Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether G4S records (a) telephone calls made to it by asylum seekers who have ended the call as they have not been able to explain that they need an interpreter and (b) all other telephone calls received in connection with its contract to deliver accommodation for asylum seekers.
Answered by James Brokenshire
All providers are required under the COMPASS contracts to provide a minimum level of support to asylum seekers accommodated in their properties, this includes briefing the service user in a language that they understand, on how to contact the provider and the Home Office to make complaints.
G4S does make a record of all telephone calls they receive from asylum applicants accommodated in their property and refers service users to their interpreters where it is clear that an interpreter is required.
Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department has issued to health technology appraisal committees on application of NICE's end of life criteria when appraising treatments for patients with terminal illness.
Answered by George Freeman
The Department has not issued any such guidance. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is an independent body and is responsible for the development of its methods and processes.
Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to make it possible for asylum seekers to make a complaint without it costing them money to call from their mobile phones.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Complaints regarding the operation of the Asylum system can be made by email or in writing to UK Visas and Immigration.
Information regarding the UK Visas and Immigration complaints procedure and how to contact the Complaints Allocation Hub is available to the public at the following website link:
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration/about/complaints-procedure
Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ensure complaints submitted by asylum seekers to G4S sub-contractors have been passed on to G4S by those sub-contractors.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The COMPASS contract lays down requirements for accommodation standards and for the receipt of enquiries and complaints from service users. The providers are contractually required to provide safe, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped accommodation to comply with relevant mandatory and statutory requirements in relation to housing, including the Housing Act 2004 and the Decent Home standards.
G4S provide a 24-hour helpline which provides support, advice and opportunity to raise complaints for service users. In addition, G4S and the Home Office conduct regular accommodation inspections across G4S’ property portfolio which presents the opportunity to ensure appropriate accommodation standards are being met and that service users are getting the right level of service.
Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that asylum seekers receive face-to-face advice when making or following up a complaint.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Asylum seekers are encouraged to raise any issues they have with the Home Office in person when they attend their reporting office or the asylum screening unit.
Where someone is unhappy with the service provided to them, they are advised to raise this immediately so that the issue can be resolved at the
point where the service was provided. Where someone is not happy with the way their verbal complaint was handled or would like to make a formal complaint they are advised to make a written complaint.
Written complaints are handled by Responder hubs who aim to respond to the complainant within 20 working days following an investigation of their complaint. All complaints are acknowledged and contact information is provided both at the initial stage and at the outcome.
Advice on how to make a complaint is available on the Home Office website at: www.gov.uk/visas-immigration. Leaflets and posters providing this information are displayed in most Home Office premises open to the public.
Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many drugs were approved by the Cancer Drugs Fund and subsequently rejected by NICE in the last 12 months.
Answered by George Freeman
Since 1 September 2013, no cancer drugs have been added to the national list of approved cohort policies for drugs available through the Cancer Drugs Fund and subsequently not been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in final technology appraisal guidance.
Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will assess the effect of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's three-month end-of-life threshold on the number of treatments for advanced pancreatic cancer.
Answered by George Freeman
Since the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued its supplementary advice to its appraisal committees on the appraisal of life extending, end-of-life treatments in January 2009, NICE has not published final technology appraisal guidance on any treatments for advanced pancreatic cancer.
NICE is currently developing technology appraisal guidance on two treatments for pancreatic cancer:
- Abraxane (paclitaxel) in combination with gemcitabine for treating previously untreated metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (final guidance is expected in January 2015); and
- Theraloc (nimotuzumab) for the first line treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer (final guidance is expected in August 2015).
Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on redundancy payments for special advisers since May 2010.
Answered by Anna Soubry
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Mr Maude) on 19 June 2014 (Official Report, column 678W).
Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department has spent on redundancy payments for special advisers since May 2010.
Answered by Lord Maude of Horsham
The Government publishes annual statements on special adviser numbers and paybill costs, including severance pay. Information for each financial year going back to 2010/11 is available at the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-adviser-data-releases-numbers-and-costs-october-2013
Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much his Department has spent on redundancy payments for special advisers since May 2010.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Government publishes annual statements on special adviser numbers and paybill costs, including severance pay. Information for each financial year going back to 2010/11 is available at the following links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-adviser-data-releases-numbers-and-costs