Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Alan Mak – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Alan Mak – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Mak on 2016-06-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that school standards in England match those of the best international competitors.

    Nick Gibb

    In 2014 we introduced a new, ambitious national curriculum to match the best education systems in the world. We are also reforming GCSEs, A Levels and primary school assessment to represent a new gold standard which enables students to compete with their peers in the world’s best school systems. From summer 2017 the standard of a GCSE “good pass” will be in line with the average performance in high-performing countries.

  • Andrea Jenkyns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrea Jenkyns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrea Jenkyns on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times the Junior Doctors’ Committee of the British Medical Association has (a) left negotiations already in progress and (b) refused written requests to return to negotiations on the proposed junior doctors’ contract since any negotiations on that proposed contract began.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The British Medical Association (BMA) Junior Doctors Committee walked away from negotiations twice. The first time was after almost a year of negotiations on 16 October 2014. The second time was on 4 January 2016 during negotiations following an agreement at ACAS.

    Ministers wrote to the BMA on a number of occasions – four of these letters, between July and November 2015, were explicit requests to enter negotiations. The BMA refused on each occasion.

  • Karl Turner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Karl Turner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of claims management companies on the number of unmeritorious claims brought forward in clinical negligence cases.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department is working closely with stakeholders to develop the proposal to introduce fixed recoverable costs. We have undertaken a pre-consultation exercise with a number of key stakeholders, including representatives of claimant lawyers, and are planning an open public consultation shortly. We welcome views on the proposal from all sectors.

    The consultation documentation, including the Impact Assessment, will be published in early 2016 subject to relevant Committee clearances. We are working upon the assumption that there is nothing about Fixed Recoverable Costs regime which will alter the percentage of unmeritorious claims.

    Any scheme proposed will include consideration of the right incentives to support a fairer and quicker process that provides the improvements to the system whilst maintaining access to justice.

    The NHS Litigation Authority reported in their annual report for 2014/15 that it resolves over 4,000 clinical negligence cases annually for no payment of damages and in 2014/15 it saved over £1.2 billion for the National Health Service in rejecting claims which had no merit.

  • Natalie McGarry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Natalie McGarry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Natalie McGarry on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of poverty and inequalities on entrepreneurialism and economic growth.

    Anna Soubry

    Economic growth is the best way to reduce poverty. We are providing opportunity and training for all, so that everyone can secure their own economic future. That might be through setting up their own business and Government has so far backed over 33,500 Start-Up Loans, worth over £180m. There are a record 5.3 million small businesses in the UK.The Mone Review, led by entrepreneur Michelle Mone, is bringing forward recommendations for how best to support entrepreneurship in disadvantaged communities.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK’s arrangements with French authorities for processing reimbursement claims from UK citizens for state-funded health treatment received in France.

    Justin Tomlinson

    European Union Regulations on the coordination of social security systems include provisions on how citizens may obtain healthcare in other EEA states. These are longstanding legislative arrangements which include the use of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), as well as how the resulting bills are settled between states. The European Commission and the member states are jointly responsible for assessing the effectiveness of the regulations on an on-going basis and where necessary the Commission will recommend any proposed changes for consideration and agreement with the member states.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Defence Procurement on 24 November 2015, Official Report, column 1254, in what ways his Department plans to exercise oversight of the Successor submarine programme.

    Greg Hands

    The Successor delivery organisation that was announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review will be overseen by the Ministry of Defence. As with any major programme of this scale an appropriate scrutiny process is in place.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-03-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2016 to Question 26827, what the job titles are of those people in receipt of subsidised health insurance.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The individuals are Commercial Specialists, who transferred into HM Treasury from Partnerships UK under a TUPE arrangement.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with Chief Crown Prosecutors on the decision not to prosecute any individuals for suspected electoral and financial fraud committed in Tower Hamlets during the mayoral election there in 2014.

    Andrew Selous

    The Ministry of Justice has not had any discussions with Chief Crown Prosecutors on this matter.

    Decisions on whether to charge or to prosecute individuals suspected of electoral and financial fraud in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets are matters for the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service. I refer my Honorable Friend to Mr. Marcus Jones’ response to Parliamentary Question 29350.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to support the electric car industry.

    Anna Soubry

    It has not proved possible to respond to my hon Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

  • Baroness Hodgson of Abinger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Hodgson of Abinger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger on 2016-06-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to update the national maternity commissioning framework, and if so, whether it will include information about multiple pregnancies.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Saving Babies Lives care bundle covers all types of pregnancy, including multiple pregnancies. The care bundle will be evaluated so that it can be developed and refined to ensure that it continues to reflect best practice.

    The Maternity Transformation Programme Board will drive forward the implementation of the National Maternity Review, Better Births, published in February this year. It will also include work to reduce the rate of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths in England. The formation of the Board marks a clear step forward towards delivering the vision laid out in the National Maternity Review, ensuring that key organisations work together to improve maternity services. Better Births makes recommendations on the use of data including the development of a set of national indicators to aid data comparison. NHS England and its delivery partners are developing plans to implement this and the report’s other recommendations, and as part of this are considering the case for a national dashboard. A copy of both Better Births and the Saving Babies Lives care bundle are attached.

    The Board held its first meeting on 8 June 2016 and is chaired by Sarah-Jane Marsh, Chief Executive of Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Birmingham Women’s Hospital. The Board members and the organisations they represent are detailed in the following table.

    NHS England and its delivery partners are developing plans to implement the vision set out in Better Births, the report of the National Maternity Review. These plans are likely to include commissioning guidance.

    Person

    Organisation

    Sarah-Jane Marsh

    Chair

    Jane Cummings

    Senior Responsible Officer, Chief Nursing Officer

    Keith Willett

    Deputy Chair, Medical Director for Acute Care, NHS England

    Matthew Jolly

    Clinical lead (obstetrics) / workstream lead (data)

    Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent

    Clinical lead (midwifery)

    Dame Julia Cumberlege

    Stakeholder Reference Group Chair / Clinical Commissioning Group Improvement and Assessment Framework Panel Chair

    Flora Goldhill

    Department of Health / workstream lead (best practice for safer care)

    Wendy Reid / Bill Irish

    Health Education England / workstream lead (workforce)

    Viv Bennett

    Public Health England / workstream lead (public health)

    Ruth May

    NHS Improvement (Director of Nursing)

    Mike Durkin

    NHS Improvement (Director of Patient Safety)

    Jimmy Walker

    Care Quality Commission

    Lauren Hughes

    NHS England /workstream lead (local transformation)

    James Sanderson

    NHS England / workstream lead (choice and personalisation)

    Simon Medcalf

    NHS England / workstream lead (perinatal mental health)

    Tom Denwood

    NHS Digital / workstream lead (technology)

    Martin Campbell

    NHS England / workstream lead (pricing)

    David Richmond

    Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

    Cathy Warwick

    Royal College of Midwives

    Nigel Acheson

    Regional delivery lead / Regional Medical Director, South

    Roz Lindridge

    Clinical Networks maternity lead / East Midlands Associate Director, Clinical Networks and Senate