The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Maynard on 2014-05-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which organisations have received how much funding from his Department aimed at supporting access to short breaks and respite provision for children, young people and their families experiencing all types of disadvantage in each of the last five financial years.
Mike Penning
The Department has no schemes of this nature.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-05-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what average period of time is spent on bail by an offender whose case is dealt with in a (a) magistrates’ court and (b) Crown court where the offender (i) pleads guilty at the outset, (ii) changes their plea to guilty during the course of the proceedings and (iii) pleads not guilty.
Mr Shailesh Vara
Information on bail and remand collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice and held on the Court Proceedings Database does not include any information on the length of time defendants were held on bail or remand. This information could only be ascertained by reference to individual court files which could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-05-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many contracted staff there are carrying out functions for his Department who are paid less than the Living Wage by (a) occupation, (b) location and (c) contractor.
Mike Penning
DWP have discussed with contractors the payment of the London Living Wage. Telereal Trillium have worked with us so that from April 2014 all of their London based staff were paid at least the level of the living wage. Discussions are continuing with our other major contractor, Cofely.
We intend to have the same negotiations regarding staff based across the regions where the situation is currently:
|
REGION |
NUMBER OF STAFF |
|
Scotland |
539 |
|
North East |
309 |
|
North West |
885 |
|
Yorks & Humber |
529 |
|
East Midlands |
255 |
|
West Midlands |
770 |
|
East Of England |
252 |
|
Wales |
279 |
|
South East |
366 |
|
London |
2 |
|
South West |
307 |
|
TOTAL |
4,493 |
It is not possible to provide further breakdown of these figures as this information is commercially sensitive.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-03-18.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent estimate he has made of the number of (a) co-operatives, (b) mutuals and (c) social enterprises which provide public services. [R]
Nick Hurd
The Government supports the growth of the social economy. Across England, there are now more than 85 public service mutuals, up from just 9 in 2010. Collectively they deliver well over £1bn in public services.
Cabinet Office analysis from 2013 based on the BIS Small Business Survey estimated that 28% (c. 50,000) of SME social enterprises provide goods or services in the public sector.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Birt on 2014-05-06.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to reduce the ratio of national debt to gross domestic product to below 40 per cent; and, if so, in which year.
Lord Deighton
As set out in Budget 2014, given the costs and risks of high levels of debt, once the supplementary debt target has been met, any future government will need to ensure that debt continues to fall as a percentage of GDP. Even in the absence of future shocks sustained action will be needed to bring down debt.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Chuka Umunna on 2014-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the quality of educational provision for children and young people on the autism spectrum in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) London, (d) the London Borough of Lambeth and (e) Streatham constituency.
Edward Timpson
The Department for Education recognises that provision for all children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) across England, including those on the autism spectrum, needs to be improved and that is why we are taking forward the reforms in the Children and Families Act, which recently received Royal Assent. Part 3 of the Act will bring about significant reforms to the SEN system from which children and young people with autism will benefit along with their peers, in particular from earlier, and more comprehensive, assessment and intervention and stronger arrangements for the transition from children’s to adult services, which many on the spectrum can find extremely difficult.
In 2008 the Autism Education Trust published a report ‘Educational provision for children and young people living in England’. That report found that “practice in many mainstream and special schools had improved tremendously over recent years” but that there was still much to be done “in reaching staff in schools who are not yet familiar with the particular needs of pupils on the autism spectrum and who struggle to teach them effectively.”
The Government has continued to fund the Trust, putting the emphasis on improving awareness and skills amongst early years, schools and further education staff. From January 2012 to February 2014, 22,451 staff have received level 1 basic awareness training, 3,214 have received level 2 hands-on tools and techniques training and 775 have received level 3 training for those who want to develop their knowledge of autism further and those who will themselves take on a training role, such as school Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators.
Education, including SEN, is a devolved matter and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have responsibility for autism educational provision in their administrations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Murphy on 2014-05-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many full time members of staff in her Department have responsibility for tuberculosis.
Justine Greening
There are 12 full-time staff in the Health Services Team and Global Funds Department whose roles include work on tuberculosis. In addition there are a wide range of staff across the Department, including research, press, policy, financial and corporate advisers and staff in country offices, whose roles include work on tuberculosis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nadine Dorries on 2014-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when someone, held at a Border Force checkpoint, is officially considered a detainee.
James Brokenshire
For immigration purposes, a person is considered detained on service of an IS81 form, pending examination or further examination for a decision on a grant, refusal or cancellation of leave.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-05-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support for the payment of mortgage interest will be available for universal credit recipients in low paid work; and if he will make a statement.
Steve Webb
Under the current system, low paid workers are able to supplement their earnings by claiming support from tax credits. However, tax credits do not make any allowance for mortgage interest payments. Similarly, when Universal Credit replaces the tax credit system, there will be no entitlement to help with mortgage interest during any period in which the claimant is in paid work.
However the earnings rules are far more generous in Universal Credit. This means that most people, particularly those on low incomes, have a significantly greater incentive to move into work than under the current system.
The vast majority of people claiming UC will be better off in work: even if they work part-time and even if they receive a low hourly rate of pay. For example, a lone parent receiving the average amount of mortgage interest who takes up a job that pays the national minimum wage will be better off than under the current system if he or she works just 7hours a week.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame M. Morris on 2014-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the current level of (a) use and (b) availability is amongst offshore helicopter passengers in the oil and gas industry of emergency breathing systems that meet Category A of the Civil Aviation Authority’s relevant technical specifications.
Robert Goodwill
There are currently no Category ‘A’ emergency breathing systems (EBS) in use by, or available to, passengers on UK offshore helicopter flights. The EBS currently in use in the UK sector of the North Sea does not meet the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) higher Category ‘A’ specification contained in CAA Publication CAP 1034, primarily because it takes too long to deploy. The EBS used in the Norwegian sector also does not meet the Category ‘A’ requirement, primarily as it cannot be deployed underwater.
EBS that would likely meet Category ‘A’ is commercially available. In particular the passenger short term air supply system (P-STASS) developed for the UK military, which the CAA understands is currently being considered by the industry, has previously been used for civilian operations (e.g. the Marine Incident Response Group).