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Tag: 2015

  • Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which local authorities have agreed to take refugees under the Syrian Refugee resettlement scheme.

    Richard Harrington

    Over 50 local authorities from across the UK have offered places to resettle refugees under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement (VPR) scheme. It is at the discretion of local authorities to disclose whether or not they are involved with the VPR scheme.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of (a) referrals to the Work Programme since 2011 and (b) current participants in the Work Programme had no classifiable qualifications at the time of their referral.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested, in the above three questions, is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Amanda Solloway – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Amanda Solloway – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Solloway on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to raise girls’ aspirations in schools.

    Nicky Morgan

    We are determined to tackle gender inequality at its root so that every child can fulfill their potential. Too often girls’ success at school is not reflected in the workplace.

    In my role as Education Secretary, I’ve strengthened links between schools and employers. That’s why we are backing the inspirational Your Life scheme and why we published the Your Daughter’s Future Guide.

    I am also encouraging schools to focus on character skills, as well as attainment, including a £5m investment in character education.

  • Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-11-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department is undertaking of the effect on children’s (a) attainment, (b) health and (c) attendance of the universal infant free school meals policy.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The decision to introduce universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) was based on pilots of universal free school meals carried out between 2009 and 2011 in Newham and Durham. The pilots demonstrated benefits in terms of children’s health, attainment and behaviour, as well as helping families with the cost of living.

    The UIFSM policy has been in place for just over a year. We will look carefully at a range of indicators in relation to UIFSM once we are satisfied that we have sufficient time series data to undertake a robust analysis.

  • Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2015-11-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will prioritise funding to multilateral agencies that focus their aid programmes and investments in Least Developed Countries.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    We prioritise funding to multilateral agencies depending on how well they meet UK and international development objectives. The agencies that we fund are currently being assessed by our Multilateral Aid Review which will report in the spring.

  • Gavin Newlands – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gavin Newlands – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2015-11-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department offers to enable personal independence payment (PIP) applicants to attend PIP assessment centres.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Claimants attending an assessment by public or personal transport can claim back their travel costs. Where public transport is unavailable or the claimant is unable to use it, the claimant can contact their assessment provider to ask if taxi-fares would be payable for their journey.

    Alternatively, the option of a face-to-face consultation in the claimant’s home is available if the claimant indicates that they are unfit to travel to a consultation or where travel would require high levels of support.

  • Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2015-11-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to ensure that disabled people who used their motability car to work are able to carry on working if, after a Personal Independence Payment assessment, they lose entitlement to a Motability car and cannot afford to buy their own car.

    Baroness Altmann

    We recognise that the transition from DLA to PIP can be challenging for individuals, which is why the Department worked closely with Motability as we developed our plans for the introduction of PIP. The Motability charity provide a one-off package of transitional support and advice to support customers who no longer meet the eligibility criteria for the Motability scheme. For most of these customers who entered into their first lease agreement with Motability before January 2013, Motability will provide transitional support of £2,000. This will enable many former Scheme customers to continue to meet their mobility needs by purchasing a used car. For customers who entered into their first lease agreement with the scheme after January 2013 and up to December 2013, Motability will supply transitional support of £1,000 to assist with mobility costs. Motability is also providing help with the cost of adaptations made to non-scheme vehicles and information on non-scheme motoring and insurance. The Scheme also offers customers an opportunity to purchase their vehicle after the end of the lease.

    Support is also available through the Access to Work Scheme, which is potentially available on application to anyone with a health condition or disability that affects the way they perform their job and who needs practical support above and beyond the reasonable adjustments that an employer has a duty to make under the Equality Act 2010. The type of support Access to Work provides is tailored to an individual’s needs and can include travel to work.

    DLA and PIP are available regardless of whether claimants are in or out of work. We do not hold information about the employment circumstances of recipients of either benefit, including those who are members of Motability.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-11-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what account his Department took when preparing the Charter for Budget Responsibility, of the effect of (a) the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union and (b) future EU treaty change in respect of that Treaty.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The UK is not a signatory of the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union, which is also known as the ‘Fiscal Compact.’ The signatories of the Fiscal Compact have committed to incorporate it into the main EU treaties, within five years of it entering into force. However, it would be premature to speculate on the conclusions of future treaty change negotiations in respect of the Fiscal Compact, which will require unanimous agreement amongst all other Member States, including the UK.

    However, the UK does participate in the EU’s Stability and Growth Pact, which sets rules on Member States’ debt and deficits, although, unlike other Member States the UK cannot face any sanction under this process.

    The updated Charter for Budget Responsibility, which sets out the government’s fiscal and debt management objectives and the fiscal mandate, states the government must explain in each Budget Report how all significant fiscal policy measures introduced by the government since the last Budget maintain the path of the public finances in a position consistent with the government’s European commitments.

  • Eric Pickles – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Eric Pickles – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eric Pickles on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will support the inclusion of a specific exemption for Holocaust research in the forthcoming European General Data Protection Regulation.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    I agree that it is vital that the General Data Protection Regulation, currently being negotiated, provides safeguards to enable historical researchers and archivists to continue with important work.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce instances of antibiotic resistance developing in farmed animals; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    In September 2013, the government published the UK Five-Year Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Strategy. The strategy sets out three strategic aims to minimise the development of antibiotic resistance and protect human and animal health and welfare.

    In December 2014, the Government published the first annual progress report against the UK 5 year AMR Strategy[1]. The report sets out the work underway in each of the seven key areas, more specifically:

    – infection, prevention and control,

    – education and outreach,

    – better access to surveillance data,

    – strengthening International collaboration

    The report also includes the further measures on animal health to be taken over the next four years to respond to the risk of AMR and to promote the responsible use of antibiotics.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/progress-report-on-the-uk-five-year-amr-strategy-2014

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