The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-02-05.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total value is of the bills that government departments have paid to small businesses more than 60 days after the date the invoice was received since 2010-11.
Matthew Hancock
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to her on 5 February 2016 to UIN: 25347.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-03-02.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has carried out an impact assessment on the effect of devolving the taxation of vacant land held by developers to local authorities in England and Wales.
Mr David Gauke
The Government has not carried out an impact assessment of the effect of devolving the taxation of vacant land held by developers to local authorities in England and Wales.
All taxes are kept under review, and any move to introduce such a tax or devolve responsibility to Local Authorities would have to be carefully considered. In particular, the interaction with existing taxes and incentives, the detailed design and collection, the objectives of the tax and the method (and frequency) by which land would be valued would all need careful thought
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett on 2016-03-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the call in the new report from the charity Sense, Making the Case for Play, for play to be part of the ministerial brief for the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Childcare and Education.
Lord Nash
I refer the noble Baroness to the answer given on 8 March to PQ 29735, which I have also set out below:
The Department for Education recognises that play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning. The importance of play is already recognised within the early years legislation covered by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Childcare and Education’s portfolio.
Play is covered in the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework and states: “Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity.”
Staff working in early years settings as Early Years Educators (level 3) and Early Years Teachers (graduates) are required to have an understanding of different pedagogical approaches, including the role of play in supporting early learning and development. The criteria for the Early Years Educator and standards for Early Years Teacher Status qualifications are set by the department. However, it is the responsibility of early years settings to provide play opportunities for their children and pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.
Ofsted registers childcare provision on the Early Years Register and the General Childcare Register and conducts a regular cycle of inspection to ensure that provision meets the required quality and safety standards.
In judging the quality and standards of early years provision, Ofsted inspectors must assess the extent to which the learning and care provided by the setting meets the needs of the range of children who attend, including the needs of any children who have special educational needs or disabilities. At August 2015, 85 per cent of providers on the Early Years Register were rated good or outstanding for overall effectiveness. This is an increase of 11 percentage points since 2012.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects the outcome of the current review of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s (a) status and (b) governance; and if he will ensure that a copy of that review is placed in the Library when it is complete.
Mr Robert Goodwill
This work is focused on options for making the commercial functions of the MCA, such as the UK Ship Register, more attractive. An initial review of these options is expected to be completed by the autumn and will be published.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-06-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect on the personal injury portal of the changes to personal injury law and procedures announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn Statement and Spending Review 2015; and if he will make a statement.
Dominic Raab
Discussions related to the new reforms have been held with the judiciary and with members of Claims Portal Limited’s board. The Government will continue to work with a wide range of stakeholders, including other Government Departments, in taking the work forward and will consult on the detail in due course. The consultation will be accompanied by an impact assessment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-09-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what projects are currently included under the Northern Powerhouse label.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Northern Powerhouse is a long-term project to help address the productivity gap in the North and ensure we build an economy that works for everyone. It covers a huge range of policy functions including investing in transport, supporting international trade, devolving powers from Whitehall to local areas and much more beyond. Please see attached for a list of examples.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-10-20.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 17 December 2015 to Question 20232, what progress the Financial Conduct Authority has made in its investigation into issues relating to the Connaught fund.
Simon Kirby
This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government.
This question has been passed on to the FCA. They will reply directly to the Honourable Member by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to raise with the Prime Minister of India during his forthcoming visit the recent death of Sikh protestors in the Punjab following the desecration of the Sikh holy book.
Mr Hugo Swire
We are aware of reports that the Sikh holy book has been desecrated in several temples in Punjab. We regret these incidents, and the disturbances that followed, including the deaths of two protestors. We note that the Indian police are investigating and we hope this process will be completed in due course and that the police will investigate fully. Relations between the Sikhs in India and the Indian government are an internal matter, although we of course encourage both parties to resolve their differences through dialogue.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-12-08.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to obtain a reduction or removal of VAT on children’s headstones and planters in cemeteries; and if he will donate the proceeds of such VAT to charities aiding parents and other family members of children who have died.
Mr David Gauke
The goods and services to which the government may apply a reduced rate of VAT are set out in Annex III of the Principal VAT Directive.
When the UK joined the European Community, the government successfully negotiated for zero rates on certain goods and services such as children’s clothing, most foods and the construction of new housing. However, EU VAT rules do not provide for the introduction of any new zero rates, or the extension of our existing ones, without the unanimous agreement of all 28 Member States.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Barron on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency about the requirement for some generic medicines to be given a brand name for clinical reasons; and what steps he is taking to ensure patients receive the brand name medicine specified.
George Freeman
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the Executive Agency of Department of Health with overall responsibility for medicines licensing.
The responsibility for prescribing rests with the practitioner who has clinical responsibility for their patient’s care and we would expect practitioners to take any relevant guidance into account when making their prescribing decisions.Prescribers utilise a wide range of information to inform their prescribing decisions including decision support systems and authoritative guidance such as that from the MHRA, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the British National Formulary.
In primary care, if it is clinically appropriate for an individual patient to be maintained on a specific manufacturer’s product then the prescriber can specify this on the prescription for that product to be dispensed. Officials from the Department and MHRA liaise as required on the application of this policy.