Tag: Steve McCabe

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is permitted to consider a bid from a Combined Authority for a Police and Crime Commissioner elected in May 2016 to be subsumed by a Metro-Mayor.

Mike Penning

If a local area were to make the case to transfer Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) functions to an elected mayor, secondary legislation would set out the details of the transfer of powers and the relevant timescales based on discussions between the local area and central government.

These powers are provided for in Section 107F of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (as amended by the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016), which sets out the Secretary of State’s necessary order making powers to enable the transfer of PCC functions to an elected mayor.

Local areas can put forward a proposal to transfer PCC functions at any time and, as stated in response to the honourable member’s earlier question on this issue [32271], any proposal submitted by a local area for an elected mayor to take on PCC functions would be considered on its merits, on a case-by-case basis. The timing of any transfer of powers would also form part of this consideration.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2016 to Question 30456, what proportion of (a) primiparous and (b) multiparous women are discharged from hospital less than 24 hours after giving birth.

Ben Gummer

The Care Quality Commission 2015 survey of women’s experience of maternity care found that 27% of primiparous mothers (first time mothers) stayed in hospital for less than 24 hours after birth. 47% of multiparous mothers (women who have previously given birth one or more times) stayed in hospital for less than 24 hours after birth.

Full details of the survey can be found here:

http://www.cqc.org.uk/content/maternity-services-survey-2015

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 31102, what assessment she has made of the effect of the Government’s proposal for every school to become an academy on (a) divergences between schools’ admissions arrangements and (b) proposals to limit who may refer objections to the Schools Adjudicator; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb

The Department’s White Paper, ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’, sets out the Government’s aim that every school should have the opportunity to become an academy. In this context, it sets out our intention to seek views on a number of changes to the admissions system to make it simpler and clearer for parents to navigate.

As part of these proposed changes, we intend to streamline the functions of the Office of the Schools Adjudicator so that objections to admission arrangements are resolved faster. This will include limiting who can object so only local parents and councils may refer objections, so that the adjudicator function can remain focused on resolving the concerns of those who may be directly affected by a school’s admission arrangements.

The White Paper is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/educational-excellence-everywhere

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to instruct NHS England to commission fertility treatment centrally.

Jane Ellison

Information about clinical commissioning groups’ approach to commissioning fertility services is not collected centrally.

The Department has not made any estimate of the proportion of children conceived in the United Kingdom using in-vitro fertilisation relative to those countries mentioned.

The Department has no plans to instruct NHS England to commission fertility treatment centrally. Fertility services do not meet the criteria set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to be nationally commissioned by NHS England.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department provides to clinical commissioning groups on the storage and disposal of embryonic waste following IVF treatment.

Jane Ellison

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is the United Kingdom national regulator for the provision of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Clinics cannot provide IVF or store gametes and embryos unless they have a licence to do so from the HFEA.

The HFEA’s code of practice (a copy is attached) gives guidance to clinics on the sensitive handling of embryonic material following IVF. It advises that this should be done in a manner that takes account of the special status of the human embryo.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35765, whether officials of his Department discussed the findings of the report by Fertility Fairness, 2015 Audit of Specialist Fertility Services in England, during their meeting with that organisation in December 2015.

Jane Ellison

The meeting that I and Departmental officials had with Fertility Fairness on 14 December was arranged in the light of the publication of `2015 Audit of Specialist Fertility Services in England’ and issues highlighted in the report were discussed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35935, when he plans to publish the report of the review into the supported housing sector.

Justin Tomlinson

We expect to publish the review report shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-06-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of Gingerbread’s report, Missing Maintenance, published in June 2016; what plans he has to implement the recommendations of that report; and if he will make a statement.

Priti Patel

We are currently considering the recommendations contained in the Gingerbread report, Missing Maintenance. In relation to the recommendation on deductions from joint bank accounts, we have already started taking steps to implement this power and will be launching a public consultation soon on our proposed process to enable deductions from joint bank accounts.

We remain committed to pursuing those parents who do not willingly meet their financial responsibilities to their children. The Child Maintenance Service has a range of effective enforcement powers intended to help ensure all parents fulfil their financial responsibilities towards their children including taking deductions directly from earnings and bank accounts.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39643, what plans the Government has to discuss the EU Nature Directive as part of the negotiations on the UK leaving the EU; what the EU Nature Directive’s status will be during those negotiations; and whether her Department plans to retain the implemented measures that relate to the EU Nature Directive after the UK’s negotiated exit from the EU.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

Whilst we are still a part of the EU, the EU framework for our environment remains in place. Defra will continue to ensure the right policies are in place for a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone.

The Government is considering the impacts of the decision to leave the EU, including future arrangements for existing legislation. We have a manifesto commitment to produce a 25 Year Plan for the Environment.

We all now have an opportunity to consider our long-term vision for the environment following the referendum vote.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reasons the proposals in Early Day Motion 278, on Office of Electoral Integrity, are not incorporated into the roles and responsibilities of the Electoral Commission; and if he will take steps to incorporate such proposals in the Electoral Commission’s remit.

Chris Skidmore

The accuracy of arguments advanced in the course of referendum and election campaigns is not subject to regulation.

The Government will consider this and other issues relating to the regulation of political campaigning, following the publication of the Electoral Commission’s report on the administration of the referendum on the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union which is expected shortly.

Creating a new body to regulate what candidates and political campaigners could say would have an effect on freedom of speech within the law. Moreover, the proposed regime would be likely to fuel malicious and partisan complaints (and counter-complaints), which would undermine, rather than strengthen, confidence in the democratic process.