The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 2016-01-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to requiring Sky, Virgin Media, and other suppliers of televisual media to provide their services free of charge to those over 75, on the model now required of the BBC.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
None. This is a commercial matter for those companies.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of how many eligible pupils did not claim free school meals in each of the last three years.
Mr Sam Gyimah
The Department only collects data on those eligible pupils who claim free school meals. To collect the data on pupils who did not claim free school meals could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to page 24 of the interim report of the Accelerated Access Review, published in October 2015, what steps he is taking to ensure that drugs that target the genetically validated targets (a) PCSK9 and (b) BCL2 are introduced into routine NHS care; and if he will make a statement.
George Freeman
The Accelerated Access Review, chaired by Sir Hugh Taylor, will make recommendations to government on reforms to accelerate access for National Health Service patients to innovative medicines and medical technologies making our country the best place in the world to design, develop and deploy these products. The terms of the reference for the review focus on faster access to innovations, which may include drugs that target genetically validated targets such as PCSK9 and BCL2.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gale on 2016-03-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the NHS of NHS England cutting the role of National Clinical Director for Adult Neurology, and the end of national funding for neurological work by clinical networks.
Lord Prior of Brampton
Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England’s Medical Director, has undertaken a review of the National Clinical Director (NCD) resource designed to focus clinical advisory resources on areas where major programmes of work are currently being taking forward, or areas identified as priorities for improvement. As a result of the review, NHS England has proposed to change the way in which clinical advice is received in speciality areas in the future, streamlining and strengthening its clinical advisory mechanisms in support of the Five Year Forward View and the National Health Service’s key improvement priorities.
Whilst there will no longer be a specific NCD role for neurology, NHS England will continue to secure expert clinical advice from its Clinical Networks and through its relationships with professional bodies and by appointing clinical advisors. Access to advice will be through clinical leads and members of the NHS England-funded neurology clinical networks, the Neurology Clinical Reference Group and Royal Colleges. It is expected that these new arrangements will be in place shortly.
During 2016/17, the focus of NHS England’s improvement efforts delivered through Strategic Clinical Networks will be on a smaller range of key national priorities, including cancer, mental health, diabetes, maternity and urgent and emergency care (with a focus on cardiovascular disease transformation). Whilst there is no additional funding nationally, clinical and local networks of care can determine what can be done at a local or regional level if it is considered a local or regional system priority. Nationally, the policy team is considering how key aspects of the work on neurology can be taken forward through alternative mechanisms and partners.
In addition, the Neurology Intelligence Network (NIN) is a joint partnership programme between Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England to support the generation and dissemination of neurology related health intelligence. PHE currently funds the on-going design, development and management of the NIN.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Clegg on 2016-04-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with Sheffield City Council on the assets of community value scheme.
Mr Marcus Jones
Sheffield City Council has not approached the Department for any discussions on the Assets of Community Value scheme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-06-13.
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Church of England will make an assessment of the effect of austerity on communities in the most deprived areas as measured by the English Indices of Deprivation 2015.
Mrs Caroline Spelman
The Church Commissioners have no plans to undertake such an assessment.
Through its network of parishes and dioceses the Church of England is present in all the communities of England. The clergy and people of the Church of England are well placed to hear, articulate and respond to the needs and concerns of local communities. This plays an important role in informing the public engagement of the Church on social policy matters especially at local level.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children at key stage (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3 and (d) 4 are in receipt of the service pupil premium.
Edward Timpson
No children in an early years setting are in receipt of the service child element of the pupil premium grant. The grant is payable to schools and local authorities for pupils in year groups reception to year 11.
The number of school-age children in England eligible for the service child pupil premium in January 2016, broken down by Key Stage, is provided in the table.
|
Reception |
Key Stage 1 |
Key Stage 2 |
Key Stage 3 |
Key Stage 4 |
Total |
|
|
Number of pupils (headcount) |
6,008 |
13,098 |
26,489 |
17,479 |
10,358 |
73,432 |
Source: School Census, January 2016
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Edward Argar on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the tree-planting rates have been in England in each year since 2006.
Dr Thérèse Coffey
The Forestry Commission collect and publish National Statistics for England on the area, in hectares, of new woodland planting. It also estimates the number of trees planted, based on the average number of trees planted per hectare in the grant supported planting. In 2015-16 this average was 1,566 trees per hectare.
Table 1 below provides annual planting area published by the Forestry Commission since 2006 and its estimate of the number of trees planted.
In 2015-16 the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) supported 546 hectares of planting and it is estimated that 165 hectares of woodland was created, without RDPE support, bringing the total created during 2015-16 to 711 hectares.
In the period April 2016 to June 2016, a further 422 hectares of woodland was recorded as being planted with RDPE support.
The RDPE figures reflect the slow initial take up of Countryside Stewardship support for woodland planting. Planting is recorded at the time the grant is paid, which means that some planting will have taken place in the previous financial year to that in which it is recorded. Approximately 1,292,000 trees were planted in England with RDPE support since April 2015.
Table 1: New planting of woodland in England since 2005-06
|
Financial Year to 31st March |
a) New planting by land area |
b) Estimated number of trees |
|
Thousand hectares |
Million trees |
|
|
2005-06 |
3.7 |
4.1 |
|
2006-07 |
3.2 |
3.5 |
|
2007-08 |
2.6 |
2.9 |
|
2008-09 |
2.5 |
2.8 |
|
2009-10 |
2.3 |
2.5 |
|
2010-11 |
2.5 |
2.8 |
|
2011-12 |
2.7 |
3.0 |
|
2012-13 |
2.6 |
2.9 |
|
2013-14 |
3.3 |
3.6 |
|
2014-15 |
2.4 |
2.6 |
|
2015-16 |
0.7 |
0.8 |
Source: Forestry Statistics 2016 (Forestry Commission)
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2015-11-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered making illegal all odometer adjustment, and enforcing an outright ban on (1) the sale and purchase of odometer adjustment equipment, and (2) companies offering those services.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
I deplore the practice of mileage fraud.
Odometers do go wrong and may be replaced, so there are occasions when adjustment of the odometer is legitimate. To help, consumers mileage is recorded at every MOT test and is available on the certificate and online. Although odometer adjustment is not currently unlawful, the misrepresentation of true mileage to a potential purchaser is illegal under consumer protection legislation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Dowd on 2015-11-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish the White Paper on supporting people with health conditions and disabilities get into work.
Justin Tomlinson
As outlined in the Spending Review 2015, the government will publish a White Paper in 2016 that will set out reforms to improve support for people with health conditions and disabilities:
“