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Tag: 2015

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has made to ensure that the homelessness prevention grant is being used effectively.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    We have made available over £500 million to local authorities and the voluntary sector to tackle homelessness and since 2010 this has helped local authorities to prevent 935,800 households from becoming homeless.

    Since 2010, local councils have had more flexibility over how they spend the money they receive from central government.

    The allocation of Homeless Prevention Grant has developed over many years to take account of different kinds of pressures, including rough sleeping and statutory homelessness. We supported the establishment of the National Practitioner Support Service’s ‘Gold Standard’ programme to help improve the effectiveness of local authority homelessness prevention services.

    Decisions on funding beyond 2015/2016 will be subject to the forthcoming spending review.

  • Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicola Blackwood on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much of 10 Downing Street’s funding allocated in the Spending Review 2015 will be for research and development expenditure up to 2020.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

    Following settlement of the Cabinet Office Spending Review last week, the allocation of funds to individual workstreams, including for research and development, is underway as part of the department’s business planning process to be completed in the coming months.

  • Karl Turner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Karl Turner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment the Government made of the risks associated with the deployment of Royal Navy personnel on active duty in the Seychelles.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Prior to any Port visit the Royal Navy reviews the latest Government threat assessment for that country and takes appropriate action to mitigate any risks to its personnel. This is as true for the Seychelles as any other location. Before personnel go ashore they are briefed about any risks they may face and they are advised on any appropriate personal security measures.

  • Chris Stephens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Chris Stephens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency on (a) that agency’s staff survey results and (b) recent industrial action affecting that agency; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Initial discussions on the 2015 People Survey results for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) have taken place in senior management fora. Further discussions are planned, including within existing DVSA governance arrangements.

    The Department for Transport officials have been working closely with the management side at DVSA to try to resolve the industrial dispute, and to help ensure that the disruption to public services is kept to a minimum. The Permanent Secretary for Transport has written twice to the unions since the dispute began urging them to suspend their action and return to discussions with DVSA management.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help achieve a 100 per cent legal and sustainable timber trade in the UK by 2020.

    Rory Stewart

    Defra is committed to tackling the trade in illegal timber. We implemented the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which makes it an offence to place illegally logged timber on the EU market for the first time, and the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation, which aims to combat illegal logging and improve the supply of legal timber to the EU. The EU FLEGT Regulation establishes Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) between the EU and timber producing countries. Once VPAs have been agreed, timber producing countries will issue exports with a ‘FLEGT licence’ which verifies the timber’s legality.

    The Government’s Timber Procurement Policy also requires Government Departments, Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies to procure timber and timber products that are both legal and sustainable.

    Domestic forests provide about 20% of the UK’s timber needs. They are managed in accordance with the UK Forestry Standard, the reference standard for sustainable forest management in the UK. Moreover, about 85% of UK timber production is independently certified, providing additional assurances of sustainability. We are strongly supportive of initiatives such as Grown in Britain, which create new sustainably managed woodland to increase the supply of British timber destined for use by local people and businesses. Timber and wood products labelled with the Grown in Britain logo are from trees and forests assured as compliant with the UK Forestry Standard.

    I welcome the fact that UK companies and other bodies are making similar commitments to trade in both legal and sustainable timber by signing up to WWF’s Forest Campaign.

  • Neil Gray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Gray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the reductions in housing benefit announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 on claimants who receive housing benefit for housing that has been purpose-built for disabled people.

    Justin Tomlinson

    This policy was introduced because in some areas the increases in social rents have outstripped the increases in private rents.

    This policy will cap social sector rents at the relevant Local Housing Allowance rate for the area, but will only apply from April 2018 where a new tenancy is taken out or a tenancy is renewed after April 2016. By only applying the cap when a new tenancy is taken on or an existing tenancy is renewed will mean that claimants will have the opportunity to consider whether they can afford to take on the property before committing to the tenancy.

    The Discretionary Housing Payment scheme will be available for those living in accommodation that has been purpose built or significantly adapted to meet the needs of a disabled person, in the same way as it is for those who receive a reduction in their eligible rent for the removal of the spare room subsidy.

  • Philippa Whitford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Philippa Whitford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philippa Whitford on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much NHS England spent on agency nurses in each of the last three years.

    Alistair Burt

    The information that has been requested is not recorded centrally by the Department of Health or NHS England.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) enforce the European Commission Interpretative Notice, C2015 7834 final, on the indication of origin of goods from territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 and (b) ensure that penalties for mis-labeling of such products are effective, proportionate and dissuasive.

    George Eustice

    The principal feature of the Interpretative Notice is a recommendation that goods imported into the EU which originate from Israeli settlements in the territories occupied by Israel since 1967 should bear an indication which makes that provenance clear. That recommendation was included in technical advice to UK retailers and importers concerning labelling agricultural produce from the West Bank that was issued by Defra in 2009. We are currently in discussion with other Departments to consider whether revisions need to be made to the 2009 advice in the light of the Interpretative Notice. As regards sanctions and penalties for mis-labelling, these are dealt with in various pieces of legislation depending on the goods concerned.

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of urgent care in Brighton and Hove.

    Jane Ellison

    The provision of urgent care is the responsibility of NHS England, which is currently reviewing nationally urgent and emergency care and proposes a fundamental shift in the way urgent and emergency care services are provided, delivering more care closer to home where clinically appropriate.

    The review is now within its implementation phase. A key aspect of this implementation is the establishment of Urgent and Emergency Care Networks (UECNs).

    NHS England has developed a suite of tools and guidance to support implementation of the review, including advice on the role and establishment of UECNs.

    In the hon. Member’s constituency, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) undertook a two-day unannounced inspection of urgent and emergency services at the Royal Sussex County Hospital during June 2015. The CQC published the report of this inspection on 23 October 2015 and rated urgent and emergency services inadequate at this hospital.

    The CQC expect the Trust to regularly report, in a single and standard approach, the improvements in quality to all stakeholders through the risk summit process.

    Following the CQC report publication, the Trust will take the following actions:

    – Changes to the Emergency Department floor;

    – Improving ward processes;

    – Hospital Rapid Discharge Team will review support packages with patients and their family when they first arrive in the Emergency Department; and

    – The opening of additional beds at the Princess Royal Hospital.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many complaints from (a) employees and (b) third parties were received by HM Revenue and Customs’ National Minimum Wage Risk Unit in each of the last six years.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it. Anyone who feels they have been underpaid NMW should contact the confidential Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) review all complaints that are referred to them. However, some complaints may not lead to the commencement of an investigation. This might be due to incomplete information being provided, or the worker subsequently wishing to withdraw their complaint. Similarly, multiple complaints about the same employer would only be recorded under one investigation.

    In 2014/15, 2489 worker complaints and 691 pieces of third party information were referred to HMRC. However, I reiterate that not all complaints will lead to an investigation. In previous years, HMRC did not record statistics by complaints received, but by investigations completed. In 2014/15, HMRC completed 2204 investigations. I refer the honourable member to the answer provided to her on 6 May 2014 at Hansard Column 110W for information on prior years.

    Staff across HMRC contribute to enforcing NMW, including people who work in legal advice, debt management, technical support and criminal investigation amongst others, but HMRC does not record the specific numbers of those staff involved beyond this. The budget allocated to HMRC by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is provided as an overall amount. I therefore refer the honourable member to the answers provided to her at UIN 16853 for budget details & UIN 16938 for information on staffing.