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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will review the National Adaption Plan in order to reflect the risk to public health from toxins in flood water.

    Rory Stewart

    Due to dilution and the lack of high-risk enteric infectious diseases endemic in the UK, the relative risks from contaminated floodwater are low, especially if public health advice is followed. Public Health England carries out active surveillance for outbreaks of infectious diseases, and other illnesses.

    The first National Adaptation Programme report identifies the actions needed to prepare for the impacts of climate change, including the threats of extreme weather and flooding, and addresses the risks identified in the first UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) published in January 2012. Work is under way on preparing the second CCRA which will underpin the second National Adaptation Programme report due around 2018.

  • Lord Tyler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Tyler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Tyler on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department for Education will publish records of external meetings held by special advisers to its ministers.

    Lord Nash

    The Government publishes an unprecedented amount of data; departments publish details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries’ meetings with external organisations, and Special Advisers’ meetings with senior media figures. The information requested is not held centrally and there are no plans to extend current arrangements.

  • Richard Fuller – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Richard Fuller – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of disability living allowance claimants have received an NHS Continuing Healthcare assessment to date.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Information on whether claimants of Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment have received an NHS Continuing Healthcare assessment is not centrally recorded and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many migrants from other EU countries work in the NHS in England.

    Ben Gummer

    The Health and Social Care Information Centre collects data on the number of staff working in National Health Service hospital and community health services (HCHS) in England.

    Nationality is a self-reported field within the electronic staff record system. The following table shows the number of HCHS staff from other European Union (EU) countries who declared their nationality who work in the NHS in England and in London.

    Information on the number of employees from other EU countries working in London is only available for those people working in NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups.

    England 30 September 2015

    Headcount

    All staff

    People from other EU countries working in England

    People from other EU countries working in London

    Employees in NHS Trusts and Clinical Commissioning Groups

    1,151,138

    52,812

    17,735

    Employees in Central Bodies and Support Organisations

    36,456

    1,015

    n/a

    Total

    1,187,594

    53,827

    17,735

    Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre, NHS Hospital and Community Health Service workforce statistics

    Information on how many employees working in the NHS have no recourse to public funds is not available.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of hotel bookings his Department made for its (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in each of the last five years.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department implemented the Crown Commercial Services solution for travel awarded to Redfern Ltd on 1 July 2012 with all information taken from that system. Hotel bookings prior to that date were facilitated via an alternative provider with the information requested not being readily available. Total spend on hotel bookings by financial year broken down by Ministers, special advisers and all officials is in the table below split by overseas and United Kingdom arrangements.

    Table 1

    REDFERN TRAVEL LTD

    *July 2012-2013

    2013-2014

    2014-2015

    2015-2016

    Grand Total

    Hotels Accommodation (Overseas) Total of which:

    £19,771

    £36,941

    £86,181

    £72,738

    £215,631

    Minister

    £153

    £223

    £808

    £1,184

    Official

    £19,618

    £36,718

    £85,306

    £72,738

    £214,380

    Special Adviser

    £67

    £67

    Hotels Accommodation (UK) Total of which:

    £242,946

    £369,386

    £319,169

    £272,203

    £1,203,703

    Minister

    £118

    £1,491

    £747

    £312

    £2,667

    Official

    £242,828

    £367,895

    £318,337

    £271,785

    £1,200,845

    Special Adviser

    £85

    £107

    £192

    Grand Total -UK and Overseas

    £262,717

    £406,326

    £405,350

    £344,941

    £1,419,334

    Expenditure information taken from the Department’s I-Expenses system, Table 2, contains hotel costs incurred by officials that was later reimbursed. There are no hotel transactions relating to Ministers or special advisers within the system however additional information on expenses for Ministers and special advisers may exist where claimed via the manual expense claim form (EXP1). Investigation of this source to identify costs associated with hotels would incur disproportionate costs.

    Table 2

    I-EXPENSES

    This covers Accommodation UK and overseas for all staff. *No Ministers or Special Adviser costs

    Sum of Amount

    Financial Year

    Expense Type

    Total

    2012-13

    130 Hotels Accommodation (UK)

    £15,861

    131 Hotels Accommodation (Overseas)

    £14,128

    2012-13 Total

    £29,990

    2013-14

    £18,123

    2014-15

    130 Hotels Accommodation (UK)

    £8,252

    131 Hotels Accommodation (Overseas)

    £12,107

    2014-15 Total

    £20,358

    2015-16

    130 Hotels Accommodation (UK)

    £4,933

    131 Hotels Accommodation (Overseas)

    £6,918

    2015-16 Total

    £11,851

    Grand Total

    £80,322

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-06-28.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department publishes on its process of reviewing and revising the UK’s tax treaties with other countries.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have responsibility for negotiating the UK’s double taxation agreements, subject to oversight by HM Treasury. HMRC run a periodic consultation exercise to establish the negotiating priorities, which are then approved by ministers. As part of this exercise they consider representations made by UK businesses, non-governmental organisations and government departments, as well as the UK’s diplomatic missions throughout the world. The results of the last such review were published by HMRC on the gov.uk website in November 2015.

    Decisions on the negotiation or renegotiation of a tax treaty are taken on the basis of a range of factors including the results of HMRC’s periodic review of the tax treaty network, economic factors, the need to counter avoidance and evasion, and the role of treaties in promoting development. We also receive requests from countries to negotiate with us, and we will endeavour to accommodate them as time and negotiating resources permit. Given the number of treaties the UK already has, most of the programme will involve renegotiating existing agreements.

  • Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-09-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of youth centres planned for closure in 2016-17.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    It is the responsibility of local authorities to decide how to allocate funding for youth services, according to local need. Individual local authorities would be best placed to advise on any youth centres that are planned for closure in their local area in 2016-17.

  • Alasdair McDonnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alasdair McDonnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alasdair McDonnell on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what preparations her Department is making to support the agricultural economy in the Northern Ireland in the event of the UK leaving the EU.

    George Eustice

    The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation. We believe we can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis.

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ruth Cadbury – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that (a) lorry drivers from outside the UK have the appropriate licences and skills to drive on roads safely and (b) left-hand drive lorries have appropriate extra mirrors to improve visibility of cyclists and other road users to the lorry driver.

    Andrew Jones

    Road traffic legislation applies to everyone using British roads and this includes the obligation to provide documentation if required to do so by the police.

    The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has check sites in the Port of Dover and throughout the strategic road network of Great Britain. At these sites, all classes of Large Goods Vehicles are checked to ensure vehicle roadworthiness, the correct documentation and compliance with drivers’ hours regulations.

    The mirror requirements for heavy goods vehicles are the same throughout the EU.However, Department for Transport officials have currently negotiated improved requirements for mirrors on the passenger side of vehicles. The implementation process is now underway in the EU and means that drivers of newly registered HGVs from 1 July 2016 will have a better view of the area adjacent to the cab on the passenger side, which should improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians. Furtherchanges will also allow camera monitoring systems and enable the redesign of lorry cabs for better vision.

  • Iain Wright – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Iain Wright – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve recruitment and retention of embryologists in the NHS in (a) England and (b) the North East.

    Ben Gummer

    Individual healthcare providers are responsible for ensuring that they have the right level of staffing to provide high quality care to their patients, including embryology services.

    Health Education England (HEE) was established in 2012 to ensure the National Health Service has access to the right numbers of staff, at the right time and with the right skills. In doing so, HEE works with key external stakeholders to develop its National Workforce Plan for England which sets out the number of training places it will commission in the year ahead to meet future local need.

    HEE will continue to work with its 13 Local Education and Training Boards and others to ensure that there are sufficient healthcare scientists, including embryologists, being trained to meet the future needs of patients.

    Currently HEE has 28 reproductive scientists in training (which includes embryology) and are planning a further 11 to start in 2016/17. It takes three years to train a reproductive scientist.

    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority have advised that it is not aware of any issues concerning the availability of embryologists in the United Kingdom.