Category: Speeches

  • David Warburton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Warburton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Warburton on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has conducted an impact assessment of (a) the proposed changes to the dividend tax system and (b) other measures in the Finance Bill 2016 on lower-earning micro-business owners.

    Mr David Gauke

    At the Summer Budget 2015 the Chancellor announced that the dividend tax credit will be replaced by a new £5,000 tax-free dividend allowance from April 2016. A Tax Information and Impact Note setting out expected impacts was published on 9 December on GOV.UK. Impact assessments have been produced for all measures in the Finance Bill 2016.

  • Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will uprate the income threshold for carer’s allowance in line with the forthcoming increase in the minimum wage.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance which is not linked to the number of hours worked is currently £110 per week (net of certain expenses). It was increased to £110 in April 2015 – an increase of nearly 8%, which far outstripped the growth in earnings.

    The Government keeps the earnings limit under review and keeps under consideration whether an increase in the threshold is warranted and affordable.

  • Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether NHS England requires mental health and social care trusts to monitor the effect on service users of service closures.

    Alistair Burt

    The Government is clear the reconfiguration of front line health services is a matter for the local National Health Service. Services should be tailored to meet the needs of the local population, and proposals for substantial service change must meet the four tests of reconfiguration which are (i) support from general practitioner commissioners (ii) strengthened public and patient engagement (iii) clarity on the clinical evidence base and (iv) support for patient choice.

    Any proposals for NHS service reconfiguration, including closure of services, must include a robust case for change and impact assessment. NHS England’s good practice guide for commissioners on service reconfiguration advises that:

    ― Following the decision on which option to take forward, an implementation plan should be set out on how the changes will be taken forward, when and by whom. The plan should identify a clear benefits realisation timetable with key milestones against which progress can be monitored. NHS England’s local teams will offer commissioners support, guidance and ongoing assurance through the implementation phase.

    The guidance and the assurance process is designed to ensure the outcomes and effects of proposed service changes are taken into account at an early stage. Local commissioners and providers routinely monitor patient outcomes.

    The good practice guide can be found here:

    https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/plan-ass-deliv-serv-chge.pdf

    “

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has issued to local education authorities on setting admission criteria for oversubscribed primary schools.

    Nick Gibb

    School admission authorities are responsible for setting admissions criteria for their schools. The statutory School Admissions Code sets out the requirements which all admission authorities must comply with when setting their admissions criteria. It can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/389388/School_Admissions_Code_2014_-_19_Dec.pdf

    “

  • Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-06-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was NHS England’s expenditure in 2015–16 on (1) cancer, (2) HIV, (3) cystic fibrosis, (4) multiple sclerosis, and (5) hepatitis C, and what is the UK planned expenditure in 2016–17 on each.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Planned spend figures for specialised commissioning by NHS England at programme of care level are not generally available. However, the hepatitis C budget for 2016/17 has been published and is £191 million.

    Actual spend levels by NHS England are analysed to provide a breakdown for the previous year. An exercise to establish these figures is due to begin shortly.

    Services for Multiple Sclerosis are commissioned mainly by clinical commissioning groups and spend data is not collected centrally.

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2016-09-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 4 April (HL7139), whether they have published their vision and business case for improved recycling, and if so, what action they are now taking to follow it up with a plan to deliver simplified and consistent recycling collection systems.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The framework for greater consistency in household recycling in England, devised by Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and an Advisory Group was published on 13 September. The framework, along with the supporting evidence and case studies, is available on WRAP’s website.

    There are various work streams continuing under the framework WRAP is also working with a number of councils that would like to explore the business case and introduce service changes in line with the consistency framework.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much has been spent on flood defences in Dartford in the last 12 months; and what such spending is planned in the next 12 months.

    Rory Stewart

    Over the past twelve months, the Environment Agency has spent over £240,000 maintaining flood defence assets in the Dartford borough. During the next twelve months the Environment Agency expects to spend over £300,000 for this purpose.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Debbie Abrahams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will commission research on the proportion of public and private service providers which offer access to their services through video relay.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Annual correspondence with the FTSE 100 companieshas indicated that from 2013 to present there has been a steady increase in the number of companies that provide video relay. With regards to public sector, DWP plan to launch a pilot service by the end of the year.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department’s policy is on its officials engaging in secondary employment.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Staff are permitted to take up secondary employment providing it does not affect or impinge upon their work for the FCO. They are required to obtain prior written approval before accepting secondary employment and may also be required to sign an agreement to opt out of working time limits in their second job if it would mean they exceed the maximum number of weekly average hours under the Working Time Regulations.

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department plans to take with insurance companies to ensure that savings from Flood Re are passed on to consumers in flood-risk areas.

    Rory Stewart

    Through the prices it charges insurers that cede policies to it, Flood Re will enable insurers to offer subsidised premiums, set by council Tax bands or equivalent, and reduced excesses to those at the highest risk of flooding. This is a competitive market and insurers are confident there will be a wide range of products available to consumers under Flood Re. It will remain important that households continue to shop around to ensure they can access the best prices.

    Flood Re will regularly monitor the accessibility and affordability of insurance for those at high flood risk. Defra and Flood Re will evaluate the success of the scheme at least every five years.