The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which prisons have been selected to take part in the pilot scheme on increasing the autonomy of prison governors; and how long that pilot scheme is expected to last.
Andrew Selous
We will announce our plans for reform prisons in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-04-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many public libraries have closed since 2010; how many are currently under threat of closure; and what action they are taking to ensure that public libraries are maintained as a statutory service and to promote improvement of the public library service.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport monitors closely proposed changes to library service provision throughout England. The Department does not maintain detail on the number of public libraries under review by local authorities, but based on desk research we estimate that from January 2010 to January 2016 approximately 110 static public libraries in England closed completely.
Public libraries are funded and run by local authorities and it is a matter for local authorities to determine how best to provide a comprehensive and efficient public library service to their local community, within available resources.
My Department, together with the Local Government Association, has set up a Leadership for Libraries Taskforce to help public libraries in England build on good practice and add value for the communities they serve. The Taskforce is currently consulting on the attached document at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/libraries-deliver-ambition-for-public-libraries-in-england-2016-2021 which sets out the ambition for public libraries in the future. Furthermore, thanks to Government funding, free Wi-Fi is available to 99% of public libraries in England.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Burt of Solihull on 2016-06-06.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the amount paid in levies to the Pension Protection Fund in each of the three years to 2012–13 due to companies using a contingent asset to replace the Pension Protection Fund’s Failure Score for the company with that of a different company, compared to what these companies paid in (1) 2012–13, (2) 2013–14 and (3) 2014–15.
Baroness Altmann
The Pension Protection Fund has not made a comparison of the amounts paid by schemes with a contingent asset prior to 2012/13 with later years, as substantial changes in the way that levies are calculated from year to year do not allow for robust comparison.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-07-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people working for his Department or its executive agencies on a (a) directly employed, (b) agency or (c) outsourced basis are paid less than the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation; and how many of those people are employed on zero-hours contracts.
Joseph Johnson
As at 1 August 2016 (following the implementation of the 2016 pay award) there are no direct employees in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills or former Department for Energy and Climate Change) paid less than the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
As at this date there are no agency staff in former DECC paid less than the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
There are 5 agency staff in former BIS paid less than the Living Wage Foundation’s definition. However, all 5 are paid more than the Government’s Living Wage rate of £7.20 per hour.
We do not centrally hold details of the pay levels of staff working for outsourced companies contracted by former BIS. Arm Length Bodies linked to former DECC have confirmed that they pay all their employees above the level set by the Living Wage Foundation.
There are no employees on zero hours contracts.
I have asked Chief Executives of the executive agencies of former BIS to respond directly to the Hon. Member.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Adams on 2016-10-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential for community pharmacies to (a) deliver early identification of medical complaints and ongoing patient monitoring and (b) help reduce hospital admission rates.
David Mowat
We want a clinically focussed community pharmacy service that is better integrated with primary care and public health in line with the Five Year Forward View. This will help relieve the pressure on general practitioners and accident and emergency, ensure better use of medicines and better patient outcomes, and contribute to delivering seven-day health and care services.
The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, Dr Keith Ridge has commissioned an independent review of community pharmacy clinical services. The review is being led by Richard Murray, Director of Policy at The King’s Fund. The final recommendations will be considered as part of the development of clinical and cost effective patient care by pharmacists and their teams.
NHS England is also setting up a Pharmacy Integration Fund to support the development of clinical pharmacy practice in a wider range of primary care settings, resulting in a more integrated and effective National Health Service primary care patient pathway.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2015-11-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the economic cost of the shortage of Certificate of Professional Competence qualified drivers.
Andrew Jones
The Department for Transport has not made an estimate on the economic effect of a potential driver shortage. It is aware of extensive reports about pressures on wages, the recruitment of drivers from outside the UK and delayed deliveries.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Tyrie on 2015-11-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Table 7.1 of the Final Report of the Airports Commission, published in July 2015, if he will commission an assessment of the effect on the data in that table under the Commission’s (a) global growth, (b) relative decline of Europe, (c) low-cost is king and (d) global fragmentation scenarios.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Government is currently considering the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report before taking any decisions on next steps.
The Government will carefully consider all the evidence set out, including that on costs, when making a decision on additional runway capacity.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Kendall on 2016-01-05.
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what the highest salary is of a (a) woman and (b) man in the Government Equalities Office.
Caroline Dinenage
The highest salary for a woman in the Government Equalities Office (GEO) is between £90,000 and £94,999.
The highest salary for a man in GEO is between £75,000 and £79,999.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-01-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of alleged mass graves in Burundi.
Mr Philip Hammond
I am deeply concerned by the discovery of alleged mass graves in Burundi. I am aware that the UN is currently analysing satellite images to investigate reports of at least nine mass graves, including one in a military camp said to contain more than 100 bodies. There must be an impartial investigation into these allegations. Where crimes have been committed, those responsible must be prosecuted. In the margins of the African Union Summit the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge) met the African Union’s Peace and Security Commissioner, Smail Chergui, and the Burundian Minister of External Relations and International Cooperation, Alain Nyamwite. He strongly urged the Burundian Government to accept responsibility for what was happening in their country and to take decisive action to improve the situation. We are exploring what more we can do to support the African Union’s leadership, and have intensified our efforts at the UN and with our EU partners to halt the violence in Burundi.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Department has made to reallocate UK aid funding from cross-EU funds and programmes in the event of the UK voting to leave the EU.
Mr Nick Hurd
At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU. The civil service works to support the government’s position.