Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Prime Minister, what due diligence he undertook on the background of Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint before his appointment as a Minister of State in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and what communications he has had with Lord Green in respect of the accounts of British residents and nationals held by HSBC in Switzerland since 2005 since 7 February 2015.

    Mr David Cameron

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Washington and Sunderland West (Mrs Hodgson) on 11 February 2015, Official Report, columns 774-775.

  • Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what checks the Education Funding Agency makes on the quality of auditors and others taking professional fees for services provided to academies.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    As companies and charitable trusts, academy trusts are required to appoint independent auditors to report on their financial statements. It is for the academy trust to manage the contract for their services.

    Auditors are qualified accountants and regulated by their professional institutes. The institutes undertake a programme of quality assurance visits to ensure firms are operating in accordance with expected professional standards. The outcomes of these reviews are publically available.

    The Education Funding Agency (EFA) supplements the various institute regulatory regimes with:

    · reviews of academy trusts’ audited financial statements, the associated audit reports on these and auditor management letters. The EFA follows up significant issues with individual trusts and their auditors;

    · regular attendance at sector training events and delivery of online presentations/webinars for auditors on the key issues arising from reviews, to help ensure they are aware of the requirements expected of them and key risk areas; and

    · responding to auditor queries received through the academy questions mailbox.

    Other professional services provided to academy trusts will also be regulated by their relevant institute body, e.g. the Law Society.

  • Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what representations he has received from Ofgem and other regulatory bodies on the decision to consult on a large-scale solar PV Renewables Obligation closure grace period deadline of 13 May 2014; and if he will make a statement.

    Amber Rudd

    DECC works closely with Ofgem and other regulatory bodies on all matters relating to, or affecting, the Renewables Obligation (RO).

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) Palestinians and (b) Palestinian children who have been killed as a result of Israeli military action in the last 10 years.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office holds no information centrally on the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli military action in the last 10 years.

  • Kate Hoey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Kate Hoey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to engage with the public about (a) care.data and (b) ways of opting-out of care.data before data is collected.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    NHS England is currently listening to the views of patients, the general public, general practitioners (GPs) and stakeholders on how best to further build trust and confidence in the care.data programme. Local stakeholders, including GPs, patients, the general public and health and care representatives, are taking part in debates and workshops to air their views.

    There will be a phased approach to implementation. NHS England intends to work with a number of GP practices, ‘pathfinders’, in the autumn to test, evaluate and refine all aspects of the data collection process ahead of national roll-out. This will include consideration of ways of objecting “opting out” to being included in the care.data programme.

    A care.data advisory group has been established to support the programme and that group will also be involved in shaping the pathfinder stage. Ciaran Devane, Chief Executive of Macmillan Cancer Support and a non-executive director of NHS England, has agreed to chair the group.

  • Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the recommendations in the report Medications in Drug Treatment: Tackling the Risks to Children published on 29 April 2014 by Adfam.

    Jane Ellison

    We welcome the valuable work of Adfam in producing this report.

    Officials from the Department and Public Health England have regular contact with Adfam and will be discussing with them what actions would be appropriate.

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his assessment is of the trial publication online of the Red Book for expectant mothers.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The Personal Child Health Record, commonly known as the Red Book, is not a Departmental publication but has been part of children’s services in the National Health Service for the last 20 years. Its content and format are overseen by a multi-disciplinary group hosted by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). The RCPCH is working in partnership with Sitekit Ltd, the developers of the online Red Book, and will undertake an assessment of the product on its completion.

  • Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Murphy on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will support proposals to amend the goal on education to provide free, equitable and inclusive quality education and life-long learning opportunities for all in the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Justine Greening

    The UK supports a stand-alone education goal in the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and life-long learning opportunities for all.

    The final goal and targets in the post-2015 development framework will be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

  • John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John McDonnell on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is on devolving responsibility for tagging contracts to police and crime commissioners.

    Andrew Selous

    On 15 July the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice announced that the Ministry of Justice will be awarding contracts to four companies for delivery of the next generation of electronic monitoring services.

    These national contracts will be managed by the Ministry of Justice. Within the existing legislative framework, there are opportunities for Police and Crime Commissioners to make use of the capability within national contracts to support their local priorities in order to ensure that the taxpayers money is used efficiently. Police and Crime Commissioners may however make local arrangements depending on local priorities.

    Separate to these national contracts, the Secretary of State has agreed to allow the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime to enter into arrangements to pilot the effectiveness of the Alcohol Abstinence Monitoring Requirement under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

  • Pete Wishart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Pete Wishart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pete Wishart on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what (a) external organisations and (b) officials in the Office of the Advocate-General for Scotland he has engaged with as part of the Scotland Analysis programme; and what was discussed at each such consultation.

    David Mundell

    The Scotland analysis programme has been the most detailed examination ever undertaken of Scotland’s contribution to the UK and the benefits that Scotland gets from being part of the UK. The UK Government has engaged with a wide range of organisations in the development of and distribution of the analysis, including business organisations, academics and lawyers. The Office of the Advocate General for Scotland provides the UK Government with advice on Scots law and has been involved throughout the production of all of the Scotland analysis papers, along with officials from across Whitehall.