The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward proposals to relocate (a) staff and (b) offices of his Department to Brighton; and if he will make a statement.
Dan Rogerson
There are no current plans for the Department to relocate staff or offices to Brighton.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlie Elphicke on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the highest amount is that a single household has been capped as a result of the benefit cap.
Esther McVey
Of the top ten highest capped households at the end of March 2014, the average capped amount was £607 per week.
More detailed information on the amount capped is not available as providing this information could identify individuals and would breach data confidentiality. Further information on the number of households capped by the amount capped is found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-number-of-households-capped-to-january-2014
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings he has had with each private hire vehicle operator since 2010.
Stephen Hammond
Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published every quarter and this information can be accessed on the GOV.UK website via the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-transparency-data#meetings
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many training posts for nurses were commissioned in England in each of the last five years.
Dr Daniel Poulter
The following table shows the number of new pre-registration nursing places that were filled in the last five years. The table includes the students enrolled on the degree and diploma courses.
|
2009-10 |
2010-11 |
2011-12 |
2012-13 |
2013-14 |
|
|
Nursing Total |
20,829 |
20,092 |
17,741 |
17,219 |
18,009 |
Source: multi professional education and training budget monitoring returns.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women suffered health complications following abortion procedures in 2012.
Jane Ellison
Statistics for abortion, including complications arising from abortions, are published annually. A copy of the latest report Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2012 has already been placed in the Library.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent representations he has received from Ofsted on his plans to introduce secure colleges.
Jeremy Wright
In April 2013 Ofsted submitted a response to the Government’s Transforming Youth Custody consultation, which set out our proposals for Secure Colleges.
The Government values the important role Ofsted performs in inspecting the provision of support and education in the custodial estate for under-18s. We are therefore legislating in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill for Ofsted, along with Her Majesty’s Inspector for Prisons (HMIP, to have a duty to inspect Secure Colleges.
My officials have regular discussions with Ofsted in relation to the inspection of youth custody, and are discussing with them, in conjunction with HMIP, arrangements for the inspection of Secure Colleges.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann McKechin on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Prime Minister, what discussions either orally or in writing he or his Ministers or officials have had with (a) Pfizer and (b) AstraZeneca in the last two months regarding any bid for AstraZeneca.
Mr David Cameron
We are committed to ensuring that the life sciences sector in this country continues to flourish and grow, with the UK at the forefront of life sciences R&D, and retaining our role as a leading manufacturing base. While ultimately the potential takeover bid is a matter for the respective boards and shareholders of the two companies, Ministers and officials across Government have engaged with both companies to ensure that the outcome is positive for the long-term future of this sector in the UK.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave at Prime Minister’s Questions today.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-04-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the potential contribution of sustainable lighting systems to development in Africa; and if her Department will collaborate with Solar Aid to provide such systems to communities in Africa.
Lynne Featherstone
The UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative estimated that in 2010 only 32% of people in sub-Saharan Africa had access to electricity. There is high potential for household scale systems using sustainable and renewable energy such as solar power to increase access to electricity.
DFID will match funding for Solar Aid’s SunnyMoney appeal in the Guardian Newspaper. This will fund the distribution of portable solar lights through Solar Aid’s social enterprise ‘SunnyMoney Way,’ in Zambia, Malawi, Kenya and Uganda. Through this project, Solar Aid expect to distribute some 76,400 solar lights benefiting over 400,000 people.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-04-30.
To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the merits of auto enrolment of young people at the time they are given their national insurance number.
Mr Gary Streeter
The Electoral Commission informs me that it will carefully consider with the Cabinet Office any proposals such as this for improving the efficiency of electoral registration processes as it monitors the implementation of individual electoral registration during 2014 and 2015. If such proposals appear to be viable, the Commission will recommend that the Government brings forward any necessary measures to allow them to take place once the transition to individual electoral registration is complete.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-04-30.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason his Department will no longer participate in the Debt Management Plan Protocol guidance group; and if he will make a statement.
Andrea Leadsom
The Government is committed to improving standards in the debt management industry to deliver a better deal for consumers and greater transparency for creditors. The Debt Management Plan Protocol played a crucial role in meeting this objective, working in complement with the OFT regulatory framework, and paved the way for more robust regulation of the sector by the FCA.
From 1 April, responsibility for regulating debt management firms, along with all other consumer credit firms, transferred from the Office of Fair Trading to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Consumers will be better protected under the new regime – the FCA will:
· police the gateway to the market more thoroughly;
· proactively identify risks to consumers;
· focus its supervisory resources on areas most likely to cause consumer harm;
· approve individuals in influential roles in firms;
· operate a flexible and responsive regime;
· use its wide enforcement toolkit;
· and ensure consumers have access to redress.
The FCA will thoroughly assess every debt management firm’s fitness to trade as part of the authorisation process – debt management firms will be amongst the first to require authorisation.
The FCA has also introduced new requirements for debt management firms, including:
· Prudential requirements: Debt management firms often hold consumers’ money – the FCA is requiring large debt management firms to hold capital to ensure that consumers don’t risk losing their money if things go wrong.
· Guidance added that debt management firms should not allocate more than half the money received from customers in debt management plans to meeting their fees and charges.
With the new FCA regulatory regime in place which will greatly improve consumer protection in the debt management market, the Government decided following discussions with a range of stakeholders that it was the right time to step away from an active role in the Protocol.
The Government hopes that the stakeholders involved in the Protocol will continue to work together to help the FCA monitor the market and drive best practice in the sector.