The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2015 to Question 18925, which visits referred to that (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department made included a visit to a food bank.
Justin Tomlinson
The Department does not hold the information requested. Ministers have conducted visits to food banks in various capacities, including in their roles as Members of Parliament.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-01-22.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the increasing current account deficit on the UK economy.
Harriett Baldwin
Despite narrowing in Q3 2015 to -3.7 per cent of GDP, the current account deficit remains high by historical standards. The widening in the UK current account deficit in recent years has been driven by a deterioration in the UK’s net investment income from abroad, while the trade deficit has continued to improve. The Office for Budget Responsibility expect the income account to “improve gradually over the forecast period” as the factors that have temporarily depressed the returns on the UK’s net assets are expected to recede, and the current account deficit continues to narrow to -2.1 per cent by 2020. Furthermore, the government’s plan to complete the repair of the public finances will support a gradual narrowing of the current account deficit, limiting any effect on the exchange rate, though we remain vigilant to the risks.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-02-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to eradicate new psychoactive substances across the prison estate; and if he will make a statement.
Andrew Selous
We take a zero tolerance approach to drugs in prison and there are already a range of robust measures in place to detect drugs, including the use of search dogs and intelligence-led searches. More than 300 dogs have received specialist training to detect NPS. We recently introduced tough new laws which will see those who smuggle packages over prison walls, including new psychoactive substances, face up to two years in prison. Those who involve themselves in the distribution of drugs in our prisons should know that they will face prosecution and extra time behind bars.
We have begun a pilot to test for the use of psychoactive substances, and in April 2016, we plan to introduce widespread mandatory drug testing of prisoners for psychoactive substances. Those who are found to have used psychoactive substances will face sanctions under prison rules, including by having days added to their time in custody.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-03-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to limiting the proportion of places that schools can allocate using religious admissions criteria, in line with the cap that currently exists for free schools.
Lord Nash
The Government greatly values the contribution that existing church and faith schools play in our education system, including those of free schools, and we have no plans to change their admission arrangements since they are providing places for the communities they serve.
Not all faith schools choose to allocate places by faith. It is for the admission authority of the school to decide whether or not to include faith-based priorities within their oversubscription criteria.
When constructing faith-based oversubscription criteria, including deciding how membership or practice of the faith will be determined, admission authorities must have regard to the guidance of their relevant religious authority and their arrangements must comply with the statutory School Admissions Code.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mancroft on 2016-04-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government on which specific NICE guidance NHS England based its decision to restrict access to new treatments for hepatitis C to 10,000 patients in 2016–17.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The planning approach for hepatitis C is set out in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Technology Appraisals 363, 364 and 365 which require Operational Delivery Networks to prioritise treatment for patients with the highest unmet clinical need. We understand from NHS England that the figure of 10,000 patients reflects NICE modelling used for its recommendations and published alongside the guidance.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how her Department plans to publish data gathered from border exit checks.
James Brokenshire
Exit checks were introduced in April 2015. They will, over a period of time, provide us with a range of insights into the behaviours of migrants and how they comply with restrictions placed upon their length of stay in the UK.
Data collected from exit checks is a record of cross border movement. It may in the future help inform but will not in itself answer questions on emigration.
The Home Office has announced that it is considering the use of exit checks data for statistical reporting and intends to publish an initial evaluation of the use of exit checks for this purpose. The evaluation will be a technical assessment of the analysis carried out thus far and of the further analysis necessary to better understand short, medium, and long term opportunities.
The initial evaluation of the use of exit checks will be published on 25 August to coincide with the next quarterly immigration statistics release.
Publication of the initial evaluation on the use of exit checks will be on the GOV.UK website
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-07.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of public bodies across government.
Matthew Hancock
This government will streamline the public bodies landscape through a robust programme of “tailored reviews” overseen by the Cabinet Office and department-led transformation programmes. Non-ministerial departments, non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies will be reviewed once per parliament. These reviews will examine whether their functions should still be delivered at arm’s length, and if so, aim to increase their efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability. This builds on the public bodies reform programme delivered from 2010-15, which successfully produced fewer, more accountable, and more efficient public bodies.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the Government plans to continue to participate in the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control after the UK leaves the EU.
Mr David Jones
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17th October 2016 to the Question 47173.
Nothing has yet been decided on whether the UK will continue participation in the European Centre for Disease Control after leaving the European Union. Officials in both the Department of Health and the Department for Exiting the European Union are considering the position and options available to us with the aim of achieving the best outcome for the UK health system and for the UK as a whole.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barbara Keeley on 2015-11-09.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of in-work households in Salford in receipt of tax credits with an underlying entitlement to working tax credit in each of the last five years had not had a claim with an underlying entitlement to working tax credit in the proceeding tax year.
Damian Hinds
The answers are only available at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has made to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees with regards to the Calais refugee camp.
James Brokenshire
The management of the migrant camps in Calais is the responsibility of the French Government. This includes decisions on whether to involve any particular organisation in the camps’ management.
The UK Government notes however the welcome given by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to the joint declaration to address the issues in Calais signed by the UK and France on 20 August 2015. The UNHCR welcomed the plan to move migrants away from Calais to suitable facilities elsewhere in France and the effort to identify those vulnerable to trafficking, particularly women and children. Both Governments agree with the UNHCR that Calais is a symptom of the wider migration issue facing Europe, which must be addressed.