The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-02-09.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with which local authorities and combined authorities his Department is in discussions on retention of Stamp Duty income by local bodies.
Greg Hands
Proposals are developed by and belong to local areas, therefore publication of proposals is a matter for individual places. Agreed devolution deal documents are published on the gov.uk website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who had been classified as unfit to work because of a mental health problem were issued with a benefit sanction in each year since 2010.
Priti Patel
The information requested for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) sanctions is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Please note that the medical condition recorded on the claim form does not itself confer entitlement to ESA so, for example, a decision on entitlement for a customer claiming ESA on the basis of a mental health condition is based on the claimant’s ability to carry out the range of activities related to physical and mental function, assessed by the Work Capability Assessment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2016 to Question 31329, on deportation: EU nationals, how many of the EEA foreign national offenders awaiting deportation are (a) in immigration removal centres, (b) in custody or other form of detention, (c) on bail and (d) living in the community.
James Brokenshire
Removals have been increasing year on year since 2010. In 2015, we removed 5,602 FNOs and over 29,000 foreign national offenders have been removed since 2010.
Our records indicate that as of December 2015, there were 4,217 EEA foreign national offenders awaiting deportation.
Of which:
2,748 are still serving a custodial sentence
A total of 302 are time served detained in immigration removal centres (IRC) and prisons. (242 in IRCs and 60 in prison)
1,167 are living in the community.
Of the above, for those detained and living in the community (1,469), the time since the end of their custodial sentence is as follows:
Less than one month 50
One to three months 84
Three to six months 58
Six to nine months 60
Nine to 12 months 49
One to two years 132
More than two years 80
No UK conviction or sentence end date not recorded 956
Total 1,469
(1) The figures quoted have been derived from management information from the Home Office databases and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
(2) FNOs living in the community include those released by an Immigration Judge, those released by the Secretary of State and those with oversees convictions who may not have received a custodial sentence in the UK.
(3) The data provided is up to December 2015. This is not routinely published data. General protocol is that the figures should not breach the National Statistics, so we are not able to disclose figures that are for a later period than those that we have published. Published figures are available up to 31 December 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) translation services and (b) other specialist provisions the Government provides to unaccompanied asylum seeking children from Eritrea.
James Brokenshire
All unaccompanied asylum seeking children, including those from Eritrea, are provided with an interpreter where necessary, access to legal advice, and are referred to the Refugee Council children’s panel.
Unaccompanied asylum seeking children are placed in the care of local authority children’s services and have access to the same support as all other looked after children.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-06-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assistance her Department provides to UK-based companies seeking to export energy and fuel; and if she will make a statement.
Andrea Leadsom
For electricity, the Government supports the development of interconnectors to other markets. These allow cross-border trade in electricity, determined by market prices. The GB system currently has 4GW of capacity, and in the Budget the Chancellor set out that it is in British consumers interests that this increases by at least 9GW. This will improve our security of supply, deliver significant benefits to consumers, and help integrate more low carbon generation into the system.
On oil products, DECC policy is to secure a competitive market for suppliers by ensuring smarter regulation and addressing market distortions meaning UK companies – well established in the global oil markets – are freely able to export and import the fuels we need.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what reports he has received on whether a UK-made cluster munition was (a) found and (b) used in Yemen in the last two years.
Mike Penning
Amnesty International wrote to the Prime Minister on 23 May 2016, and to the Ministry of Defence on 3 June 2016, on the alleged use of UK-produced BL-755 cluster munitions by the Saudi-led coallition in Yeman.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on how many occasions bed occupancy rates were (a) 85, (b) 90, (c) 95 and (d) 100 per cent in each hospital trust in Nottinghamshire in each of the last five years.
Ben Gummer
Official statistics for average daily occupancy rates for beds open overnight are published every quarter by NHS England on its website at the following address:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/bed-availability-and-occupancy/
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2015-12-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will set up a dedicated correspondence team in her Department to liaise with applicants solicitors on the processing of asylum claims.
James Brokenshire
Asylum Operations has existing processes that ensure claimants and legal representatives have contact details should they wish to discuss case progression. In addition, all claimants and representatives are kept informed should an initial decision on their asylum claim be delayed, with this correspondence outlining the reason for delay and providing an approximate timescale as to when a decision can be expected.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to tackle skills shortages in the construction industry.
Nick Boles
The Construction Industry Training Board’s (CITB) Construction Skills Network estimates224,000 new construction jobs are set to be created throughout the UK in the next five years. This means that more than 44,000 jobs could be created every year for the next five years.
According to CITB estimates, 19% of UK construction workers are aged 55+, and are set to retire in the next 10 years (406,000 people), creating equivalent replace demand.
The Government has no estimate of the number of construction workers expected to leave the industry due to ill-health.
The Government is committed to significantly increasing the quantity and quality of all apprenticeships in England to 3 million starts by 2020; the construction industry will have an important part to play in achieving this target. Development of skilled labour can only be achieved with engagement of the industry. Construction employers in England are engaged in the Trailblazer process to develop apprenticeship standards that are fit for business, and we have announced a new apprenticeships levy which will put investment in training, and apprenticeships specifically, on a long-term, sustainable footing. CITB returned over £42m last year, supporting 18,500 first, second and third year construction apprentices.
Initiatives, by the Construction Leadership Council, or through the CITB are seeking to encourage more young people into construction careers. This work includes the launch of the GO-Construct website and work with the National Careers Service and Construction Ambassadors for schools. The CITB has also developed a range of initiatives, working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions, the Armed Forces resettlement service and Local Enterprise Partnerships, to encourage experienced individuals into the sector.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Robinson on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential role of cranberries can play in reducing the frequency of prescribing antibiotics for simple infections such as urinary tract infections.
Jane Ellison
The research database, Cochrane, published a study in 2012 which assessed the effectiveness of cranberry products in preventing urinary tract infections in susceptible populations. Researchers found that there is no objective evidence for the benefit of cranberry juice in preventing urinary tract infections. Therefore the Department has not taken steps to promote the consumption of cranberry products.
The UK five year Antimicrobial Resistance strategy set out the need to stimulate the development of new antibiotics, rapid diagnostics and novel therapies. The DH commissioned the Wellcome Trust to undertake a review of alternative treatments in 2014. The review concluded that while many approaches have potential, there is a continued need for conventional antibiotics to treat the majority of infections for the foreseeable future.
A paper, summarising the review “alternatives to antibiotics – a pipeline portfolio review” was published in the Lancet in January 2016. This is available at the following link:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(15)00466-1