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  • Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many secure places there are in the South West region for children with mental health conditions involving violent behaviour.

    Norman Lamb

    We are advised that there are no secure services for children commissioned by NHS England in the South West. There are services commissioned in other areas used by children from the South West area.

    We understand that NHS England has identified a number of actions needed to reduce the number of long distance transfers within the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, and is currently considering how to take this forward including any necessary tendering for services in due course.

  • Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many probation officers his Department plans to recruit in the next 12 months; in which countries those posts will be advertised; and what his Department’s budget for that advertising is.

    Jeremy Wright

    A campaign is in progress to recruit graduates to train as probation officers. It is being advertised on United Kingdom websites only and will be tailored to the overall staffing needs across probation. Funding for the advertising campaign is found from within the overall budget, but does not form a separate budget item.

  • Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Leader of the House, how many questions to each department did not receive a substantive answer by the time of prorogation; and how long each question had been waiting for an answer.

    Mr Andrew Lansley

    This information is not held centrally and would be a matter for the individual departments concerned.

    My office collates wider departmental performance information for Ordinary and Named Day Parliamentary Questions, which I submit in relation to each session to the Procedure Committee. Each department is required to set out in its evidence to the Procedure Committee, any factors which have caused delays in answering written questions.

    Statistics relating to departmental performance for the 2012/13, 2010/12 and 2009/10 Parliamentary sessions were previously provided to the Committee and are available on the Parliament website. I expect to provide data for the last Parliamentary session shortly.

  • Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of seafarer fatigue on maritime safety; and what steps his Department is taking to enforce manning levels on vessels.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch were active participants in the multi-partner HORIZON research project, an EC-funded study, which used simulators to identify the effect on seafarers of working hours and interrupted rest. The project report demonstrates conclusively the links between certain watch keeping patterns and the performance of seafarers (looking particularly at “sleepiness”).

    The Government is committed to reducing the effects of fatigue on maritime safety and the health of seafarers. The output from HORIZON has been used to provide practical guidance to seafarers. The MCA remains involved with research on seafarer fatigue with other industry stakeholders.

    MCA Surveyors routinely inspect UK ships and foreign flag ships in UK waters and verify hours of work records for compliance with the regulations, and check ships are safely manned in accordance the requirements of the International Maritime Organisation convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW).

    The UK is leading the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control Concentrated Inspection Campaign to ensure compliance with the hours of rest requirements of watchkeepers under STCW which will run from 1 September 2014 to 30 November 2014.

  • Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeffrey M. Donaldson on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans she has to reappoint the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    In May, I reappointed William Smith to the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland for a further five year term. There is currently one remaining vacancy in the position of member and I plan to launch a competition to fill this position in the autumn. This will ensure that the Commission will have its full complement of members well in advance of when preparations need to commence for the next review of Parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland, which is likely to be around late 2015.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Government’s proposed Deregulation Bill on tourism employment in England.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    At present, local authorities set term and holiday dates for about 30% of secondary schools and 70% of primary schools (around half of all registered pupils). The Deregulation Bill gives more schools the flexibility to make changes should they wish to, although the experience of the academies programme and voluntary aided (church) schools, suggests that only a small percentage of schools are likely to vary their term dates.

    The Department for Education has produced an assessment of the impact of the changes. Whilst there will be greater flexibility, we expect that sensible conversations between the local authority and schools on coordination will take place. Variations to term dates could also help businesses and employers, for example, in areas of high-seasonal employment where employees may welcome the chance to holiday outside of peak tourist periods. For example, Bishop Bronescombe School in St Austell has a two-week half term in May/June to accommodate parents’ seasonal employment patterns.

    A separate assessment of the specific impact on tourism related jobs in seaside towns or seaside economies has not been carried out.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the economic effects of deregulating school holidays on (a) tourism-related jobs in seaside and coastal areas and (b) seaside economies in general.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    At present, local authorities set term and holiday dates for about 30% of secondary schools and 70% of primary schools (around half of all registered pupils). The Deregulation Bill gives more schools the flexibility to make changes should they wish to, although the experience of the academies programme and voluntary aided (church) schools, suggests that only a small percentage of schools are likely to vary their term dates.

    The Department for Education has produced an assessment of the impact of the changes. Whilst there will be greater flexibility, we expect that sensible conversations between the local authority and schools on coordination will take place. Variations to term dates could also help businesses and employers, for example, in areas of high-seasonal employment where employees may welcome the chance to holiday outside of peak tourist periods. For example, Bishop Bronescombe School in St Austell has a two-week half term in May/June to accommodate parents’ seasonal employment patterns.

    A separate assessment of the specific impact on tourism related jobs in seaside towns or seaside economies has not been carried out.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions his Ministers or officials in his Department have had with colleagues in the Department for Education on the effect of deregulating school holidays on the tourism industry.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    DCMS officials meet with their Department for Education counterparts regularly and discuss a range of issues.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants in the Employment and Support Allowance Work Related Activity Group are currently on the Work Programme; and how many such claimants had the period before they were fit for work assessed as (a) up to three months, (b) three to six months, (c) six to 12 months and (d) over 12 months.

    Esther McVey

    The information we have in respect of both referrals and attachments, by prognosis group, are given in the table below:

    Number of Work Programme Referrals and Attachments by ESA prognosis Customer Groups, Great Britain: 1 June 2011 – 31 December 2013

    ESA Prognosis Customer Group

    Referrals

    Attachments

    All ESA WRAG

    242,510

    234,210

    ESA (c) WRAG Mandatory

    10,470

    9,990

    ESA (c) WRAG Voluntary

    1,060

    1,040

    ESA (IR) WRAG 12Mth Mandatory

    37,370

    35,560

    ESA (IR) WRAG 12Mth Voluntary

    1,970

    1,900

    ESA (IR) WRAG 3/6Mth Existing

    5,470

    5,230

    ESA (IR) WRAG 3/6 Mth Mandatory

    98,290

    96,100

    ESA (IR) WRAG 3/6 Mth Voluntary

    750

    730

    ESA (IR) WRAG 3/6 Mth Mandatory ExIB

    23,230

    22,590

    ESA (IR) WRAG 3/6 Mth Voluntary ExIB

    210

    210

    ESA Mandatory (IR) WRAG 12m

    42,710

    40,840

    ESA (IR) WRAG 12m Mandatory EXIB

    20,980

    20,040

    ESA Credit Only

    230

    210

    ESA (IR) Support Group

    360

    350

    ESA (c) Support Group

    100

    100

    ESA (IR) Support Group ExIB

    100

    100

    ESA (c) Support Group ExIB

    100

    90

         

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff will be employed in the specialist housing teams that will be established in univesral credit centres.

    Esther McVey

    A team exists to support current live service. This will expand as the rollout continues.