Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Mrs Caroline Spelman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mrs Caroline Spelman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Caroline Spelman on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of hospitals in England that have at least one embedded specialist nurse dealing specifically with organ donation.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has a network of specialist nurses for organ donation throughout the United Kingdom who are an integral part of the donation process and provide support to potential donor families.

    All hospitals in England with donation potential have input and support from specialist nurses for organ donation. There are currently 98 hospitals in England that have specialist nurses for organ donation embedded within them. In addition NHSBT is recruiting specialist nurses to a further seven hospitals, making a total of 105. The level of support and resource allocated varies according to the donation potential for the individual hospital and the number of hospitals in each acute trust. The larger trusts will have a larger team allocated to them. The specialist nurses work to provide support to all hospitals within the trust, adopting a hub and spoke approach.

    These specialist nurses provide an on call service 24 hours, seven days a week, to ensure each donor referral is responded to in a timely manner and facilitated.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what duties are placed on regional school commissioners to consult with local authorities on school place planning.

    Edward Timpson

    Local authorities are responsible for ensuring there are sufficient school places in their local area.

    The RSCs are responsible for approving the sponsors of new free schools and intervening in underperforming academies and free schools in their area. The RSCs consider basic need when making decisions on proposed changes to academies, and must consider any representations from local authorities.

  • Ian Paisley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian Paisley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of when the tax optimisation for cigarettes will be reached.

    Damian Hinds

    The government believes that cigarette duty achieves a balance between its two fiscal goals on tobacco; to raise revenue and to protect public health.

    In considering fiscal impacts of duties, the illicit trade is an important consideration. The government is committed to tackling illicit tobacco, which undermines health and tax policy objectives and harms legitimate business. HMRC and Border Force have an established and effective strategy for tackling tobacco fraud which has seen the illicit market reduce significantly since the strategy was first launched in 2000. This has meant that, since the introduction of the tobacco duty escalator, the size of the illicit market has continued to fall.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons the Government decided to reduce the allocation of top-up funding for provision for children with special needs.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    We have not reduced the allocation of top-up funding for children with special educational needs (SEN). We announced in December that we would provide an additional £92.5 million nationally for high needs in 2016-17. Bristol City Council’s share of this additional funding is £750,000.

    It is for local authorities to determine how best to use their high needs allocation, after consultation with local providers.

  • Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to make morbidly obese persons whose obesity is caused by over-eating and lack of exercise pay some or all of the cost of NHS treatment received for that condition.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    There are no plans to make persons whose obesity is caused by over-eating and lack of exercise pay any of the cost of National Health Service treatment received for that condition.

    The NHS Constitution states in its second principle “Access to NHS services is based on clinical need, not an individual’s ability to pay. NHS services are free of charge, except in limited circumstances sanctioned by Parliament.” A copy of the NHS Constitution is attached.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of proposed changes to the work related activity group on the effectiveness of the assessment process.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The change is not related to the work capability assessment process, which happens prior to a claimant being placed in the work related activity group. Therefore no assessment of the change on the effectiveness of the work capability assessment process has been undertaken.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to improve flood defences on the River Ribble from the Ribble Estuary to junction 31 of the M6 at Preston; what proposals have been prepared for flood defences along that section of the River Ribble; and what funding is in place to finance such proposals.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    The Environment Agency is developing a flood defence scheme for Preston and South Ribble. A full business case is being progressed with detailed modelling and outputs expected during January 2017.

    Subject to funding and business case approval, the project is expected to improve defences for around 3000 properties and the area from Preston Docks to the M6 at junction 31.

  • Baroness Afshar – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Afshar – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Afshar on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of cutting the funding at higher education level of arts subjects on (1) the choice available to students, and (2) the creative industries.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    As with other degrees, since 2012, Higher Education Institutions with an Access Agreement approved by the Office for Fair Access have been able to charge up to £9,000 a year for an arts degree. This funding comes via student loans and universities compete on quality and their offer to students. The Government also supports specialist institutions such as art and music colleges through the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s Institution-specific Funding.

    We value the creative industries which is why we support them through these and other policies. We are working with industry to take forward the recommendations in *CreateUK, the strategy for the sector developed by industry members of the Creative Industries Council.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to publish statistics on the number of (a) young carers accessing children and adolescence mental health services (CAMHS) and (b) children provided with young carers assessments following contact with CAMHS.

    Alistair Burt

    The number of young carers accessing Children and Adolescence Mental health Services (CAMHS) and the number of children provided with young carers assessments following contact with CAMHS will not be published as this data is not collected centrally.

    Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), working with local partners, have submitted Local Transformation Plans (LTPs) to transform their local offer for children and young people’s mental health. These plans must cover the whole spectrum of services from prevention to intervention for emerging or existing mental health problems and address the full spectrum of need, including the most vulnerable, such as young carers.

    NHS England have received and successfully assured LTPs that cover every clinical CCG in England. This assurance process requires local areas to evidence how they are meeting the needs of vulnerable groups which may include young carers. Young adult carers are unlikely to be covered by these LTPs as these are generally the responsibility of adult mental health services. All CCGs will have received the funding allocation agreed through the assurance process by the end of December (published in January).

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 66 of his Department’s Road Investment Strategy Investment Plan, how much of the five ring-fenced investment funds totalling £675 million has been allocated to cycling and walking infrastructure projects.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Highways England has committed to provide a safer, integrated and more accessible strategic road network for cyclists and other vulnerable road users such as pedestrians. Through the first Road Investment Strategy for Highways England, £175 million has been made available between 2015 and 2020 to improve the safety of the Strategic Road Network and improve conditions for cyclists and other road users.

    The Highways England delivery plan states that £78 million will be used to improve conditions for those cycling alongside and crossing the Strategic Road Network.

    The remaining £97 million will be used to enhance the safety of our network, with £20 million of this specifically targeted at improving facilities to provide a more accessible and integrated network, which will also benefit pedestrians.