The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-30.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what (a) redundancy and (b) voluntary exit programmes for civil servants are currently in operation in each department.
Matthew Hancock
This information on the number of exit schemes currently in operation is not collated centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2015 to Question 20083, what steps he plans to take to tackle the rise in the number of people who took their own life on the rail network since 2010.
Alistair Burt
Reducing suicides on the rail network is highlighted as a key area within the cross-Government National Suicide Prevention Strategy (2012) where tailored and collaborative action can be taken. I will be having discussions soon with officials and our delivery partners about ways in which we can re-invigorate the delivery of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy.
Public Health England published guidance to local authorities, Guidance for developing a local suicide prevention action plan (2014) and Preventing suicides in public places (2015), which include advice on working with local transport organisations to take preventative action to reduce suicides on the transport network.
We continue to work with the British Transport Police, London Underground Limited, Network Rail, Samaritans and other partners to reduce suicides on the rail and underground networks.
We support the joint work of Network Rail and Samaritans as part of the Tackling Suicides on the Railways programme, which has continued to grow since 2010. Since 2010, more than 8,000 rail staff, British Transport Police officers and Network Rail front line staff have received training from Samaritans.
This partnership approach has led to the establishment of the National Suicide Prevention Group to tackle the issue of railway suicide, comprising Samaritans, Network Rail, British Transport Police, Train Operating Company representatives and the wider railway industry, such as the Association of Train Operating Companies, Rail Safety & Standards Board and rail unions.
The British Transport Police is a signatory of the Crisis Care Concordat which aims to support people experiencing a mental health crisis. The Department of Health also provided funding support in 2014/15 to enable the British Transport Police to expand its suicide prevention programme to include the North of England as well as the South of England. The programme aims to reduce suicides on the transport network by identifying people who might be considering suicide on the transport network and linking them with support services.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-01-29.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether membership of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe requires them to regard all citizens in the UK to be equal and thus requiring equal treatment by law.
Lord Dunlop
In the UK, The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society.
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has many commitments that recall that all persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection of the law.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Schedule 14 and Section 24 of the Pension Act 2014, how many employees have been affected by the introduction of the statutory over-ride which provides for employers who sponsor contracted-out occupational pensions schemes to pass on increases in national insurance contributions to employees.
Justin Tomlinson
The Department does not currently collect this information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to facilitate an application from Lancaster City Council and the Environment Agency for funding for flood defences along the River Lune.
Rory Stewart
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 March to PQ UIN 29688.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-04-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the importance of the particular focus on Alzheimer’s and Type 1 Diabetes in the third Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership Research Call.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The focus of the Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership (BIRAX) Initiative is regenerative medicine, which can be applied to many fields of medical research. In addition to the regenerative medicine focus, the Initiative has supported more specific research areas, including Type 1 diabetes and neurodegenerative conditions. These areas have been identified as critical in both Israel and the UK, as well as globally, and as ones in which both countries have particular research expertise. The British Council works with leading research charities in the UK and globally, including British Heart Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis Society and Parkinson UK to provide mutual funding, and these areas have been highlighted as areas of joint interest. However it is important to note that it is the quality of the science that drives the BIRAX selection process, and that applications which do not come under these priorities but do meet the criteria have also been selected for funding in past calls. The third call for proposals will continue to evaluate proposals according to criteria outlined in the call’s guidelines and their scientific excellence.
The focus on Alzheimer’s and Type 1 Diabetes has the potential to bring upwards of £1.6 million additional funding (to add to the £7 million existing funding raised by the Initiative) to collaborative projects, of which at least 50 per cent is for use in UK universities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-06-07.
To ask the Leader of the House, further to the Written Answers by Lord Dunlop on 24 March (HL7079) and 22 January (HL4982), what guidance she has given to the Northern Ireland Office about answering questions fully and substantially, and in particular providing definitions as requested.
Baroness Stowell of Beeston
The position has not changed since I answered the Noble Lord’s question HL6043 on 17 February. That answer is included below for your ease of reference and I have nothing further to add to this.
As Leader of the House, I regularly stress to departments the importance of giving full and timely answers to Questions for Written Answer. The content of each answer is a matter for the Minister concerned, and each Minister is responsible to the House for the answers they provide. That direct accountability is important: that is why Ministers in this House must provide personally signed answers to members.
The Ministerial Code says that “It is of paramount importance that Ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament”. It also makes clear that “Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament and the public, refusing to provide information only when disclosure would not be in the public interest”. In addition, there is a longstanding rule of this House that all answers should be complete and comprehensible. I shall continue to make this guidance clear to all Ministers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-07-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in each parliamentary constituency receive attendance allowance.
Penny Mordaunt
Statistical information on Attendance Allowance claimants, including the numbers of cases in payment in each parliamentary constituency, is available from the DWP Tabulation Tool: http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/tabtool.html
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-10-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of organ donors from ethnic minorities.
Nicola Blackwood
There are a number of specific initiatives to increase the number of organ donors from ethnic minorities. Less than 5% of deceased organ donors are from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background, yet patients from BAME communities represent around a quarter of people waiting for a transplant.
The Department works with and supports the National BAME Transplant Alliance to coordinate the work of BAME organisations working within these communities to increase the number of people from a BAME background on the organ donor register and the number of transplants from BAME donors.
The Department has also funded Kidney Research UK to undertake a Peer Educator Project working with the Pakistani Muslim Community in Birmingham and the Bangladeshi community in Tower Hamlets to raise awareness about organ donation.
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has developed a behaviour change campaign strategy in support of the Taking Organ Transplantation to 2020: A UK Strategy. This includes increasing its education and engagement activities with BAME communities and a Faith Action Plan outlining action to work in partnership with faith leaders. NHSBT also has a wide range of leaflets promoting organ donation that are translated into a number of different South Asian languages including Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-11-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 22 September (HL1905), what is their latest assessment of the financial costs faced by Kent County Council in supporting asylum-seeking children, and what additional funding they are offering that council to help it to do so.
Lord Bates
The Government recognises the outstanding work of Kent County Council in caring for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC). Home Office officials have met Kent officers to understand the additional financial pressures they facing as a result of the high numbers of UASC in their care and we continue to work through the detail. The Immigration Minister has met the Leader of Kent County Council to discuss the situation.
As well as working with Kent, we believe a national response is required. We are working closely with the Local Government Association and Association of Directors of Children’s Services to finalise plans for a new scheme to disperse unaccompanied child asylum seekers to the care of other local authorities.