The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-09-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to exempt domestic violence refuges from proposals to cap housing benefit.
Caroline Nokes
The Secretary of State has confirmed that the Government expects to make an announcement on the way forward for supported housing in early autumn.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what policies UK Export Finance has developed for investigating transactions involving foreign bribery which cannot be investigated by law enforcement authorities.
Greg Hands
UK Export Finance takes issues of bribery extremely seriously. It takes precautions, including by making reasonable enquiries, to avoid financial loss by becoming involved in transactions that may be tainted by corruption.
Before providing support, it carries out anti-bribery due diligence in line with the 2006 OECD Bribery Recommendation. This informs how export credit agencies such as UK Export Finance should undertake anti-bribery due diligence.
UK Export Finance does not have investigatory powers, but will not grant its support until it has satisfied itself from the information it has available that exports are not tainted by bribery or corruption. Where UK Export Finance suspects foreign bribery it reports it to the Serious Fraud Office.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-10-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting times are from referral to first appointment for (a) children and (b) young people experiencing acute mental health problems in (i) Birmingham and (ii) the UK.
Nicola Blackwood
The information requested is not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-11-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of how many people prescribed drugs funded from the Cancer Drugs Fund are likely to be affected by the planned ending of funding for that fund in March 2016; and if he will make a statement.
George Freeman
The Government remains committed to the Cancer Drugs Fund and is working with NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the future arrangements for the Fund.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to improve the energy efficiency of homes; and whether any of the National Infrastructure Committee’s funding will be available for use to increase home energy efficiency.
Andrea Leadsom
Since 2013 the Government has supported industry in delivering over 1.6 million measures which were installed in over 1.3 million households through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) alone. We are now working with the industry and consumer groups on a new value-for-money approach.
We’ve also commissioned an independent review led by Peter Bonfield to investigate quality, standards and consumer protection to ensure that the system properly supports and protects consumers.
The National Infrastructure Commission will be resourced to carry out its task of advising Government on the UK’s infrastructure needs and priorities. It will not have adirectrole in funding infrastructure delivery.
We are clear that support should be focussed on those with the greatest need.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the measures proposed in clause 13 of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on claimants with (a) Parkinson’s disease and (b) other incurable and degenerative conditions.
Priti Patel
The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in Bill on 20th July.
Ministers have considered impacts with regard to all relevant legal obligations when formulating the welfare policies announced in the Bill.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-06.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2015 by the Minister for Skills, Official Report, column 1401, if he will introduce a levy to continue to fund action against loan sharks by the National Illegal Money Lending Team.
Harriett Baldwin
The Government is looking at a range of ways to ensure that the England and Wales Illegal Money Lending Teams have the funding they need to ensure that consumers continue to be protected from illegal loan sharks.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether NHS bodies which carry out surgery to repair work performed by outsourcing companies are able to claim back the costs of carrying out that work.
George Freeman
Whether or not National Health Service bodies are able to claim back the costs depends on a number of circumstances. For instance:
– A clinical commissioning group (CCG) may have placed a contract for elective surgery with an independent sector provider. A patient treated in this provider’s hospital may experience complications and require further treatment, which has to be arranged under the CCG’s separate contract with the local NHS trust or foundation trust (FT) (perhaps because it has the facilities to carry out more specialist treatment); or
– An NHS trust or FT may sub-contract surgical procedures to an independent sector provider. Again, a patient treated at the sub-contractor’s hospital may experience complications and require further treatment, which has to be carried out by the NHS Trust or FT (again, because it has the facilities to carry out more specialist treatment).
The terms of such subcontracts are not nationally prescribed, but it would be usual for such a sub-contract to require the sub-contractor to indemnify the NHS provider for the cost it incurs as a result of negligent or inadequate treatment on the part of the sub-contractor.
However, it is important to be clear that complications after surgery are not necessarily associated with negligence. It is normal for patients experiencing complications to be referred to the hospital which can provide the best care. In these circumstances, each NHS provider will normally be paid by the relevant NHS commissioner for the specific service it has provided to the patient.
In the first example, the NHS trust or FT will be paid in full by its local CCG for the further treatment it has provided, at the normal national prices laid down in the National Tariff Payment System. Normally, the CCG would also have paid for the initial treatment provided by the independent sector provider, but if there is evidence of breach of contract or negligence, the CCG would be entitled to be indemnified for the additional costs of further treatment.
In the second example, the NHS provider is responsible to the commissioner both for the treatment it has carried out itself and under sub-contract by the independent sector provider. It will therefore be paid by its CCG at National Tariff prices for all the operations that have been undertaken at both hospitals – though, again, this would be subject to the potential for the CCG to withhold payment to in a clear case of negligence or breach of contractual requirements. Payment between the NHS provider and its sub-contractor would be a matter for those parties to agree locally between themselves, as a part of their sub-contract.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to respond to people in Moseley in Birmingham who have written to him to express their opposition to proposed boundary changes; and if he will take their views into account in considering such changes.
Mr Marcus Jones
People who have written to the Secretary of State about the electoral review in Birmingham have received a response explaining that the Secretary of State has no role in this matter which, in accordance with the statute, is being undertaken by the independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England. This Commission is a Parliamentary body which will lay before Parliament a draft of any Order it intends to make to implement the electoral review; the Commission will consider any representations it receives about the review before laying such an Order.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the key findings in the Chief Schools Adjudicator for England’s Annual Report, published in December 2015, whether she plans to publish guidance for schools on how best to comply with the school admissions code.
Nick Gibb
Admission authorities for all state-funded schools are required to comply with the School Admissions Code. This includes a requirement that ‘parents should be able to look at a set of arrangements and understand easily how places for that school will be allocated’. We consider that the code provides clear advice to all admission authorities.
Compliance is enforced by the Schools Adjudicator. Where an objection is made and the adjudicator finds that the arrangements are unclear, unfair, or that they otherwise fail to comply with the code, the admission authority is required by law to change the policy.
The degree to which maintained schools comply with the code is monitored through the Chief Adjudicator’s Annual Report. We consider the findings of the report and whether changes to the system are necessary.