The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-04-29.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to reply to questions 192679, 192680 and 192681 on children: daycare, tabled on 18 March 2014 for answer on 24 March 2014.
Nicky Morgan
I have done so.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any alternatives to a full ban on the importation of Indian mangoes were (a) considered by his Department’s officials and (b) put forward to European Commissioners.
Dan Rogerson
The ban was imposed following persistent interceptions of plant pestson imports of Indian produce into the European Union (EU) and critical reports from the European Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office audits in 2010 and 2013. Despite assurances from India in response to these reports the level of interceptions remained high. The EU’s decision to introduce a ban was therefore fully justified and supported by all Member States including the UK, in line with our policy of strengthening plant health controls. Therefore, no alternatives to a ban were considered by Defra.
Protecting plant health is a key Defra objective. Plant pests and diseases such as those intercepted from India in recent years can cause serious damage to the UK glasshouse industry which is worth over £300 million per annum. However, I am aware of the importance of the mango trade and Defra officials are liaising with the Indian High Commission on what support the UK can offer to India to help it ensure compliance with EU import requirements.
The following table shows the number of consignments of mangoes imported into the UK in the last five years which were infested with Tephriditae (and therefore rejected) by country of origin. The European Commission is considering similar measures to those taken against India for other countries with high levels of interceptions of plant pests. Such consideration takes account of findings from all Member States, and covers all plant commodities and all pests identified.
|
Year |
Country of origin |
No. of consignments imported into the UK |
No. of consignments infected with Tephritidae |
|
2010 |
Dominican Republic |
351 |
1 |
|
|
India |
1977 |
1 |
|
|
Jamaica |
228 |
3 |
|
|
Pakistan |
3302 |
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2011 |
Dominican Republic |
417 |
2 |
|
|
India |
1836 |
11 |
|
|
Jamaica |
262 |
3 |
|
|
Pakistan |
3690 |
19 |
|
|
Puerto Rico |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Sri Lanka |
144 |
1 |
|
|
Uganda |
138 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012 |
Bangladesh |
146 |
1 |
|
|
Brazil |
445 |
1 |
|
|
Costa Rica |
70 |
2 |
|
|
Dominican Republic |
606 |
18 |
|
|
Ghana |
628 |
15 |
|
|
India |
3448 |
23 |
|
|
Jamaica |
332 |
24 |
|
|
Kenya |
2044 |
4 |
|
|
Pakistan |
5128 |
81 |
|
|
Philippines |
12 |
2 |
|
|
Sri Lanka |
189 |
10 |
|
|
St Lucia |
50 |
1 |
|
|
Thailand |
1050 |
3 |
|
|
Uganda |
104 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2013 |
Brazil |
316 |
3 |
|
|
Dominican Republic |
756 |
16 |
|
|
Ghana |
357 |
4 |
|
|
Guinea |
7 |
1 |
|
|
India |
3563 |
13 |
|
|
Jamaica |
516 |
17 |
|
|
Kenya |
1654 |
17 |
|
|
Pakistan |
5910 |
47 |
|
|
Puerto Rico |
104 |
1 |
|
|
Sri Lanka |
111 |
3 |
|
|
U A E |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Vietnam |
77 |
1 |
|
|
|
||
|
2014 (to 18/06/14) |
|
||
|
|
Brazil |
106 |
1 |
|
|
Dominican Republic |
420 |
3 |
|
|
Ghana |
271 |
1 |
|
|
India |
401 |
1 |
|
|
Jamaica |
464 |
9 |
|
|
Kenya |
698 |
7 |
|
|
Mexico |
61 |
1 |
|
|
Senegal |
4 |
1 |
|
|
Sri Lanka |
69 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Source: Fera and Europhyt
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2014-04-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to extend civil partnerships to opposite sex couples.
Mrs Helen Grant
The Government is currently considering the views expressed by consultation respondents on the future of civil partnership in England and Wales. The Government has not itself proposed any changes to civil partnership.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made any representations to the Iranian government on (a) the need to respect trade union rights and International Labour Organisation conventions and (b) the detention and abuse of Shahrokh Zamani.
Hugh Robertson
Independent unions and labour organisations have been heavily repressed in Iran, and many members have been jailed or harassed. The UK has repeatedly called on Iran to fulfil its international and domestic obligations to allow freedom of expression to all Iranians.
We are aware of the detention of Shahrokh Zamani, a member of the Founding Board of the Syndicate of Paint Workers of Tehran, who was sentenced to prison for “acting against national security by establishing and or being a member of groups opposed to the system”. The UK has called for Iran to release all political prisoners.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-04-29.
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the oral Answer of 6 February 2014, Official Report, column 348W, on Colombia, what discussions he held with (a) business, (b) government and (c) civil society representatives regarding the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Action Plan on Business and Human Rights during his visit to Colombia in February 2014.
Mr Nick Clegg
I refer the Rt. Hon Member to the answer I gave on 11 February, Column 691. In addition to this, all members of the business delegation who accompanied me were briefed on Human Rights issues before the visit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with devolved regional assemblies to agree a strategy to prevent bacillus cereus infections.
Jane Ellison
Bacillus cereus is a spore forming bacterium found widely in the environment in dust, soil and vegetation. There is limited prevention as it is a naturally occurring bacterium. However, the Food Standards Agency has published advice on their website which details information on potential food poisoning caused by Bacillus cereus.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) undertake inspections of manufacturing facilities with reference to the standards of Good Manufacturing Practice to verify that companies are producing medicines that are of the correct quality and safety. The manufacture of sterile products, such as Total Parental Nutrition, is subject to special requirements in order to minimise risks of bacterial contamination.
In the case of medicines, the MHRA and Public Health England (PHE) are currently investigating what has caused the recent incident where Total Parenteral Nutrition became contaminated with Bacillus cereus . Based on the information we currently have, we believe this is an isolated incident and the appropriate immediate action has been taken to avoid a recurrence.
The devolved administrations have been informed of the current incident involving Bacillus cereus. The investigations into the cause of this incident are still ongoing. The Department will continue to discuss matters with the devolved administrations for minimising Bacillus cereus infection.
The investigations being undertaken by MHRA and PHE are in their advanced stages and preliminary findings will be published as soon as possible. While the MHRA and PHE are undertaking their own investigations, it would be normal practice for the Coroner to report on the individual case he is currently considering.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Gibb on 2014-04-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the waiting time is for new routine referrals to Ophthalmology in each NHS hospital trust area.
Dr Daniel Poulter
Information on the median average waiting time for patients waiting to start consultant-led ophthalmology treatment for all National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts in England is shown in the following table.
Latest data for February 2014 shows that the median average waiting time for patients waiting to start consultant-led ophthalmology treatment in the Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is 8.6 weeks.
Monthly Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times for incomplete pathways in ophthalmology, February 2014
|
Provider Name |
Average (Median) Waiting Time (In Weeks) |
|
Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
4.7 |
|
Airedale NHS Foundation Trust |
4.1 |
|
Ashford And St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
4.9 |
|
Barts Health NHS Trust |
6.2 |
|
Bedford Hospital NHS Trust |
6.0 |
|
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
7.3 |
|
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust |
5.5 |
|
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
4.9 |
|
Brighton And Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust |
5.7 |
|
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust |
10.2 |
|
Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.7 |
|
Calderdale And Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust |
4.9 |
|
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.2 |
|
Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.3 |
|
Chelsea And Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
5.1 |
|
Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
6.5 |
|
City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust |
5.1 |
|
Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust |
4.7 |
|
Countess Of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
6.4 |
|
County Durham And Darlington NHS Foundation Trust |
6.8 |
|
Coventry And Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust |
4.4 |
|
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust |
4.9 |
|
Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust |
5.3 |
|
Doncaster And Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.0 |
|
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
6.9 |
|
Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust |
8.8 |
|
East And North Hertfordshire NHS Trust |
4.5 |
|
East Cheshire NHS Trust |
6.1 |
|
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust |
4.9 |
|
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust |
4.2 |
|
East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust |
6.0 |
|
Epsom And St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust |
4.9 |
|
Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
6.5 |
|
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust |
2.7 |
|
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
4.3 |
|
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
7.5 |
|
Guy’s And St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust |
4.2 |
|
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.7 |
|
Harrogate And District NHS Foundation Trust |
5.5 |
|
Heart Of England NHS Foundation Trust |
5.3 |
|
Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust |
3.6 |
|
Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
3.0 |
|
Hull And East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust |
5.5 |
|
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust |
5.1 |
|
Isle Of Wight NHS Trust |
5.5 |
|
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
4.8 |
|
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
5.7 |
|
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
6.1 |
|
Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
4.6 |
|
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.0 |
|
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust |
4.8 |
|
Lewisham And Greenwich NHS Trust |
5.1 |
|
Luton And Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
5.1 |
|
Maidstone And Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust |
6.3 |
|
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.6 |
|
Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust |
5.7 |
|
Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust |
4.7 |
|
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust |
5.4 |
|
Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
4.0 |
|
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
5.7 |
|
Norfolk And Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
6.4 |
|
North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust |
7.2 |
|
North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust |
6.0 |
|
North West London Hospitals NHS Trust |
3.8 |
|
Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust |
4.2 |
|
Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust |
5.5 |
|
Northern Lincolnshire And Goole NHS Foundation Trust |
5.4 |
|
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust |
5.3 |
|
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust |
8.5 |
|
Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust |
5.4 |
|
Peterborough And Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.4 |
|
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust |
5.8 |
|
Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
5.7 |
|
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust |
5.6 |
|
Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
8.8 |
|
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust |
6.7 |
|
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust |
5.5 |
|
Royal Devon And Exeter NHS Foundation Trust |
4.8 |
|
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust |
6.8 |
|
Royal Liverpool And Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust |
4.6 |
|
Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
5.9 |
|
Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust |
5.2 |
|
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust |
4.0 |
|
Sandwell And West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust |
4.5 |
|
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.6 |
|
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.6 |
|
Shrewsbury And Telford Hospital NHS Trust |
10.4 |
|
South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust |
4.2 |
|
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
6.3 |
|
South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust |
6.8 |
|
South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust |
5.8 |
|
Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
5.4 |
|
Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust |
4.4 |
|
Southport And Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust |
3.5 |
|
St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust |
7.0 |
|
St Helens And Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust |
4.7 |
|
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust |
6.7 |
|
Surrey And Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust |
6.2 |
|
Taunton And Somerset NHS Foundation Trust |
8.3 |
|
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust |
5.8 |
|
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
4.1 |
|
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
4.7 |
|
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust |
5.4 |
|
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust |
3.2 |
|
The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust |
2.1 |
|
The Royal Bournemouth And Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.2 |
|
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust |
4.5 |
|
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust |
6.2 |
|
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.9 |
|
University Hospital Of North Staffordshire NHS Trust |
4.8 |
|
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust |
5.6 |
|
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust |
5.3 |
|
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust |
5.3 |
|
University Hospitals Coventry And Warwickshire NHS Trust |
5.2 |
|
University Hospitals Of Leicester NHS Trust |
5.8 |
|
University Hospitals Of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust |
5.2 |
|
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust |
5.5 |
|
Warrington And Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
3.4 |
|
West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust |
10.8 |
|
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust |
3.1 |
|
Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
8.6 |
|
Weston Area Health NHS Trust |
5.6 |
|
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
6.0 |
|
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust |
4.7 |
|
Worcestershire Health And Care NHS Trust |
4.2 |
|
Wrightington, Wigan And Leigh NHS Foundation Trust |
4.0 |
|
Wye Valley NHS Trust |
5.6 |
|
Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
3.0 |
|
York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
5.4 |
Notes:
1. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits.
2. Median waiting times are not calculated for organisations (and treatment functions) with less than 50 pathways in the month.
3. The following trusts did not submit any RTT incomplete pathway data for February 2014:
– Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust;
– Barking, Havering & Redbridge NHS Trust;
– Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
– Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust;
– The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust; and
– Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with the Nursing and Midwifery Council on its proposals to increase professional fees for nurses by £20 per annum later in 2014.
Dr Daniel Poulter
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is an independent body and it is therefore for the NMC Council to determine the level of the annual fee it charges for registration. On 26 March 2014, the NMC Council reviewed the level of this fee and agreed a proposal to increase it from £100 per annum to £120 in March 2015. The NMC is running a public consultation between 8 May and 31 July 2014, where its proposal is open to scrutiny. No decision on the proposed fee increase has been made at present.
Ministers keep the issue of professional regulation under regular review and the Department has frequent contact with professional regulators, including the NMC. On 12 March 2014, I met with representatives of the NMC for a regular update meeting. This meeting was not specifically set up to discuss the NMC registration fee, but during this meeting the NMC provided information about its fee review process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick de Bois on 2014-04-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) managerial, (b) teaching and (c) clerical staff in schools in Enfield were paid more than (i) £42,000, (ii) £69,000 and (iii) £100,000 in the last year for which figures are available.
Mr David Laws
The table below provides the full- and part-time numbers of qualified leadership and classroom teachers in publicly-funded schools in Enfield local authority area who are paid salaries of more than £42,000, £69,000 and £100,000.
|
Over £42,000 |
Over £69,000 |
Over £100,000 |
|
|
Leadership |
390 |
80 |
10 |
|
Classroom |
580 |
– |
– |
|
Total |
970 |
80 |
10 |
The information provided is from the November 2012 School Workforce Census. Local authority area figures from the November 2013 School Workforce Census will be published in summer 2014.
Data is not available for managerial and clerical staff.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she authorised the UK’s classification of (a) Google, (b) Facebook, (c) webmail services and (d) other companies that operate in the UK as external communications.
James Brokenshire
External Communication is defined within the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000 and the statutory Interception of Communications Code of Practice which was approved by Parliament and came into force on 1 July 2002. The Government has no present plans to amend the definition of external communication.
Under RIPA, interception warrants are issued by the Secretary of State.