan Ruddock on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he plans to take in response to the conclusions of the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, held in December 2014.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK was represented at the Vienna conference by our Permanent Representative to the International Organisations in Vienna, Susan le Jeune. As the Vienna Conference was a discussion platform there were no formal follow up outcomes agreed. However as stated at the Conference, the UK will continue to follow the step-by-step approach to disarmament through the existing UN disarmament machinery and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent representations he has received from creditors of companies which have gone into liquidation about the priority of payments in cases of liquidation.

    Jo Swinson

    I occasionally receive representations from creditors of companies in liquidation about priority of payments in those cases. In broad terms, the principle applied in insolvency cases is that creditors are treated equally, and will receive any payment they are due after the fees, costs and expenses of the liquidation have been paid. This is not an area which the Government has any current plans to change.

  • Rehman Chishti – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Rehman Chishti – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rehman Chishti on 2015-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent steps the Government has taken to tackle Islamophobia.

    Stephen Williams

    This Government has done more than any other to tackle anti-Muslim hatred which includes:

    • setting up the first ever cross-government working group on anti-Muslim Hatred;
    • provided start-up funding to the Tell MAMA initiative to record incidents and support victims of anti-Muslim hatred;
    • establishing a UK Srebrenica Memorial Day which recognises the fatal consequences of hatred and division;
    • running social media workshops to build the capacity of community organisations to use social media effectively;
    • holding 8 integration roadshows with communities to find out what more Government can do to integrate communities and tackle anti-Muslim hatred;
    • following the attacks in Paris, the my rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State (Eric Pickles) and my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, the Noble Lord Ahmad wrote on 16 January to mosques across England reassuring them of Government help if they experience anti-Muslim hatred;
    • the Department has also assured faith and community leaders of its support to their commendable efforts to foster mutual understanding and shared respect and is also in close contact with the Police who are reassuring communities and providing protective security advice and guidance.
  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many nuclear attack submarines were employed in the hunt for a suspected Russian submarine to the west of the United Kingdom this year.

    Lord Astor of Hever

    We do not discuss the detail of maritime operations as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

  • Lord Green of Deddington – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Green of Deddington – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Green of Deddington on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the increase in successive censuses since 1961 in the number of households in England and Wales they consider to be due to increases in population.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply and attached a copy of the response.