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Tag: 2015

  • Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect on businesses which have entered into long-term supply contracts of the introduction of the national living wage.

    Nick Boles

    Businesses can respond to the introduction of the National Living Wage in a number of ways. In the case of supply contracts, the response is likely to vary from contract to contract according to specific circumstances. For example, some contracts will include provision for changes in statutory pay requirements.

    The Government published a full impact assessment for the introduction of the National Living Wage on 7th December 2015.

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions have taken place with teaching unions on the application of the Prevent programme in schools.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department of Education consulted the teaching unions on the Prevent duty guidance which was published in March 2015 (see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance) and officials have subsequently briefed union representatives both on the duty and on the Department’s role in implementing the Prevent strategy in education. The Department has worked particularly closely with the unions representing school leaders to support schools in meeting their responsibilities under the Prevent duty.

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  • Wes Streeting – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Wes Streeting – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wes Streeting on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice (a) Monitor and (b) the Trust Development Authority has issued to NHS trusts in England about postponing elective operations and outpatient appointments during the winter period.

    Jane Ellison

    As in previous winters Jim Mackey, head of NHS Improvement (which includes both Monitor and the Trust Development Authority) sent a letter to NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Trust Chief Executive Officers on 3 December 2015.

    The letter suggested as a guide to aim for 20% unoccupied general and acute bed capacity by Christmas Eve and stated that this might involve rescheduling of elective work. Winter always places extra demand on the NHS and we are working hard with hospitals to ensure they are fully prepared to meet this challenge. Managing planned non-emergency operations and helping patients to get out of hospital more quickly are examples of how hospitals can make sure they have enough free beds to cope with the rising number of patients needing emergency care that the winter period often brings.

  • Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on security of energy supply of failures this winter in the operation of those major coal power stations which are due to close in spring 2016.

    Andrea Leadsom

    National Grid, as part of their winter outlook process assesses the overall reliability of technologies based on their historic reliability. This is the ‘de-rating factor’ that is applied to calculate available margins.

    There is nothing about the decision to cease connection to the transmission grid that would make a plant more unreliable prior to its planned withdrawal.

    Our priority is to ensure that British families and business have access to secure affordable energy supplies that they can rely on and we are taking prudent steps to manage the margins in winter 2016/17. Since 2014 National Grid have had the ability to procure a Contingency Balancing Reserve (CBR), which consists of the Supplemental Balancing Reserve (SBR), where existing power stations stand by ready to generate additional electricity and the Demand Side Balancing Reserve (DSBR) where companies bid for contracts with National Grid to receive payments in return for reducing their electricity usage times of peak demand should National Grid so require. National Grid and Ofgem agree that we should retain the ability to procure CBR for the next two winters. Government supports this position and we expect confirmation later this month following an Ofgem consultation. Beyond winter 2017/18, the Capacity Market will take over as the long term solution for security of supply.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what humanitarian support the Government is offering in refugee camps in (a) Lesbos, (b) Idomeni, (c) Calais, (d) Dunkirk and (e) other locations.

    James Brokenshire

    Asylum seekers and refugees in other Member States are the responsibility of the authorities of those countries. Member States, furthermore, are bound by EU and international legal obligations to provide adequate care and reception to asylum seekers and refugees within their territory.

    The UK, nevertheless, continues to provide practical support to other Member States and both France and the UK are committed to finding a sustainable solution to the situation in Calais. Under the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August, the UK committed to providing a £3.6 million (or €5 million) per year for two years to help support a range of work to manage the migrant population in Calais, in particular to provide support and facilities elsewhere in France. Additionally, the UK has provided £530,000 (€750,000) to fund a project to identify those in the camps at risk of trafficking and exploitation, to transfer them to places of safety; and to provide them with appropriate support within the French system.

    In addition to our work with France, we are also providing practical support to Greece through the European Asylum Support Office by deploying UK asylum experts to the border control ‘hotspot’ in Lesbos to assist with the swift screening of asylum applicants arriving there. We stand ready to provide further such assistance where necessary.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for the 25 year plan on biodiversity; and what estimate she has made of the costs of implementing that plan.

    Rory Stewart

    Defra is working closely with Treasury and others on the development of the 25 year Environment Plan. A high level framework for the Plan will be published early next year and the detailed content of the plan will be developed over the course of 2016, including an estimate of implementation costs.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 4.16 of the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, where the ground-based Ballistic Missile Defence radar will be based; and when that radar will enter operation.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    We have not yet made decisions as to the exact capabilities required of the radar or where it will be sited – this will be determined in due course.

  • Sammy Wilson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sammy Wilson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sammy Wilson on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the Government’s Visa and Entry Clearance Office in Dakha, Bangladesh is being relocated to New Delhi, India.

    James Brokenshire

    Decision making on UK visa applications lodged in Bangladesh was moved from Dhaka to New Delhi in September 2014. Logistical changes like this are made for operational reasons and to refine the longstanding hub and spoke structure of the visa network, where applications are decided at regional decision making centres. UKVI retains a small team in the British High Commission, Dhaka to carry out local checks and the remote printing of some visas. There has been, and will be, no change to the customer experience when applying for a visa in Bangladesh. Customers are still able to apply in the same Visa Application Centres (Dhaka and Sylhet) and applications are decided within the same global customer service standards (15 working days for non-settlement or 60 days for settlement).

  • Angela Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Angela Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Smith on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2015 to Question 17199, when she will publish the outcome of her Department’s review of animal licensing legislation; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    The Government’s proposals on the review of the animal licensing legislation will be made available shortly.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what decision his Department has made on the use of the £6 billion of funding allocated for the implementation of phase 2 of the Care Act 2014 now that the implementation of that phase has been postponed.

    Alistair Burt

    The Government recognises that social care is vital to enabling people to live healthy and independent lives.

    Funding decisions for 2016/17 onwards, including on adult social care, are subject to the forthcoming Spending Review.

    Officials in the Department and across government are working hard to understand pressures on the care system and will consider adult social care expenditure and future demand as part of this process.