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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Trefgarne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Trefgarne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Trefgarne on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the rules relating to the release of patients’ private medical information to insurance companies by general practitioners.

    Earl Howe

    General practitioners (GPs) must ensure that patients have provided explicit consent before disclosing information to insurance companies. Additionally, under the provisions of the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988, patients have the right to view medical reports prepared for insurance companies and, where a patient has exercised this right, a GP cannot disclose the report to the insurance company until the patient has had the opportunity to review it or if the patient withdraws their consent.

  • Lord Dykes – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Dykes – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Dykes on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are considering with the United States authorities and other countries to counter cyber virus crime and extortion.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    The National Strategic Assessment of Serious and Organised Crime, which the National Crime Agency (NCA) published in May this year, makes clear that the threat from organised crime groups using cyber tools to commit fraud and online attacks is an increasing risk. This Government has taken significant action to transform the way the UK responds to the cyber threat, including cyber crime, underpinned by £860m additional investment between 2011/12 and 2015/16.

    The UK is working closely with US authorities and with a wide range of other countries to tackle the problem of cyber crime and the associated problem of extortion. The recent international operation between the NCA, the FBI and 9 other countries to disrupt the communications used by criminals to connect with computers that are infected with malicious software (‘malware’) known as GameOverZeus and Cryptolocker illustrates the level of international cooperation that the NCA undertakes. This included close coordination in delivering protective security advice through GetSafeOnline and Cyber Streetwise.

    We are also working overseas to help increase the capability and capacity of other countries to tackle cyber crime, through support for improved legislative arrangements, such as the implementation of the principles of the Budapest Convention on Cyber Crime and the development of capacity internationally to tackle cyber crime.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent stonings in Pakistan; and what steps they will take to ensure that the values set out in the Commonwealth Charter are being upheld in that country.

    Baroness Warsi

    The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), made a statement on 29 May urging the Government of Pakistan to do all in its power to eradicate honour killings and calling on the Pakistani authorities to investigate fully the murder of Farzana Parveen. We continue to urge the Pakistan government to bring the perpetrators to justice. I am pleased that Prime Minister Sharif condemned the murder and immediately demanded action.

    Pakistan is included as a “country of concern” in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Human Rights Report and we regularly raise the subject of human rights for all Pakistan’s citizens with the Pakistani government. We continue to encourage Pakistan and all Commonwealth countries to uphold the values as set out in the Commonwealth Charter signed in 2012.

  • Lord Patten – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Patten – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 14 May (WA 511), why they have no set date for the full ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine.

    Earl Howe

    The Government does not support eugenic practices. It is not considered helpful to interpret the term ‘eugenic practices’ other than by reference to its ordinarily understood meaning. Any attempt at a working definition would risk the unintentional exclusion of practices whose unacceptability is no less great than that of practices captured by such a definition.

    As previously stated, in the United Kingdom, the complex nature of devolved responsibilities in this range of policy areas has delayed consideration of full ratification. In the meantime, the UK continues to take an active role in Council of Europe negotiations and development of relevant protocols.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what length of cables between onshore windfarms and connecting sub-stations has been placed (a) above ground and (b) underground in each of the last five years.

    Michael Fallon

    The Department does not hold this information. Windfarms usually own the cables connecting them to substations. Gathering the information requested would, therefore, require contacting individual windfarm developers at a disproportionate cost.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what official agreements were made between her Department and the Afghan Investment Support Agency for any work relating to the (a) Bost Agri Industrial Park and (b) Bost Airfield.

    Justine Greening

    The Bost industrial business park proposal was originally approved by officials in 2009 at a time when Ministers did not approve spend under £40m. In 2012 it became clear that the project could no longer be completed within the original timeframe and in good order. To avoid wasting taxpayers’ money I decided that UK funding for the project should be cancelled. The completed park designs have been handed over to the Afghan authorities to enable them to pursue the project over a revised time frame. DFID’s work on Bost Airfield was completed in November 2013.

    DFID put a Memorandum of Understanding in place with AISA and the Helmand Provincial Government in April 2012, focusing solely on the development of the Bost Agri Business Park. AISA was not engaged on the Bost Airfield.

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of crime and witnesses were supported by the Witness Service at (a) York Crown Court and (b) York Magistrages’ Court in each year since 2004-05.

    Damian Green

    The Ministry of Justice does not routinely collect this data. Victim Support has provided the data based on available information.

    As part of its Grant in Aid to Victim Support, the Ministry of Justice requires the provision of a court based witness service.

    Victim Support has provided the following figures for 2009/10-2013/14 showing the number of people supported:

    Year

    York Crown Court

    York Magistrates’ Court

    2009/10

    717

    606

    2010/11

    701

    405

    2011/12

    612

    368

    2012/13

    557

    333

    2013/14

    547

    870

    Whilst crime rates continue to fall, Victim Support continues to support all witnesses who wish to receive support when attending court.

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much capital funding the Government allocated to (a) York College, (b) Askham Bryan College, (c) the University of York and (d) York St John University in each year since 1995-96.

    Mr David Willetts

    The capital funding allocated by this Department and its predecessor departments to York College, the University of York and the University of York St John in each year between 1992 and 2000 is not readily available. However, the capital allocations for each of the institutions named since 2000/01 is in the attached table.

  • David Mowat – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    David Mowat – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mowat on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of applicants from the Borough of Warrington passed their driving test in each year since 2007.

    Stephen Hammond

    The information requested is in the table below.

    Year

    Candidates

    Passed

    % Passed

    2007

    15,799

    7,734

    49%

    2008

    15,530

    7,727

    50%

    2009

    13,359

    6,675

    50%

    2010

    13,340

    6,584

    49%

    2011

    13,130

    6,533

    50%

    2012

    12,125

    6,332

    52%

    2013

    12,200

    6,433

    53%

    Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency systems do not hold specific data for the Borough of Warrington. The data in the table above reflects the number of practical test candidates who registered a WA postcode at the time of booking the test.

  • 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 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on Tibetan independence.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Our position on Tibet is clear and unchanged. As the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney
    (Mr Cameron) outlined in Parliament on 8 May 2013, we regard Tibet as part of the People’s Republic of China. We believe that long-term stability in Tibet will best be achieved through respect for universal human rights and genuine autonomy for Tibet within the framework of the Chinese constitution.