The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-11-17.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to encourage investment in improvement of the environment as part of the Northern Powerhouse initiative.
Greg Hands
The Chancellor will set out the next steps in his plans for the Northern Powerhouse and investment in the environment in the combined Autumn Statement and Spending Review on 25 November.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2015-12-16.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Access to Work scheme can fund, or help fund, the installation of a disabled toilet in a workplace.
Baroness Altmann
Access to Work is able to help with adaptations to Premises and Equipment.
In all cases where adaptations to premises are required, advisers will look to see what reasonable adjustment has first been made in accordance with employers obligations under the Equality Act.
Dependent on the size of the business, an employer contribution may also be sought.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the files held at Swadlincote that are subject to the Public Records Act 1958 have been (a) assessed by and (b) released to the National Archive.
Mark Lancaster
All Ministry of Defence (MOD) records held at Swadlincote that are subject to the Public Records Acts have been assessed for ongoing business or potential historical value. More than one third of the files at Swadlincote have been selected for transfer to The National Archives. These are largely military service records, which The National Archives has identified as being required for permanent preservation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2015-12-16.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation of Barnardo’s in the recent report Locked Out: Children’s experiences of visiting a parent in prison, that visits by children to fathers in prison should be removed from the incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme.
Lord Faulks
The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.
All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheryll Murray on 2015-11-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures she proposes to introduce to regulate commercial fishermen catching sea bass for the period from 1 January to 30 June 2016.
George Eustice
The European Commission has issued proposals[1] on fishing opportunities to be agreed for 2016, which includes EU bass management measures for the commercial fishing and recreational sea angling sectors consisting of a moratorium on fishing for bass in the first six months, and reduced catch limits for the latter half of the year. The UK response to these proposals is being considered in advance of negotiations at the December Fisheries Council.
The latest available assessment of the bass stock, from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, was published in June this year before the full set of EU bass management measures for 2015 was finalised in September. Its next assessment is due in June 2016.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moonie on 2015-12-16.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they estimate to be the flying costs, including maintenance, of the (1) F-35A, and (2) F-35B, aircraft.
Earl Howe
The Ministry of Defence has made an estimate of the flying and maintenance cost of the UK’s F-35B but I am withholding this information as its disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice commercial interests.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what modelling his Department has undertaken of the effect on adult social care of different funding allocations for such services.
Alistair Burt
Officials in the Department and across Government are working hard to understand pressures on the system and are considering adult social care expenditure and future demand as part of the Spending Review process. This includes modelling of the effect on adult social care of different funding allocations.
The Spending Review process will formally conclude on 25 November 2015, when the Chancellor will announce the outcome.
The Department has already commissioned a full review of the Adult Social Care Relative Needs Formula (which is used to allocate funding to local authorities based on indicators such as need, population and wealth) from the Personal Social Services Research Unit (at the University of Kent and the London School of Economics) and LG Futures (a consultancy).
As part of this review, 53 councils have contributed the most detailed data yet obtained for social care allocations. The researchers are currently writing up the research which will be published in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Redfern on 2015-12-16.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is being done to increase the number of specially adapted homes in (1) North Lincolnshire, and (2) nationally, so that those with complex care needs can live independently for longer.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
Since 2011 the Government has invested over a billion pounds into the Disabled Facilities Grant to fund adaptations to disabled people’s homes to help them live independently and safely at home for longer. This provides for around 40,000 adaptations each year and around 200,000 homes have been adapted since 2010. North Lincolnshire has received £5,143,717 of this funding over this period. Future funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant will rise to over £500 million in 2019-20.
The Government is also providing specialised housing for disabled and older people through the Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund and the Affordable Homes Programme and these will deliver 24 specialised homes in North Lincolnshire between 2011 – 2018.
In the Spending Review we have committed to £400 million of funding to deliver 8,000 specialist homes for the vulnerable, elderly or those with disabilities. A commitment to funding from Department of Health could deliver up to a further 7,500 homes over the Spending Review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many detainees held in Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre (a) claim that they are victims of human trafficking and (b) have been identified by the National Referral Mechanism as victims of human trafficking.
James Brokenshire
Individuals who have been identified as victims of trafficking by the competent authorities are normally considered suitable for detention in only very exceptional circumstances, which include cases where there is a risk of public harm. This data is not collected centrally and accurate figures are not available. Once a person is detained their continued detention remains under review by the Home Office at least at monthly intervals, and earlier in response to any change of circumstances that might have a material effect on their detention.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hay of Ballyore on 2015-12-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for a new round of talks with the political parties in Northern Ireland, in order to break the deadlock over legacy issues in Northern Ireland.
Lord Dunlop
The UK Government remains committed to establishing the legacy bodies. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has met a number of interested stakeholders in recent days, including the Victims Commissioner and the Victims and Survivors Forum. It is her intention to meet with the political parties early in the New Year, along with further engagement with victims groups.