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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of using mobile telephone apps to use GPS to locate trained resuscitators and atrial fibrilation equipment to bring a rapid response to those who have suffered a heart attack.

    Jane Ellison

    The development of mobile device based Apps are being considered by NHS England across health and care settings and are still in development and launched the Health Apps Library in March 2013.

    NHS England is taking a leading role on apps in a number of areas:

    – Health Apps Library: In recognition of needing to support patients and the public in knowing which apps they can trust and that are safe. Only apps that have successfully completed a clinical safety review process are listed.

    – Overall United Kingdom Apps Review Framework: In recognising the need to help apps developers understand what review and regulation they need to go through, NHS England, the Health and Social Care Information Centre and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency are jointly working together to create an overall review framework for health apps.

    – Integrated apps: The future direction of apps is to move from lots of individual apps for specific purposes that are not linked to “integrated apps” that brings different pieces of information together.

    Sudden and unexpected cardiac arrest remains a major public health concern in all countries and can affect all ages.

    Defibrillators that can save many lives within minutes of the event are widely available, but rapid location of these and also trained community responders is an urgent and unmet need. Apps have been developed and several are in use but they will not achieve their full potential until integrated into a national scheme which NHS England is considering.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the findings of Mental Health Foundation research into the impact of mindfulness-based interventions on the reduction in patient visits to the GP.

    Norman Lamb

    No such assessment of the saving to the National Health Service from the use of mindfulness interventions to reduce the number of general practitioner visits has been made.

    The Department is aware of the Mental Health Foundation’s research into the impact of mindfulness. The benefits of mindfulness are widely recognised. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance for the NHS has recommended Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for recurrent depression since 2004. MBCT is available through a number of Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services in England.

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) dogs, (b) cats and (c) horses were released from laboratories, returned and re-homed under the European Directive 2010/63/EU in the UK in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement on its success.

    Norman Baker

    The Home Office does not hold records of animals released from laboratories, returned and re-homed, under the European Directive 2010/63/EU, on its files.
    Records are kept locally at the licensed establishment to be made available to Home Office Inspectors on request.

  • David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that convictions are brought for possession of large quantities of illegal drugs.

    Norman Baker

    Action to restrict drug supply, including the investigation of drug offences and enabling the prosecution of those responsible, is a priority for law enforcement and other regulatory agencies. It is important that the courts are able to consider all the circumstances of any offence and offender which is why law enforcement agencies work closely with their prosecutors to provide the courts with the best evidence of an offence, presented in the most effective way.

    In addition to prosecution, law enforcement agencies and the Criminal Justice System in the UK have at their discretion a number of disposals available to deal with drug-related offenders, including referral for drug treatment. This ensures that a robust and proportionate enforcement approach can be taken, which gives due regard to the public interest.

  • Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much of the £70 million which her Department offered to Yemen in 2013 for emergency food assistance, shelter, clean water and help for people recovering from conflict was provided to that country.

    Mr Alan Duncan

    DFID is one of the largest humanitarian donors to Yemen. We are committed to tackling the humanitarian crisis in the country including through the £70m of human assistance we offered in 2013. Last financial year we offered £32m of assistance, we have already allocated £33m for this year and the balance of the commitment will be allocated as soon as possible.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, in which local authority wards in which constituency postal ballot turnout was greater than 90 per cent at the 2010 general election.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission does not hold the data requested at ward level. The Commission collects electoral data at each set of polls down to the level of individual contests, which means that it only holds ward level data for local elections.

  • Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many parliamentary questions tabled to his Department in the last parliamentary Session did not receive a substantive answer by the time of the 2014 prorogation; and when each such question was first tabled.

    Stephen Crabb

    None.

  • Graham Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Graham Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the extension of the shared accommodation rate to people under the age of 35 years.

    Steve Webb

    The final research outputs from DWP’s independent evaluation of the changes to the Local Housing Allowance are due to be published this summer. The research will cover the impact of extending the age threshold for the Shared Accommodation Rate.

  • David Rutley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    David Rutley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Rutley on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in South Sudan.

    Lynne Featherstone

    DFID is deeply concerned about the man-made tragedy in South Sudan. The UN estimates 1.1 million people are displaced within the country and almost 370,000 are refugees. Food security is deteriorating with the risk of famine. Four million people are in need of assistance.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress is being made in ensuring that all eligible employees have been offered automatic enrolment into a workplace pension scheme with minimum employer contributions.

    Mike Penning

    So far automatic enrolment has been a stunning success. The latest information published by the Pensions Regulator on 12 June 2014 showed that more than 15,000 employers have completed the automatic enrolment process and 3.6 million eligible workers have been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension.

    Around 99 per cent of employers who have completed registration have done so without the need for the Pensions Regulator to use their statutory powers. Employers have understood that providing a workplace pension and helping their workers plan for retirement is the now the norm.

    Preliminary findings from the 2013 Employers’ Pension Provision survey show that around 90 per cent of automatically enrolled workers have remained members of a pension scheme.This early success has led the Government to revise down its opt out predictions. Instead of the anticipated 30 per cent opt out rate the Government now expects only 15 per cent of individuals will opt out once automatic enrolment is fully rolled out.