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  • Lord Warner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Warner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Warner on 2016-03-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of (1) how many health professionals will return to permanent NHS jobs as a result of price caps on agency staff spending, and (2) how many nurses will leave nursing as a result of those caps.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    No formal assessment has been made by the Department to estimate the specific numbers of health professionals that will return to permanent National Health Service jobs as a result of the introduction of price caps on agency staff spending, or on the number of nurses that may leave nursing as a result.

    Trust boards have primary responsibility for monitoring the local impact of the price caps and ensuring patient safety.

  • Lord Warner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Warner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Warner on 2016-03-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 25 February (HL5719), whether an NGO can assist individual parents, or groups of parents, to challenge the fairness of the admission arrangements in their local school or schools through the adjudication process, including legally challenging the fairness of the adjudication process itself.

    Lord Nash

    There is nothing in school admissions legislation which would prevent a parent or group of parents from seeking the assistance of a non-government organisation in referring an objection to the Schools Adjudicator or in bringing a legal challenge about the adjudication process. Similarly, there is nothing in admissions legislation to prevent an organisation from providing such assistance.

  • Lord Trefgarne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the The Lord Chairman of Committees

    Lord Trefgarne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the The Lord Chairman of Committees

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Trefgarne on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Chairman of Committees what assessment he has made of the progress made in respect of the roadworks underway in Bridge Street at the northern end of Westminster Bridge, and when he expects those works to be completed.

    Lord Laming

    The work on Bridge Street, Westminster Bridge and Victoria Embankment is due to be completed by the end of this month; remaining works around Parliament Square should be completed by the end of April as planned. There have been detailed and helpful discussions, and ongoing liaison, between the Administrations of both Houses and Transport for London about the scheduling of the work in order to ensure that the plans for the cycle superhighway disrupt access to Parliament as little as possible. Since the works began, there have been no reports that they have adversely affected or disrupted the business of Parliament. Parliament has shared information about these works on the intranet.

  • Lord Tebbit – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Tebbit – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Tebbit on 2016-03-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 2 March (HL6363), whether they have the power to make regulations requiring origin marking of dairy products without the consent of the EU.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    We have consistently pushed within Europe for improved origin labelling on all food and these efforts have resulted in strong requirements for meat and meat products in the Food Information Regulations EU 1169/2011. We will continue to seek even stronger origin requirements for dairy products, to ensure that where the dairy ingredient of cheese, butter and cream is different from the place of manufacture this is clearly declared on the label.

    Where there are harmonised measures, domestic legislation normally takes into account the principles of mutual recognition to prevent deliberate trade barriers between Member States.

    The UK food industry recognises that country of origin information is important to British consumers and in 2011 industry developed and committed to a set of voluntary principles for clearer country of origin labelling. The proposed EU implementing act will strengthen the voluntary principles and improve the quality and consistency of origin information.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-03-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of why the UK retail sector is predicted by the British Retail Consortium to lose up to 900,000 jobs in the next decade.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    • The Government recognises the great contribution the retail industry makes to the economy, to employment and to communities. We are in regular touch with the British Retail Consortium and major retailers on a wide range of policy issues, including those raised in the report.
    • The report shows that the retail sector is going through a period of major adjustment as it is responds to developments such as changing demography and consumer preferences, and automation and digital technology.
    • Government has supported business, including retailers by taking action to help employers and workers to improve productivity, including raising the Annual Investment Allowance to £200,000 to its highest ever permanent level, reducing national insurance contributions for small firms, going further by cutting corporation tax to 18% in 2020 for all companies, and significantly increasing investment in apprenticeships.
    • At the same time, the government is making sure workers in Britain get a pay rise by introducing the National Living Wage from April this year. Now is the right time to do this as we are seeing record employment rates and more than 2 million jobs created since 2010. And taking into account the National Living Wage the independent Office of Budget Responsibility expects employment to rise by a further 1.1 million by 2020.
  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-03-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the results of a poll of members of the Federation of Small Businesses showing that over half of respondents felt uninformed about the EU membership referendum and needed more information.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    In line with the European Union Referendum Act 2015 and commitments made in the Houses of Parliament, the Government is publishing several public information documents ahead of the Referendum. Three of these have already been published and cover: the renegotiation settlement and the Government’s opinion thereof, the process for withdrawing from the EU in line with Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, and examples of countries that do not have membership of the European Union but do have other arrangements with the European Union. An upcoming statutory paper will also outline the rights and obligations entailed by membership of the EU.

    Additionally, the Chancellor has also announced that the Treasury will publish before 23 June a comprehensive analysis of our membership of a reformed EU and the alternatives, including the long-term economic costs and benefits of EU membership and the risks associated with an exit.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-03-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to help more businesses in Cambridge in the light of reports that it has the best rates for startup survival.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Government’s Start-Up Loans scheme supports people wanting to start a business and has provided over 35,000 loans worth over £200 million. We’re committed to supporting start-ups by cutting taxes on small businesses, extending rate relief and increasing the Employment Allowance.

    In Cambridge, Government has invested £4.8m in the establishment of the Sir John Bradfield Technology Centre to support business incubation on Cambridge Science Park. This is in addition to a range of other growth-enabling investments made through the £500m Greater Cambridge City Deal, the £109.1m Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Growth Deal and a three year funding package to support development of a local business Growth Hub

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-03-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any assessment of the report from UBS predicting that, if the UK left the EU, sterling could hit parity with the euro.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Britain is stronger, safer and better off by remaining in a reformed European Union.

    The Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the G20 concluded that a British exit would cause an economic shock not just to the UK but to Europe and the world.

    The Treasury will publish a comprehensive analysis of our membership of a reformed EU and the alternatives, including the long-term economic costs and benefits of EU membership and the risks associated with an exit before 23 June. The Government notes wider evidence on an ongoing basis.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-03-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to increase the budget of the Heritage Schools programme.

    Lord Nash

    The funding for Historic England’s Heritage Schools programme in 2016-17 has not yet been confirmed. A decision will be made once the Department’s business planning process has concluded.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-03-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children were educated at home in the UK in the academic year 2014–15.

    Lord Nash

    The department does not collect data relating to the number of home educated children in England. Home education elsewhere in the United Kingdom is the responsibility of the devolved administrations.

    It is unacceptable for any child of compulsory school age not to be receiving a suitable education. We recognise parents may choose to home school their children and many do a good job, but that education must be of a suitable quality.

    We are taking steps to ensure the system is as robust as it can be when it comes to protecting young people, while at the same time safeguarding the rights of parents to determine how and where to educate their children.