The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-07-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether all nationally-mandated algorithms used in healthcare diagnosis are publicly available.
Nicola Blackwood
All algorithms set out in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines are publicly available on the NICE website at:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what specific steps he is taking to protect the site of HMS Warrior from illegal salvage activity.
Harriett Baldwin
The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) has carried out the following investigations (taking “disturbances” to mean thefts or alleged thefts and not limited to shipwrecks) under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986:
|
YEAR |
|
|
2010 |
1 |
|
2011 |
6 |
|
2012 |
1 |
|
2013 |
0 |
|
2014 |
0 |
|
2015 |
1 |
The MDP has not received any information related to the illegal salvage of material from HMS Warrior.
By invoking the principle of Sovereign Immunity, and by designating specific vessels under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 and the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, we endeavour to protect these important sites where we are able. Where we have definitive evidence of desecration of these sites, we will take appropriate action. However, it should be appreciated that, given the large number of Royal Navy wrecks around the world and the vast area they cover, there are limitations on what can be achieved with regard to protection.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2015-11-09.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many faces have been uploaded onto the police facial recognition database since the ruling against the Metropolitan Police Service in 2012; which police forces made those uploads; and how many faces each force has uploaded.
Lord Bates
There is no facial recognition database as such. The Police National Database (PND) includes photographs of persons taken on their arrest. These images can be uploaded onto the PND by police forces.
Full face images of a suitable size and quality are then enrolled in the facial image recognition gallery within PND, which can be searched using automated facial recognition software. Information on the number of facial images loaded by forces since June 2012 is not readily available
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2015-12-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 1.123 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what estimate he has made of the effect of uprating the individual threshold in the minimum income floor for self-employed people on the household income of a tax credit claimant family with two children and one self-employed earner under the age of 25 earning the national minimum wage.
Priti Patel
The government is committed to moving the UK from a high tax, high welfare, low wage society to a lower tax, lower welfare, higher wage society. This remains the case, and Universal Credit (UC) is delivering this.
UC is fundamentally different from the current legacy benefit system and supports people into work and encourages them to earn more.
Therefore there is no meaningful way of comparing an unreformed Tax Credit system with UC. The Government has committed to transitional arrangements as we reform the benefits and Tax Credit system. Those transferred by DWP from tax credits to UC will receive Transitional Protection. In addition, estimates of entitlements under UC of the sort requested will vary depending on assumptions on the level of earnings.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) financial and (b) other support her Department is providing to businesses which have been affected by floods to help them make resilient repairs to their properties.
Rory Stewart
As part of the Government’s £200m recovery support package those business affected by the flooding can access Business Support Grants and business rate relief. In addition businesses are eligible for the Property Level Resilience Scheme which is being administered by Local Authorities. This provides up to £5000 per flooded property to make resilient repairs.
The Environment Agency’s Climate Ready Support Service (CRSS) provides advice, guidance and tailored sector support to help organisations adapt to the changing climate. This includes a Business Resilience Healthcheck (BRHC). This was developed with Business in the Community and Climate UK (CUK) to help businesses identify their vulnerability to a number of risks, including severe weather events and climate change.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what responsibilities for (a) upkeep, (b) condition and (c) repair at Luton railway station are discharged by (i) Network Rail, (ii) Govia Thameslink Railway and (iii) any other organisation.
Claire Perry
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), as the station operator, are responsible for the upkeep, repair and condition of the cosmetic appearance of the station, including the car park and footbridge under a lease agreement from Network Rail.
Network Rail, as station owner, are responsible for the structural upkeep and repair.
GTR advise the lift and stairs to the footbridge, at the front of the station, are the responsibility of Luton Borough Council and that the bus station and busway do not form part of the station footprint.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Baron on 2016-02-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made on establishing cancer clinical alliances; and what the function of those alliances will be.
Jane Ellison
Forming cancer alliances to drive and support improvement and care pathways was a key recommendation of the independent Cancer Taskforce report, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes, published in July 2015. NHS England appointed Cally Palmer CBE as National Cancer Director to lead on implementation of the strategy and she has since established a new cross-system Cancer Transformation Board, which met for the first time on 25 January. There will also be a Cancer Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Harpal Kumar, to oversee and scrutinise the work of the Transformation Board. NHS England is currently working with national, regional and local partners to develop the model for cancer alliances, building on the successes of existing clinical networks.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-04-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions have taken place with the government of Bangladesh about reforms of religious laws on marriage, divorce and separation and their impact on women’s economic situation.
Baroness Verma
At the heart of the UK’s strategy in Bangladesh is the recognition that empowering girls and women is the key to reducing poverty and driving sustainable economic growth. Combined with an improved enabling environment which makes girls and women feel secure at home or at work, this allows women to reach their full potential, resulting in job creation and higher incomes for women, as well as improved access to more efficiently produced goods and services.
UK aid funds the Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) which we work in partnership with to promote the rights of women and children in the religious legal system in Bangladesh. For example, since 2009, MJF have advocated for the enactment of the Hindu Marriage Act, which was passed in 2012, and further strengthening of the law which would give the wife rights over her husband’s property and thus impact her economic situation. MJF and its partners are also working at a local level to mobilise communities to make use of the law.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2016-05-25.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to increase the scope of the Financial Conduct Authority’s terms of reference to include the application of the Treating Customers Fairly policy to banks.
Harriett Baldwin
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is operationally independent of Government and its remit is set out in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
Under the FCA’s policy, banks which are regulated by the FCA are already required to treat customers fairly. Principle 6 of the FCA’s Principles for Businesses states: A firm must pay due regard to the interests of its customers and treat them fairly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-07-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of legislation on hate crime; and whether she has plans to review the suitability of such legislation for tackling such crimes.
Sarah Newton
The Government condemns all hate crimes and is committed to tackling these crimes in partnership with the communities affected.
We have in place some of the strongest legislation to tackle hate crime in the world – this includes specific offences for racially and religiously aggravated activity and offences of the stirring up of hatred on the grounds of race, religion and sexual orientation.
We also have stronger sentences for hate crime. We continue to carefully consider the recommendations from the Law Commission review into hate crime legislation. The Government has committed to taking action to improve our response to hate crime.
This includes joint training between the police and Crown Prosecution staff to improve the way the police identify and investigate hate crime; building on the improvements to police recording of hate crime by working with the police to break down religious-based hate crime by religion; and working with victims and advocacy groups to improve victims confidence to come forward and report such crimes.
The police are also improving their operational practices and recording. Last year, the College of Policing published Operational Guidance for officers responding to hate crime which comprehensively covers how to address all forms of hate crime.
Hate crime statistics show number of crimes recorded by the police by force area. The decision as to how hate crime is resourced in individual forces is an operational matter for the Police and Crime Commissioner for that area. The latest police funding settlement represents a fair deal for the police and reinforces this Government’s commitment to protect the public. No Police and Crime Commissioner who maximised precept income is facing a reduction in cash funding this year.
Police and Crime Commissioners are also responsible for commissioning local support services for victims of crime. The Ministry of Justice provides the Commissioner with a grant to enable services which best meet the needs of local victims of crime to be funded.
The Home Office published a new hate crime action plan on 26 July 2016, which sets out Government action over the next four years to tackle hate crime. It includes:
● new steps to boost reporting of hate crime and support victims;
● new CPS guidance to prosecutors on racially aggravated crime;
● a new £2.4 million fund for protective security measures at potentially vulnerable places of worship;
● and additional funding to community organisations tackling hate crime.
Nobody in this country should live in fear because of who they are and anyone who experiences hate crime should report it to the police, either in person at a police station, online through the True Vision website, or by phoning 101.