Category: Speeches

  • Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to introduce lifetime awards for people assessed as requiring the upper personal independence payment allowance mobility component who have been diagnosed with muscle degenerative diseases or conditions.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Personal Independence Payment is specifically designed to ensure that the benefit is awarded to those with the greatest need and the award review process is integral to ensuring this happens. Under Disability Living Allowance over 70% of all claims had no review built-in, meaning that claimants could have been receiving too much or too little in benefit.

    We take a personalised approach to setting the length of awards, varying the frequency and format of awards and reviews depending on the individual’s needs and the likelihood of their health condition or impairment changing.

    Where the claimant has high levels of functional impairment which are only likely to increase or not improve, it is likely that the claimant will receive an enhanced rate of benefit and a longer term award.

    We recognise that it is important to ensure that the review process is applied sensitively and appropriately. As such, it is likely that the awards of such claimants would also go through a less intensive review process which may not, if all the necessary information is held, include a face-to-face assessment.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average time taken is for an academy school to be re-brokered to another academy sponsor.

    Edward Timpson

    Where an academy is not meeting the required standard or needs a change of sponsor, the Regional Schools Commissioner strives to ensure that this change happens as quickly as possible, with minimum impact to the school. The Department does not hold a central record of the time taken for re-brokerage.

    The Education and Adoption Act 2016 gives Regional Schools Commissioners powers to tackle underperformance in academies more quickly, by allowing them to terminate their funding agreement and re-broker an academy as soon as it is judged inadequate by Ofsted or identified as coasting.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department takes to vet directors of multi-academy trusts; and if she will make a statement.

    Edward Timpson

    Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) are responsible for appointing trustees with the right skills to deliver their functions effectively. Our model articles require MATs to ensure that both trustees and those serving on any local governing bodies at individual academies within the MAT have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. MATs’ Articles of Association also set out the circumstances by which someone is disqualified from being a trustee, including conviction of a criminal offence or bankruptcy. A trustee can be removed by the board under the Companies Act 2006.

    Regional Schools Commissioners check that the trustees of a MAT have the necessary skills and expertise before the funding agreement of an academy or free school joining the MAT is signed. We may also conduct checks to make an assessment of a MAT trustee’s suitability, where deemed necessary. The Secretary of State can bar a person from taking part in the management of a MAT under the Education Act 2008.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, to what extent NICE has involved external stakeholders and charities in reviewing how well the incremental cost effectiveness ratio is working in making new cancer medicines available to patients on the NHS.

    Nicola Blackwood

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has advised that it has not been asked to review how well the application of the cost effectiveness methodology is working in making new cancer medicines available to patients on the National Health Service.

    NICE periodically reviews its methods and processes for the development of guidance to ensure that they remain appropriate. NICE most recently consulted on changes to its methods for the appraisal of new cancer medicines in November 2015 as part of the consultation on the new operating model for the Cancer Drugs Fund.

  • Lord Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hussain on 2016-10-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the government of India’s recent refusal to allow access to representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to investigate possible human rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir, what representations they are making to the government of India to enable those investigations to be undertaken.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of reports of human rights abuses in Indian-administered Kashmir. Any allegation of human rights abuse in any country is a matter of concern and should be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently.

  • Natalie McGarry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Natalie McGarry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Natalie McGarry on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) Glasgow and (d) Glasgow East constituency who had claimed carer’s allowance immediately prior to attaining state pension age have ceased to be eligible to claim that allowance upon their receipt of the state pension since (i) January 2015, (ii) January 2014, (iii) January 2013, (iv) January 2012, (v) January 2011, (vi) May 2010 and (vii) January 2010.

    Justin Tomlinson

    There is no upper age limit to claiming Carer’s Allowance, so reaching State Pension age does not automatically remove eligibility to Carer’s Allowance.

    However, both Carer’s Allowance and State Pension serve to help replace income forgone, so social security rules operate to prevent them being paid together as that would be a duplicate provision for the same need. But, if a carer’s State Pension is less than Carer’s Allowance, State Pension is paid and topped up with Carer’s Allowance to the basic weekly rate of Carer’s Allowance, which is currently £62.10.

    Where Carer’s Allowance cannot be paid, the person will keep underlying entitlement to the benefit. This gives access to the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit, currently worth up to £34.60 a week, and even if a pensioner’s income is above the limit for Pension Credit, he or she may still be able to receive Housing Benefit.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Margaret Ferrier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2015-12-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the Scottish economy of devolution of corporation tax to Northern Ireland.

    Mr David Gauke

    Devolution of a corporation tax rate-setting power to the Northern Ireland Assembly has the potential to help rebalance the Northern Ireland economy. The UK Government will activate this power if the Northern Ireland parties meet their commitments in the Stormont House Agreement, which includes demonstrating that its finances are on a sustainable footing for the long-term.

    It is not possible to determine the exact impact of devolution on any other parts of the UK as any impact will depend on a number of factors, including the rate set and when the regime comes into effect. But a thriving, prosperous Northern Ireland will have benefits for the whole UK economy, not just Northern Ireland.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2016 to Question 21066, if she will provide matching data for each other region of the UK.

    Mike Penning

    Regional information relating to service standards for each year since 2012 cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

    However, information relating to DBS performance at police force level is held on the Gov.UK website and can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dbs-performance

  • Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2016-02-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated reduction in the number of local authority right-to-buy applications annually as a result of the introduction of fixed-term tenancies.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Right to Buy will continue to apply to new fixed-term tenancies as it already does to flexible tenancies. Tenants will still be able to fulfil their aspirations of owning their own home.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress he has made on the formation of the cross-ministerial working group on illicit trade.

    Damian Hinds

    I remain committed to sponsoring work across government to tackle illicit tobacco. This requires a full understanding of cross-government policy on tobacco, tobacco control and efforts to tackle illicit tobacco. This is a complex picture and I have asked officials in HMRC to work with other departments to ensure that we have this context to identify the challenges and opportunities in the UK and internationally and determine a clear agenda for ministerial action. This work is continuing.