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Tag: 2015

  • Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the definition of Designated Individual referred to in paragraph 53 of the Guide to Powers and Safeguards published in the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill, CM 9152, of November 2015, will include parliamentarians.

    Mr John Hayes

    A Designated Person is an individual within a public authority who authorises a request for communications data and is independent of the investigation for which the authorisation is sought. They must apply additional considerations to an authorisation to access communications data in respect of sensitive professions which include Parliamentarians. This is set out in paragraph 51 of the Guide to the Powers and Safeguards in the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill.

  • Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much from the public purse has been distributed in the UK by Magic Breakfast; and what objectives have been set for that expenditure.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Magic Breakfast currently receive central government funding from a contract with the Department for Education. The objective of the project is to set up and run 184 breakfast clubs in schools where 35% or more children are eligible for free school meals, to ensure that children are fed and are at school on time and ready to learn. Magic Breakfast are required to develop plans to enable the breakfast clubs to be self-sustaining beyond the contract period. The project is being externally evaluated.

    The value of the contract is £1.087m, of which £518,523 has so far been paid. This is the only central government funding currently provided to Magic Breakfast in England. Any funding in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland would be a matter for the relevant governments. The Department does not hold a breakdown of contract expenditure by parliamentary constituency.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average ratio of prison officers to prisoners is in (a) male and (b) female prisons.

    Andrew Selous

    Staff to prisoner ratios in public sector Prison Service establishments are reported as the number of prisoners held in an establishment divided by the number of prison officers (including specialists) employed. The figure does not reflect the number of officers on duty at any particular moment.

    The ratio of staff to prisoners varies by category of prison and according to specific local circumstances related to the design and operation of the particular establishment. Differences in the profile of the male and female populations mean that the ratios are not directly comparable.

    The ratio of prisoner to prison officers (including specialist) as at 30 September 2015 was 4.8 at male establishments and 3.5 at female establishments.

  • Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to his oral Answer of 22 October 2015, Official Report, column 445WH, what steps he has since taken to try and persuade the parties to the conflict to adopt an immediate ceasefire in Yemen.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The UK is actively supporting the UN’s efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire and return to the political transition in Yemen, and I welcome the recent announcement by the UN Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Yemen on upcoming talks. All Yemeni parties should engage without preconditions and in good faith in these talks to allow Yemen to move towards a sustainable peace. I therefore welcome President Hadi’s announcement confirming the readiness of the Government of Yemen to participate in the consultations. I discussed the need to accelerate the political process in Yemen, as well as humanitarian issues, with President Hadi in September; with King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir of Saudi Arabia during a visit to Riyadh in October; and with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed also in October.

  • Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the average saving to passengers of capping regulated rail fare rises to RPI+0 until 2020; and if he will make a statement.

    Claire Perry

    This Government is investing record amounts in transforming the UK rail network, improving journeys for everyone. At the same time, we are committed to ensuring the economic security of hard-working families. Fares continue to play a role in this, and we recognise that no one likes to see the cost of their rail travel rise.

    That is why the Government has put a stop to above inflation (RPI) fare increases on regulated rail fares until 2020. This extends the cap on regulated rail fares put in place for 2014 and 2015. This means people’s earnings will, on average, rise more quickly than regulated rail fares for the first time since 2003 and an average saving of £425 to annual season ticket holders over the next five years.

    This is a vital part of our long-term economic plan for Britain’s railways: delivering a bigger, better network with improved services – all while getting more out of every taxpayer’s pound we spend.

  • Heidi Alexander – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Heidi Alexander – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his oral contribution of 28 October 2015, Official Report, column 429, on junior doctors’ pay, what assessment he has made of the proportion of the junior doctor workforce that will not have their pay reduced.

    Ben Gummer

    Our offer for a new contract for junior doctors guarantees that the 99% of junior doctors who work legal and safe hours will not receive a pay cut compared to their current contract.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of vacancies in each region and nation of the UK which were advertised on Universal Jobmatch were advertised as paying the National Minimum Wage in the most recent month for which figures are available.

    Priti Patel

    As part of the terms and conditions which employers must agree to in order to be able to post their vacancies on Universal Jobsmatch, it states that employers must ‘provide a rate of pay equal to, or more than the National Minimum Wage, unless a lawful exemption applies.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of (a) changes in the number of cases of, and deaths from pneumococcal disease (b) the number of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) vaccinations given each year and (c) the cost of delivering that programme of vaccinations on an annual basis since the introduction of PCV in 2006.

    Jane Ellison

    The total number of cases of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and case fatality ratios (CFR) since 2006 are shown in table 1.

    Table 1. Total cases of IPD and case fatality ratios (CFR).

    Year

    Total cases1

    CFR2 (%)

    2004/05

    6,175

    not available

    2005/06

    6,250

    not available

    2006/07

    5,419

    not available

    2007/08

    5,481

    not available

    2008/09

    5,569

    not available

    2009/10

    5,203

    13.4

    2010/11

    5,265

    13.6

    2011/12

    4,396

    13.7

    2012/13

    4,477

    13.1

    2013/14

    4,032

    11.9

    1Total cases of laboratory confirmed IPD, England and Wales (excluding cases only confirmed by DNA detection and bronchiolar alveolar lavage (BAL) samples).

    2Proportion of cases of IPD that were found to have died within seven days of IPD onset (excluding BAL) ascertained by tracing GP registration records. Data on CFR prior to 2009 are not available.

    The current PCV offered to infants helps protect against 13 of the 95 known pneumococcal serotypes. The incidence of IPD caused by these serotypes has fallen by 90% in children younger than five years since the introduction in 2005 of PCV in the childhood immunisation programme. The vast majority of IPD cases in this age group are now due to non-vaccine pneumococcal serotypes. In addition, although the vaccine is only given to infants and young children, IPD due to the vaccine serotypes has declined in older children and adults through herd protection. Consequently, there has been a 36% decrease in the number of IPD cases across all age groups between 2005/06 (6,250 IPD cases) and 2013/14 (4,032 IPD cases) in England and Wales (Table 1) because of the infant immunisation programme.

    Pneumococcal conjugate vaccination (PCV) was introduced in September 2006, with a catch-up campaign for children up to two years of age. The number PCV vaccinations given each year are shown in table 2.

    Table 2. The number of children at 12 months of age vaccinated with primary PCV, and the number of children at 24 years of age who have completed the PCV schedule, by year, in England.

    Financial year

    No. children 12 months vaccinated with primary PCV

    No. children 24 months vaccinated with completed PCV

    2006/07 (Q3&4 only)

    24,823

    51,648

    2007/08

    430,518

    350,049

    2008/09

    570,912

    487,209

    2009/10

    599,786

    561,106

    2010/11

    618,525

    582,614

    2011/12

    641,645

    615,203

    2012/13

    651,933

    636,591

    2013/14

    640,971

    642,023

    2014/15

    617,263

    633,698

    The complete course comprises three doses of PCV vaccine: these are given at two months and four months (the primary doses), and a booster dose at 12-13 months.

    In 2014/15 the NHS incurred approximately £9 million delivering completed courses of PCV and Haemophilus influenzae type b / meningococcal C (Hib/MenC) vaccination. Costs in 2013/14 would have been similar. NHS England does not have details of delivery costs prior to 2013/14. This figure does not include the cost of the vaccine, which is procured centrally by PHE, and is commercially confidential.

  • Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Bone on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what transitional arrangements are in place for women affected by the planned increase in the retirement age for state pension recipients.

    Justin Tomlinson

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 November 2015 to Gavin Newlands (Paisley and Renfrewshire North), Question UIN 15476

  • Graham Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Graham Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of its annual income has been held in reserve by Hertfordshire police in each of the last five years.

    Mike Penning

    It is up to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and Chief Constables to decide how to allocate their resources, including the efficient use of reserves, based on local priorities. The total amount of revenue funding received by each PCC (formerly Police Authorities) and the total amounts of usable reserves, taken from publically available force area accounts are included in the table below. This includes total core Government funding area from the Home Office, Legacy Council Tax Grants and locally raised precept income. It excludes specific grants such as the Innovation Fund and other locally raised income.

    Hertfordshire Police Authority/PCC reserves

    Year

    Reserves £m

    Total revenue funding £m

    Reserves as % of government grant+precept

    31 Mar 2011

    19.4

    197.4

    9.8%

    31 Mar 2012

    24.9

    191.5

    13.0%

    31 Mar 2013

    28.0

    189.7

    14.8%

    31 Mar 2014

    36.7

    185.2

    19.8%

    31 Mar 2015

    47.9

    181.1

    26.5%

    Lancashire Police Authority/PCC reserves

    Year

    Reserves £m

    Total revenue funding £m

    Reserves as % of government grant+precept

    31 Mar 2011

    20.1

    285.6

    7.0%

    31 Mar 2012

    26.3

    273.5

    9.6%

    31 Mar 2013

    27.5

    273.5

    10.1%

    31 Mar 2014

    35.8

    266.0

    13.4%

    31 Mar 2015

    49.3

    258.9

    19.1%

    Thames Valley Police Authority/PCC reserves

    Year

    Reserves £m

    Total revenue funding £m

    Reserves as % of government grant+precept

    31 Mar 2011

    41.1

    395.0

    10.4%

    31 Mar 2012

    48.2

    383.4

    12.6%

    31 Mar 2013

    45.8

    382.2

    12.0%

    31 Mar 2014

    49.1

    375.9

    13.1%

    31 Mar 2015

    51.4

    369.7

    13.9%