Debates, Speeches and Parliamentary Questions

• 9th June 2010 - Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Fraud)
  

  I strongly agree, and I hope that at some stage the medical profession will give serious consideration to how the interface between the public and private sectors might be policed in the context of health.

  As the fraud officer present said that it was quite reasonable to undertake the next stage of the inquiries, I left the meeting, only to find that later the chairman of the hospital trust and her senior executives had said that no such investigation would take place, and that I would not have access to their reports on this case of alleged fraud unless I was prepared to sign a document saying that after reading the information I would never use any of it in public debate. I was not prepared to sign such a gagging clause.

  I appealed for access to the documents concerned under the Freedom of Information Act. Because the hospital trust is not known for its efficiency, it applied to block my appeal under the wrong section of the Act. When I appealed to the commissioner, he had to point out to the trust that if it wanted to block my original appeal it would have to use another part of the Act, which of course it then did.

  I then appealed to the tribunal, which ruled that I should not have access to the document, or documents, because if I had such access I would gain sensitive personal information to which I was not entitled, such as the name of the person against whom the allegations were being made. As at every stage everyone who was in that room has known the name of the doctor concerned but none of us has made it public, it seems bizarre that it was on those grounds that I was denied access to the counter-fraud report which is alleged to have been undertaken.

  Since the attempts to grapple with that individual case of fraud, the same hospital trust has had to repay more than £1 million to what was the primary care trust but is now Wirral Health, because it was found to be fiddling its accident and emergency figures. Quite how that came about and how it was decided that the fraud amounted to £1 million-plus I do not know, but that money has been repaid. I allege that there is a culture of fraud in that hospital trust, which is not being taken seriously by the chairman and the directors of the trust. I look forward to hearing what the Minister has to say.

  One last point concerns the Freedom of Information Act. I am well aware that the Government have their own legislative programme, but I would be grateful if the Minister would take back the fact that there may be problems in two respects where MPs refer fraud cases to the administration for investigation. One is the one that I touched on at the beginning of my remarks. As elected representatives, we are never put in a position to report back fully to our constituents. Obviously, we deny them any sensitive personal information, but we cannot say that we have read the relevant papers and we would like to be able to assure them that their concerns about fraud are unfounded.

  Secondly, I took up the case only because a constituent referred me to a case of alleged fraud. The doctor admits that somehow in 180-odd cases he happened to tick the wrong boxes, claiming the people concerned were NHS patients, rather than private patients. It seems wrong that I am denied access, as the elected representative of an area, to the counter-fraud allegations that have taken place.

  There are two issues, and I would be grateful if the Minister reflected on them with his colleagues, although he may wish to comment on them in the debate. The case has dragged on for some time, but as I have said- I know the Minister is convinced of this-I am not going to let it go yet. I would be interested to hear how the Government think that we might take the case forward to a successful conclusion. I wait to hear what the Minister says.

  
  
  
• 9th June 2010 - Written Answers — Home Department: Identity Cards
  

  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department

  (1) whether those persons who have received an identity card will be able to continue using it for its stated purposes until its expiry date; and if she will make a statement;

  (2) whether persons who applied voluntarily to receive identity cards are to be reimbursed the application fee.

  
  
  
• 9th June 2010 - Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Students: Loans
  

  To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills

  (1) how many EU nationals have claimed a maintenance loan while attending university in the UK in the last 10 years; and how many such EU nationals are in arrears in respect of their loan repayments;

  (2) how many nationals of other EU countries attending university in England were in receipt of a maintenance loan in each of the last five years; and how many are in arrears with repayment;

  (3) how many nationals of other European countries attending university in England and in receipt of a maintenance loan have defaulted on repayments in each of the last five years.

  
  
  
• 8th June 2010 - Written Answers — Deputy Prime Minister: General Election 2010
  

  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister in which local authority areas the chief executive was the returning officer for the parliamentary constituency of that local authority area in the 6 May 2010 general election.

  
  
  
• 7th June 2010 - Written Answers — Justice: General Election 2010
  

  To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the name was of each returning officer in the 6 May 2010 general election; what the full-time job was of each; what fee each received for acting as a returning officer; and from which budget those fees were paid.

  
  
  
• 2nd June 2010 - Written Answers — Work and Pensions: Jobcentre Plus: Translation Services
  

  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on translation facilities for benefits claimants in the most recent year for which figures are available.

  
  
  
• 6th April 2010 - Written Answers — Work and Pensions: Children: Maintenance
  

  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many enquiries made to the Child Support Agency (CSA) were responded to (a) over the telephone and (b) in writing in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the policy is of the CSA on responding to requests that details of a telephone conversation be confirmed in writing.

  
  
  
• 6th April 2010 - Written Answers — Home Department: Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
  

  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many student visas were (a) applied for by and (b) granted to applicants from (i) India, (ii) Pakistan, (iii) Bangladesh, (iv) Sri Lanka, (v) Nepal, (vi) Malaysia and (vii) Nigeria in each of the last eight quarters.

  
  
  
• 30th March 2010 - Written Answers — Work and Pensions: Means-tested Benefits
  

  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many persons with a national insurance number who are (a) 21 or under and (b) over 21 years old claim all means-tested benefits.

  
  
  
• 30th March 2010 - Written Answers — Children, Schools and Families: Gcse
  

  To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of students in (a) comprehensive schools, (b) independent mainstream schools, (c) pupil referral units, (d) special schools, (e) grammar schools, (f) academies and city technology colleges and (g) other modern and maintained schools in (i) Wirral and (ii) England attained (A) five GCSEs including English and mathematics at grades A* to C, (B) five GCSEs at grades A* to G and (C) at least one pass at key stage four in each year since 1997.

  
  
  
• 23rd March 2010 - Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: RRS Discovery
  

  To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the reasons are for the time taken to announce the preferred bidder for the Natural Environment Research Council's research vessel.

  
  
  
• 18th March 2010 - Written Answers — Children, Schools and Families: Gcse
  

  To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of (a) male and (b) female students gained (i) five GCSEs including English and mathematics at grades A* to C, (ii) five GCSEs at grades A* to G and (iii) at least one GCSE pass in each year since 1997.

  
  
  
• 17th March 2010 - Written Answers — Home Department: Work Permits
  

  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) in country and (b) out of country work permits were approved in each year since 2004.

  
  
  
• 16th March 2010 - Written Answers — Work and Pensions: Children: Maintenance
  

  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times the Child Support Agency (CSA) has imposed a sanction of (a) deduction of earnings orders, (b) deduction from bank accounts, (c) seizure and sale of goods by bailiffs, (d) registering a charging order against assets, (e) obtaining a third party order to freeze assets in the bank accounts to which non-resident parties are entitled, (f) disqualifying the non-resident parent from driving, (g) gaining a warrant committing the non-resident parent to prison, (h) applying to a magistrates' court to impose a curfew for non-resident parents, (i) applying to the courts to search the non-resident parents against whom a curfew order has been made, (j) applying to the court to prevent a non-resident parent disposing of a property and (k) making administrative orders disqualifying non-resident parents from holding a driving licence or travel authorisation such as passports or both without the need to apply to the courts; and on what date the CSA gained the power to impose each type of sanction.

  
  
  
• 9th March 2010 - Written Answers — Home Department: Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
  

  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many tier 4 applications are awaiting decision in (a) India, (b) Nepal and (c) Bangladesh.

  
  
  
• 8th March 2010 - Crime and Security Bill: Clause 45 — Offence of possessing mobile telephone in prison
  

  I rise to give almost unqualified support to the Bill. Given the list of measures for which the Government seek powers I find it strange that the Opposition have deserted their traditional role on law and order. I thought that my right hon. Friend the Minister for Policing, Crime and Counter-Terrorism was already reaching across to the Opposition in the spirit of compromise when he said that the measures would be supported strongly by our voters around the country. The list that he read out will probably be supported even more strongly by Tory voters than by Labour voters, so if the Opposition wish to play funny things with the Bill, the electorate will have that very fresh in their minds when they come to vote, we hope, in May.

  I said that I am giving the Bill almost unqualified support because I am bearing in mind the fact that I cannot speak to measures that are not in it. I had hoped that there would be a further adjustment in the criminal injuries compensation measures in the Bill, which my right hon. Friend has pointed out is the last crime Bill of this Parliament. I welcome what the Government are doing in extending the measures to people who are on the wicked receiving end of terrorist outrages when they are going about their business or holidaying abroad, but there is a related issue that we cannot settle in their lordships' House and that will not be dealt with in the wash-up period, although I had hoped that it would be, so we will need to return to it some day.

  I have a constituent who was brutally blown apart by the July bombings in London. Although he, his wife and his family are given measured support under the existing scheme, there is a cap of £250,000 on the scheme. I am talking about someone whose bravery is beyond description. His legs were blown away, and his life and the lives of his wife and family have changed in a way that is difficult for us even to contemplate. The current scheme, welcome as it is, has a cap, and there is no way that we can put my constituent's life nearly back to what it was before those wicked bombers detonated those bombs, so affecting him and many other of our constituents from around the country, but particularly from London. I hope that we can get an undertaking from the Government that when the Bill is properly discussed in the other place-we have quite a lot of time before the election will be called-the Government will consider the proposals to raise the cap to £2 million, as well as the proposals that were previously put to my right hon. Friend the then Home Secretary, who is now the Justice Secretary, about how that small but important increase could be met through our national insurance scheme. I am not part of the campaign that thinks that we can propose measures without saying where the money should come from.

  So it is with nearly good heart that I support the Bill tonight. It addresses a huge number of issues on which our constituents are grateful that the Government have, practically in each year of this Parliament, listened to them and weighed in on their behalf against people who do bad deeds in our communities and across the country. My only regret is that although I have welcomed all those other measures, I cannot welcome the Bill wholeheartedly because there is one gap in it. It was the one issue of substance which, for very good reasons, we did not have time to debate on the Floor of the House. I hope that it will be debated properly in the other Chamber, and I hope that when it comes to the other place, the Government will look seriously at the amendments that I tabled, but which could not be called this evening.

  
  
  
• 8th March 2010 - Crime and Security Bill: Clause 45 — Offence of possessing mobile telephone in prison
  

  On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. You will have noticed that that the only issue of real substance that we have not had time to discuss today is the amendment that stands in my name, which raises the cap on the criminal injuries compensation scheme for those of our constituents who have been blown asunder by terrorist outrages. So I hope that on Third Reading I will be able to keep in order so that I can raise that issue and seek an assurance from the Government.

  
  
  
• 8th March 2010 - Written Answers — House of Commons Commission: Members: Allowances
  

  To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2010, Official Report, column 38W, on Members: allowances, how much has been spent under each budgetary heading referred to in the answer. [Official Report, 11 March 2010, Vol. 507, c. 11-12MC.]

  
  
  
• 4th March 2010 - Written Answers — Home Department: Entry Clearances: Skilled Workers
  

  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 8 December 2009, Official Report, columns 221-22W, on entry clearances, how many permits under Tier 2 general were issued in each month of 2009.

  
  
  
• 4th March 2010 - Written Answers — Home Department: Immigration Controls
  

  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Certificates of Sponsorship have been granted to employers under (a) Tier 2 general and (b) Tier 2 ICT to date; and how many such certificates for the second year of Tier 2 of the points-based system remain under consideration.

  
  
  

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