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  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2015 to Question 15934, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in receipt of carer’s credit in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Historical information on the number of people in receipt of Carers Credit in each of the last five years is not available. To comply with Data Protection, dormant Carers Credit cases which have been closed for 14 months or more are removed from the Carers Credit Operating System and clerical records destroyed.

    • An estimated 8908 people are currently in receipt of Carers Credit (November 2015).
    • 15,477 Carers Credit applications have been made since it was introduced in April 2010.
  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) complaints and (b) investigations into complaints made by civil servants against special advisers in her Department there have been in each of the last five years; and how many such (i) complaints and (ii) investigations are outstanding.

    Karen Bradley

    We have no records of any complaints against or investigations into Home Office Special Advisers in the last five years.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of (a) arrests for and (b) successful prosecutions of individuals charged with counter-terrorism offences in (i) Coventry and (ii) the West Midlands in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Home Office releases a quarterly statistics bulletin on the operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000. It contains information on the numbers of arrests, charges and convictions for terrorism-related offences. The latest bulletin was released in September 2015 and can be found here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000-financial-year-ending-march-2015

    The data is not broken down by geographic location. To do so could give an indication of the deployment of police resources and might prejudice ongoing operations.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) complaints and (b) investigations into complaints made by civil servants against special advisers in his Department there have been in each of the last five years; and how many such (i) complaints and (ii) investigations are outstanding.

    Jane Ellison

    There have been no complaints or investigations into complaints made by civil servants against special advisers in the Department of Health in any of the last five years. None are outstanding.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2015 to Question 15604, what information her Department holds on the (a) number of petroleum exploration and development licences which have been (i) applied for and (ii) issued in the last 12 months and (b) the location to which such applications and licences apply.

    Andrea Leadsom

    No landward Petroleum Exploration and Development Licences have been applied for, nor issued, during the last 12 months. However, in the latest (14th) Onshore Oil and Gas Licensing Round, which closed for bids on 28 October 2014, 95 applications were received from 47 companies covering 295 Ordinance Survey Blocks. The Oil and Gas Authority announced on 18 August 2015 that a first tranche of 27 onshore blocks will be formally offered to companies, and that a second group of 132 further blocks has been subjected to detailed assessment under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010. Subject to the outcome of this consultation, the OGA intends to announce offers for the second group of licence blocks later this year. A map showing the location of the first tranche blocks and those being considered further can be found here:

    https://decc-edu.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=29c31fa4b00248418e545d222e57ddaa.

    “

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what review his Department has conducted of homelessness in the West Midlands; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    One homeless family is one too many. We have provided more than £500 million to local authorities to prevent homelessness since 2010, which has resulted in 935,800 households, including 121,400 in the West Midlands region, being prevented from becoming homeless. The Department will continue to work with local authorities and the voluntary sector to tackle homelessness.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of how many people were recorded as homeless in each county region in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Department for Communities and Local Government collects and publishes data on statutory homelessness in England at a local authority district level only.

    The figures for the number of households accepted as statutorily homeless for each local authority district are available within Live Tables 784 and 784a at the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness

    This Government has provided more than £500 million to tackle and prevent homelessness since 2010. This has resulted in local authorities preventing 935,800 households from becoming homeless since then.

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans he has for the future of the Student Opportunity Fund.

    Joseph Johnson

    We are examining all elements of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spend as part of the Spending Review, which will be published on the 25th November.

    The Department will set out its priorities for higher education in the subsequent Grant Letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Final decisions will be for HEFCE, taking account of the Grant Letter.

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to encourage (a) the training of school children in digital skills before they enter the workforce, (b) graduate schemes on digital skills, (c) improving the digital skills of the workforce of firms in the digital technology industry and (d) other initiatives to promote existing professional training and digital skills initiatives; and whether he plans for such initiatives to be supported by the Apprenticeship Levy.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Introduced in September 2014, the new statutory computing curriculum in primary and secondary schools is providing schoolchildren with the digital skills they will need for further study and employment. It is supported by revised computer science A levels, and revised GCSEs will be introduced from 2016. In September 2015 the Higher Education Funding Council for England invited bids for pilot conversion courses in high demand computer science disciplines. This will supply industry with a new stream of graduates with in-demand digital skills from summer 2017.

    Additionally, this Government back a free ‘Introduction to Cyber Security’ course raising awareness of cyber security and developing the necessary skills in the sector. This Government is also funding pilots of short courses in key digital skills areas (web design, database management and digital marketing), designed and accredited by business.

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of (a) long-term skills and employment needs of the digital economy, (b) the role apprenticeships could play in meeting those needs and (c) the role alternative forms of professional training and vocational education could play in meeting those needs; and whether he plans for alternative forms of digital skills development to be supported by the Apprenticeship Levy.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Research from the Tech Partnership, estimates over a million new recruits are needed for digital roles across the workforce by 2023, including in growth areas such as cyber security, data analytics, cloud and mobile computing skills.

    Apprenticeships have a key role to play in meeting the UK’s digital skills requirements. As part of the commitment to reach 3 million apprenticeships starts by 2020, Government is supporting the growth of apprenticeships in digital industry occupations at a range of levels, including the Digital Degree Apprenticeship. Employer-led apprenticeship reforms continue to improve quality and provide the high level skills that employers need.

    Planned reforms to technical and professional education will introduce a new system of clear progression routes, from school to skilled employment.

    The Chancellor will announce further details of the Apprenticeship Levy at the Spending Review, including the scope and rate.