Category: Speeches

  • Mr Nick Gibb – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mr Nick Gibb – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Nick Gibb on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, columns 83-4W, on the School Information (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012, if he will make an assessment of the level of compliance with those regulations among state-funded schools and academies.

    Mr David Laws

    If a parent, or other party, believes that a school is not complying with the requirements, they are entitled to raise this with the governing body. If their complaint is not resolved and they believe that the school has failed to discharge its duty or acted unreasonably, they can raise their complaint with the Secretary of State.

    Ofsted routinely checks school websites ahead of inspection.

  • Peter Bottomley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Peter Bottomley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Bottomley on 2014-05-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether hehas received the World Society for the Protection of Animals’ recent report The Cayman Turtle Farm: A Continued Case for Change.

    Mark Simmonds

    I have received a copy of the report and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is analysing it in detail. However, it is the delegated responsibility of the Cayman Islands Government to manage its natural resources effectively and appropriately and for them to consider how best to respond to the report.

  • Sarah Teather – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sarah Teather – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Teather on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people held in immigration removal centres and who refused food or fluids have been transferred to prisons since May 2013.

    James Brokenshire

    No persons held in immigration removal centres have been transferred to prisons since May 2013 due to refusal of food or fluids.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-05-12.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, with reference to the Answer of 8 November 2011, Official Report, column 283W, on the electoral register, if he will make it his policy to collect information on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for non-registration in the run up to the introduction of individual electoral registration.

    Greg Clark

    It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of books to prisoners; and if he will make a statement.

    Jeremy Wright

    There have been no changes in the availability of books in prisons Every prison has a library, to which every prisoner has access. Up to 12 books may be held by prisoners in their cell at any one time and additional volumes may be stored locally at the prison.

    The National Offender Management Service works closely with schemes such as the Shannon Trust Reading Network,which includes peer mentoring.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the economic effects of deregulating school holidays on (a) tourism-related jobs in seaside and coastal areas and (b) seaside economies in general.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    At present, local authorities set term and holiday dates for about 30% of secondary schools and 70% of primary schools (around half of all registered pupils). The Deregulation Bill gives more schools the flexibility to make changes should they wish to, although the experience of the academies programme and voluntary aided (church) schools, suggests that only a small percentage of schools are likely to vary their term dates.

    The Department for Education has produced an assessment of the impact of the changes. Whilst there will be greater flexibility, we expect that sensible conversations between the local authority and schools on coordination will take place. Variations to term dates could also help businesses and employers, for example, in areas of high-seasonal employment where employees may welcome the chance to holiday outside of peak tourist periods. For example, Bishop Bronescombe School in St Austell has a two-week half term in May/June to accommodate parents’ seasonal employment patterns.

    A separate assessment of the specific impact on tourism related jobs in seaside towns or seaside economies has not been carried out.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish and place in the Library all correspondence sent in the last five years between the Welsh and UK Governments on electrification of the mainline between Swansea and London.

    Stephen Hammond

    My officials will collate the key correspondence sent in the last five years between Ministers in Welsh and UK Government on electrification of the mainline between Swansea and London and deposit this in the Libraries of the House.

  • Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2014, Official Report, column 515W, on Western Sahara, if the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa will also meet representatives of POLISARIO, the UN-recognised body, to discuss issues relating to Western Sahara.

    Hugh Robertson

    British Ministers do not have direct contact with the POLISARIO Front. Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Officials in London regularly meet POLISARIO representatives to discuss Western Sahara. FCO Officials also undertake visits to the region, and to the refugee camps at Tindouf.

  • Teresa Pearce – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Teresa Pearce – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons his Department paid the majority of the support package for former Remploy workers to Job Centre Plus for a rapid response team; what that rapid response did to assist former Remploy employees; and what the outcome of that assistance was.

    Mike Penning

    The Rapid Response Service (RRS) was made available to all former affected Remploy employees and was funded separately to the £8 million People Help and Support Package (PHSP), which provides help all disabled former Remploy workers made redundant as a result of factory closures.

    RRS support was made available to all affected Remploy employees at the earliest opportunity following the announcement of a Remploy factory closure. Working with Remploy a range of support was agreed taking into account local circumstances and involved partner organisations where appropriate, for example the National Careers Service.

    Typically, RRS included on-site support and advice that helped with; providing information about being made redundant, identifying transferable skills, job options and training needs, learning new skills appropriate to the local labour market, job search skills and finding a new job, overcoming barriers to work and settling into a new job.

    Together, with the PHSP, as at 21 March this support has helped 716 former Remploy workers who are now in work.

  • David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent progress he has made on ensuring that mental health has equal standing with physical health.

    Norman Lamb

    Mental health has been a priority for this Government for several years now. We made this commitment explicit in the Health and Social Care Act 2012 which, for the first time, creates equal status for mental and physical health across Government and for the NHS and social care.

    The Ministerial Advisory Group brings together individuals and organisations with a specific interest in the cross government mental health strategy No Health Without Mental Health and how it is delivered.

    The Mandate to NHS England 2014-15 makes clear that ‘everyone who needs it should have timely access to evidence-based services’, this will involve extending and ensuring more open access to programmes, in particular for children and young people, and for those out of work.

    Closing the Gap, our new mental health action plan, which has attracted widespread, cross-sector support, sets out our priorities for essential change in mental health, 25 areas where people can expect to see and experience the fastest changes. The document challenges the health and social care community to move further and faster to transform care and support; the public health community, alongside local government, to give health and wellbeing promotion and prevention the long-overdue attention it needs and deserves; and individuals and communities to shift attitudes in mental health.

    The Department of Health is leading an information revolution around mental health. The new national Mental Health Intelligence Network will draw together comprehensive information about mental health and wellbeing.

    The new Crisis Care Concordat, signed by more than 20 national organisations, is a commitment for all agencies involved in supporting someone in a crisis to work together to improve the system of care and support so people in crisis are kept safe and helped to find the support they need. All the signatories have pledged to work together and our expectation is that, in every locality in England, local partnerships of health, criminal justice and local authority agencies will agree and commit to local Mental Health Crisis Declarations.

    System partners are also taking responsibility for the drive for parity. Public Health England (PHE) has made a commitment to addressing parity of esteem through prioritising mental health and working to embed it throughout all PHE programmes. Greater attention is needed to mental health throughout the public health system and PHE seeks to enable and support this through its leadership and delivery of a Wellbeing and Mental Health programme. It is supporting local authorities and other partners to give greater attention to mental health within the public health system.

    PHE was established on 1 April 2013 with the mission to protect and improve the nation’s health and to address inequalities through working with national and local government, the NHS, industry and the voluntary and community sector. PHE is an operationally autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health.

    PHE has made a commitment to addressing parity of esteem through prioritising mental health and working to embed it throughout all its programmes. Greater attention is needed to mental health throughout the public health system and PHE seeks to enable and support this through its leadership and delivery of a Wellbeing and Mental Health programme. It is supporting local authorities and other partners to give greater attention to mental health within the public health system.

    Their approach centres on the following five main objectives:

    1. Promoting good mental health and improving population wellbeing;

    2. Preventing mental health problems and preventing suicide and self-harm;

    3. Supporting people living with and recovering from mental illness;

    4. Tackling inequalities and improving the wider determinants of wellbeing and mental health; and

    5. Enabling and embedding wellbeing and mental health across the public health system.

    PHE has embraced the principles of Parity of Esteem and from the outset and all through transition, there has been a commitment by PHE to ensure mental health is a core part of the new public health system and PHE’s work. Even though there was no central national resource attached to mental health to be transferred into PHE, they have invested in establishing a presence for mental health across their work and they continue to embed population mental health and wellbeing across public health.

    Health Education England is developing training programmes that will enable all healthcare employers to ensure that their staff have a greater awareness of mental health problems and how they may affect their patients. This will include understanding the links between patient’s physical and mental health, so that staff know what actions they can take to ensure that patients receive appropriate support for both their mental and physical health care needs.