The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Skelmersdale on 2016-09-06.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish an affirmative order to amend the law on public footpaths.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
I am unable to confirm a precise date at present. The Government expects to publish an affirmative order later in the session. I would be happy to meet my Noble Friend and other interested peers to discuss progress with the whole package of reform.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-10-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with NHS England over the proposed closure of the congenital heart disease service at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The national review of congenital heart disease services is an NHS England led review. Department officials regularly meet with NHS England colleagues to keep abreast of progress, and keep Ministers updated on the review.
No final decisions have been made on the future of congenital heart disease services at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust. NHS England will conduct a service change process in relation to the proposed changes at this and other trusts affected by the review’s proposals, before finally deciding on and implementing any change. This process will include full public consultation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken to embed the family test into its policy making.
Brandon Lewis
Officials in my Department have liaised with the Department for Work and Pensions as the lead Department for the Family Test to embed it into the policy process. This has included training officials on applying the Test and disseminating relevant evidence, learning materials and best practice.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2015-12-02.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on how many occasions a special adviser in his Department accompanied a Minister on an overseas trip since May 2015.
Harriett Baldwin
As has been the case under successive Administrations, civil servants, including special advisers, may routinely accompany their Ministers on official visits. Information relating to Ministers’ overseas visits are published on my Department’s website, as part of the Government’s wider transparency agenda.
All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support property level flood resilience measures.
James Wharton
The Department is supporting local authorities affected by Storm Desmond and Storm Eva with community recovery, business support and property resilience through the Communities and Business Recovery Scheme. Initial guidance on the support available was sent to local authorities in December. More detailed guidance on support for property resilience was issued on 15 January, on the same day that a Property Level Resilience Workshop was hosted at Manchester Metropolitan University.
To date the Department has paid out over £47 million under the Communities and Business Recovery Scheme. It is for local authorities to determine how to use this money to best meet local need and ensure value for money.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the financial performance of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Alistair Burt
In March 2015, Monitor launched an investigation to find a lasting solution to performance issues and financial difficulties at King’s College Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Following the investigation and evaluation of the progress the trust had achieved, Monitor initiated a programme of work to ensure that credible turnaround and strategic plans were put in place for the benefit of patients.
Monitor has supported the trust to produce financial recovery plans and a five-year strategic plan and is co-ordinating the joint actions that are required across the local health economy to ensure delivery of the plans.
The Department has approved an application from King’s for Interim Support Funding for the remainder of the current financial year, up to an agreed limit. Further work is currently in progress to assess the trust’s future requirements.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to reach a decision on the Leeds New Generation Transport Trolley Bus scheme.
Claire Perry
We are continuing to make progress towards announcing the decision on the scheme. You will appreciate the issues raised by the case have required very careful consideration. We are however mindful of the importance in resolving the uncertainty for Leeds as soon as possible and we hope to be in a position to announce our conclusions shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what contribution his Department is making to Government steps to reduce the incidence of serious youth violence.
Mr Rob Wilson
Cabinet Office is committed to supporting young people from all backgrounds to make positive life choices and give back to their communities. In January 2016 Home Office published Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation which sets out how Cabinet Office programmes such as NCS and Step Up to Serve provide meaningful alternatives to gangs. Over 200,000 16-17 year olds have participated in NCS since 2011 and Step Up To Serve’s #iwill campaign aims to increase the number of 10-20 year olds participating in social action by 50% by 2020. These programmes have a powerful impact on young people at a formative time in their lives.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the outcome of the last round of the UK-China human rights dialogue; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Hugo Swire
The 22nd round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue was held in Beijing on 21-22 April 2015. It provided for detailed, expert engagement on a wide range of human rights concerns, resulting in a frank exchange of views. Our current assessment of the human rights situation in China can be seen in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-06-08.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the distributional effect of the exclusion from National Insurance contributions of property, dividends, pensions and other forms of non-employment income.
Mr David Gauke
National Insurance contributions (NICs) are not intended to tax all forms of income. As a system of social security, the purpose of NICs is that individuals contribute when they are working, in order to build entitlement to contributory benefits such as the State Pension.
Taxes are levied on non-employment income through the rest of the tax system, and the government’s policies since 2010 have repeatedly increased the contribution of the wealthy. The richest fifth of households will contribute more than half (52%) of UK household tax receipts in 2019-20; under the 2010-11 tax system, they would have paid 49%.