The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2015-09-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the national living wage on social care providers.
Alistair Burt
The impact of the new National Living Wage on local authority finances will be considered during the Spending Review as part of an overall assessment of spending pressures on local authorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck on 2015-09-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether funding allocated to local authorities for resettling Syrian refugees will be restricted to one year.
Richard Harrington
The first 12 months of a refugee’s resettlement costs are fully funded by central government using the overseas aid budget. To ensure that local authorities can plan ahead and continue to respond to the overwhelmingly generous response of the British people, we will also provide additional funding to assist with costs incurred after year one.
We will be working closely with local government to develop the process for drawing down the funding, including to those councils offering help under the scheme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2015-09-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans the Government has to review the school funding formula to ensure fair funding for schools in rural areas.
Mr Sam Gyimah
We are committed to making schools funding fairer and will come forward with our proposals for this in due course. These will include proposals about how to ensure that schools in rural areas are funded fairly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2015-09-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports his Department has received of al Shabaab’s activities in the lower Shabelle region of Somalia.
Grant Shapps
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office receives a wide range of reporting on Somalia from our Embassy in Mogadishu and other actors on the ground, including the United Nations and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the media and other open sources. Reporting shows that Al Shabaab continues vigorously to contest the lower Shabelle region. Recent Al Shabaab activities have included the re-occupation of Janaale and Kurtenwarey (alongside the continuing occupation of Jilib) following tactical AMISOM withdrawals from these smaller, more isolated positions in order to consolidate forces and focus offensive efforts elsewhere. These attacks and Al Shabaab’s ability to conduct asymmetric attacks elsewhere in the country – targeting the Federal Government of Somalia, Somali security forces, AMISOM and members of the international community – highlight the significant threat that it continues to pose to Somalia’s security.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-09-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has received from charities and patients’ groups on the future of the Cancer Drugs Fund; and if he will make a statement.
George Freeman
The Department has received a number of representations on this issue from a wide range of interested parties including hon. Members, noble Lords, patient representative groups and charities, the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare professionals.
This Government is committed to continuing to invest in the Cancer Drugs Fund which has helped over 72,000 people in England to receive the life-extending cancer drugs that would not otherwise have been routinely available to them.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2015-09-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she will provide the information on the police formula requested by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands; and how the exemplifications described in Annex A of her Department’s letter of 15 September 2015 will affect that force.
Mr John Hayes
The consultation on police funding arrangements closed on 15 September and the responses are being analysed. The Government will consider these responses carefully to determine what changes, if any, are required. We will continue to engage with policing partners during this process and intend to provide information, including exemplifications of future allocations, as these develop. At this stage final force-level allocations have not been set and will not be determined until we have completed our analysis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-09-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the reasons were for each application made by local authorities in England and Wales for emergency protection orders in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014 and (f) January to March 2015.
Caroline Dinenage
This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-02-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Merlin anti-submarine warfare helicopters were employed in the hunt for a suspected Russian submarine to the west of the United Kingdom this year.
Lord Astor of Hever
We do not discuss the detail of maritime operations as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-02-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health, Jane Ellison, on 11 September 2014 (HC Deb, cols 664–5W), what is the minimum number of fresh eggs required for the nuclear DNA to be extracted and moved elsewhere in order to generate each reconstructed embryo by pronuclear transfer; what consideration the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has given to the appeal for additional egg donors publicised via chroniclelive.co.uk on 3 February; whether the HFEA holds records for any licensed centres in which the incidence of hospitalisation due to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is equal to or greater than that described in the journal Human Fertility (volume 10, issue 3, pages 183–7); and what changes the HFEA has introduced since the publication of the McCracken Report to mitigate the risks of OHSS in accordance with recommendations 10 and 11 and in the light of paragraphs 4.40 and 4.44 therein.
Earl Howe
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it is not in a position to know the minimum number of fresh eggs required for mitochondrial donation. Subject to the approval process agreed by the HFEA, this will be a matter for clinical teams involved.
The HFEA will be developing its expectations as regards donation for treatment or clinical use, taking into account information for patients and donors and consent requirements.
The HFEA has also advised that it does not hold information on ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) that would allow it to undertake an analysis of the incidence of hospitalisation due to OHSS.
The McCracken report was considered by the HFEA at its meeting in September 2013. As regards recommendation 10, about the HFEA’s regulatory focus, it was agreed by the Authority that this would form the basis of the HFEA’s development of its strategy for 2014-17. The HFEA strategy was agreed by the Authority in July 2014 following extensive consultation with stakeholders. The strategy does not expressly set out the actions it proposes to take as regards OHSS. The HFEA advised that it continues to discuss with key stakeholders, including professional groups, what actions, if any, can be taken jointly by those stakeholders.
In relation to recommendation 11, the HFEA advises that an information sharing agreement with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is working well in practice and that any concerns identified by the HFEA are discussed and necessary action is taken by the respective body.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Teverson on 2015-02-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that Post Office accounts can accept monies belonging to customers of credit unions and other providers of low cost lending when those customers and members need to be paid back monies due to them.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
The Post Office is one of the leading challengers in the UK financial services market and offers services under its Post Office Money brand and also services on behalf of third parties. Presently more than 95% of UK current accounts are accessible across Post Office’s counters. Post Office already works with a number of Credit Unions, and customers of these organisations are able to undertake basic financial transactions at Post Office branches. Post Office is also working with the Association of British Credit Unions on its Credit Union expansion project; this is ongoing and Post Office hopes to play a role in any solutions identified.
All of Post Office’s contracts – including with Credit Unions – are commercial arrangements and it would not be appropriate for Government to intervene in these. We support Post Office’s strategy to grow its successful financial services business to reach more customers, including potentially those of the Credit Union sector.