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Tag: 2014

  • Baroness Sharp of Guildford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Sharp of Guildford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Sharp of Guildford on 2015-01-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of 17 year-olds in England are participating in education and training in fulfilment of the duty to participate set out in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, and what steps they are taking to maximise participation from September 2015 when the requirement to participate increases to the 18th birthday.

    Lord Nash

    Young people who were aged 17 at the start of this academic year were covered by the first phase of raising the participation age (RPA) set out in the Education and Skills Act 2008. This required them to continue in education or training for one further year, to 27 June 2014. This cohort is therefore no longer under a duty to participate, although we expect that the vast majority of them will continue to participate this academic year.

    Data showing the proportion of these young people participating in the current academic year will be published as part of the 16-18 participation statistical first release at the end of June.

    Young people who were aged 16 at the start of this academic year will be under a duty to participate until their 18th birthday. We will encourage schools, colleges and training providers to ensure that young people are aware of this requirement.

    In addition, local authorities have a duty to promote the effective participation in education and training of 16 and 17 year olds in their area with a view to ensuring that they fulfil the duty to participate.

    We plan to invest £7.2 billion in 2014/15 to fund education and training places for 16 to 19-year-olds. The government has implemented a range of other measures to promote participation and help young people get the best possible start in life, including the reform of vocational education and the Youth Contract.

  • Lord Ahmed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Ahmed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2015-01-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have provided any financial support for the redevelopment of houses destroyed during recent floods in Indian-administered Kashmir.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The UK government has not received a request from the Indian Government for financial assistance. In 2012, DFID announced that it would end our traditional financial grant aid to India in 2015. From this year on, our partnership will be based on sharing skills and expertise, investing in private sector projects that benefit the poor, and working together on global development issues.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-01-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government in how many Clinical Commissioning Groups are (1) major, and (2) minor, amputation rates more than 33 per cent above the national average.

    Earl Howe

    Foot care services are commissioned locally by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), working with local partners and are based on the need of the local population, resources available and evidence based practice. These commissioning decisions are informed by the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and the local Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

    Within NHS England, the National Clinical Director for Rehabilitation and Recovery in the Community and the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer are leading work to improve adult rehabilitation services including collection and dissemination of best practice.

    Footcare services for older people, published by the Department in 2009, highlighted five potential models of safe and effective foot care service provision. This includes working in partnership across the health and social care spectrum and may involve training others e.g. within nursing homes or home care agencies to carry out simple foot care. Other models help empower patients to self-care where it is possible and safe to do so.

    National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Clinical Guidelines 119 (on inpatient management of diabetic foot problems) and 10 (on Type 2 diabetes foot problems) offer guidance on best practice for foot care management in diabetes. These guidelines are being updated as one document – Diabetic Foot Problems, which is currently out to consultation.

    It is not possible to distinguish in Hospital Episode Statistics between “major” and “minor” amputations.

    The Health and Social Care Information Centre has calculated the England average rate of amputation per 100,000 population and highlighted the CCGs of residence having rates more than 33% higher than the national average. There are 25 such CCGs which are identified in the attached table. This is not a count of people as the same person may have had more than one episode of care within the same time period.

    We do not have information on a comparison of rates of amputation with other European Union member states.

  • The Marquess of Lothian – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Marquess of Lothian – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-01-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the threat posed by Islamist military action in Nigeria.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Nigeria faces a serious threat from Boko Haram. We believe that more than 4000 people were killed by the group last year in north-east Nigeria. The UN estimates that over 1.5 million people have been displaced by terrorist activities and at least 3 million have been affected by the insurgency.
    Addressing the threat from Boko Haram is primarily the responsibility of the Nigerian authorities. However, the UK, along with other international partners, is providing support to Nigeria and its neighbours in their efforts to defeat Boko Haram. This support includes a range of intelligence, military and development assistance, both to support current operations and to help tackle the long term causes of instability.

  • Paul Burstow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Burstow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Burstow on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the contribution of 13 January 2015 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Official Report, columns 218-22WH, on care sector, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department of Health on the effect of commissioning decisions by local authorities on the level of compliance with the national minimum wage in the care sector; and if he will make a statement.

    Jo Swinson

    The Government is taking action to improve compliance with the National Minimum Wage (NMW) in the social care sector. We are working closely with the Department of Health, Communities and Local Government and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

    Over the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2013, HMRC have made enquiries into 224 employers in the social care sector. Over half of these were paying less than the minimum wage between them owing £1,319 729 arrears of pay to 6550 workers, with penalties issued with a total value of £146,931. There are 94 investigations currently underway in the social care sector.

    The Department of Health have recently published statutory guidance for local authorities as part of the package of secondary legislation to accompany the Care Act. The chapter of statutory guidance on commissioning and market shaping explicitly states that local authorities should have evidence that contract terms, conditions and fee levels will not compromise care providers’ ability to pay at least minimum wages.

    The Department of Health is asking all Local Authorities to sign up to the Social Care Commitment which incorporates a statement about employer compliance with minimum wage legislation. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services has written out to all its members encouraging them to support the Commitment as a way of raising standards in adult social care.

    The Department of Health is also working with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Health Services Management Centre at Birmingham University to develop as set of Commissioning Standards. Local authorities will be encouraged to use these as a benchmark to support them to improve commissioning practices, including those which have an impact on the social care workforce such as employer compliance with National Minimum Wage.

    In addition to the actions we are currently taking to reduce non-compliance in the social care sector, we will also be:

    • issuing guidance to employers so that they understand the NMW law, including tips to avoid common mistakes and the records that they should be keeping to prove that they are paying their workers correctly.

    • encouraging care sector workers who have been underpaid to make a complaint- making sure that they understand their entitlement.

    HMRC have started work on new targeted enforcement work in the care sector.

    Any worker who is concerned that they have not received what they are entitled to should call the helpline on 0800 917 2368. HMRC follow up every complaint.

  • Naomi Long – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Naomi Long – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Naomi Long on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, persuant to the Answer of 5 January 2015 to Question 218547, if he will adapt the Early Access to Medicines Scheme to better accommodate off-patent indications of drugs, by creating incentives for pharmaceutical companies to submit applications to the scheme.

    George Freeman

    Since the launch of the Early Access to Medicines Scheme in April 2014, three Promising Innovative Medicine (PIM) designations have already been granted. By 9 January 2015 there had been 428 downloads of the PIM designation form and 187 downloads of the scientific opinion form, which indicates the high level of interest in the scheme.

    The Early Access to Medicines Scheme already has a number of incentives for pharmaceutical companies. The PIM designation provides an early indication that a product may be a possible candidate for the Early Access to Medicines Scheme and is of particular value to smaller companies because it will act as a signal to potential investors. At the next stage of scientific review, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will consider the evidence and can issue an Early Access to Medicines scientific opinion. This opinion will support the prescriber to make a decision with the patient on using this medicine, when still unlicensed or used off-label. Earlier clinical use of new innovative medicines will also provide valuable real world data to companies for use in subsequent health technology appraisal processes.

    We committed to review the Early Access to Medicines Scheme when we launched the scheme in April 2014. Through the Innovative Medicine and Medical Technologies Review we will also be taking forward a major review over the coming months to make recommendations to Government on opportunities to accelerate access for National Health Service patients to innovative medicines, devices and diagnostics.

  • Helen Goodman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Helen Goodman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff of his Department have been assigned to implementation of the recommendations of the independent review of the operation of jobseekers’ allowance sanctions, published in July 2014; what estimate he has made of the number of staff hours that have been spent on that implementation to date; and what funding his Department has allocated to that implementation.

    Esther McVey

    The information as requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what dates and in what locations the universal credit in work pilots are due to start.

    Esther McVey

    We will launch the first in-work progression Randomised Controlled Trial in Universal Credit in April 2015, subject to securing the necessary piloting regulations.

    The trial will initially start in 10 Universal Credit sites and extend to further sites in the North West later in 2015.

  • Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much his Department spent on (a) recruitment agency fees, (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and (c) staff training in each of the last five years.

    Amber Rudd

    The majority of expenditure with recruitment agencies represents payment to the individuals employed. We are unable to separately identify the element retained by the recruitment agency as fees. This varies from case to case and the Department contracts on the basis of a total hourly or daily fee. The recruitment principles published by the Civil Service Commission specify the circumstances when appointments may be made otherwise. Further information about the work of the Civil Service Commissioners can be found at www.civilservicecommissioners.org

    The Department made payment to an outplacement agency in 2014-15 only. Prior to using the outplacement agency, the Department used the Civil Service Transition Service to provide career counselling redeployment support with no associated costs to the Department.

    Figures for 2009 -10 to 2013-14 for staff training are published in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Nicholas Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the environmental effect of the Government’s road investment strategy announced on 1 December 2014.

    Mr John Hayes

    Environmental appraisals of each individual scheme announced on 1 December will be brought forward as part of the standard scheme development process. Separate to this, the Road Investment Strategy also includes commitments to over £500m of environmental spending through a series of ring-fenced ‘designated funds’, which will bring about real improvements to the existing network.