The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-01-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the end of financial year budget surpluses or deficits was for each health trust in London in each year since 2010.
Alistair Burt
The information requested is in the attached tables.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-02-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prisoners were BAME in (a) 2010 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.
Andrew Selous
Some 21,917 prisoners (26% of the prison population) declared themselves BAME as at 31 December 2015, compared with 23,657 (28%) on 30 June 2010.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harrison on 2016-02-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what work they are doing to promote the UK’s insolvency regime to the European Commission as it develops its plans for an insolvency directive.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
My officials have regular discussions with Commission officials on this matter. Insolvency experts have also had such discussions to ensure they are aware of the features and strengths of our insolvency regime. The Commission has announced its intention to publish a legislative initiative on corporate insolvency in late 2016. This is to be preceded by a consultation to be published this spring. The Government will be responding to the consultation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 30444, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the Government’s proposal for every school to become an academy on the responsibility of local authorities to provide sufficient school places.
Edward Timpson
Local authorities (LAs) have a legal obligation to ensure that there are sufficient local schools to provide a primary and secondary place for all children needing one. Supporting LAs to do this continues to be one of the Government’s top priorities. That is why we have committed to spending £7 billion on school places up to 2021, which, alongside investment in the free schools programme, we expect to create 600,000 new places.
LAs have always relied on their strong relationships with local schools to deliver the places needed and this will remain the case in a fully academised system. LAs will continue to be advocates for their electorate, challenging school providers to deliver high educational standards and better outcomes for all children.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2016-04-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when (a) a minister and (b) officials in his Department last visited the area described by the Chinese government as the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
Mr Hugo Swire
The Hon. Member for Bury South (Mr Lewis) was the last serving Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) minister to visit the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), in September 2009. An FCO official last visited the TAR in June 2014. We continue to press the Chinese authorities for further access.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-06-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department issues to police forces on the provision of photographic evidence, where available, to people who have committed road traffic offences.
Mike Penning
The Home Office has not issued any guidance on the provision of photographic evidence to those who have committed road traffic offences.
This is an operational matter for individual Chief Officers of police.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what materials are available to his Department’s staff for the purposes of training on universal credit.
Damian Hinds
DWP staff have access to a comprehensive Universal Credit learning framework that is designed to build their core skills and knowledge to enable them to effectively undertake their role covering all national roll-out tranches of Universal Credit.
This includes:
Each individual member of staff, dependant on their job role, individual experience and previous formal learning, will complete a Learning Needs Analysis that will determine the length of the Universal Credit learning, consolidation requirements and the learning they will undertake.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-14.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing taxes on e-cigarettes on health grounds.
Jane Ellison
E-cigarettes are not liable for excise duty as they do not include tobacco. However, they are still liable for VAT.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-11-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the privatisation of Channel 4 on the independent production sector in the UK.
Mr Edward Vaizey
No decisions have been made on the future of Channel 4. The Government is considering how best to ensure Channel 4’s future sustainability, while maintaining its ability to deliver against its remit. It will also be important to consider the impacts of any possible changes to Channel 4 on the independent UK production sector.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-12-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with her French counterpart on securing a long-term solution to the situation in Calais.
James Brokenshire
The Home Office is in regular discussions with French counterparts at ministerial and official level on all aspects of the migrant situation in Calais. The French Government is responsible for the care of migrants in Calais, including support over the winter. However, both governments are committed to finding a sustainable solution to the situation in Calais. One aspect of the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August, committed the UK to providing a £3.6 million (or €5 million) per year for two years to help support a range of work to manage the migrant population in Calais, in particular to provide support and facilities elsewhere in France. Additionally, the UK has provided £530,000 (€750,000) to fund a project to identify those in the camps at risk of trafficking and exploitation, to transfer them to places of safety; and to provide them with appropriate support within the French system.
The UK and French Governments are unified in their response to the migratory phenomenon and both governments recognise the importance of close partnership and collaboration to reach a long-term solution. This is a global challenge, and we will also work together to ensure that other EU states, as well as source and transit countries outside Europe, are doing everything they ought to be to stop people making these dangerous journeys in the first place.