The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what (a) subjective and (b) objective measures the Office for National Statistics uses to measure public wellbeing; and whether that Office is considering any changes to those measures.
Mr Nick Hurd
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Graham Stuart on 2014-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the level of cross-subsidy between fare paying passengers and those using the Concessionary Travel Scheme (a) generally and (b) in rural areas.
Stephen Hammond
Concessionary travel schemes are considered to be public service obligations.
Legislation requires bus operators to accept statutory concessionary bus pass holders for free travel on off-peak journeys within England, and are reimbursed for doing so. Bus operators may not solicit or accept payment for such journeys.
Reimbursement is provided on the basis that operators are “no better and no worse off” for carrying concessionary pass holders, and we therefore do not believe this to constitute a subsidy.
The Department publishes guidance to help authorities calculate appropriate reimbursement rates. We are unaware of any cross-subsidy between fare paying and concessionary pass holding passengers occurring in rural areas or elsewhere.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, with reference to the Answer of 8 November 2011, Official Report, column 283W, on electoral register, if he will make it his policy to collect information on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for non-registration in the run up to the introduction of individual electoral registration.
Greg Clark
From 10 June 2014, alongside the introduction of individual electoral registration (IER), Electoral Registration Officers in England and Wales will be able to impose civil penalty notices for failure to respond to a notice of requirement to register on the electoral register. In Scotland this will be from 19 September 2014 alongside the introduction of IER in Scotland, following the Scottish referendum.
In conjunction with the Electoral Commission we intend to collect information on the number of civil penalties issued for failure to respond to an IER invitation through each local authority’s Electoral Management System.
Local authority staff who are responsible for the delivery of electoral registration have been fully trained on IER processes, including a module on notices of requirement to register and on civil penalties.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-03-18.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people and what proportion of the working age population have been in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance for over (a) two and (b) five years in (i) Scotland and (ii) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency.
Nick Hurd
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-06-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training (a) Atos staff and (b) staff of his Department are given in mental health for the purposes of assessing whether claimants are fit for work.
Mike Penning
All healthcare professionals receive training in mental health issues as part of their induction training, are required to engage in a programme of continuing medical education which includes modules on mental health issues, and have access to Mental Function Champions.
Atos training and guidance materials are regularly reviewed and external experts including the Royal College of Psychiatrists are involved in quality assurance.
All healthcare professionals are monitored to ensure that their work meets the required quality standards. If a problem is identified, the healthcare professional may be required to undertake tailored training, which may involve training in mental health issues if required.
DWP staff receive training in respect of decisions concerning medical or disability issues, including mental health. Specifically learning is provided on:
Within the learning emphasis is placed on the on-going support available to Decision Makers from Atos Healthcare to interpret and understand medical information.
In the Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment published in December 2013, Doctor Litchfield made a number of recommendations related to training in mental health which have been accepted subject to further scoping work.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Gareth Thomas on 2014-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the processing time target is for personal independence payment (PIP) claims; and what proportion of such claims took longer than this target time to process since the introduction of PIPs.
Mike Penning
As you will appreciate, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a new benefit and processes are currently bedding in. There are no time limits or targets on processing times to claims for PIP but we are taking the necessary action to improve the processing times.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2014-06-10.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Sir John Holmes independent medal review began; when that review is due to be completed; whether any preliminary reports from that review (a) have been published and (b) are due to be published; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Francis Maude
I refer the hon. Member to the my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s statements on 30 April 2012, (Official Report), Column Ref: 55WS and 17 July 2012 (Official Report) Column Ref 132WS.
An announcement will be made once the full set of reviews is complete and has been approvedin the usual way.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Williamson on 2014-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many planning appeals resulted in local authority decisions being overturned by the planning inspector in South Staffordshire in (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011, (d) 2012 and (e) 2013.
Nick Boles
Planning is a quasi-judicial process; it is a long-standing feature of the planning system that there is a right of appeal, just as there are with other local quasi-judicial decisions such as on licensing applications, gambling applications or parking fines.
The table below shows planning appeal decisions by calendar year for South Staffordshire District Council. To assist public scrutiny, I have provided comparative figures for a similar period before 2010.
|
Calendar Year |
Allowed |
Split |
Dismissed |
Total |
|
2007 |
25 |
0 |
37 |
62 |
|
2008 |
27 |
1 |
53 |
81 |
|
2009 |
14 |
0 |
26 |
40 |
|
2010 |
18 |
0 |
35 |
53 |
|
2011 |
19 |
0 |
33 |
52 |
|
2012 |
16 |
0 |
26 |
42 |
|
2013 |
8 |
0 |
22 |
30 |
Whilst the precise number of appeals will fluctuate from year to year, this table shows that the number of appeals both (a) received and (b) allowed has fallen in recent years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-06-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commission an assessment of the Australian Compulsory Third Party Insurance system, through which premiums are paid as part of vehicle registration for its potential applicability in the UK.
Mr Robert Goodwill
No. It is sometimes suggested that a system of centrally funded third party insurance could be introduced in this country. However, insurers have said that a change to such a system would lead to a general increase in premiums, especially for the more careful driver. This is because under such a system a vehicle would have to be insured for all possible drivers, including those considered to be in high risk categories.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Fabricant on 2014-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the education funding per pupil is in (a) Staffordshire and (b) Brent for 2014-15.
David Laws
The information requested is provided in the table below.
|
Funding per pupil (Dedicated schools grant) 2014-15 |
Early years block per pupil, 2014-15 |
Higher needs block 2014-15 total* |
|
|
Staffordshire |
£4,310 |
£3,515 |
£62.19 million |
|
Brent |
£5,066 |
£5,930 |
£55.54 million |
*High needs funding is no longer allocated on a per-pupil basis.
In addition, schools will receive money from the pupil premium for pupils recorded on the January 2014 School Census: £1,300 for each primary pupil, and £935 for each secondary pupil, known to have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years; £1,900 per pupil for each pupil recorded as adopted from care under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 or who has left care under a Special Guardianship or Residence Order; and £300 for each pupil whose parents were in the armed services in the last four years or is in receipt of a child pension from the Ministry of Defence.