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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • John Woodcock – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    John Woodcock – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Woodcock on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the announcement of 25 April 2014, entitled Chancellor puts UK at forefront of ocean research with new polar science ship, if he will take steps to ensure that the new polar research ship is constructed in a UK shipyard.

    Mr David Willetts

    This new polar flagship presents a significant opportunity for British business to show that they can compete with the best in the world. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) will be working hard to make sure that British business are aware of the major opportunities around the project. The UK has world class skills and technology in this area and the Government hopes that UK marine and maritime companies will take the wider range of opportunities – from the design and building of the ship, through to its operation and maintenance.

    This ship will cost more than £200 million and legally it has to be procured through open competition. This ensures a fair process so that the UK gets the best possible product with the best value to the taxpayer. The Natural Environment Research Council’s British Antarctic Survey will be operating the ship. They will be consulting the scientific community on the detailed specification for the ship shortly. An invitation to tender is expected to be issued in summer 2015.

  • Baroness Greengross – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Greengross – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Greengross on 2014-05-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the potential savings to the National Health Service and social services of providing care for lymphoedema and lipoedema patients from the time of diagnosis.

    Earl Howe

    Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data does not separately identify those cases of lymphoedema that are associated with cancer from those that are not, and is unable to identify cases of lipoedema as there is no coding available for this condition, based on the tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).

    Further to this, HES data is not linked to costing information and therefore this information cannot be provided.

    In the following table we have provided the number of finished admission episodes (FAEs) for patients with a primary diagnosis of lymphoedema from 2010-11 to 2012-13.

    Year

    FAE

    2010-11

    1,887

    2011-12

    2,026

    2012-13

    2,099

    Note:

    An FAE is the first period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission

  • 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 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many full time members of staff in her Department have responsibility for malaria programmes.

    Justine Greening

    There are 12 full-time staff in the Health Services Team and Global Funds Department whose roles include work on malaria. In addition there are a wide range of staff across the Department, including research, press, policy, financial and corporate advisers and staff in the Regional Departments and country offices, whose roles include work on malaria.

  • Lord Berkeley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Berkeley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2014-05-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the cash value of the contract with the Cross London Trains consortium to provide rolling stock for Thameslink; and what will be the annual charge at 2014 prices when the full fleet is in service.

    Baroness Kramer

    The Thameslink Rolling Stock Project contracts comprise the supply, finance and subsequent maintenance (including the provision of depots) of the fleet of 1140 carriages. The Thameslink Rolling Stock Project contracts have an aggregate net present value of approximately £2.8 billion in 2014 prices and a nominal value of approximately £5.7 billion, in each case to the end of the 20 year commitment period relating to the use of the trains by the Secretary of State for Transport.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to catch and control magpies and hooded crows.

    George Eustice

    Defra is not taking action to catch or control magpies or hooded crows.

    Like all wild birds in Great Britain, magpies and hooded crows are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

    Within England, general licences are issued by Natural England permitting users to kill or take magpies for a range of purposes, such as the protection of public health and safety. These may be relied upon by landowners and other authorised persons as long as they are satisfied they have met the conditions of the licence.

    In the UK, the hooded crow is found primarily in Scotland and Northern Ireland and is not normally resident in England. As nature conservation is a devolved matter, the Department of the Environment Northern Ireland and the Scottish Government should be approached regarding their wildlife legislation and policy for the control of magpies and hooded crows.

  • Robert Buckland – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Robert Buckland – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Buckland on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to implement improvements in health and social are services arising from complaints and feedback made by service users.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The Department is working with partners across the health and care system to make improvements to complaints handling. This includes Healthwatch England working to improve the information and advice that people receive when they need support to raise a concern or make a complaint. It also includes working with the Care Quality Commission as they develop their inspection methodology across health and social care so it places greater emphasis on listening to, and learning from, complaints as well as other sources of patient feedback. A single legislative framework exists for complaints handling to ensure consistency across the health and social care system.

  • Iain McKenzie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Iain McKenzie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain McKenzie on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what extra consular assistance his Department will provide for British citizens in Brazil attending the World Cup.

    Mark Simmonds

    During the World Cup, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office will have a comprehensive consular plan in place to assist any British nationals that require our assistance. This includes a Consular Operations Centre in Rio de Janeiro on the day preceding, the day of and the day following all England games, a dedicated consular telephone number (which has been advertised on our travel advice and in the Football Supporters Federation’s tournament and match day programmes), a team of consular officers at every England game and consular officers from around the region and Portugal on standby to assist the Brazil network with any consular surges. We will also have a rapid deployment team from the Americas region on standby should they be required.

    In the build up to the World Cup we have run a comprehensive travel advice campaign called ‘Be on the Ball’ that has featured Twitter Q&A sessions, attendance at fans forums in London, media interviews in printed and video forms. We have also run a number of exercises across the Brazil network so that consular officials are prepared should we need to assist British nationals in the case of major incidents.

    I visited Sao Paulo on 4 June to view preparations which the Foreign & Commonwealth Office is making to give consular assistance during the World Cup. I also met the Deputy Mayor of Sao Paulo to discuss the local preparations for the tournament.

    The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has also been working with the Football Association, UK Football Policing Unit, Brazilian local authorities and other stakeholders on contingency and crisis planning.

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list the mutuals which provide public services.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Information on known operational public service mutuals in England is publically available on the Mutuals Information Service at:

    http://www.mutuals.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/interactive-map-public-service-mutuals

    “

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 7 May 2014, Official Report, column 228W, on social security benefits: disability, if he will take steps to reduce the national average waiting times for work capability assessments for (a) employment and support allowance and (b) incapacity benefit reassessment.

    Mike Penning

    We are working closely with our supplier to deliver the best possible service for claimants, driving up performance and quality to help reduce waiting times and process claims as quickly as possible. We are continuing to monitor and robustly manage this contract.

    We do not have a target timescale for waiting time for an Employment and Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit Reassessment Work Capability Assessment.

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of mandatory reconsideration periods have exceeded 14 days; and if he will make a statement.

    Mike Penning

    The Department is collecting information to understand how the introduction of mandatory reconsideration is operating, including completion timescales. However, this data is not sufficiently robust and reliable to make available.

    In the production of new statistics, which all the above would be, the Department works to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we are able to publish statistics that meet the high quality standards expected. Departmental statisticians need to assure themselves of the quality of administrative data sources before releasing information as Official statistics, and before the exact timing and format of statistics can be confirmed. .