The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) social and (b) affordable housing tenants in receipt of housing benefit who have paid rents in excess of local housing allowance rates in each of the last six years.
Justin Tomlinson
The information requested can only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what research his Department has commissioned on the (a) age profile of rural counties and (b) ability of older residents to generate business rates.
Mr Marcus Jones
The Office for National Statistics publish population estimates and population projections at the local authority level, broken down by age. We are not aware of any evidence to suggest a correlation between levels of business rates income and the age profile of residents.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Indian counterpart on the treatment of Sikhs campaigning for human rights in that country; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Hugo Swire
The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) discussed religious tolerance in India with Prime Minister Modi on 12 November 2015. Mr Modi reassured the British Government that he remained committed to diversity and fundamental freedoms. Mr Modi was clear in his commitment to and respect for India’s core values of tolerance and fundamental rights, as well as reaffirming the importance of social harmony and inclusive development. Mr Modi met a delegation of Sikh leaders during his visit to the UK in November 2015 and discussed a range of issues effecting the Sikh community in India. His visit, including his address at Wembley, highlighted the contribution that Sikh and other religious minority communities make to India, and to UK-India relations. I also discussed religious tolerance with the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh on 5 November.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many summer school programmes there were for disadvantaged students transitioning from primary to secondary school in (a) 2014 and (b) 2015.
Mr Sam Gyimah
In 2014, approximately 2,121 secondary schools received summer school grant funding. This figure rose to 2,259 in 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2016 to Question 31889, whether local authorities can instruct academy schools to admit children to meet their legal obligation; and whether it is her policy that local authorities will be able to instruct academy schools to admit children to meet their legal obligation under the proposed fully academised system.
Nick Gibb
Academy schools are their own admission authorities as are maintained voluntary aided and foundation schools. Such schools set their own admission policies and can only change them after consulting local people. Local authorities (LAs) can object to the Schools Adjudicator about an admission policy or a reduction in an admission number but cannot determine how many pupils such schools must admit.
LAs are able to launch a competition for a new free school and, in certain circumstances, place children through the local fair access protocol or, where a school does not agree to admit a child, seek to direct admission.
All state-funded schools are required to participate in the local in-year fair access protocol. Protocols allocate places to children who are unplaced by the start of the school year. Legislation also provides local authorities with powers to seek to direct the admission of children to maintained schools for which they are not the admission authority. Academy funding agreements contain similar direction powers.
Directions can be sought when there is no other school place within a reasonable distance or where a looked after child has been refused a place.
The Schools Adjudicator decides directions for maintained schools while the Education Funding Agency decides directions for academies on behalf of the Secretary of State.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-05-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the Housing and Planning Bill on housing associations that manage properties on behalf of councils.
Brandon Lewis
The Housing and Planning Bill intends to reduce the regulatory controls for private registered providers of social housing with the aim to reclassify housing associations as private organisations.
Through the Bill, the Secretary of State will have the power by affirmative regulations, to make provision for the purpose of limiting or removing the ability of local authorities to exert influence over private registered providers of social housing, through the nomination of board members and acting as shareholders. We will be discussing the potential impact of these regulations with some housing associations and local authorities, in advance of regulations being introduced later in 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Rayner on 2016-06-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve the standard of housing for service personnel.
Mark Lancaster
The Ministry of Defence is committed to improving the quality of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) provided to our Service personnel. 88% of SFA currently meet or exceed the decent homes standard. If a property fails to meet the standard, it will either be upgraded or disposed of.
Since financial year 2010-11 investment in housing has resulted in:
The separate installation of some 12,000 kitchens, bathrooms, or central heating systems and the insulation of 16,692 lofts.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to ask energy suppliers to reconsider the use of income-differential tariffs.
Jesse Norman
Energy supply companies are required to ensure customers are on the cheapest tariff that is in line with their preferences and specifically, as to their chosen payment method and to the type of tariff (fixed term or variable) they prefer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications for retrospective reviews for continuing healthcare in the North of England have been made in each of the last five years.
David Mowat
NHS England does not collect this information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2015-10-27.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support his Department is providing to the spirits industry in Scotland.
Damian Hinds
The government is committed to supporting the spirits industry in Scotland. The duty on spirits was cut by 2% at March Budget 2015, building on the duty freeze at Budget 2014. These measures have benefited the Scotch whisky industry in addition to the overall spirits industry across the UK.