First elected: 5th May 2005
Left House: 30th March 2015 (Defeated)
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
These initiatives were driven by Gordon Banks, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Gordon Banks has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Gordon Banks has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Gordon Banks has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The latest figures available from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents are that there were three reported deaths in 2012, and two reported deaths in 2013 of children under the age of three from entanglement in looped blind cords.
The value of charitable donations made available through each energy tariff with such an arrangement is commercially sensitive information between the supplier and the charity. Neither DECC nor Ofgem collect or hold this information.
Arrangements between a supplier and a charity for tariffs with an inbuilt charitable commitment are a commercial matter between the supplier and the charity involved.
The Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling on holiday pay is a significant judgment for employers and workers. Government is urgently working through the detail, including with the Taskforce of business representatives and Government departments convened by my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Employers may wish to check their current arrangements for holiday pay and overtime/sales commission, and seek legal advice when necessary. Employers and workers can contact the ACAS helpline on 0300 123 1100 for free and confidential advice.
The Scottish stations nominated successfully were Barrhead, Blairhill, Cupar, Dalmuir, Dunblane, Dyce, Easterhouse, Elgin, Gleneagles, Hamilton Central, Hyndland, Kilmarnock, Kilwinning, Kircaldy, Linlithgow, Milliken Park, Montrose, Motherwell, Mount Florida, Newton, Perth, Rosyth, Rutherglen, Shotts and Westerton. Stirling was also successfully nominated but had to be withdrawn after a solution acceptable to local planners could not be found.
The unsuccessful nominations were Aviemore, Burntisland, Cathcart, Coatdyke, Dumbarton East, Greenock West and Springburn.
Since 2006, 33 Scottish stations have been nominated for Access for All funding, of which 25 were selected. The Department for Transport did not object to any of the stations on the list.
Since 2006, a large number of Scottish stations have been discussed with the Department in the context of Access for All. This led to 33 stations being put forward by Scottish Ministers for Access for All funding, of which 25 were included in the programme.
The Highway Code was last revised in September 2007. When we carry out the next revision to the Code we will as usual undertake a consultation on proposed changes.
There have been no discussions with these groups on the mandatory wearing of high visibility clothing for cyclists.
There have been no discussions with these groups on the mandatory carrying in motor cars of high visibility jackets and warning triangles.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) consulted recently on proposals to modernise and, as far as possible, reduce any potential burden that the current regulatory framework could place on approved driving instructors (ADI); it will publish the response to consultation shortly.
The consultation's proposals were designed to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses, therefore, the consultation document proposed that DVSA would not mandate the voluntary fleet driver trainer register.
The pass rate for the B+E practical test is 67%, one of the highest pass rates for any category of test; unlike learner drivers people seeking B+E instruction must already hold a full category B driving licence. Most BE instruction is already carried out by vocational trainers who are competent to provide this service given their expertise in delivering training in category C vehicles and CE. Therefore, DVSA current has no plans to extend the regulation of paid driving instruction in a motor car to BE training; neither does it have plans to extend the regulatory framework for ADIs to cover paid vocational driver training.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) consulted recently on proposals to modernise and, as far as possible, reduce any potential burden that the current regulatory framework could place on approved driving instructors (ADI); it will publish the response to consultation shortly.
The consultation's proposals were designed to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses, therefore, the consultation document proposed that DVSA would not mandate the voluntary fleet driver trainer register.
The pass rate for the B+E practical test is 67%, one of the highest pass rates for any category of test; unlike learner drivers people seeking B+E instruction must already hold a full category B driving licence. Most BE instruction is already carried out by vocational trainers who are competent to provide this service given their expertise in delivering training in category C vehicles and CE. Therefore, DVSA current has no plans to extend the regulation of paid driving instruction in a motor car to BE training; neither does it have plans to extend the regulatory framework for ADIs to cover paid vocational driver training.
The Cold Weather Payment scheme is administered at weather station level rather than any other standard GB geography such as postcode level. The coverage area for each weather station is determined by the Met Office which assesses the most appropriate weather station for each postcode area, which may change between years. Cold weather payments are triggered when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be 0oC or below over seven consecutive days.
The postcode areas of FK10, FK11 and KY13 have been assigned to the Edinburgh Gogarbank and Strathallan weather stations as follows:
FK10: assigned to the Edinburgh Gogerbank weather station
FK11: assigned to the Strathallan weather station
KY13: assigned to the Edinburgh Gogerbank weather station in the years 2009/10 to 2012/13 and to the Strathallan weather station in 2013/14.
Table 1 gives the number of triggers for the last five years at these weather stations. All eligible recipients will have received a Cold Weather Payment following a trigger at the relevant weather station.
Table 1: Triggers and Payments at Edinburgh Gogarbank and Strathallan weather stations: 2009/10 to 2013/14.
Weather Station | Number of triggers in each year | |||||
2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | ||
Edinburgh Gogerbank | Number of triggers | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Strathallan
| Number of triggers | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
The Cold Weather Payment scheme is administered at weather station level rather than any other standard GB geography such as postcode level. The coverage area for each weather station is determined by the Met Office which assesses the most appropriate weather station for each postcode area, which may change between years. Cold weather payments are triggered when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be 0oC or below over seven consecutive days.
The postcode areas of FK10, FK11 and KY13 have been assigned to the Edinburgh Gogarbank and Strathallan weather stations as follows:
FK10: assigned to the Edinburgh Gogerbank weather station
FK11: assigned to the Strathallan weather station
KY13: assigned to the Edinburgh Gogerbank weather station in the years 2009/10 to 2012/13 and to the Strathallan weather station in 2013/14.
Table 1 gives the number of triggers for the last five years at these weather stations. All eligible recipients will have received a Cold Weather Payment following a trigger at the relevant weather station.
Table 1: Triggers and Payments at Edinburgh Gogarbank and Strathallan weather stations: 2009/10 to 2013/14.
Weather Station | Number of triggers in each year | |||||
2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | ||
Edinburgh Gogerbank | Number of triggers | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Strathallan
| Number of triggers | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
The Cold Weather Payment scheme is administered at weather station level rather than any other standard GB geography such as postcode level. The coverage area for each weather station is determined by the Met Office which assesses the most appropriate weather station for each postcode area, which may change between years. Cold weather payments are triggered when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be 0oC or below over seven consecutive days.
The postcode areas of FK10, FK11 and KY13 have been assigned to the Edinburgh Gogarbank and Strathallan weather stations as follows:
FK10: assigned to the Edinburgh Gogerbank weather station
FK11: assigned to the Strathallan weather station
KY13: assigned to the Edinburgh Gogerbank weather station in the years 2009/10 to 2012/13 and to the Strathallan weather station in 2013/14.
Table 1 gives the number of triggers for the last five years at these weather stations. All eligible recipients will have received a Cold Weather Payment following a trigger at the relevant weather station.
Table 1: Triggers and Payments at Edinburgh Gogarbank and Strathallan weather stations: 2009/10 to 2013/14.
Weather Station | Number of triggers in each year | |||||
2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | ||
Edinburgh Gogerbank | Number of triggers | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Strathallan
| Number of triggers | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
It is not possible to provide the data for personal independence payment home assessments in the Ochil and South Perthshire constituency.
The Department does not set the content and standard of training for healthcare professionals. The issuing of clinical guidance is the responsibility of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
To assist the NHS, NICE considered the division of tongue tie in depth in July 2004. Current NICE guidelines recommend when considering division of tongue-tie, healthcare professionals should be sure that the parents or carers understand what is involved and consent to the treatment, and the results of the procedure are monitored. In line with NICE guidelines, NHS England expects healthcare professionals to discuss the benefits and risks with the parents or carers of any child.
Ultimately it is for the NHS locally to ensure appropriate services are available for the diagnosis and treatment of tongue-tie. Some babies with tongue-tie can still feed properly and do not need any treatment. If the condition is causing problems with feeding, health professionals should discuss the options with parents and agree the most appropriate form of treatment. For some babies, extra help and support with breastfeeding is all that is needed. If this does not help, the tongue-tie needs to be divided by a registered practitioner.
Health visitors complete a breastfeeding assessment at the new birth visit and if tongue tie is suspected they will refer for assessment through a locally agreed pathway; this is often a paediatrician referral, or some areas have a midwifery led service.
The table below provides counts of finished admission episodes where there was a primary or secondary diagnosis of ankyloglossia ("tongue-tie") for 2011-12 to 2013-14 broken down by patient age.
Common definitions of the word newborn can include babies up until 28 days of age. For clarity the table breaks down our response into the following categories, under 1 day, 1 - 6 days, 7 - 28 days, 1 - 3 months. The table excludes patients older than three months.
It should be noted that this is not a count of people as the same person may have had more than one admission episode within the same time period.
Year | |||
Age group | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 |
Less than 1 day | 7,505 | 8,762 | 11,572 |
1 - 6 days | 589 | 677 | 728 |
7 - 28 days | 1,595 | 1,499 | 1,346 |
1 - under 3 months | 1,218 | 1,018 | 1,214 |
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre
No central assessment of the effect of the provision of infant feeding specialists on the early detection and treatment of tongue-tie in infant has been made. The provision of infant feeding specialists is decided at a local level.
The Department does not set the content and standard of training for healthcare professionals. The issuing of clinical guidance is the responsibility of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
To assist the NHS, NICE considered the division of tongue tie in depth in July 2004. Current NICE guidelines recommend when considering division of tongue-tie, healthcare professionals should be sure that the parents or carers understand what is involved and consent to the treatment, and the results of the procedure are monitored. In line with NICE guidelines, NHS England expects healthcare professionals to discuss the benefits and risks with the parents or carers of any child.
Ultimately it is for the NHS locally to ensure appropriate services are available for the diagnosis and treatment of tongue-tie. Some babies with tongue-tie can still feed properly and do not need any treatment. If the condition is causing problems with feeding, health professionals should discuss the options with parents and agree the most appropriate form of treatment. For some babies, extra help and support with breastfeeding is all that is needed. If this does not help, the tongue-tie needs to be divided by a registered practitioner.
Health visitors complete a breastfeeding assessment at the new birth visit and if tongue tie is suspected they will refer for assessment through a locally agreed pathway; this is often a paediatrician referral, or some areas have a midwifery led service.
The table below provides counts of finished admission episodes where there was a primary or secondary diagnosis of ankyloglossia ("tongue-tie") for 2011-12 to 2013-14 broken down by patient age.
Common definitions of the word newborn can include babies up until 28 days of age. For clarity the table breaks down our response into the following categories, under 1 day, 1 - 6 days, 7 - 28 days, 1 - 3 months. The table excludes patients older than three months.
It should be noted that this is not a count of people as the same person may have had more than one admission episode within the same time period.
Year | |||
Age group | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 |
Less than 1 day | 7,505 | 8,762 | 11,572 |
1 - 6 days | 589 | 677 | 728 |
7 - 28 days | 1,595 | 1,499 | 1,346 |
1 - under 3 months | 1,218 | 1,018 | 1,214 |
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre
No central assessment of the effect of the provision of infant feeding specialists on the early detection and treatment of tongue-tie in infant has been made. The provision of infant feeding specialists is decided at a local level.
The Department does not set the content and standard of training for healthcare professionals. The issuing of clinical guidance is the responsibility of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
To assist the NHS, NICE considered the division of tongue tie in depth in July 2004. Current NICE guidelines recommend when considering division of tongue-tie, healthcare professionals should be sure that the parents or carers understand what is involved and consent to the treatment, and the results of the procedure are monitored. In line with NICE guidelines, NHS England expects healthcare professionals to discuss the benefits and risks with the parents or carers of any child.
Ultimately it is for the NHS locally to ensure appropriate services are available for the diagnosis and treatment of tongue-tie. Some babies with tongue-tie can still feed properly and do not need any treatment. If the condition is causing problems with feeding, health professionals should discuss the options with parents and agree the most appropriate form of treatment. For some babies, extra help and support with breastfeeding is all that is needed. If this does not help, the tongue-tie needs to be divided by a registered practitioner.
Health visitors complete a breastfeeding assessment at the new birth visit and if tongue tie is suspected they will refer for assessment through a locally agreed pathway; this is often a paediatrician referral, or some areas have a midwifery led service.
The table below provides counts of finished admission episodes where there was a primary or secondary diagnosis of ankyloglossia ("tongue-tie") for 2011-12 to 2013-14 broken down by patient age.
Common definitions of the word newborn can include babies up until 28 days of age. For clarity the table breaks down our response into the following categories, under 1 day, 1 - 6 days, 7 - 28 days, 1 - 3 months. The table excludes patients older than three months.
It should be noted that this is not a count of people as the same person may have had more than one admission episode within the same time period.
Year | |||
Age group | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 |
Less than 1 day | 7,505 | 8,762 | 11,572 |
1 - 6 days | 589 | 677 | 728 |
7 - 28 days | 1,595 | 1,499 | 1,346 |
1 - under 3 months | 1,218 | 1,018 | 1,214 |
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre
No central assessment of the effect of the provision of infant feeding specialists on the early detection and treatment of tongue-tie in infant has been made. The provision of infant feeding specialists is decided at a local level.
The Department does not set the content and standard of training for healthcare professionals. The issuing of clinical guidance is the responsibility of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
To assist the NHS, NICE considered the division of tongue tie in depth in July 2004. Current NICE guidelines recommend when considering division of tongue-tie, healthcare professionals should be sure that the parents or carers understand what is involved and consent to the treatment, and the results of the procedure are monitored. In line with NICE guidelines, NHS England expects healthcare professionals to discuss the benefits and risks with the parents or carers of any child.
Ultimately it is for the NHS locally to ensure appropriate services are available for the diagnosis and treatment of tongue-tie. Some babies with tongue-tie can still feed properly and do not need any treatment. If the condition is causing problems with feeding, health professionals should discuss the options with parents and agree the most appropriate form of treatment. For some babies, extra help and support with breastfeeding is all that is needed. If this does not help, the tongue-tie needs to be divided by a registered practitioner.
Health visitors complete a breastfeeding assessment at the new birth visit and if tongue tie is suspected they will refer for assessment through a locally agreed pathway; this is often a paediatrician referral, or some areas have a midwifery led service.
The table below provides counts of finished admission episodes where there was a primary or secondary diagnosis of ankyloglossia ("tongue-tie") for 2011-12 to 2013-14 broken down by patient age.
Common definitions of the word newborn can include babies up until 28 days of age. For clarity the table breaks down our response into the following categories, under 1 day, 1 - 6 days, 7 - 28 days, 1 - 3 months. The table excludes patients older than three months.
It should be noted that this is not a count of people as the same person may have had more than one admission episode within the same time period.
Year | |||
Age group | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 |
Less than 1 day | 7,505 | 8,762 | 11,572 |
1 - 6 days | 589 | 677 | 728 |
7 - 28 days | 1,595 | 1,499 | 1,346 |
1 - under 3 months | 1,218 | 1,018 | 1,214 |
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre
No central assessment of the effect of the provision of infant feeding specialists on the early detection and treatment of tongue-tie in infant has been made. The provision of infant feeding specialists is decided at a local level.
Annual incidence data concerning the number of peoplediagnosed with coeliac disease in England is not collected and there are no plans to establish a national register for people in England with this condition. However, the clinical guideline Coeliac disease: Recognition and assessment of coeliac disease, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellencein 2009,estimates that coeliac disease may be present in up to 1 in 100 of the population.
No estimate has been made of the potential long-term costs to the National Health Service in England of un-managed coeliac disease and other nutritional disorders.
Annual incidence data concerning the number of peoplediagnosed with coeliac disease in England is not collected and there are no plans to establish a national register for people in England with this condition. However, the clinical guideline Coeliac disease: Recognition and assessment of coeliac disease, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellencein 2009,estimates that coeliac disease may be present in up to 1 in 100 of the population.
No estimate has been made of the potential long-term costs to the National Health Service in England of un-managed coeliac disease and other nutritional disorders.
We have made no recent estimate.
However, we are aware that some local assessments of these schemes have been undertaken and details of these are available at:
www.coeliac.org.uk/healthcare-professionals/resources/community-pharmacy-supply-of-gluten-free-foods/
NHS England can commission a gluten-free food supply service as a local enhanced pharmaceutical service in the light of local need. Neither we nor NHS England have plans to issue guidance on these schemes.
We have made no recent estimate.
However, we are aware that some local assessments of these schemes have been undertaken and details of these are available at:
www.coeliac.org.uk/healthcare-professionals/resources/community-pharmacy-supply-of-gluten-free-foods/
NHS England can commission a gluten-free food supply service as a local enhanced pharmaceutical service in the light of local need. Neither we nor NHS England have plans to issue guidance on these schemes.
The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme is designed to complement our humanitarian aid efforts and is based on need rather than fulfilling a quota. The scheme is designed to help particularly vulnerable Syrian refugees
displaced by the Syrian crisis who cannot be supported effectively in the region, particularly survivors of torture and violence, women and children at risk and those in need of medical care. We are working closely with the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to identify the most vulnerable people displaced by the conflict and UNHCR are best placed to ensure that the corresponding referrals are responsive to need.
Of the 90 people granted Humanitarian Protection under the VPR scheme up to the end of September 2014, 23 are Principal Applicants and 67 are dependant family members.
Statistics on arrivals are published through our official statistics at quarterly intervals and no further details on the number of arrivals will be available until the next publication on 26 February, which will include numbers
to the year ending December 2014. These will be available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release
The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme is designed to complement our humanitarian aid efforts and is based on need rather than fulfilling a quota. The scheme is designed to help particularly vulnerable Syrian refugees
displaced by the Syrian crisis who cannot be supported effectively in the region, particularly survivors of torture and violence, women and children at risk and those in need of medical care. We are working closely with the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to identify the most vulnerable people displaced by the conflict and UNHCR are best placed to ensure that the corresponding referrals are responsive to need.
Of the 90 people granted Humanitarian Protection under the VPR scheme up to the end of September 2014, 23 are Principal Applicants and 67 are dependant family members.
Statistics on arrivals are published through our official statistics at quarterly intervals and no further details on the number of arrivals will be available until the next publication on 26 February, which will include numbers
to the year ending December 2014. These will be available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release