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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Simon Burns – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Simon Burns – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Burns on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on the development of the HIV/STI national clinical audit; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) commissions and manages the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme on behalf of NHS England. The HQIP has asked for expressions of interest from suitable providers who are able to design and complete a one year feasibility study to inform any future national clinical audit of HIV and sexually transmitted infections. The contract for the work will be awarded this summer. NHS England cannot disclose the number of expressions of interest that have been received at this stage as this is commercially sensitive information.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Fiona Bruce – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 42W, on In vitro fertilisation, (a) what the evidential basis is for his statement that no genomic DNA is found in the mitochondria but only in the cell nucleus, (b) what account he took of the data on the human genome available in the ENSEMBL and OMIM databases in preparing that statement and (c) what genetic modifications applied to the eggs or embryos would prevent any nuclear DNA from the eggs or embryo donor being inherited by the resulting child.

    Jane Ellison

    We have been advised by the Wellcome Trust that whole mitochondrial DNA genome sequencing has revealed no evidence of nuclear genomic DNA inside mitochondria and data on the human genome available in the ENSEMBL and OMIM databases confirms that there is no nuclear genomic DNA in the mitochondria.

    Inheritance of nuclear DNA from the donor egg is prevented in the Maternal Spindle Transfer technique through the removal of the spindle from the donor egg. Given that the nuclear DNA in the form of condensed chromosomes is attached to the spindle, nuclear genomic DNA from the donor will be removed and not inherited by the resulting child. Techniques that allow the visualisation of condensed chromosomes in eggs are used to ensure that all the chromosomes are removed.

    For embryos used in the Pronuclear Transfer technique, the nuclear genomic DNA is enclosed within the nuclear membrane of the maternal (egg-derived) and paternal (sperm-derived) pronuclei. The donor nuclear genomic DNA will be removed when the pronuclei are removed.

    There is no universally agreed definition of genetic modification in humans. The Government has adopted a working definition for the purpose of taking forward the draft mitochondrial donation regulations, that genetic modification involves the germ-line modification of nuclear DNA that can be passed on to future generations. Therefore, the Government does not accept that mitochondrial donation amounts to genetic modification.

  • Andrew Percy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Percy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on what criteria his Department differentiates a food for special medical purposes and a food supplement.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department’s role and the definition of these products are set out in legislation. Information on this legislation is available at:

    www.gov.uk/government/publications/food-supplements-guidance-and-faqs

    www.gov.uk/government/publications/infant-formula-and-foods-for-particular-nutritional-uses-parnuts-notification-requirements

    Local authorities are responsible for enforcement of the legislation and provide advice to businesses on compliance with legislation.

  • Peter Luff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Peter Luff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Luff on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will provide an estimate of the costs of redoubling the section of the North Cotswold line between (a) Charlbury to Wolvercote Junction and (b) Evesham and Norton Junction.

    Stephen Hammond

    The provision of a cost estimate for further redoubling of the North Cotswold line would normally be sought from Network Rail only when a business case is identified for the extra benefits this enhancement would provide. No business case has yet been identified and so a cost estimate is not being sought. Network Rail is investigating the opportunities for line speed improvements on the route to reduce journey times.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on how many UK-based registered users of the paedophile file sharing network website boylover.net have been identified by international authorities in (a) the US and (b) Holland; what proportion of those was passed to UK authorities for investigation; what steps her Department is taking to trace those registered users; and if she will make a statement.

    Norman Baker

    I refer the Hon. Member to the reply given on 19 June 2014, Official Report, columns 666-667W.
    Following two linked international investigations into the boylover.net
    website, information was provided to the Child Exploitation and Online
    Protection Centre (CEOP) by US authorities and Europol that related to UK-based
    registered users. CEOP was, at that time, an affiliate of the Serious Organised
    Crime Agency. We do not maintain a record of the number of UK-registered users
    of the website identified by United States or Dutch authorities, nor of what
    proportion of those users were passed to CEOP. However, as a consequence of the
    information provided and through CEOP’s own investigations, 240 intelligence
    packages were prepared and subsequently disseminated to police forces across
    the UK. Further information regarding charges, convictions and open
    investigations is handled at a local level by the relevant police force and
    is not recorded nationally.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what amount was generated by levies under the Prisoners’ Earnings Act 1996 Levy in each of the last four years.

    Jeremy Wright

    The Prisoners’ Earnings Act (PEA) commenced on 26 September 2011. Information for October 2011 to March 2012 was published in the NOMS Annual Report 2011-12: Management Information Addendum in July 2012, which can be accessed via the following link to the Gov.uk website:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/218333/noms-annual-report-2011-12-addendum.pdf

    Figures for the full financial year 2012-13 were published in the 2012-13 edition of the Addendum at the following location: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225225/mi-addendum.pdf

    Figures for 2013-14 will be published on 31 July.

    “

  • Dominic Raab – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Dominic Raab – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dominic Raab on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 14 May 2014, Official Report, column 620W, on arrest warrants, in addition to Slovakia, Latvia, Belgium and the Czech Republic, which other EU member states retain an absolute bar on extraditing nationals in non-European Arrest Warrant extradition cases.

    James Brokenshire

    In non-European Arrest Warrant cases, the following EU Member States have an absolute bar on extraditing their own nationals:

    • Austria
    • Belgium
    • Czech Republic
    • France
    • Germany
    • Greece
    • Latvia
    • Luxembourg
    • Slovakia
    • Slovenia
    • Spain

    In addition, Finland and Sweden have an absolute bar to extraditing their own nationals to countries other than Norway & Iceland.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether HM Prison Northumberland was (a) contributing staff to and (b) receiving staff as part of the detached duty programme on Saturday 29 March 2014.

    Jeremy Wright

    The information requested could not be obtained within the timescale. I will write to the Member in due course.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) chief executives, (b) deputy chief executives and (c) assistant chief officers of probation trusts have left their posts since 1 January 2014.

    Jeremy Wright

    Former employees of the Trusts have transferred to the new organisations, namely the National Probation Service (NPS) and the 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies. A small number of Chief Executives have taken early retirement or are due to do so over the next few weeks. There have also been a number of departures at Assistant Chief Officer (ACO) level. These were part of the normal turnover of staff; details of these are not held centrally.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when HM Prison High Down has had to (a) close wings, (b) close workshops and (c) restrict family visits due to staff shortages since September 2013.

    Jeremy Wright

    The information regarding when HM Prison Highdown has had to (a) close wings due to staffing shortages is not recorded. The occasions that workshops have closed since September 2013 (b) are listed below. Family visits (c) have not been restricted due to staffing shortages during this period.

    There are appropriate levels of staffing at the prison at all times and prisoners who engage in work and education are out of the cells for between 8 and 10 hours a day. For those that do not engage, they are still out of their cell for a minimum of 4 hours a day. In the rare occurrence that a wing should need to close, prisoners still spend at least four hours out of their cells.

    (b) HMP Prison Highdown has had to close workshops on the following occasions since September 2013:

    October 2013

    14th and 22nd

    November 2013

    1st (workshop 6 only)

    20th

    December 2013

    9th (workshop 6 only)

    16th (am)

    January 2014

    6th

    16th (pm, workshops 5 & 6)

    20th (workshops 4, 5 & 6)

    21st

    29th

    31st (am)

    February 2014

    18th (workshop 5 & 6)

    March 2014

    No closures

    April 2013

    19th (am)