The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for reconsideration or appeal of a sanction decision were submitted in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.
Priti Patel
The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of dairy products procured for her Department was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.
Andrea Leadsom
I refer the rt. hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs today to Question 35061:
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Countess of Mar on 2016-06-09.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is any provision for people claiming Personal Independence Payments who have difficulty in completing questions by hand to be able to complete the forms electronically; and if not, whether they plan to introduce such a facility.
Baroness Altmann
We are developing a digital service for claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) which brings the current PIP telephony claim and paper form together.
We have tested a number of different design approaches with users and, based on feedback, are developing an application process that is more tailored to individual needs. From April 2016 we started making the online PIP claim available to a small number of PIP claimants on a voluntary basis. This will allow us to get direct feedback, make ongoing improvements and ensure this new service is effective and secure before it is available nationally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-09-06.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies that has identified an 18 per cent gap between men’s and women’s earnings.
Lord Nash
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) research notes that the differential in average earnings between women and men remains substantial. The Office for National Statistics figures show that the gender pay gap has been virtually eliminated for women under 40 years of age working full-time, and has decreased for all women over 40 years of age working full-time, but we know that there is more to do. New regulations requiring large employers to be more transparent will take us one step closer to eliminating the gender pay gap within a generation.
The IFS research also highlighted that the gender pay gap widens once women start a family. We have extended the right to request flexible working to all employees; introduced a new system of shared parental leave; and committed to providing 30 hours of free childcare a week for working families.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2016-10-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Department for Transport figures showing a rise in the number of drivers failing a breath test.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Our assessment of Home Office figures on breath tests is that the proportion of drivers providing a positive or refused to provide a sample over recent years has remained constant, with only a slight rise in 2014 to 11% compared to 10.5% in 2013. By contrast, it was 20% in 2003.
With Malta due to change their drink drive limit, all other European countries will have a lower alcohol limit, but they do not necessarily have a better record on reducing drink drive casualties. The TRL Report ‘PPR 796’ prepared for the Parliamentary Advisory Committee on Transport Safety (PACTS) shows that Britain, rather than having a higher level of road casualties in collisions involving alcohol than other European countries, has a comparable level despite the higher limit. Harmonisation with other countries’ limits is not a reason on its own for lowering the limit.
We therefore have no plans to lower the drink drive limit in England and Wales. Our approach in tackling drink driving is through rigorous enforcement, tough penalties, and changing the social acceptability of drink driving – including through our award-winning THINK! campaigns.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rupa Huq on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to allow local councils to ban overseas and off-plan sales.
Brandon Lewis
We have actively encouraged the property industry to ensure that homes for sale are marketed in the United Kingdom, and not solely overseas.
The Coalition Government took action to tackle tax avoidance and ensure that those individuals who ‘envelope’ UK residential properties, by owning or purchasing them through corporate structures without a commercial purpose, pay a fair share of tax. We also introduced capital gains tax on future gains made by non-residents disposing of UK residential property.
The Mayor of London has launched a Mayoral Concordat where signatories commit to marketing new homes on every development to Londoners before, or at the same time as, they are available to overseas buyers.
But overseas investment in new housing can be crucial in providing the finance that is needed to build new homes. Non residents purchasing and occupying a house in the UK contribute to the tax system, just as residents do, through stamp duty, land tax and council tax.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-12-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, whether access for disabled students will be included in measures to determine whether higher education institutions deliver effective outcomes for widening access and social mobility.
Joseph Johnson
Higher Education Institutions have clear responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to support their students, including those with disabilities.
The Independent Office for Fair Access (OFFA) has agreed 183 Access Agreements for 2016/17 with plans for Universities to spend more than £745 million on measures to improve access and student success for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, up from £404m in 2009/10. HEIs choose their own access agreement measures and targets, in line with their own particular mission and challenges and these can include targets on disability where appropriate.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many letters his Department received from hon. Members and Peers in each month in 2015; and how many such letters received a substantive response within 10 working days.
Brandon Lewis
I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 15 December 2015, PQ 19650.
The reporting of performance of Government Departments in handling correspondence from hon. Members is co-ordinated by the Cabinet Office and published annually.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect on HIV support services of changes to commissioning and delivery of such services.
Jane Ellison
Decisions on funding and access to social care support services for people with HIV are made by local authorities. The Care Act 2014 sets out the legal framework for social care in England, and this applies to all adults with support needs including those living with HIV.
Diagnosed early most people with access to HIV treatment can expect a near normal life expectancy. Public Health England monitors the results of individuals receiving NHS HIV treatment. In 2014, 91% of people attending for care were receiving antiretroviral (ARV) treatment of which 95% were virally suppressed and very unlikely to be infectious to others. The United Kingdom is already ahead in meeting two of the three ambitious UNAIDS 90/90/90 global goals of 90% of people with HIV being diagnosed, 90% on ARV treatment and 90% viral suppression for those on ARV treatment by 2020.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department plans to provide to (a) the public and (b) potential investors on the proposed sale of the M6 Toll Road.
Andrew Jones
The Department provides a wide range of information about the UK road network, including traffic counts for all major roads. However it does not plan to provide any information specifically on the proposed sale of the M6 Toll Road.