The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the operational readiness of UK-based tanks; and if he will make a statement.
Penny Mordaunt
As at February 2016 the Challenger 2 fleet was assessed to meet 100% of the fleet size and deployability requirements as set out in the 2015/16 Army Readiness Order.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Beresford on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will arrange a meeting between the Photo Marketing Association and the Passport Office to discuss ensuring that future digitally-supplied ID photographs meet International Civil Aviation Organisation compliance standards and are supplied by photographic professionals.
Mike Penning
Photographic requirements for the British passport are set out in www.gov.uk and are fully compliant with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. HMPO does not currently require passport photographs to be supplied by photographic professionals and there are no plans to change this.
The PMA is a member of the Open Identity Exchange (OIX) with whom HM Passport Office has been actively discussing our digital services to ensure open and transparent engagement with all photographic providers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sue Hayman on 2016-04-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Rural Payments Agency will maintain the current level of resources until the 2016 applications are logged and the issues with the 2015 applications are resolved; and if she will make a statement.
George Eustice
We understand the importance of Basic Payment Scheme payments to farmers and Defra has ensured that the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has all the resources it needs to complete claims processing for 2015 and to help farmers and agents to submit their 2016 applications as promptly as possible.
For 2016, applications are coming in with nearly 40,000 received either online or by paper. RPA has 14 support centres and a helpline to provide assistance to help farmers to claim.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martin Docherty-Hughes on 2016-06-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on steps to prevent consumers purchasing counterfeit electrical goods that are being sold in Scotland.
David Mundell
I have had a range of discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, and Scottish Government ministers.
The UK-wide Intellectual Property Office works with law enforcement and industry partners across Scotland to reduce the availability of all types of counterfeits, including electrical goods.
Recent successful joint-enforcement activity involving the Intellectual Property Office, Trading Standards, and Police Scotland, in the Barras Market area of Glasgow, achieved over £30 million pounds worth of fake goods seized. These items included not only counterfeit electrical goods, but fake eBooks, watches, clothing, footwear, and tobacco products.
The operation saw the arrest of 100 traders, the removal of stalls selling fake goods and the return of legitimate business to the area, and is a superb example of the collective effort of Scotland’s two Governments using our powers and potential in a common endeavour.
The Government does not hold data estimating the number of counterfeit electrical goods that were sold in Scotland during the last 12 months. However, we have recently launched a landmark Intellectual Property enforcement strategy in which we have set out how we will improve our data collection. The Intellectual Property Office are developing a robust methodology for measuring the harm caused by IP infringement and a comprehensive scoreboard to be published annually. This will mean better reporting in the criminal justice system, better reporting of court cases, and a deeper understanding of consumer behaviours and emerging trends.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-09-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answers of 22 January 2016 to Question 22462 and 28 June 2016 to Question 40748, when NHS England plans to publish findings from its review of individual funding requests for palivizumab; whether that review will include details of the number of individual funding requests submitted, accepted and declined; and what the reason is for the time taken to publish the findings from that review.
Mr Philip Dunne
NHS England has advised that, due to issues with patient identifiable information, it has not been possible to analyse the information on individual funding requests (IFRs) for palivizumab in detail at this stage.
However, NHS England has advised that 57 IFR requests were received between August 2015 and January 2016 and that 11 (19%) were approved and 16 (28%) were rejected as they were outside the age range criteria. The remaining 30 were declined for a range of conditions that are not normally associated with respiratory syncytial virus.
NHS England has issued a circular to its specialised commissioning teams and to providers of neonatal services, congenital heart services and specialised respiratory services outlining its 2016 commissioning position.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Glasgow on 2016-10-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will give further consideration to including the arts and other creative industries within future school curricula.
Lord Nash
The Government believes that every child should experience a high quality creative education throughout their time at school. That is why subjects such as music, art and design, drama and dance are included in the National Curriculum for 5-14 year olds. The National Curriculum is compulsory for maintained schools. Academies and free schools are not required to teach the National Curriculum but can use it as a benchmark. They can also use their freedoms to innovate and build more stretching and tailored curricula, to meet the particular needs of their pupils or their local area or the particular ethos of the school.
All schools, including academies and free schools, must provide a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many roads were resurfaced in 2014-15.
Andrew Jones
The Department for Transport regularly publishes Official Statistics on how many roads managed by local highway authorities were resurfaced. Figures for 2014/15 are not currently available and will be published in the next annual Road Conditions in England statistical release, provisionally scheduled for March 2016.
Poorly maintained local roads are a menace to all road users. The Government is committed to helping local authorities end the misery caused by potholes. Between 2010 and 2015 we increased funding by £1 billion from the previous five year period (2005-10) and have also pledged a further £6 billion of funding to 2021. It is the first time councils have been given locked-in funding over this length of time, which will help them plan ahead and save money for the taxpayer. This increased funding will also reward those areas that demonstrate they are delivering value for money in carrying out cost effective improvements.
The Department does not publish Official Statistics on resurfacing for the Strategic Road Network (SRN). The Highways Agency Annual Report for 2014/15 states that 2,900 lane kilometres of resurfacing took place on the SRN in that year. This report can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-agency-annual-report-and-accounts-2014-to-2015. Over the course of this Parliament we plan to resurface 80% of the Strategic Road Network.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-12-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will implement a nationwide campaign asking people to make space for wheelchairs in wheelchair areas of buses.
Andrew Jones
Under the Passenger Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR) all compliant buses must include a designated space for wheelchair users. Rules concerning the use of this facility are currently the subject of a case at the Supreme Court and it would be inappropriate for Government to intervene until it has been resolved.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the final version of the Evaluation of Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy was agreed within his Department.
Justin Tomlinson
The contractors who were commissioned to undertake the report into the evaluation of the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy provided the Department with the final version of the report on 8 December 2015.
It was agreed within the Department on 11 December 2015 and publication details were announced on the same day.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2016-02-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many apprenticeship starts his Department forecasts there will be in the construction sector for 2016.
Nick Boles
Apprenticeships are categorised according to the Sector Subject Area of the apprenticeship, not the industry sector of the employer.
The Department does not produce forecasts for apprenticeship starts by Sector Subject Area. Apprenticeships are paid jobs and their availability is dependent on employers offering opportunities and hiring apprentices.