Tag: Tulip Siddiq

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-05-06.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many advance pricing arrangements (APAs) were agreed between companies and his Department in each year since 2009-10; how many such arrangements resulted in a (a) positive and (b) negative yield to the Exchequer; what the net amount raised by these APAs was in each such year; and how many APAs were annulled by HM Revenue and Customs in each such year.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes annual statistics reporting its performance across its transfer pricing work, including enquiries, advance pricing agreements, advance thin capitalisation agreements and mutual agreement procedure cases. The most recent published statistics are for 2013- 14. HMRC intends to publish the statistics for 2014-15 shortly. These statistics answer many of the individual questions asked. However, HMRC does not hold information centrally in a form which allows it to answer all the questions asked in the required timeframe.

The aim of the Advance Pricing Arrangements (APA) Programme is to provide businesses with certainty on the pricing of complex intra-group transactions. An APA sets out the method for determining, in accordance with the law, the transfer price for intra-group transactions. APAs are part of the internationally recognised best practices recommended by the OECD. HMRC has published guidance about what APAs are, the circumstances where it would be appropriate for businesses to apply for an APA and what information is required before any agreement can be made.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to introduce mandatory data collection on hospital-initiated postponement or cancellation of ophthalmology follow-up appointments.

Alistair Burt

All follow-up appointments should take place when clinically appropriate. It is for clinicians to make decisions on when they see patients, in line with their clinical priority, and patients should not experience undue delay at any stage of their referral, diagnosis or treatment. The appropriate interval for follow up appointments will vary between different services or specialties, and between individual patients, depending on the severity of their condition.

To ensure that patients are seen at the appropriate time, NHS England’s guidance, “Recording and reporting referral to treatment waiting times for consultant-led elective care” is clear that when patients on planned lists are clinically ready for their care to commence and reach the date for their planned appointment, they should either receive that appointment or be transferred to an active waiting list. At that point, a waiting time clock will be started and their wait reported in the relevant statistical return.

Hospital episode statistics contain details of all outpatient appointments at National Health Service hospitals in England and commissioned by the NHS from independent sector organisations in England. The recording of a primary diagnosis and postponed or cancelled appointments is not mandatory within the outpatient commissioning data set and there are no plans to make it so.

Data is not, therefore, available on the number of cancelled or postponed follow up appointments for patients with age-related macular degeneration, central retinal vein occlusion and diabetic macular oedema.

No assessment has been made of the effect of hospital-initiated postponement or cancellation of ophthalmology follow-up appointments on patients’ sight. However, officials have met with the Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning and are considering their concerns.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps have been taken to prevent taxi drivers charging extra to disabled people.

Andrew Jones

Government is committed to building transport networks that work for everyone, including ensuring that disabled people have the same travel choices as other members of society.

Nobody should face discrimination when accessing transport services, and it is unacceptable for any provider to charge a disabled person extra on account of their disability.

The Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments to enable disabled people to access their services, and Sections 168 to 173 specifically prevent a taxi or Private Hire Vehicle driver from charging an assistance dog owner extra.

I have also committed to commencing Sections 165 and 167, which will require drivers to provide assistance to passengers in wheelchairs and prevent them from charging more.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2016 to Question 47528 and the Answer of 17 October 2016 to HL 2020, if he will provide further detail on the consideration of responses to questions seven and 11 and summary paragraphs 45 and 67 of the consultation on housing benefit reform, Cm 8152, where there are references to meeting appointed housing needs through locally administered funding; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes

We received a number of responses to questions 7 and 11 on the consultation CM8152, along with the other questions in the consultation, which the Government considered at the time. There was a range of views, comments and suggestions, from a range of stakeholders, relating to the proposition that local authorities should administer funding for supported housing and that supported housing should be removed from Housing Benefit altogether.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-10-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to compel the housing associations who voted against an extension of the Right to Buy discount in the National Housing Federation ballot on 2 October 2015 to comply with that policy.

Brandon Lewis

We are pleased to see that 93% of the total housing association stock is covered by those associations who said yes to the offer.

We would like as many associations as possible to sign up to the deal – so that their tenants can access the same home ownership opportunities as other tenants – and the opportunity is still there for them to do so.

The Housing and Planning Bill will also introduce a clause where the Regulator will have the power to monitor and report on how private registered providers are supporting their tenants into home ownership.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-10-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether it is his policy that the Right to Buy extension for housing associations will apply to tenants whose properties were built exclusively with private finance.

Brandon Lewis

Under the agreement with the National Housing Federation, there will be a presumption that housing association tenants will have the right to purchase their home at Right to Buy level discounts.

The agreement states that housing associations may exercise discretion over sales of properties provided through charitable or public-benefit resources or bequeathed for charitable or public-benefit purposes, and in the possession of the housing association before it became registered under the Housing Act 1974 (or later equivalent legislation).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-10-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of what proportion of the funding for the housing association Right to Buy policy will come from the new duty on local authorities to consider selling vacant high-value council homes, proposed in section 69 of the Housing and Planning Bill.

Brandon Lewis

We have been clear that the Right to Buy Discounts for housing association tenants would be funded by the selling off of vacant high value local authority housing.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-10-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to make shared housing ownership schemes more accessible for buyers in (a) central London and (b) other areas with fast-rising house prices; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis

The Government is committed to helping hard working people across the country to own their own home. We believe that shared ownership has an important role to play to help those who aspire to home ownership but may be otherwise unable to afford it, especially in London and other high value areas. We know there is an appetite among providers and developers to deliver more shared ownership. We are currently considering a range of ways in which shared ownership can be made more accessible to first time buyers and increase its attractiveness to lenders and investors.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-10-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will issue a response to the report by the National Cancer Action Team, Lymphoedema Services in England: A Case for Change, published in March 2013; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman

At its meeting on 15 October 2015, the Prescribed Specialist Services Advisory Group (PSSAG) considered a proposal from the British Lymphology Society for a service for lymphoedema to be nationally commissioned. PSSAG’s recommendations on all proposals considered at this meeting will be put to Ministers shortly.

It is for Ministers to decide which services should be prescribed as specialised services and therefore nationally commissioned by NHS England. Ministers make these decisions based on advice from PSSAG.

Regarding the Lymphoedema Services in England: A Case for Change report, published by the National Cancer Action Team in March 2013, the main recommendation for the NHS Commissioning Board (now NHS England) to consider was the creation of a lymphoedema strategy for England.

NHS England is focused on a system-wide approach that aims to ensure improvements in outcomes for all individuals with long-term conditions, including lymphoedema, rather than focusing on individual strategies for specific conditions.

The commissioning of services for the treatment and care of lymphoedema patients is a local matter, and information concerning the arrangement of such services is not collected. People with lymphoedema can usually be managed through routine access to primary or second care services and there is range of guidance to support local commissioning, including: an international consensus document on best practice in the diagnosis, treatment care and support of people with; and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on advanced breast cancer, which provides advice on lymphoedema care. Both sets of guidance can be found at the following links:

www.woundsinternational.com/media/issues/210/files/content_175.pdf

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg81/resources/advanced-breast-cancer-diagnosis-and-treatment-975683850181

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-10-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress the Prescribed Specialist Services Advisory Group has made on discussions on proposals for a nationally-commissioned specialist lymphology service.

George Freeman

At its meeting on 15 October 2015, the Prescribed Specialist Services Advisory Group (PSSAG) considered a proposal from the British Lymphology Society for a service for lymphoedema to be nationally commissioned. PSSAG’s recommendations on all proposals considered at this meeting will be put to Ministers shortly.

It is for Ministers to decide which services should be prescribed as specialised services and therefore nationally commissioned by NHS England. Ministers make these decisions based on advice from PSSAG.

Regarding the Lymphoedema Services in England: A Case for Change report, published by the National Cancer Action Team in March 2013, the main recommendation for the NHS Commissioning Board (now NHS England) to consider was the creation of a lymphoedema strategy for England.

NHS England is focused on a system-wide approach that aims to ensure improvements in outcomes for all individuals with long-term conditions, including lymphoedema, rather than focusing on individual strategies for specific conditions.

The commissioning of services for the treatment and care of lymphoedema patients is a local matter, and information concerning the arrangement of such services is not collected. People with lymphoedema can usually be managed through routine access to primary or second care services and there is range of guidance to support local commissioning, including: an international consensus document on best practice in the diagnosis, treatment care and support of people with; and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on advanced breast cancer, which provides advice on lymphoedema care. Both sets of guidance can be found at the following links:

www.woundsinternational.com/media/issues/210/files/content_175.pdf

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg81/resources/advanced-breast-cancer-diagnosis-and-treatment-975683850181

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