Tag: 2014

Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of Syrian refugee (a) adults and (b) children in Calais who plan to enter the UK.

James Brokenshire

The management of the migrant camps in Calais is the responsibility of the French Government.

The French Government has recently stated that there are approximately 6,000 migrants living in makeshift camps in the Calais area. The UK Government is unable to accurately estimate the breakdown of the nationalities and ages of the various migrants that are currently residing in Calais.

December 1, 2022
Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which articles contained in the Human Rights Act are planned to be omitted from the proposed British Bill of Rights.

Dominic Raab

Our Bill of Rights will protect fundamental human rights, and prevent abuse of the system. The Government will fully consult on our proposals before introducing legislation and we will set out our proposals in due course.

December 1, 2022
Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the role of automated cone laying and retrieval on road maintenance worker safety.

Andrew Jones

Highways England and the Department for Transport (DfT) fully support the adoption of innovative techniques such as automated cone laying, where this will realise safety benefits for road maintenance workers. The then Highways Agency tested one machine – ‘Conemaster’ built by Jordan products Ltd., some years ago. On-road trials facilitated by the Highways Agency were successful and this indicated that the technique did offer positive safety benefits. In addition, the Highways Agency subsequently commissioned an independent economic assessment of the benefits of Conemaster in 2011. The final report, produced early 2012, concluded that the cone laying machine also offered positive economic benefits.

Highways England has a client role and it is for its supply chain to design and deliver traffic management solutions and it is for these suppliers to procure such equipment. The DfT has worked to assist Conemaster in its efforts to market its product and a meeting was facilitated with the then Highways Agency’s suppliers to demonstrate the benefits of the product.

December 1, 2022
Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how frequently a person with a (a) multiple sclerosis and (b) another degenerative disease should be required to attend an assessment in connection with their claim for (i) employment and support allowance and (ii) personal independence payment.

Priti Patel

The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) assesses individuals against a set of functional descriptors not specific conditions, as two people with the same condition can be affected in different ways. This does however take account of how fluctuating and degenerative conditions, such multiple sclerosis, affect a claimant’s ability to work.

A healthcare professional gives advice on when they think a claimants functional capability may have changed sufficiently to trigger a change in the outcome of the WCA. Re-referral dates chosen can be 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 or 36 months depending on when it is considered most appropriate for the claimant to have their next contact with the Department.

Decisions on claims to Personal Independence Payment are made by case managers and are based on advice received from the assessment providers following an assessment, together with any other evidence received. People with a progressive condition, and who are not expected to live beyond six months, are not required to attend a face-to-face assessment and their claims will always be decided on the basis of the evidence received.

Claims to Personal Independence Payment are looked at individually, considering the impact on daily living and mobility of the impairment or health condition, rather than solely basing the decision on the impairment or health condition itself. Award durations and reviews are based on an assessment of whether the individual’s functional abilities are likely to deteriorate, improve or stay the same. Reviews ensure that claimants continue to receive the appropriate level of award throughout their claim, including claimants with degenerative conditions who may get a higher award at review to reflect a deterioration in their condition.

December 1, 2022
Neil Coyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2015 to Question 12674, what his Department is doing to ensure that people provide sufficient written medical information for their initial Personal Independence Payment decision to prevent the need for reconsiderations and appeals.

Justin Tomlinson

Claimants are invited to provide any evidence that they have to hand when they submit their "PIP2 How your disability affects you" questionnaire. We also ask them who assessment providers can approach to seek further evidence.

We have worked with organisations representing disabled people to improve our communications; we now provide additional information to claimants outlining more specifically the types of evidence which are most helpful in enabling us to carry out an assessment.

In every case the health professional conducting the assessment will consider any evidence that the claimant has provided, and will also consider whether further evidence will help them in providing advice on the claim to the Department’s decision maker. Ensuring that the claimant is able to tell us who is best placed to provide supporting evidence forms a core part of our approach. Such evidence can come from a variety of sources, including GPs, hospital consultants, community psychiatric nurses and social workers, as well as family members and carers.

We would urge all advisors and advocates to encourage claimants to provide relevant evidence at the earliest opportunity to avoid the need for reconsiderations and appeals, and minimise consequent costs for the tax-payer.

December 1, 2022
Lord Berkeley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-10-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Bowe report into Network Rail will be completed, and whether it will be published.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Secretary of State for Transport expects to receive the Bowe Review once it is completed later in the autumn.

The Secretary of State has committed to publish the Review in the autumn.

Upon publication copies will be placed in both Libraries of the House.

December 1, 2022
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-10-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the draft report of the Herbal Medicines and Practitioners Working Group was shared informally amongst members of that group prior to publication.

Lord Prior of Brampton

As an independent Working Group, the informal sharing of the Report was a matter for the Chair to determine.

December 1, 2022
Baroness Jolly – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jolly on 2015-10-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much funding was allocated to the Human Trafficking and Kidnap Unit of the Metropolitan Police Service in (1) 2012–13, (2) 2013–14, and (3) 2014–15.

Lord Bates

The Government takes modern slavery very seriously and the Modern Slavery Strategy sets out our approach to improving the law enforcement response. We expect individual forces to allocate adequate resources to tackling serious crime including modern slavery, within the overall level of funding available to them. However, decisions about the specific level of funding and staffing for specific units within the Metropolitan Police, such as the Human Trafficking and Kidnap Unit, are matters for the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime.

December 1, 2022
Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2015-10-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been their response to the study by the UNHCR showing that 70 per cent of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are living below the poverty line; and of their response to the World Food Programme no longer being able to provide food vouchers to 229,000 refugees in Jordan due to funding cuts.

Baroness Verma

The UK is the second largest bilateral donor to the Syria crisis response having allocated over £1.1 billion since 2012.

As of September 23^rd, DFID has allocated £304 million of funding to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon since the start of the Syria crisis. As the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) study highlights, refugees in Lebanon are increasingly exhausting their savings and falling into debt. In response, in 2015/16 the UK allocated £94 million to meet the immediate needs of refugees and to support host communities in Lebanon, of which £25 million will support UNHCR directly.

As of September 23^rd DFID has allocated £193m of funding to Jordan since the start of the Syria crises and we continue to support both the international humanitarian response and the Government of Jordan to meet the needs of Syrian refugees and Jordanians, which have been exacerbated by the protracted nature of the refugee situation.

In August 2015, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced cuts to food support in Jordan from September onwards. DFID has provided additional support in response to the difficulties refugees have in accessing daily essentials, including food. This financial year DFID has allocated £19m to a UNHCR programme in Jordan which provides a monthly cash grant to very vulnerable refugees. Cash gives the recipients the choice to buy food, or spend it on other household priorities such as healthcare or rent. WFP reinstated food support in October to 229,000 Syrian refugees living in the urban community. This group of refugees will receive the equivalent of £9.20 per person per month, those more vulnerable (211,000 refugees) will now receive the equivalent of £13.80 per person per month, and those in the camps will receive the equivalent of £18.40. WFP will be able to maintain this level of assistance until January 2016.

December 1, 2022
Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the additional financial resources needed by local authorities to meet their new duties under the Care Act 2014 in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt

The Department’s estimate of the additional financial resources needed by local authorities to meet their new duties under the Care Act 2014 is set out in the Care Act impact assessment, which can be found here:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/23/impacts

Page five of the impact assessment has a summary of all estimated costs related to Part 1 of the Care Act 2014 over 10 years from 2015/16. The impact assessment sets out the basis for the estimates in each case.

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December 1, 2022