Tag: Stephen Kinnock

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Kinnock on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Quality of 20 July 2015, Official Report, column 1227, for what reasons dependent children are not included in the consultation seeking views on proposed reforms to the schemes supporting those infected with, or affected by, HIV and/or hepatitis C through NHS-supplied blood products.

Jane Ellison

Those already infected with hepatitis C and/or HIV through National Health Service-supplied blood or blood products and all bereaved partners/spouses of those infected are entitled to apply for discretionary means-tested payments of support, which could be used for dependent children. The charitable bodies make payments on the basis of need, in accordance with their specific objectives, enabling such support to be targeted to those in greater financial need. The consultation seeks views on providing discretionary payments for travel and accommodation costs relating to ill health. These payments are not guaranteed from year to year and those in receipt of these payments are informed of this. Responses to the consultation will help us to decide if this is a viable proposal and we welcome any suggestions respondents may have in relation to the proposals and what would be of benefit to them. No decisions will be made about the shape and structure of a new scheme until after the consultation closes on 15 April 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Kinnock on 2016-07-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of his Department’s capacity to manage the appeals and review process for personal independence payments.

Justin Tomlinson

Departmental analysts forecast projected volumes of Personal Independence Payment Mandatory Reconsiderations and appeals; these projections are used to determine staffing requirements. The assessment of the Department’s capacity to handle volumes is determined from current deployment, planned recruitment and attrition rates. The information is updated, reported and reviewed on a monthly basis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Kinnock on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Prime Minister’s oral statement of 26 March 2015, Official Report, column 1423, on the Penrose Report on contaminated blood, when the Government plans to respond to the findings of that report.

Jane Ellison

Lord Penrose made one recommendation in the Final Report, to ‘take all reasonable steps to offer a hepatitis C test to anyone who had a blood transfusion before September 1991 who has not been tested for hepatitis C’ through reminding general practitioners, nurses and other clinical staff of this matter, along with the National Health Service guidance to offer a hepatitis C test to those who may be at risk. The Penrose Inquiry was set up by the Scottish Government and so there is no requirement for the Department in England to provide a formal Government response to the final report published on 25 March 2015. We have, however implemented the recommendation in the Penrose Report by issuing reminders as recorded in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 20 July 2015 (Official Record HCWS146) and addressed in the Contaminated Blood Products debate (HC Deb, 9 September 2015, c86WH).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Kinnock on 2016-07-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department carried out an assessment prior to the introduction of personal independence payments for existing disability living allowance recipients of the effect of that introduction on advice services such as Citizens Advice Bureaux.

Justin Tomlinson

No specific such assessment was carried out.

Citizens Advice Bureaux have been, and continue to be, members of the Personal Independence Payment Implementation Stakeholder Forum and regularly engage with the Department on PIP issues.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Kinnock on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent representations he has received on the effectiveness of the Pension Service helpline.

Justin Tomlinson

We have a number of pension service telephony lines including the Pension Tracing Service; International Pension Claims/Changes; International Pension Enquiries; State Pension Claims; and State Pension changes. We conduct an annual DWP Customer Satisfaction Survey which ensures that we are delivering against our customer charter.

All our Pension Service telephony services are subject to continuous improvement to improve our service delivery.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Kinnock on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to introduce an animal abuse register to record the names of people who have been found guilty of crimes against animals.

George Eustice

Convictions for offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 are recorded on the Police National Computer and are not held on a public register. The Government would be concerned about the level of access to a public register, and Data Protection Act requirements would also apply. However, police forces are exploring how access to information relating to people banned from keeping animals might be improved for local authorities and other bodies with an enforcement role.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Kinnock on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2016 to Question 24713, if he will apply to the EU’s Globalisation Adjustment Fund for funding for the UK steel industry.

Priti Patel

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 November 2015 to question UIN 14404.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Kinnock on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the correlation between people who commit crimes against animals and go on to commit crimes against the person.

Brandon Lewis

The Home Office has made no specific assessment of the correlation between people who commit crimes against animals and go on to commit crimes against the person.

In March this year the Government published the Modern Crime Prevention Strategy. The strategy sets out the evidence that points to six key drivers of crime: drugs; alcohol; the effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System; character (or an individual’s propensity to offend); opportunity; and profit. The strategy can be accessed at:

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/509831/6.1770_Modern_Crime_Prevention_Strategy_final_WEB_version.pd

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Kinnock on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the reasons are for the government policy not to support the progress of the European Commission’s proposed reforms to (a) trade and defence instruments and (b) the lesser duty rule.

Anna Soubry

The UK fully supports modernisation of the European Union’s/Commission’s trade defence instruments but believes that effective trade defence measures should be proportionate, not protectionist, and set tariffs only as high as necessary to remove the injury inflicted on EU industry without being punitive, which would hurt users of products, including downstream manufacturers, and consumers.

The Government’s response to the Commission’s public consultation on the modernisation of trade defence instruments (TDI), in June 2012, stated:

“The strongly held UK view is that the EU’s use of the lesser duty rule is one of the elements of the TDI regime which contributes to its being recognised as one of the most progressive global trade defence systems. Furthermore, it enhances the economic coherence of European TD actions as imposing tariffs no higher than that level needed to offset the injury caused by dumping / subsidy is entirely consistent with restoring fair competition. We have fully supported the Commission’s efforts to encourage FTA partners to adopt the lesser duty rule in their regimes. It would be a retrograde step to remove its position as a central part of the EU regime (2.3.3).”

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Kinnock on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Financial Reporting Council on ensuring that companies follow the law when reporting on climate risk.

Margot James

The law requires company directors to consider, amongst other matters, the impact of their business on the environment. The Annual report is where the directors must demonstrate their consideration of this in the disclosures they make, both on environmental matters and risks. The Financial Reporting Council, operating under delegated powers from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, ensures legislation on the content of the annual report is adhered to by companies required to produce one.