Tag: 2014

  • Neil Coyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    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.

  • Lord Berkeley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    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.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    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.

  • Baroness Jolly – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    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.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    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 23rd, 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 23rd 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.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    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.

    “

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of alternatives to the current insolvency litigation funding regime.

    Dominic Raab

    An Impact Assessment was published when the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 received Royal Assent.

    The Ministry of Justice is in the process of considering the way forward in relation to the application to insolvency litigation of the no win no fee reforms in Part 2 of the Act.

  • Robert Flello – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Robert Flello – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of the disruption at Calais to the economy in the last three months.

    Anna Soubry

    Understanding the full cost to the economy would require a detailed analysis of business supply chains. This information can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much (a) revenue and (b) capital funding was provided to each pupil in state (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in Copeland constituency (A) in cash terms and (B) at 2015 prices in each financial year since 2005-06.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Funding from the department is primarily allocated at a local authority level so figures for Cumbria local authority are given below.

    Average per pupil revenue funding figures for Cumbria are given below. With the introduction of the dedicated schools grant (DSG) in 2006-07, the changes to the funding mechanism meant figures were no longer available to be shown split by phase of education.

    Figures for financial years 2005 to 2013 are shown below. These are in cash terms:

    Average revenue per pupil funding (cash)

    2005-06 (baseline)

    2006-07

    2007-08

    2008-09

    2009-10

    2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    Cumbria LA

    3,800

    4,020

    4,280

    4,440

    4,640

    4,860

    4,830

    4,830

    These are in real terms using September 2015 GDP deflators in 2014-15 prices:

    Average revenue per pupil funding (real)

    2005-06 (baseline)

    2006-07

    2007-08

    2008-09

    2009-10

    2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    Cumbria LA

    4,670

    4,790

    4,960

    5,020

    5,120

    5,210

    5,090

    5,000

    Per pupil figures are using DSG allocations plus other schools related grants, e.g. school standards grant, school standards grant (personalisation), standards fund, and pupils aged 3-15 rounded to the nearest £10. Most of the additional grants were mainstreamed into DSG in 2011-12.

    The changes to DSG funding in financial year 2013 to 2014 with funding allocated through three blocks, namely schools, early years and high needs, means there is no longer a comparable overall figure with previous years. The table below shows the DSG schools block unit funding figures in cash and real terms for Cumbria LA.

    DSG schools block per pupil funding

    2013-2014

    2014-2015

    2015-2016

    Cumbria LA (cash)

    4,449

    4,449

    4,569

    Cumbria LA (real)*

    4,513

    4,449

    4,524

    *Real terms figures shown in 2014-15 prices using GDP deflators at 30.09.15

    Since 2011-12, schools have received the pupil premium which targets funding at pupils from the most deprived backgrounds to help them achieve their full potential. In 2011-12, the premium was allocated for each pupil known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after children and children of parents in the armed services. In 2012-13 coverage was expanded to include pupils known to have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years. The amounts per pupil amounts for each type of pupil are shown in following table in cash terms:

    Pupil Premium per pupil (£)

    2011-2012

    2012-2013

    2013-2014

    2014-2015

    2015-2016

    Free School Meal Pupil Primary

    £488

    £623

    £953

    £1323

    £1320

    Free School Meal Pupil Secondary

    £488

    £623

    £900

    £935

    £935

    Service Children

    £200

    £250

    £300

    £300

    £300

    Looked After Children

    £488

    £623

    £900

    £1900*

    £1900*

    *Also includes children adopted from care

    Total pupil premium allocations for Cumbria local authority and schools in the Copeland constituency for each year are shown in the following table in cash terms:

    Pupil Premium Allocations (£ millions)

    2011-2012

    2012-2013

    2013-2014

    2014-2015

    2015-16 (prov.)

    Cumbria LA

    4.080

    7.885

    12.159

    16.095

    16.077

    Copeland constituency

    0.675

    1.288

    1.967

    2.538

    2.557

    These figures in real terms:

    Pupil Premium Allocations (£ millions)

    2011-2012

    2012-2013

    2013-2014

    2014-2015

    2015-16 (prov.)

    Cumbria LA

    4.303

    8.166

    12.333

    16.095

    15.918

    Copeland constituency

    0.712

    1.334

    1.995

    2.538

    2.532

    Price Base: Real terms at 2014-15 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 30.09.2015

    Figures for Copeland exclude the looked after children element as this is not available at a parliamentary constituency level.

    The table below shows capital funding to Cumbria for the financial years that are available. The data is in cash terms as allocations are phased across more than one year making real terms calculations meaningless. Complete information on the split of capital between phases of education is not held centrally.

    Cumbria

    £m

    Capital allocations

    2005-06

    28.3

    2006-07

    25.0

    2007-08

    26.6

    2008-09

    31.2

    2009-10

    83.3

    2010-11

    77.0

    2011-12

    45.6

    2012-13

    34.7

    2013-14

    24.4

    2014-15

    24.2

    2015-16 (prov.)

    5.4

    Notes:

    1. Capital allocations includes capital grant and supported borrowing allocations.

    2. Figures are rounded to the nearest £100,000.

    3. Funding in 2015-16 is still subject to project progress and is therefore subject to change. The funding figures provided for 2015/16 only include formulaic programmes and payments to date. Further funding is yet to be released for capital programmes dependent upon project progress and this has not been reflected in the figures.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to promote the use of credit unions in the work of her Department; and if she will make a statement.

    Nick Gibb

    I refer The Hon Member for Harrow West to the reply given by Her Majesty’s Treasury to PQ 13524 on 2 November 2015.