The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will hold discussions with the devolved administrations on sharing best practice on steps to reduce (a) self-harm and (b) suicide rates.
Alistair Burt
Departmental officials are in regular contact with colleagues in devolved administrations, sharing best information on suicide and self-harm prevention around cross-cutting issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2015-11-19.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much funding they provide for (1) research and development in new technologies to monitor inactivity, and (2) evaluating the impact of local programmes to tackle inactivity.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The usual practice of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and of the Medical Research Council (MRC) is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available.
Public funders including the NIHR, the MRC, other Research Councils and Innovate UK fund a wide range of research relating to monitoring of physical activity/inactivity and the development and evaluation of interventions to support and encourage healthy behaviours including physical activity.
For example, the NIHR has recently funded a £0.8 million trial to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Football Fans in Training (FFIT) – a group-based, weight management and healthy living programme delivered by community coaches. The report of the study has been published in the NIHR Journals Library and is attached.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what involvement her Chinese counterpart had in the planning of the policing operation for the recent visit of the Chinese President.
Mike Penning
The operational policing of protests and demonstrations, including the use of police powers and search warrants, are principally a matter for Chief Officers of each force in England and Wales. The Metropolitan Police Service informed the Home Office on their operational plans to provide reassurance on the policing and security of the visit. The Metropolitan Police Service also liaised with Chinese counterparts as part of their operational planning.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2015-11-18.
To ask the Attorney General, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of hearsay evidence in court proceedings in reducing the number of unsuccessful cases due to victim or witness issues; and what estimate he has made of the number of cases where hearsay evidence has been used by prosecutors in each year since 2010-11.
Robert Buckland
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutors will apply to admit hearsay evidence where they consider it appropriate to do so and the legislation permits. However, the CPS does not record information on the number of cases where hearsay evidence has been used in the course of criminal proceedings. It follows, therefore, that no assessment of the effectiveness of the use of hearsay evidence in court proceedings in reducing the number of unsuccessful cases due to victim or witness issues is routinely conducted.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make representations to the Criminal Cases Review Commission on reviewing the case of James Thompson.
Mike Penning
The Criminal Cases Review Commission is independent, and it would not be appropriate for Ministers or officials to intervene in individual cases.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Hurd on 2015-11-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the privatisation of the Green Investment Bank will be by asset sale or as a going concern.
Anna Soubry
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills’ written Ministerial Statements of 25 June and 15 October make clear that the Government is moving UK Green Investment Bank plc (GIB) into private ownership and repealing the GIB legislation so that, following a sale, GIB can continue to operate as a going concern and be reclassified to the private sector with the freedom to borrow and raise a much greater volume of private capital without affecting public sector debt.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans for portable evidential breath-test machines to be made available for use by the police to tackle drink driving.
Mike Penning
We will type approve Mobile Evidential Breath Test Instruments (MEBTIs) as soon as possible. Type approval is a complex process and relies on the submission by manufacturers of instruments which then perform satisfactorily during testing. The Home Office has no control over these factors.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2015-11-18.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what training is provided to HM Revenue and Customs staff to prepare them for handling applications for allowable expenses for ministers of religion; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs staff receive training on handling expenses claims from a range of customers. This includes training and guidance on how to handle claims from specific customer groups and professions, including ministers of religion.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce poverty in (a) Barnsley Central constituency and (b) other former mining communities.
Priti Patel
This Government is tackling poverty through our new Life Chances agenda. This will drive real action which will make the biggest difference to the most disadvantaged children – now and in the future. This approach will ensure that Government action is focused on tackling the root causes of child poverty – worklessness, educational failure, family breakdown, problem debt and addiction.
This Government believes that work is the best route out of poverty and is therefore focused on getting people into employment. With more than two million more people in work than in 2010, and with the number of workless households at a record low, the progress made by this Government has been significant including in Barnsley Central constituency. In the constituency, over the past year, the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance, or not in work and claiming Universal Credit, fell by 13 per cent.
We do not have specific data on all former mining communities and this information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Spending Review 2015, what plans she has for the funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit.
Rory Stewart
The Government has committed to providing funding to help secure the National Wildlife Crime Unit until at least the end of March next year. Decisions on funding beyond March will be made as part of consideration of the Department’s Spending Review settlement.