Tag: Parliamentary Question

Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to implement the commitments contained in the white paper, The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature published in 2011.

Dan Rogerson

We have made good progress on implementing the ambitious programme of policies set out in the White Paper. Of the 92 commitments made in the White Paper, over three quarters are now assessed as “completed” and action is ongoing to deliver the remaining commitments.

We have published a series of implementation updates on the GOV.UK website, setting out the progress that has been made towards the White Paper’s commitments, most recently in February 2014. This information can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-environment-white-paper-implementation-updates.

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November 2, 2022
Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he had with his Libyan counterparts about violence in Tripoli.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

Since assuming office on 15 July, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) has yet to have direct discussions with the Libyan Foreign Minister. However, through our Embassy in Tripoli, we remain in direct contact with the Libyan Government at the highest levels. We share their concern at the attacks in and around Tripoli International Airport, and condemn all actions which put lives in danger whether in the East or West of the country. We support the Libyan Government’s call for a ceasefire and urgent dialogue.

November 2, 2022
Tessa Munt – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tessa Munt on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will request NHS England to authorise the use of Gamma Knife for NHS patients at University College Hospital London.

Jane Ellison

NHS England is an independent arm’s length body and since 1 April 2013, it has been responsible for commissioning all radiotherapy services, including stereotactic radiosurgery. Gamma Knife treatment has been available to all patients who meet clinical criteria, without the need for individual funding requests, under NHS England’s national clinical commissioning policies for specialised services.

University College London Hospitals is not contracted by NHS England, nor was it contracted by former primary care trusts, to provide Gamma Knife services. It is for this reason that National Health Service patients cannot normally be treated at this facility. Instead, NHS patients requiring Gamma Knife treatment should be treated by the Gamma Knife services commissioned by the NHS, that have been shown to meet NHS England service specifications. These can be accessed by patients in London without a waiting time, fully maintaining the continuity of their care and normally with the same consultant and clinical team.

All patients need to be treated in accordance with the prescribed clinical pathways and in line with contractual agreements with providers.

November 2, 2022
David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how NHS England evaluates service specific A3 change proposals for its five-year strategy development for specialised services; when authors of those proposals will learn the outcomes of their proposals; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison

NHS England established the specialised commissioning taskforce to make some immediate improvements to the way in which NHS England commissions specialised services, and to put commissioning arrangements on a stronger footing for the longer-term. The task force is not conducting a complete review of specialised commissioning, although there are some aspects of this work which will require some specific services or arrangements to be reviewed. The life of the task force was originally three months running from May to July 2014: this has now been extended to the end of October 2014.

The publication and application of the specialised services strategy have been paused while the task force undertakes its work. At this stage, NHS England is yet to confirm when the strategy will be published. However, many aspects of the work of the taskforce will contribute to taking the strategy work forward later in the year.

Information on the work on development of the mission and vision and service-level planning elements of the specialised services strategy, prior to the pause, is available on the following webpages:

www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/commissioning/spec-services/five-year-strat/mission-vision/

www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/commissioning/spec-services/five-year-strat/service-level-plan/

NHS England has advised that the A3 change proposals were a pilot process to establish how NHS England might be able to achieve multiple stakeholder involvement on future service change. Proposals that demonstrate good opportunities to increase value and contain cost have moved into the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) programme for specialised services. Other proposals which support strategic service planning continue to be considered. Authors with proposals that do not meet the objectives of QIPP or strategic services planning will be informed within the next few weeks.

November 2, 2022
Graham Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Evans on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the NSPCC about its current and future plans to train staff to run her planned modern slavery helpline; what that training will include; what the estimated cost is of such training; and which body will provide the training.

Karen Bradley

We are working closely with the NSPCC to pilot a Modern Slavery Helpline as part of a wider communications and marketing campaign, to raise awareness of modern slavery. The helpline will be established by the end of July 2014. We are working with a number of non-governmental organisations and law enforcement agencies to ensure that all callers to the helpline can access any additional help, advice and support they need.

Training will be provided to all call handlers working on the helpline, which will be delivered by the NSPCC Child Trafficking Advice Centre and the
Metropolitan Police Service, building on their specific expertise and knowledge in this area. The training will include the nature of modern slavery, the information to be obtained from individuals who call the helpline as well as organisations that can provide further support and guidance. There are no specific costs to the Home Office associated with providing this training.

Each call to the helpline will be considered on a case-by-case basis and, where an individual requires further information or advice, the helpline call handlers will provide the details of other organisations for the caller to contact, as appropriate. This is regardless of whether the caller is from an EU or non-EU country.

Stakeholders, including NGOs, have been engaged in the communications and marketing campaign which underpins the helpline.
The NSPCC is ideally placed to deliver what we need given their existing infrastructure and expertise in safeguarding issues. The NSPCC runs a number of helplines, including Childline, FGM helpline and the Child Trafficking Advice Centre (CTAC) line. We have engaged NSPCC by means of a formal Grant Agreement, not a Contract, which will be managed using standard Home Office grant terms and conditions in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money.

November 2, 2022
Mike Wood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Wood on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visa applications are presently deferred or on hold awaiting the outcome of the legal action in respect of the financial requirement that is presently before the courts.

James Brokenshire

According to Home Office management information, as at 31 March 2014, 3,134 family visa applications were on hold following the July 2013 High Court judgment in MM & Others.Following the Court of Appeal ruling in favour of the Home Secretary which confirmed the lawfulness of the income threshold policy, as a rational and reasonable means of achieving the legitimate aims of reducing taxpayer burdens and promoting integration, from 28 July, the individuals whose applications were on hold, pending this judgment, will now receive a decision. Decisions will take account of all the information presented. Any application which met all the requirements apart from the minimum income threshold now stands to be refused. The applications which have been subject to the hold will be decided as soon as possible. It is likely to take several weeks to complete this work. Overseas our regions are rebalancing resources to ensure decisions are made as quickly as they reasonably can be, allowing full consideration of the facts of the cases. This is with the aim of resolving all applications within three months in line with service standards for settlement applications.

November 2, 2022
Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has spent on the VSO ICS programme in each year since 2010.

Lynne Featherstone

DFID spending on the International Citizen Service (ICS) programme since 2010 is as follows:

2010/11: £1,860,025

2011/12: £4,849.043

2012/13: £21,999,068

2013/14: £19,863,471

2014/15: £4,262,167 (to date)

All of the spending in 2010/11, 2011/12 and £2,135,397 in 2012/13 was on the ICS pilot scheme with the remainder being the current contracted programme.

All of this information is published on the development tracker website http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/

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November 2, 2022
Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he received on the decision to give permission to the Russian company Rosoboronexport to exhibit its military technology at the Farnborough International Air show in July 2014.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

It is a commercial matter for Farnborough International Ltd (FIL) to whom they sell exhibition space, however the Prime Minister has not received any representations following their decision to allow Rosoboronexport to exhibit. In light of the continuing suspension of military cooperation with Russia, no representatives from the Russian government were issued with Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) invitations to the event. Russia was also removed from the list of countries eligible to use post-exhibition Open General Export Licenses (OGELs). The organisers also took the decision to ensure that no Russian military hardware was displayed and that there was no Russian military participation in the flying display.

November 2, 2022
Nigel Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the net economic effect of High Speed 2 for the North-West.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Investment in HS2 will deliver widespread connectivity improvements, grow markets and increase opportunities to trade.

The Economic Case for HS2 published in October 2013 estimates that 17% of the transport user benefits of the HS2 Y-Network are generated from trips originating in the North West. This equates to benefits of approximately £342m (PV, 2011 prices) in 2036. Further analysis by KPMG suggests the wider economic effects could be far greater.

November 2, 2022

Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the expenditure was of the Technology Strategy Board in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) Wales in each of the last three years.

Greg Clark

Technology Strategy Board expenditure, including its support for Catapult centres, in each of the last three years in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales was as follows:

*Fiscal Year*	*England*	*Scotland*	NI	*Wales*
FY 11/12	£210.38m	£8.64m	£2.32m	£3.49m
FY12/13	£321.89m	£17.49m	£3.16m	£4.18m
FY13/14	£378.46m	£44.35m	£7.05m	£6.45m
*Total*	*£910.73m*	*£70.48m*	*£12.53m*	*£14.12m*

November 2, 2022