The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-11-25.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on the number of people who have lost money through telephone scams (a) in each region and (b) in each of the last five years.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-12-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress her Department has made on achieving the goals of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
Mr Nick Hurd
The UK Government is fully committed to global polio eradication and is the third largest donor to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, providing £300 million for 2013 to 2019.
UK funding has contributed, as part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, to a greater than 99% decrease in polio cases since 1988, with no cases reported in Africa for over a year. Only two countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, are now reporting cases of wild polio, meaning we are now closer than ever to global eradication.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Tugendhat on 2016-01-27.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department has taken to ensure transparency of commission and other charges levied by financial advisers during the sale of financial products to individuals.
Harriett Baldwin
Adviser remuneration is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Through the Retail Distribution Review (RDR), introduced at the end of 2012, the FCA has taken a number of steps to ensure that adviser remuneration on retail investment business is disclosed in advance of any services required. Product providers no longer have any influence over the remuneration received for advising on investments. Where commission remains on investments sold prior to the RDR, this will have been disclosed as required by the rules in force at the time the product was sold.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-02-19.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the Prudential Regulation Authority on the level of risk at (a) financial institutions with high energy market exposure and (b) such institutions which have issued loans to the North Sea oil industry.
Harriett Baldwin
The Chancellor set out the government’s view on the challenges facing the UK economy in a speech on 7 January. The transcript of the speech is available from www.gov.uk/government/speeches/chancellor-on-challenges-facing-uk-economy-in-2016. The Chancellor and other Ministers meet regularly with regulators and the Bank of England. In addition, the Bank of England’s Financial Stability Report sets out an analysis, which can be found here:
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/Pages/fsr/2015/dec.aspx
The Financial Policy Committee’s (FPC) stress test results in December 2015 suggest that the major UK banks would be resilient to a sustained commodity price downturn.
The UK now has a robust system of financial regulation, where the regulators have clear objectives and powers to deal with risks to the financial sector. The Government established the FPC to identify, monitor and address systemic risks to financial stability.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-03-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent discussions he has had with universities on the wide implementation of the Race Equality Charter Mark.
Joseph Johnson
The Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) is a higher education sector body that supports equality and diversity for staff and students across the UK. They developed and launched the Race Equality Charter (REC) in January 2016, with the aim of improving the representation, progression and success of minority ethnic staff and students within higher education. Institutions can apply for a Bronze or Silver REC award, depending on their level of progress.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has set a goal of increasing by 20% the number of BME students in higher education by 2020. In guidance to the Director of Fair Access, which we published on 11 February, we ask him to maximise the contribution of Access Agreements towards this ambition.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gale on 2016-04-19.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 4 April (HL7369), when the policy team is expected to report back on key aspects of the work on neurology and how those aspects can be taken forward through alternative mechanisms and partners; and whether or not that report will be published.
Lord Prior of Brampton
As previously set out, NHS England has been reviewing its National Clinical Director (NCD) resource. This review has been designed to focus clinical advisory resources on areas where major programmes of work are currently being taking forward, or areas identified as priorities for improvement.
Whilst there will no longer be a specific NCD role for neurology, NHS England will continue to secure expert clinical advice through clinical leads and members of the NHS England-funded neurology clinical networks, the Neurology Clinical Reference Group and Royal Colleges.
More information on these arrangements will be available in June 2016. There is no specific report being published.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Mills on 2016-05-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of potential links between hand hygiene compliance levels across the NHS and rates of C. Difficile bacteraemia in 2015.
Ben Gummer
Tackling healthcare associated infections is complex and requires a strong patient safety system that integrates cleanliness, infection prevention and control and antibiotic use. Hand hygiene is an important component and we continuously review and enhance national measures, systems and guidance. For example hand hygiene references in The Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice for prevention and control of infections and related guidance, were strengthened when it was revised in 2015. It will also form part of forthcoming guidance on reducing Gram negative infections such as E. coli.
Auditing of hand hygiene is a local responsibility and information on hand hygiene compliance is not collected centrally. Therefore, no national assessment has been made of the potential links between hand hygiene compliance levels and the above infections.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen McPartland on 2016-07-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment has he made of the effect of high car parking charges on the viability of town centre economies; and if he will make a statement.
Andrew Percy
The department does not centrally collect data on high parking charges. Local authorities are responsible for setting local parking charges taking account of local circumstances.
We want local authorities to adopt policies that support local town centres, and have recently consulted on "Strengthening Local Government Transparency". The consultation included a proposal to increase the amount of information local authorities would need to publish on parking thereby helping local communities to better understand what revenues were being raised from parking.
The intention of this proposed change would be to encourage a better local dialogue between communities and the local authorities that represent them about what appropriate parking charge levels should be.
We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Prisk on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the application of band E energy efficiency standards on the amount of industrial and commercial property available for UK businesses.
Jesse Norman
The private rented sector Energy Performance Certificate band E minimum energy efficiency standard was established in the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015.
The Impact Assessment published alongside the 2015 Regulations estimated that, as of 2014, approximately 200,000 non-domestic private rented sector properties in England and Wales had an energy performance rating below E, representing approximately 18% of the total non-domestic rental stock. The Department does not anticipate that the application of the regulations will have any effect on the availability of this property for UK businesses.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans his Department has to improve access for children in rural areas to high-quality cultural and historical exhibits.
Mr Edward Vaizey
This Government is ensuring that all children have the opportunity to experience a broad selection of art and cultural activities regardless of where they live or go to school. Since 2012, the Government has invested over £460 million in music and cultural education programmes. In addition, publicly funded arts organisations across the country run excellent education programmes to help children experience the arts, including the Arts Council’s Cultural Education Challenge, which encourages the local cultural education partnerships. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport also funds the Heritage Schools Programme to help schools across the country make use of their local historic environment.