The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has paid to staff in overtime in each of the last 24 months.
Jane Ellison
The amounts paid to staff in overtime in each of the last 24 months are contained in the attached document.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-03-24.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 34 of the report, Overview of Tax Legislation and Rates, published on 16 March 2016, which producers will be exempt from the soft drinks industry levy.
Mr David Gauke
The levy will not apply to small operators under a certain volume threshold. We will consult on the level of the threshold and whether and how to apply a tapered relief.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 32951, what measures he plans to introduce to ensure that social housing stock sold under the Right to Buy scheme is replaced by like-for-like replacements that are built in the same local authority area.
Brandon Lewis
The voluntary agreement with the National Housing Federation states that housing associations will provide a new home for every home sold under the voluntary Right to Buy nationally, and we envisage that new build will occur in areas where there is a need. Housing Associations are best placed to understand what type of housing is best suited to their local communities; they know their customers’ needs and it is only right that decisions on tenure are taken locally.
The commitment under the reinvigorated council Right to Buy is to provide a new affordable home for every additional sale nationally. Councils are best placed to determine what property type is needed for the communities that they serve, and there is a rolling 3 year deadline to deliver additional affordable homes through new builds or acquisition. So far they have delivered well within profile. By December 2015, there had been 4,954 starts and acquisitions, delivering more than a one for one replacement on the 3,054 sales following the first year of reinvigoration.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-06-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussion she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the possible extension of the Warm Home Discount Scheme to Northern Ireland.
Andrea Leadsom
The extension of the Warm Home Discount Scheme to Northern Ireland was debated in Parliament on 2 March 2015. A transcript of the debate is at:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmhansrd/cm150302/debtext/150302-0004.htm
DECC officials continue to discuss fuel poverty issues with officials in the Northern Ireland Executive.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2016-09-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the importance of direct long-haul air links with a hub airport for international trade.
Mr John Hayes
Evidence on the links between long-haul air connections and international trade was presented by the Airports Commission in its Final Report and supporting documents. The Government is considering all of this evidence very carefully before reaching a view on its preferred scheme. The Government is not providing a running commentary on this work before an announcement on its preference.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-10-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department received any bid from steel companies with plants in the UK to supply plate steel for the Successor class of nuclear submarines.
Harriett Baldwin
The management of the steel procurement process for the Successor Programme is the responsibility of the Prime Contractor, BAE Systems. The Ministry of Defence’s involvement with suppliers was limited to conducting a technical assessment during the tendering process to ensure bids met specifications.
The tendering process was progressed and concluded by the Prime Contractor, no viable UK bid was received for this part of the Successor submarine manufacture. Other stages of construction will include grades of steel manufactured by British suppliers and I encourage them to take the opportunity to bid.
Overall, 85% of BAE System’s supply chain for the new submarines is based in the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-01-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much is available to each NHS trust to fund new drugs and treatments assessed and recommended by NICE.
George Freeman
The Government believes that National Health Service commissioners and providers are best placed to decide how to allocate their budgets to deliver improvements in the outcomes for patients.
There is no separately identified ring-fenced funding stream associated with drugs and treatments recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). NHS commissioners are legally required to fund drugs and treatments recommended by NICE.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett on 2015-11-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of working families earning at least £23,000 in Greater London, or at least £20,000 outside Greater London, receive (1) child benefit, and (2) child tax credit.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
The government is committed to achieving a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare economy. That means more emphasis on support to working families on low incomes through reducing tax and increasing wages, than on topping up low wages through tax credits.
The Chancellor is listening to concerns raised by colleagues and will announce in his Autumn Statement how he plans to achieve the same goal of reforming tax credits and saving the money we need to secure our economy, while at the same time helping in the transition.
HM Revenue & Customs publish statistics about individuals and households claiming tax credits and child benefits, which are available on the gov.uk website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-12-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many civil servants in his Department are in the redeployment pool.
Mr Robert Goodwill
There are currently 14 people in the Departmental redeployment pool.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Gisela Stuart on 2016-01-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken, subsequent to its accepting recommendation 274 of the Francis report on the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Enquiry, published on 6 February 2013, to (a) issue guidance to NHS Trusts and their legal advisers and (b) monitor implementation of that guidance on disclosure of information to coroners, patients and families.
Ben Gummer
Recommendation 274 was in line with the government’s commitment to greater openness and transparency across the National Health Service, particularly when things go wrong.
The Coroners and Justice Act 2009 gives coroners powers to require a person or organisation in England and Wales to provide evidence and to require a witness in England and Wales to give evidence at an inquest. The 2009 Act makes it, “an offence for a person to do anything that is intended to have the effect of (a) distorting or otherwise altering any evidence, document or other things that is given, produced or provided for the purpose of an investigation…. (b) preventing any evidence, document or other thing from being given produced or provided for the purposes of such an investigation or to do anything that the person knows or believes is likely to have that effect.” This offence is limited to actions where there is “intention” to distort or alter evidence, and is punishable by a fine and / or imprisonment. The Ministry of Justice is currently conducting a post-implementation review of the 2013 coroner reforms in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, which includes the reforms’ provisions on disclosure of information. The call for evidence and survey element of the review finished at the end of 2015, and the Ministry of Justice is now considering the responses received. The Department of Health understands that it hopes to publish a response document in the spring.
In response to the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry the Government introduced a statutory duty of candour which came into force on 27 November 2014 for NHS Trusts, Foundation Trusts and some special health authorities that provide care and treatment to people that is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and for all other providers registered with CQC on 1 April 2015. The statutory duty of candour applies to organisations, rather than to individual members of staff. However, it is designed to foster an open culture throughout the organisation, and providers are accountable to CQC for meeting the duty of candour. CQC are able to take enforcement action against the provider, and in certain circumstances its board and senior management, where breaches of the duty of candour have been found. Providers of care will therefore be expected to implement the new duty of candour through staff across their organisations – including educating, training and, if needs be, disciplining their staff appropriately.
In addition, The NHS Serious Incident Framework published in 2015 provides advice on provision of information regarding serious incidents to coroners, patients and their families. It is available at
https://www.england.nhs.uk/patientsafety/serious-incident/
CQC will look at how safe care is for patients as part of the inspection of NHS Trusts.
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