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Tag: 2014

  • Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen O’Brien on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funds his Department has provided for research into cures for dementia since 2012; and what progress has been made on such cures since the launch of the Dementia Challenge.

    Norman Lamb

    At the G8 dementia summit in December 2013, the G8 countries agreed to work together to tackle and defeat dementia. The declaration, built on the Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge, announced the G8’s ambition to identify a cure or a disease-modifying therapy by 2025 and to increase collectively and significantly the amount of funding for dementia research.

    Investment in dementia research by the Department’s National Institute for Health Research has increased from £12.6 million in 2009-10 to £24.4 million in 2012-13.

  • Lord Beecham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Beecham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2014-06-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received, and from whom, about the proposal to establish a secure college for young offenders.

    Lord Faulks

    The Government’s Transforming Youth Custody consultation in 2013 attracted 238 responses from statutory organisations, charities, private companies and individuals. In addition, more than 400 young people responded to the young person’s consultation on Transforming Youth Custody. These submissions informed the Government’s consultation response, published in January 2014. The Ministry of Justice continues to engage with stakeholders as the programme develops.

  • Lord Berkeley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Berkeley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2014-06-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the different financing structures of independent generators as compared to the large vertically integrated utilities in the development of the proposal to introduce Contracts for Difference auctioning; and whether any concerns have been raised by independent generators as to their competitive position in the event that Contracts for Difference auctioning is introduced before the Offtaker of Last Resort is operational.

    Baroness Verma

    My officials have worked closely with developers and financial institutions in working up the Offtaker of Last Resort (OLR) proposals in order to meet the needs of independent renewable generators. The policy design is at an advanced stage, and the detail of the proposals has been recently consulted on. We are on track to deliver the final policy and introduce enabling regulations ahead of first allocation of Contracts for Difference (CfD) applicants will have a high degree of clarity about the arrangements for OLR, in advance of the first auctions.

    The move to competitive allocation of CfDs has been a long-standing feature of Electricity Market Reform. In early 2014, Government consulted on proposals to move straight to competitive allocation for some technologies, during which a number of independent renewable generators raised concerns that they had less certainty of their costs than Vertically Integrated Utilities and weretherefore faced with a higher financial risk that might undermine their ability to win a CfD through a competitive process. In the Government’s response, we set out our expectation that the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) market will evolve such that PPAs could be signed on a conditional basis, providing greater cost certainty for independent renewable generators.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2014-06-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the progress of the Credit Union Expansion Project.

    Lord Freud

    The DWP Credit Union Expansion Project contract began in May 2013. Around 80 credit unions are currently participating in the project. ABCUL has started delivering the Automated Loan and decision tool to participating credit unions and feedback is that the tool is ensuring loan decisions are faster, consistent and more efficient to deliver. Procurement of an IT banking platform is also being progressed but much remains to be done particularly on achieving sufficient growth for Credit Unions, and DWP continue to support and monitor the project closely

  • Lord Trefgarne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Trefgarne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Trefgarne on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there exists a standard contract for general practitioners working within the National Health Service; and if so, whether they will place a copy of that contract in the Library of the House.

    Earl Howe

    NHS England has responsibility for commissioning National Health Service primary medical services.

    NHS England has an NHS England Standard General Medical Services contract, which covers around half the GP practices. A copy of the contract is available at:

    www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/commissioning/gp-contract/

    NHS England also intend to provide a standard Personal Medical Services contract.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why funding for the selective dorsal rhizotomy procedure was withdrawn by NHS England in the case of Jake Foster who suffers from Leigh’s disease.

    Earl Howe

    Since 1 April 2013, NHS England has been responsible for commissioning specialised services. As a procedure, Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) falls within this remit.

    SDR is not typically considered as a treatment for patients with Leigh’s Disease. For this reason, NHS England has not to date considered developing or publishing a policy on the use of SDR for this condition.

  • Lord Addington – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Addington – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Addington on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what process they will put in place in order to gather information regarding the assessment of eligibility for the Disabled Students’ Allowance.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    There are no proposed changes to the current process of assessment. All applicants for the Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) will undertake a study needs assessment and independent study needs assessors will provide recommendations, giving due regard to personal histories of recognised special educational needs, where these have been provided. The support and strategies recommended by assessment centres will be provided by a combination of reasonable adjustments by Higher Education Institutions and DSAs.

  • Lord Quirk – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Quirk – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Quirk on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in respect of the latest two years for which figures are available, how many of the pupils excluded from academies were admitted to local authority schools.

    Lord Nash

    Information on the number of exclusions from academies in England in the 2010/11[1] and 2011/12[2] academic years is available in table 16 of the “Permanent and fixed period exclusions from schools in England” statistical first releases for each year.

    Information on the number of excluded pupils that were admitted to local authority schools is not held by the Department.

    Academies are bound by their funding agreements to comply with the statutory requirements on admissions and the Admissions Code as if they were a maintained school. Schools, including academies, cannot refuse to admit pupils on the grounds of past behaviour unless they have received two or more permanent exclusions.

    [1]https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-from-schools-in-england-academic-year-2010-to-2011

    [2]https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-from-schools-in-england-2011-to-2012-academic-year

    “

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will take steps to ensure that onshore windfarm developers take into account the costs of (a) overground cables and (b) underground cables between a windfarm and its sub-station when taking decisions on laying such cables.

    Michael Fallon

    Onshore windfarm developers already take into account the costs of different connection options as part of their commercial decisions. In addition, developers submitting applications for nationally significant infrastructure proposals are required to consider alternative options for connections, including undergrounding and routes, as part of the planning consent process.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department gives on appropriate action to be taken by border staff dealing with a parent with a British passport entering the UK with their child who has a different surname.

    James Brokenshire

    Checks are conducted on passengers arriving in the UK in accordance with the
    Border Force Operating Mandate, regardless of nationality. Border Force staff
    also undergo mandatory training to ensure they are aware of their statutory
    duty to safeguard the welfare of children. Where a child is encountered at the
    border, and it is not immediately apparent that the accompanying adult is their
    parent or guardian, officers will ask questions to satisfy themselves of the
    child’s welfare and to discharge their statutory duty. This will be done as
    quickly and as sensitively as possible to avoid unnecessary delay to the
    passengers’ journey.