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  • David T. C. Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    David T. C. Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with Freeview about reasons to extend full Freeview services to (a) Monmouth constituency and (b) all other parts of the UK that are currently not provided with such services.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Ofcom estimates that 98.5% of UK households have access to 17 channels including those from the public service broadcasters (PSBs) on the digital terrestrial TV (DTT, or Freeview) platform, and that approximately 90% of UK households are also able to receive additional commercial DTT channels. Around 1.5% of UK households cannot easily receive DTT services with less than 0.5% not able to receive DTT services at all. However, DTT, cable and satellite digital television services together cover practically 100% of UK households, so that in all but the most exceptional of cases, everyone should be able to get digital television by one means or another. As well as subscription services, digital satellite TV offers non-subscription reception options for a one-off equipment and installation cost, but with no on-going monthly payments.

    We have had no discussions with Freeview or Digital UK, who manage the DTT platform, about extending services and there are no plans to require broadcasters to improve the DTT coverage levels agreed for digital television switchover in 2006.

    Purely commercial DTT services are not subject to the ‘near-universal’ coverage requirements which apply to PSB DTT services, and while the operators of the commercial DTT services were given the opportunity to extend their networks at the time of digital switchover, the operators determined that it was not commercially viable for them to build-out their services to additional transmitter sites.

  • David T. C. Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    David T. C. Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions the Government has had with representatives of Freeview about improving the number of channels on offer for people in rural areas.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Ofcom estimates that 98.5% of UK households have access to 17 channels including those from the public service broadcasters (PSBs) on the digital terrestrial TV (DTT, or Freeview) platform, and that approximately 90% of UK households are also able to receive additional commercial DTT channels. Around 1.5% of UK households cannot easily receive DTT services with less than 0.5% not able to receive DTT services at all. However, DTT, cable and satellite digital television services together cover practically 100% of UK households, so that in all but the most exceptional of cases, everyone should be able to get digital television by one means or another. As well as subscription services, digital satellite TV offers non-subscription reception options for a one-off equipment and installation cost, but with no on-going monthly payments.

    We have had no discussions with Freeview or Digital UK, who manage the DTT platform, about extending services and there are no plans to require broadcasters to improve the DTT coverage levels agreed for digital television switchover in 2006.

    Purely commercial DTT services are not subject to the ‘near-universal’ coverage requirements which apply to PSB DTT services, and while the operators of the commercial DTT services were given the opportunity to extend their networks at the time of digital switchover, the operators determined that it was not commercially viable for them to build-out their services to additional transmitter sites.

  • David T. C. Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    David T. C. Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the Government has to ensure that places where repeater transmitters are situated receive a full Freeview service.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Ofcom estimates that 98.5% of UK households have access to 17 channels including those from the public service broadcasters (PSBs) on the digital terrestrial TV (DTT, or Freeview) platform, and that approximately 90% of UK households are also able to receive additional commercial DTT channels. Around 1.5% of UK households cannot easily receive DTT services with less than 0.5% not able to receive DTT services at all. However, DTT, cable and satellite digital television services together cover practically 100% of UK households, so that in all but the most exceptional of cases, everyone should be able to get digital television by one means or another. As well as subscription services, digital satellite TV offers non-subscription reception options for a one-off equipment and installation cost, but with no on-going monthly payments.

    We have had no discussions with Freeview or Digital UK, who manage the DTT platform, about extending services and there are no plans to require broadcasters to improve the DTT coverage levels agreed for digital television switchover in 2006.

    Purely commercial DTT services are not subject to the ‘near-universal’ coverage requirements which apply to PSB DTT services, and while the operators of the commercial DTT services were given the opportunity to extend their networks at the time of digital switchover, the operators determined that it was not commercially viable for them to build-out their services to additional transmitter sites.

  • Julian Brazier – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Julian Brazier – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Brazier on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Attorney General, what discussions he has had with the Crown Prosecution Service about the 67 doctors who are accused of pre-signing abortion referral (HSA1) certificates.

    Mr Dominic Grieve

    I have had no specific discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service about pre-signing of abortion forms by the 67 doctors.

  • Julian Brazier – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Julian Brazier – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Brazier on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the prevalence of the pre-signing of abortion (HSA1) certificates since the conclusion of the Care Quality Commission’s 2012 investigations into abortion clinics.

    Jane Ellison

    The Care Quality Commission (CQC) previously investigated the prevalence of the pre-signing of abortion (HSA1) certificates due to a specific request in 2012. The CQC has put in place information for its own staff to help identify if pre-signing or other instances of non-compliance are taking place to make sure that such cases would be picked up during inspections. This is in line with how the CQC would handle any information of concern identified during an inspection.

    If a CQC inspection identifies pre-signing or other instances of non-compliance with the Health and Social Care Act and Regulations then appropriate regulatory action will be taken. This includes reporting any concerns in relation to termination of pregnancy practice to the Department. The Department has not received any notification of pre-signing of abortion certificates from the CQC since these inspections.

  • Julian Brazier – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Julian Brazier – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Brazier on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 380W, on developing countries: family planning, how much of her Department’s budget has been allocated to achieving the outcomes in her Department’s policy paper Safe and Unsafe Abortion in each of the last two years; and if she will make a statement.

    Lynne Featherstone

    DFID adheres to Development Co-Operation Directorate (OACD-DAC) expenditure coding requirements to allow comparison across donor spending towards attainment of the Millennium Development Goal targets. This measures against coding titles as have been internationally agreed. Only coding titles as have been internationally agreed can be individually disaggregated by DFID systems.

  • Julian Brazier – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Julian Brazier – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Brazier on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with the General Medical Council about the pre-signing of abortion certificates since January 2012.

    Jane Ellison

    Departmental officials have met with the General Medical Council (GMC) on several occasions since February 2012 where abortion issues, including pre-signing of abortion HSA1 certificates, were discussed. In addition, I also met with the GMC recently to discuss abortion issues.

  • Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what arrangements are in place to ensure that the pupil premium for service children is used for its intended purposes.

    Mr David Laws

    Headteachers are responsible for selecting the most appropriate interventions to support their service pupils, including pastoral support or interventions to improve attainment.

    They are held accountable for the use of this additional funding in two ways. Firstly, through the Ofsted inspection framework where inspectors focus on the attainment of different groups of pupils, including those who attract the service premium. Secondly, schools are required to publish online how much service pupil premium funding they receive, how it is spent and the impact it has made.

  • Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the pupil premium is available for pre-school children from service families; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Laws

    The pupil premium and the service children premium are additional resources provided to maintained schools and academies in England to support the education of 4-16 year-olds who meet the eligibility requirements.

    The Government has announced that a new early years pupil premium, worth £50 million, will be introduced from April 2015. It will give disadvantaged three- and four-year-old children better access to quality early education which evidence shows can have a major impact on their school readiness. The Government will consult later this year on how best to implement these proposals.

  • Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how armed forces veterans are identified when making an application for jobseeker’s allowance; and if he will make a statement.

    Esther McVey

    Armed Forces Veterans who claim Jobseeker’s Allowance are identified by the Work Coach at their initial Work Search interview.