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  • Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he has taken to speed up payments by public bodies and private concerns to small businesses; and what recent assessment he has made of average payment times.

    Matthew Hancock

    We announced further reforms to public procurement on 30 May to speed up payments by public bodies to small businesses. These include improvements to e-invoicing, procurement processes and greater powers for Ministers to investigate complaints raised by the Cabinet Office’s ‘mystery shopper scheme’.

    We have also announced new legislation that will require larger businesses to report on their payment performance and practices. Increasing transparency and driving openness is at the heart of building a more responsible payment culture that UK businesses need to thrive.

    Recent research suggests that UK businesses experience an average 17 day delay to payment of invoices. This is a reduction in the past two years but a figure that is still too high and is holding back investment and growth.

  • Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what public speeches the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families has made since taking up her post; and where those speeches are published.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Since starting as the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families in September 2013, Isabelle Trowler has spoken at a wide range of events. In particular she has made presentations to and engaged in discussion with more than 2,500 social workers to support and challenge the profession and spoke at the National Fostering Association conference on 13 May 2014. Isabelle’s presentations are not published.

    As the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families, Isabelle provides independent expert advice to Ministers on social work reform. She meets my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, and other Ministers in the Department for Education frequently to discuss her ideas for social work reform and to provide policy advice.

  • Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to liaise with the Secretary of State for Health over publication of reports into historic child abuse.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Officials from the Department for Education are already working closely with other relevant departments to ensure that there is a consistent approach to investigations into allegations of historical child abuse, including on the publication of reports.

  • Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what meetings (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have had with the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families since she took up her post.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Since starting as the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families in September 2013, Isabelle Trowler has spoken at a wide range of events. In particular she has made presentations to and engaged in discussion with more than 2,500 social workers to support and challenge the profession and spoke at the National Fostering Association conference on 13 May 2014. Isabelle’s presentations are not published.

    As the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families, Isabelle provides independent expert advice to Ministers on social work reform. She meets my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, and other Ministers in the Department for Education frequently to discuss her ideas for social work reform and to provide policy advice.

  • Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of children in care in residential children’s homes who have been placed outside their local authority area.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    This information is available in Table A3 of ‘Children looked after in England, including adoption’ statistical first release: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption

    “

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of traffic jams.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    This Government is investing £24 billion on strategic roads in England across this Parliament and the next six years. This includes £317 million, before April 2015, on Highways Agency pinch point schemes tackling congestion and supporting economic growth. We are also providing, before April 2015, £265 million from the Local Pinch Point Fund for 112 projects across England aimed at relieving congestion and supporting economic growth.

    In England, subject to approval, ‘Permit Schemes’ are available to local authorities in England so that anyone wanting to dig up the road must first apply for a permit to work. This provision gives authorities the power to better challenge how long those works take, to impose conditions, and to co-ordinate works. They can also charge ‘over-run’ charges to utility companies. The Department is also currently trialling Lane Rental in two highway authority areas, which enables them to charge for works taking place on the busiest roads at the busiest times.

    Outside of England, measures to reduce the incidence of traffic jams are a matter for the respective devolved administration.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to exempt people in receipt of attendance allowance from paying vehicle excise duty.

    Nicky Morgan

    Consistent with the approach taken by successive governments there are no plans to exempt Attend Allowance recipients from Vehicle Excise Duty. However, all taxes are kept under review as part of the annual Budget process.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the value of (a) exports to and (b) imports from Egypt was in each of the last three years.

    Hugh Robertson

    According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), UK imports from Egypt were worth £1.36 billion in 2010, 1.41 billion in 2011 and 1.21 billion in 2012. Over the same period, UK exports to Egypt were worth £1.77 billion in 2010, 1.70 billion in 2011 and 1.59 billion in 2012. ONS figures from 2013 will be published in October 2014.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he or officials of his Department have had on the effects of digestion of sycamore tree seeds on horses; and what estimate he has made of the number of horses that have died as a result of ingesting such seeds.

    George Eustice

    Digestion of sycamore seeds can cause equine atypical myopathy. However, like many other equine illnesses, such as strangles and equine influenza, this is not a notifiable disease so there has been no need for active government intervention.

    Defra works closely with the Animal Health Trust (AHT) and the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) in identifying cases of this emerging condition in the British equine population. This includes monitoring scientific developments and inclusion of data in the joint Defra/AHT/BEVA Equine Quarterly Disease Surveillance Report published on the AHT’s website.

    This type of surveillance and communication enables private veterinarians to advise horse keepers to avoid pasture containing sycamore trees during high risk periods and to provide additional forage on fields where grazing is poor. This should be sufficient to mitigate against this illness. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep in touch with the equine veterinary profession to be aware of developments.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the government of Brazil on the issue of the recent increase in the number of disappeared persons in that country.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We have regular discussions on human rights with the Brazilian government. Most recently the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Right Honourable Friend, the Member for Richmond (Yorks)(Mr Hague) raised this during his second visit to Brazil in February for the Strategic Dialogue. The UK also holds regular discussions of Human Rights and public security through the EU namely, initiatives, the Brazil- EU Human Rights Dialogue, the last of which was held on the 25th of April in Brasilia.