Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Sharp of Guildford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Sharp of Guildford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Sharp of Guildford on 2015-01-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of 17 year-olds in England are participating in education and training in fulfilment of the duty to participate set out in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, and what steps they are taking to maximise participation from September 2015 when the requirement to participate increases to the 18th birthday.

    Lord Nash

    Young people who were aged 17 at the start of this academic year were covered by the first phase of raising the participation age (RPA) set out in the Education and Skills Act 2008. This required them to continue in education or training for one further year, to 27 June 2014. This cohort is therefore no longer under a duty to participate, although we expect that the vast majority of them will continue to participate this academic year.

    Data showing the proportion of these young people participating in the current academic year will be published as part of the 16-18 participation statistical first release at the end of June.

    Young people who were aged 16 at the start of this academic year will be under a duty to participate until their 18th birthday. We will encourage schools, colleges and training providers to ensure that young people are aware of this requirement.

    In addition, local authorities have a duty to promote the effective participation in education and training of 16 and 17 year olds in their area with a view to ensuring that they fulfil the duty to participate.

    We plan to invest £7.2 billion in 2014/15 to fund education and training places for 16 to 19-year-olds. The government has implemented a range of other measures to promote participation and help young people get the best possible start in life, including the reform of vocational education and the Youth Contract.

  • Lord Ahmed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Ahmed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2015-01-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have provided any financial support for the redevelopment of houses destroyed during recent floods in Indian-administered Kashmir.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The UK government has not received a request from the Indian Government for financial assistance. In 2012, DFID announced that it would end our traditional financial grant aid to India in 2015. From this year on, our partnership will be based on sharing skills and expertise, investing in private sector projects that benefit the poor, and working together on global development issues.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-01-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will issue guidance to the National Health Service on best practice for footcare management.

    Earl Howe

    Foot care services are commissioned locally by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), working with local partners and are based on the need of the local population, resources available and evidence based practice. These commissioning decisions are informed by the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and the local Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

    Within NHS England, the National Clinical Director for Rehabilitation and Recovery in the Community and the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer are leading work to improve adult rehabilitation services including collection and dissemination of best practice.

    Footcare services for older people, published by the Department in 2009, highlighted five potential models of safe and effective foot care service provision. This includes working in partnership across the health and social care spectrum and may involve training others e.g. within nursing homes or home care agencies to carry out simple foot care. Other models help empower patients to self-care where it is possible and safe to do so.

    National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Clinical Guidelines 119 (on inpatient management of diabetic foot problems) and 10 (on Type 2 diabetes foot problems) offer guidance on best practice for foot care management in diabetes. These guidelines are being updated as one document – Diabetic Foot Problems, which is currently out to consultation.

    It is not possible to distinguish in Hospital Episode Statistics between “major” and “minor” amputations.

    The Health and Social Care Information Centre has calculated the England average rate of amputation per 100,000 population and highlighted the CCGs of residence having rates more than 33% higher than the national average. There are 25 such CCGs which are identified in the attached table. This is not a count of people as the same person may have had more than one episode of care within the same time period.

    We do not have information on a comparison of rates of amputation with other European Union member states.

  • The Marquess of Lothian – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Marquess of Lothian – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-01-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Foreign Secretary last met the Spanish Foreign Minister to discuss Gibraltar; and whether there are any plans to do so again in the near future.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has regular discussions with his Spanish counterpart. While they have not yet met to discuss Gibraltar directly, the Foreign Secretary made clear the Government’s well-known position on Gibraltar to the Spanish Foreign Minister in writing when he took office last year. The Foreign Secretary hopes to visit Spain soon and would certainly raise Spain’s policy towards Gibraltar when he does. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), frequently raises Gibraltar when he speaks to his Spanish counterpart, as do other Government ministers. The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sevenoaks (Mr Fallon), recently raised unlawful incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters when speaking to Spanish Defence Minister, Pedro Morenés. We stand by our commitment never to enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another State against their wishes. And we will not enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content. Ministers and officials continue to make this position clear to the Spanish government.

  • Paul Burstow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Paul Burstow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Burstow on 2015-01-14.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the contribution of 13 January 2015 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Official Report, column 222WH, on care sector, on what date each of the 94 cases was first raised with HM Revenue and Customs; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously and has increased the financial penalty percentage from 50% to 100% of the unpaid wages owed to workers, and the maximum penalty from £5,000 to £20,000. These new limits are now in force where arrears are identified in pay reference periods on or after 7 March 2014. The Government is in the process of introducing primary legislation so that the maximum £20,000 penalty will apply to each underpaid worker.

    In response to the questions arising from the contribution of 13 January 2015 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Official Report, columns 218- 222WH, on the care sector:

    Investigations into the 94 cases have been underway since 29 December 2011 – largely stemming from the particular period of enforcement referred to by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business.

    HMRC already accept third party complaints and review all information received. All information received from third parties is handled sensitively. HMRC are unable to give feedback to third parties on any action taken or progress made, as all worker information is strictly confidential.

    HMRC’s proactive work informing the ‘National Minimum Wage: Compliance in the social care sector’ report, commenced in April 2011 and evaluated enforcement in the social care sector over the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2013. We are continuing to evaluate this work, and HMRC are undertaking new targeted enforcement work in the care sector as set out by the BIS Minister on 15 January 2015.

  • Toby Perkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Toby Perkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients with diseases relating to malnutrition were treated in the NHS in each year since 2005.

    Jane Ellison

    Information is not available in the format requested.

  • Helen Goodman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Helen Goodman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of the recommendations accepted in the Government’s response to the Independent review of the operation of jobseeker’s allowance sanctions, published in July 2014, his Department plans to have implemented by May 2015.

    Esther McVey

    We have published our response to the Oakley Report and a copy can be found here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/332137/jsa-sanctions-independent-review-government-response.pdf

    We have accepted all recommendations made by the Oakley Report and we have already implemented a number of improvements. Our response sets out a number of target completion dates for recommendations made by the Oakley Report.

    “

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost of applying in work conditionality once universal credit has been fully rolled out.

    Esther McVey

    No estimate of the cost of applying in work conditionality has been made as this will be determined using the findings of the in-work progression trials that are due to begin in April 2015.

  • Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much his Department spent on (a) recruitment agency fees, (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and (c) staff training in each of the last five years.

    Jo Swinson

    The majority of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) training budget is delegated to the individual business units. This enables them to target resources to their learning priorities. BIS does not centrally collate details of individual course attendances.

    The spend on training in core BIS in the last five years is

    Year

    Spend

    £

    2010/11

    2,340,575

    2011/12

    2,662,967

    2012/13

    2,070,999

    2013/14

    1,840,850

    2014/15 (figure as at end November 2014)

    1,000,995

    We are unable to provide details of spend in relation to parts (a) and (b). The information is not held against discrete finance headings and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Chief of the Air Staff on transferring responsibility for the risk of Typhoon mid air collision to that role.

    Mr Mark Francois

    In line with Military Aviation Authority (MAA) Regulatory Articles, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) briefed the Secretary of State in October 2014 that the Typhoon mid-air collision risk with commercial air transport aircraft had been elevated to CAS since June 2014.