The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to control the number of badgers in the next 12 months.
George Eustice
We are committed to our strategy to make England free of bovine TB, of which culling badgers in areas where the disease is rife is a key element.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2015-11-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 4 November (HL3009), why investigation of historic crime in Northern Ireland, including the retention of fingerprint and DNA samples from non-convicted individuals, requires different provisions to the rest of the UK, and whether they plan to seek permission for any non-compliance of those provisions with Article 8 of the ECHR.
Lord Dunlop
The investigation of historic deaths creates particular difficulties because the evidential trail has significantly narrowed. Forensic evidence, including fingerprint and DNA evidence, is therefore a key element in Troubles-related investigations, as it presents the strongest strand of investigative opportunity.
Dealing with the legacy of Northern Ireland’s past is an essential part of the transition to long term peace and stability – this is not a consideration which applies in the same way in the rest of the UK. It is disappointing that agreement was not reached in the recent political talks on the proposed institutions for dealing with the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland.
The Government remains fully committed to working alongside the Northern Ireland parties, victims groups and other stakeholders to deliver the institutions intended to achieve broad consensus for legislation and deliver new legacy mechanisms. The Government is satisfied that the retention of relevant biometric data for the purpose of investigating Troubles-related crimes is proportionate.
We are working closely with the Northern Ireland Department of Justice to ensure that any proposal to retain relevant data will strike the appropriate balance between Article 2 and Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and be compatible with the judgment of the European Court in Marper.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barbara Keeley on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the findings of the report, Prevent, Reduce, Delay: Are councils meeting their new duties to support unpaid carers, published by the Carers Trust in October 2015, on the level of compliance by councils with their duty under the Care Act 2014 to prevent carers developing a need for support.
Alistair Burt
The Care Act 2014 and guidance are clear about the provision of preventative services. Under the Care Act, local authorities have a responsibility to support carers in a number of ways. This includes duties on local authorities to provide information and advice and universal preventative services for carers.
The Carers Trust report Prevent, Reduce, Delay: Are councils meeting their new duties to support unpaid carers is a helpful contribution to the evidence around the new prevention duty and how councils are working to fulfil it as regards carers.
However, it is difficult to draw conclusions about practice from the report, given the uncertainty it notes about how councils have interpreted the Freedom of Information request on which the report is based, and the variable quality of responses.
We continue to pursue other measures to monitor and support implementation of the Care Act.
To support implementation of the reform programme, we have established a joint Programme Management Office between the Department, Local Government Association and Association of Directors of Adults Social Services. This unprecedented partnership is driving collaborative working with the sector, influencing the local implementation of these changes to support a consistent and coherent approach. This approach was recognised by the National Audit Office as best practice and should be adopted by other programmes.
The programme includes a series of stocktakes of local authority readiness and the latest, from June 2015, demonstrates an overall positive picture on implementation:
– Councils’ confidence in their ability to deliver the Care Act Reforms in 2015/16 remains high, with 99% very or fairly confident.
– 89% of councils say that they are ‘on track’ with their implementation. The remaining 11% report themselves as only slightly behind.
The Department is also leading on the development of a new National Carers’ Strategy that will examine what more we can do to support existing carers and the new carers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Warner on 2015-11-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they plan to issue on the integration of health and social care services, in the light of their commitment to do so by 2020 at paragraph 2.49 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015; whether that guidance will cover integrated budgets for those services locally and nationally; and whether new legislation will be required to ensure that integration.
Lord Prior of Brampton
It is clear from progress already made up and down the country towards the integration of health and social care that there is no single ‘correct’ way to achieve the Government’s ambition of full integration by 2020. On this basis, the Government will encourage areas to design and implement those solutions that are most appropriate for their own context, and will avoid setting out an overly prescriptive policy framework, including with respect to the integration of budgets.
However, in order to ensure that adequate progress is made in the given timeframe, and that the benefits of integration are realised both for members of the public and for health and social care organisations, it will be important to set out the Government’s minimum expectations for integration. Areas will be expected to pay regard to these minimum expectations when setting out their plans for integration by 2020, and it will be by demonstrating that they have moved beyond this baseline that they will be entitled to graduate from the existing Better Care Fund programme management, which will continue to be mandatory in 2016-17.
The existing legislative framework already provides a great degree of flexibility for local areas wishing to pursue different approaches to the integration of health and social care. The Government will work closely with local areas in the years to 2020 to understand the limits of this legislative framework and to understand how any limits can be overcome.
It is the intention that guidance will be published in 2016 reflecting the position set out above, and it is likely that this guidance will include material on the integration of budgets.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to reduce the Gangmasters Licensing Authority’s Grant-In-Aid budget over the next 12 months.
Karen Bradley
Future levels of Government funding for all public bodies will be considered as part of the next Spending Review. We are committed to resourcing the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (the GLA) to ensure it delivers on its purpose of protecting vulnerable and exploited workers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Byford on 2015-11-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the public rights of way elements of the Deregulation Act 2015, including guidance, will be implemented.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The primary legislation needed to implement the Stakeholder Working Group rights of way reforms package was enacted in the Deregulation Act 2015. We are consulting with the Stakeholder Working Group and other interested parties on the various sets of regulations and guidance needed to complete the reform package. It is planned that all the legislation and guidance will be commenced on the same date. We are on schedule to meet our target of implementation in spring 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make finances available from her Department’s budget to fund payments owed by the Zimbabwean government for former employees of the Southern Rhodesian government until such time as the Zimbabwean government is able to meet its legal commitment to those employees.
Grant Shapps
The government sympathise with the plight of those former public servants who are entitled to a Zimbabwe government pension. For years there have been problems with late payment or non-payment of pensions, and the benefits have been severely eroded. Officials from the FCO, and the British Embassy in Harare last raised Pensions with the Zimbabwean government in September.
As acknowledged by the OSPA, the responsibility for payment of these pensions rests squarely with the Zimbabwean government. The UK does not have any legal obligation or responsibility for the pensions of Zimbabwe former public service workers. This is because since 1923, the former Southern Rhodesia’s civil and public servants have been appointed on local terms.
Zimbabwe public service pensioners do not qualify for the payment of overseas pensions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the finding in the report, The future potential economic impacts of a bio-plastics industry in the UK, published by the Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association in October 2015, that, given the correct legislative environment, a UK bioplastics industry could support 35,000 jobs and contribute £1.9 billion to the economy.
Joseph Johnson
I note the report by the Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association into the future potential impacts of a bio-plastics industry in the UK.
The Government delivers a range of policies across the business landscape – including research funding and innovation – that will be helpful in supporting the development of this sector. At the recent Autumn Statement, it was confirmed that science funding of £4.7 billion will be protected in real terms over the Parliament, and we will protect the Catapult network to support innovative firms and sectors.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many drafts of a proposed British Bill of Rights his Department has produced in each year since 2010.
Dominic Raab
The Ministry of Justice has not produced any drafts of a proposed Bill of Rights since 2010. This Government was elected with a mandate to reform and modernise the UK human rights framework. We will fully consult on our proposals before introducing legislation for a Bill of Rights and we will set out our proposals in due course.
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much Big Lottery funding was provided to Northern Ireland in 2014; and how much such funding will be provided in (a) 2015 and (b) 2016.
Mr Rob Wilson
Information on grant expenditure broken down by country is available through the Funds’s annual report and accounts:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/big-lottery-fund-annual-report-2014-to-2015
The annual report and accounts for 2015/16 and 2016/17 will be published in due course.
“