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Tag: 2014

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what contribution her Department made towards the cost of the staging of the Giro d’Italia in Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    Sport is a devolved matter therefore there is no provision for the Northern Ireland Office to contribute to the funding of the Grande Partenza of the Giro d’Italia.

    The Giro d’Italia is supported by Northern Ireland Tourist Board and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland.

    My officials have, at the request of the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, engaged with the Home Office and several of our Embassies over the past fortnight, to help facilitate the granting of visas to some of the elite riders and help deal with queries that they have raised.

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost was of student places that were not filled in (a) school sixth forms, (b) academy sixth forms and (c) 16 to 19 free schools estabished since September 2011 in 2012-13.

    Michael Gove

    The total number of students funded in 2012/13 in school sixth forms, academy sixth forms and 16-19 free schools established since September 2011 was 9,610 and the total actual number of students enrolled was 7,775. The numbers by institution type are as follows:

    Institution Type

    2012/13 Funded Students

    2012/13 Actual Students

    Academy

    5276

    4152

    16-19 Free School

    220

    197

    School Sixth Form

    4114

    3426

    Total

    9610

    7775

    The majority of academies and all maintained schools are funded on a lagged basis so that numbers recruited in one year will then determine the allocation in the following year.Some academies are funded on the basis of estimated numbers, and their funding is then adjusted based on actual recruitment. The impact on sixth form funding of any such adjustments is included in these figures.

    The approximate total net cost of unfilled places in respect of the above in 2012/13 was £5.76 million. Institutions with unfilled places will have their funding reduced in the following year. The costs by institution type are as follows:

    Institution Type

    Net Cost of Unfilled Places

    SSF

    £3.24 million

    Academy

    £2.39 million

    16-19 Free School

    £0.13 million

    Total

    £5.76 million
  • Annette Brooke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Annette Brooke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Annette Brooke on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with ME or chronic fatigue syndrome and their healthcare professionals are (a) helped to access appropriate support and (b) given the correct out of work support.

    Mike Penning

    We do not target our employment programmes exclusively at individuals with particular conditions such as M.E. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The Department’s programmes, including its specialist disability employment programmes, aim to identify and meet the needs of the individual, including those with M.E. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

    Access to Work provides additional support for individuals whose health or disability affects the way they do their job. It provides individuals and their employers with advice and support with extra costs which may arise because of an individual’s needs. Access to Work does not replace the duty an employer has under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments.

    Work Choice is a specialist disability employment programme that provides tailored support to help disabled people who face the most complex barriers to employment, find and stay in work and ultimately help them progress into unsupported employment, where it is appropriate for the individual.

    Jobcentre Plus Disability Employment Advisers can provide support and advice for disabled people who need help finding and retaining employment. They can refer individuals to specialist programmes, including Work Choice, and can use the professional expertise of Work Psychologists, who specialise in working with disabled people. Disability Employment Advisers can advocate with employers on the individual’s behalf and help employers to explore job solutions such as the restructuring of a job’s tasks/environment, or the provision/change of equipment.

    The Government published ‘The disability and health employment strategy: the discussion so far’ on 17 December 2013. This paper sets out a range of proposals to further improve our employment support for disabled people and those with health conditions.

    The Government recognises that getting the right support at the right time is particularly important for disabled people and those with a health condition so as part of our vision for future employment support we are developing a new Employment Gateway. This will be a light-touch process based on an individual’s strengths and needs and will direct people to the most appropriate support.

    In order to support individuals to stay in work where possible we are putting in place a new Health and Work Service (HWS).The HWS will provide occupational health advice and support for employees, employers and GP’s to help individuals with a health condition to stay in or return to work.

    The intention is to introduce the service by the end of 2014.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many work capability assessments for new claims were undertaken by Atos in each of the last 12 months.

    Mike Penning

    This information for completed functional assessments can be found in tables at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/statistics

    “

  • Baroness Scott of Needham Market – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Scott of Needham Market – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Scott of Needham Market on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to increase the tax-free allowance given to individuals who rent out a room in their property.

    Lord Deighton

    The Government currently has no plans to increase the threshold for rent a room relief.

    As with all aspects of the tax system, the Government keeps all tax reliefs under review, and any decisions on changes will be taken as part of the annual Budget process in the context of the wider public finances.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning reports of Christian pilgrims being fired on with tear gas by the Israeli military at the Tomb of Lazarus in East Jerusalem.

    Baroness Warsi

    An official from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised this incident with an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson on 8 May. The spokesperson maintained that the Israeli soldiers did not fire tear gas directly at the pilgrims but at Palestinian protesters nearby who were throwing stones at the IDF soldiers.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which official, with what job title, is responsible and accountable for departmental management information in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

    Lord De Mauley

    Departmental Management Information (MI) is generated for a wide variety of business functions. Checking and sign off of MI produced is carried out within relevant areas of the Department.

  • Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many local authorities operate either letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    Information on how many local authorities operate letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes is not centrally held. The decision on whether to establish letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes is best made by local authorities who can take account of local conditions and circumstances. The Department does not therefore produce any guidance on such schemes.

    We are improving standards in the sector. Later this year, we will bring regulations into force that will require the remaining 3,000 letting and property management agents to join one of the 3 approved redress schemes, thereby improving protection for both tenants and landlords. In addition, we have made over £4 million available to 23 local authorities to help them tackle acute and complex problems with rogue landlords in their area. This builds on the £2.6 million we have given nine local authorities to support enforcement against “Beds in Sheds”.

  • Baroness Byford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Byford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Byford on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered strengthening National Health Service data confidentiality by removing the final digit of the postcode from each anonymised patient record uploaded from hospitals, general practitioner practices and other NHS bodies.

    Earl Howe

    Anonymised records cannot include the last three digits of a postcode and would generally not include postcodes at all. A postcode is sometimes needed for analytical purposes, for example to calculate distances from a specific point such as a hazard but where this is the case, the data cannot be classed as anonymised and so there must be a clear legal basis for its use.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Virendra Sharma – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department will take into account NHS England’s responsibility for commitments in the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases in its delivery of the strategy as a whole.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England recently published its statement of intent showing how it will play its part in delivering the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases in England. A more detailed plan will be built into NHS England’s five year strategy for specialised services.

    The UK Rare Disease Forum, supported by the Department, will monitor activity against the 51 commitments outlined in the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases. It will report progress to the health ministers of the four UK countries.