The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Thompson on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department plans to reduce the Big Lottery Fund budget.
Tracey Crouch
As set out in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn statement this week, there are no plans to reduce the Big Lottery Fund’s budget. The Fund will continue to receive 40% of National Lottery good cause money. Sport, Arts and Heritage will also continue to receive 20% each.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2015 to Question 13099, whether, as part of his Department’s work with Transport for the North, he has discussed the possibility of conducting a feasibility study into improving the A595.
Andrew Jones
Cumbria County Council and Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership are currently taking forward two infrastructure studies. One of these is in partnership with Highways England and will specifically consider accessibility to West Cumbria, including issues on the A595. Both studies are due to complete early next year and will be able to feed into the Roads Investment Strategy for 2020/21 to 2024/25 and the work Transport for the North is undertaking to establish the North’s future transport priorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage families with disabled children to access the full free childcare offer.
Edward Timpson
In September 2014 the Children and Families Act introduced the biggest reform to the Special Educational Needs (SEN) and disability system for 30 years. These reforms, which apply to early years, were supported across the House and are making a real difference for families.
This Government is committed to ensuring that all families have access to high quality, flexible and affordable childcare. Parents with disabled children should have the same opportunities via increased choice and access to high quality childcare. Local authorities are required by law to secure free entitlement places for parents that want their child to take them up. This includes the free entitlement to 15 hours of early education for two year olds, where children in receipt of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or who have an Education, Health and Care Plan are eligible.
From September 2014 all local authorities are required to publish a Local Offer of services for children with SEN and disability, and this must include childcare available in the area. As part of the early implementation phase of introducing 30 hours of free childcare for working parents of three and four-year-olds, we have also encouraged innovative approaches to providing flexible childcare for children who are disabled or have SEN. Early Implementation happens from September 2016, ahead of full roll-out in September 2017.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what budget was allocated to the Flexible Support Fund in the most recent financial year for which data is available; and how much of that budget remained unspent.
Priti Patel
The budget allocated for Flexible Support Fund in 14/15 was £136m [excluding the support contract which was a further £20m]. Spend was £72m, leaving an underspend of £64m
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will discuss with the Environment Agency (EA) the proposal by angling bodies of marking the centenary of the birth of the angler Richard Walker with a portrait of Clarissa the Carp on the 2018 EA fishing licence; and if she will make a statement.
George Eustice
Defra has discussed the marking of the centenary of the birth of the angler Richard Walker with a portrait of Clarissa the Carp on the 2018 rod fishing licence with the EA. The EA is happy to consider this option, along with other design proposals. They will be pleased to support celebrations of Richard Walker’s achievements, where they can. I have asked the EA to keep me updated.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rooker on 2015-10-28.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 22 July (HL1237) regarding a consultation on flour additives, what is the timetable for that consultation, whom they are consulting, and what options for possible change they are considering.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
In June this year the Government held an informal consultation in order to seek views on possible additions to the exemptions currently allowed under the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 from the requirement to fortify flour with calcium, iron, niacin, and thiamine. The exemptions that were envisaged would allow more efficient and streamlined manufacturing operations for foods produced for export as well as for the home market, without compromising the public health benefits which accrue from fortification. A range of interested parties were consulted including millers, flour users, retailers, fortificant manufacturers and health professionals.
The options proposed in the consultation would allow millers to produce unfortified flour in England when used as a secondary ingredient which undergoes further processing, or is used in relatively small quantities in products. This approach was welcomed by most consultees and the Government is now considering how to take this forward.
The Department of Health and Public Health England has considered the proposals and concluded that it is unlikely that an exemption from fortification for flour used in such products will have a nutritionally significant impact on the intakes of calcium, iron, thiamine or niacin.
The changes proposed would apply to England only since food legislation is a devolved matter. The devolved administrations are aware of these proposals but have not yet made any decisions on whether to introduce similar changes.
Respondents to the consultation also asked for some additional flexibility around the point at which the fortificants are added to flour. At the moment flour must be fortified at the mill and the four fortificants are added as a premix at the end of the milling process. Many businesses which manufacture foods both for the home market and for export requested the flexibility to be able to add the fortificants at the bakery stage. They highlighted that the requirement for separate storage and handling for, both fortified and unfortified flour (which is used for exported products) was creating significant manufacturing complexities. That resulted in a more restricted product range and is having an adverse effect on their export potential and their ability to diversify into new global markets. The Government is currently considering this.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his oral contribution of 21 October 2014, Official Report, column 754, whether he has received a copy of the OECD study of the four NHS systems in the UK.
Ben Gummer
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has yet to publish its United Kingdom Health Care Quality Review. The four UK countries have had sight of a draft of the final report.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2015-10-28.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 21 October (HL2528), why it was possible to vote daily in the Great British High Street of the Year competition for up to 30 days, and from multiple email addresses; who decided that voting should be allowed to take place in that way; and what assessment they have made of the impact of that decision on the outcome of the competition.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
The Great British High Street Competition was an initiative launched by the Future High Street Forum, a group bringing together retailers and sector experts to lead work to support high streets. The Great British High Street Competition, now in its second year, is overseen by a sub-group of the Forum.
The results of the Great British High Street Competition will be decided on by the combination of two scoring mechanisms. The first element will be based on scoring from a visit from our independent panel of judges which includes expert senior representatives from Boots, Costa, Google and the Post Office.
The second part of the scoring is based on the outcome of a public vote which allows people to vote every day but from a single email address. The decision was based on advice from analysts and social media experts, which included Facebook, LinkedIn and Yahoo, and was introduced in order to allow the finalists to build local campaigns which generate interest across the course of the campaign and not just on one day. It was also designed to allow towns with varying populations to compete. Ministers had no role in this decision.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish the team in Colne and their competitors, every luck. We received 230 entries of an excellent standard so to reach the final is a huge achievement. The competition is shining a light on all the wonderful, hard work going on around the country and, once the competition is over, we look forward to continuing to work with all of the finalists to share and publicise their great work.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2015 to Question 17021, what the number of methicillin resistant (a) staphylococcus aureus, (b) clostridium difficile and (c) E.coli infections were in England and Wales in each of the last five years.
Ben Gummer
Public Health England (PHE) has surveillance data on meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia, E. coli bacteraemia and on C. difficile Infection (CDI). The reported numbers for both MRSA and E. coli bacteraemia cover bloodstream infections only. C. difficile data covers all infections. The totals, shown in the table below, are the number of infections reported to PHE each financial year, extracted from the Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI) data capture system. Mandatory surveillance data covers England only.
Total Number of MRSA, C. difficile and E. coli infections in England (April 2010 to March 2015)
|
Year: |
April 2010 – March 2011 |
April 2011 – March 2012 |
April 2012 – March 2013 |
April 2013- March 2014 |
April 2014 – March 2015 |
|
Total reported MRSA bacteraemia episodes |
1,481 |
1,116 |
924 |
862 |
801 |
|
Total reported C. difficile episodes |
21,707 |
18,022 |
14,694 |
13,361 |
14,165 |
|
Total reported E. coli bacteraemia episodes |
* |
* |
32,309 |
34,275 |
35,676 |
* Mandatory surveillance of E. coli bacteraemia was introduced in July 2011.
Source: PHE.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Stern on 2015-10-28.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the October report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons on HM Prison Liverpool, what action has been taken to ensure that when force is used in HM Prison Liverpool it is the minimum necessary to ensure safety.
Lord Faulks
HMP Liverpool is committed to implementing the recommendations of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons report of 20 October 2015.
Restraint is only used as a last resort where no other form of intervention is appropriate. HM Prison Liverpool is committed to ensuring that the minimum force necessary in any situation is applied.