Category: Speeches

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the performance of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services with regard to the health, wellbeing and performance of young people in schools and colleges.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    We want all children to fulfil their full potential. Academic attainment is supported if students have good health and mental wellbeing and when they have access to specialist mental health services where they need it.

    The government is investing £1.4bn in children’s mental health this Parliament. Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) across the country have worked with partners, including schools and colleges, to produce local transformation plans for children and young people’s mental health services. These should set out what will be done locally to make the best use of the resources available – changing how CAMHS is delivered in response to the challenges set out in the Future in Mind report and increasing the focus on preventative activity. NHS England has put the plans through an assurance process before releasing funds and is carrying out an analysis of plans to identify practice that can be shared to inform future planning.

    In addition we are contributing to a £3m joint pilot with NHS England which is testing how single points of contact in CAMHS and schools can secure effective mental health support to pupils. The pilots are involving over 250 schools in 27 CCG areas through joint training, which supports schools and CAMHS leads to identify specific activity to improve support in their area.

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many outstanding (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payment assessments for Scottish claimants there were in each of the last four quarters for which information is available.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The number of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) initial work capability assessments still in progress in Scotland as at the dates below were:

    Quarter

    Total

    31 December 2014

    30,700

    31 March 2015

    28,800

    30 June 2015

    28,200

    30 September 2015

    27,500

    Source: Data is derived from administrative data held by the DWP and assessment data provided by the healthcare provider.

    Personal Independence Payment (PIP) clearance levels are within expectations. The number of cases in progress in Scotland as at the dates below were:

    30 April 2015 6,100

    31 July 2015 6,800

    31 October 2015 8,900

    31 January 2016 13,000

    Source: Data taken from the PIP computer system management information

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-04-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to maintain the apprenticeship levy rate of 0.5 per cent on employers’ pay bills over £3 million until 2020.

    Greg Hands

    The government has confirmed that the apprenticeship levy will be set at a rate of 0.5% of company paybill and every employer will have a £15,000 allowance to offset against their levy liability. In practice, this means only employers with paybills greater than £3million will pay the levy.

  • Richard Arkless – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Richard Arkless – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Arkless on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assistance the Government plans to provide to broadband suppliers to meet the terms of the Universal Services Obligation.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Universal Service Providers responsible for delivering the broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) will be designated by Ofcom following changes to primary and secondary legislation. No decision has been taken yet on funding the USO’s delivery .

  • Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many unanswered telephone calls the National Maritime Operations Centre has each day.

    Mr John Hayes

    Her Majesty’s Coastguard does not record the number of unanswered routine telephone calls at the National Maritime Operations Centre or at any of the Coastguard Operations Centres within the national network.

    It should be noted that there is a robust system, in line with the Public Emergency Call Service (PECS) Code of Practice, to ensure that ‘999’ calls to Centres within the network are answered. This is through a cascade system across the network and if necessary to other emergency services.

  • Baroness Kennedy of Cradley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Kennedy of Cradley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Fair Tax Mark for businesses.

    Lord Young of Cookham

    The Government has recently legislated for the publication of tax strategy by the largest businesses; promoting board accountability for tax, and encouraging transparency on approach to tax planning. In this context, the Government welcomes all business moves to improve transparency over their own tax affairs.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they encourage local authorities and other interested organisations to share best practice regarding the introduction and operation of shared space for vehicles and pedestrians.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    To help identify and disseminate good practice in implementing shared space, the Department for Transport is working with the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, who are preparing updated guidance. This work aims to use the practical experience gained from recent shared space schemes to provide good practice advice to local authorities and other interested organisations. To help inform this work, as the Minister responsible for this issue, my Hon Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, the Hon Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Andrew Jones, has written to all local authorities asking them to provide information on relevant schemes to the Department by the end of November.

  • James Berry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    James Berry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Berry on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Sri Lankans have been granted refugee status after having previously been removed to Sri Lanka following a refused application for asylum in the UK in each quarter since January 2012.

    James Brokenshire

    Since January 2012, there have been a total of eight Sri Lankan nationals who have been granted refugee status in the UK after having previously been removed to Sri Lanka following a refused application for asylum.

  • Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the reasons for the prolonged recess of the parliament of the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament has been in recess since 12 October 2015, following an escalation in tensions between Kurdish parties over the extension of the term of Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani. The situation has now de-escalated slightly and negotiations over the extension are ongoing. We are following the situation closely and encouraging all the parties to work together to resolve this issue peacefully, in the spirit of compromise and respecting democratic principles.

  • Karen Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Karen Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Buck on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the change in the number of BME households who have (a) applied and (b) been accepted for homeless status was in each region and constituent nation of the UK between 2010 and 2015.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The available information on homelessness decisions taken and acceptances for each region in England for each financial year from 2004/05 to 2014/15 is given in the attached table.

    Information for other parts of the UK are a matter for the devolved Administrations.