The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the universal credit programme was subject to Project Assessment Reviews instead of Gateway Reviews.
Priti Patel
The Department is following the procedures for the assurance and support of major projects outlined in ‘HM Treasury the Major Project approval and assurance guidance’ introduced from April 2011. More details can be found in the link below.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training her Department has provided to staff on the family test; what other steps she has taken to raise awareness of the family test among staff of her Department; and if she will make a statement.
Edward Timpson
Officials from the Department for Education have liaised with the Department for Work and Pension as the lead Department for the Family Test to embed it into the policy process. This has included training officials on applying the Test, disseminating relevant evidence, learning materials and best practice.
The Department for Education follows that guidance, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-test-assessing-the-impact-of-policies-on-families.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2015-10-29.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the new rules for English Votes for English Laws relating to votes on matters that have been returned from the House of Lords to the House of Commons during parliamentary ping-pong will allow for amendments to, and substitution of, Lords amendments, as well as the rejection of Lords amendments.
Baroness Stowell of Beeston
Members of the House of Commons will continue to be able to table amendments to, and suggest the substitution or rejection of, Lords amendments, as they can now.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much has been paid into the Exchequer from surpluses accrued by the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme since privatisation of the coal industry.
Andrea Leadsom
I refer the hon. Member to House of Commons Library Briefing Paper Number SN01189 dated 25 November 2015 which contains at page 17 a table showing the total gross payments made to the Guarantor from the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme since privatisation:
http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN01189/SN01189.pdf
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2015-10-29.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what circumstances they would consider using British military assets to prevent President Assad from using barrel bombs against civilians in Syria.
Earl Howe
We have repeatedly demanded that Assad ceases the use of barrel bombs and called on his allies, Russia and Iran, to apply pressure to that end. Ultimately, a negotiated political transition is the only way to end the conflict and alleviate Syria’s humanitarian crisis. Any decision to commit UK military assets in order to prevent Assad’s use of these indiscriminate weapons would be subject to appropriate legal consideration, close consultation with allies and the endorsement of the House of Commons.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 12 September 2014 to Question 208785, how much of the £17 million budget for the NHS England Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Transformation programme for 2014-15 was spent; and on what that funding was spent.
Alistair Burt
The full £17 million has been spent on the NHS England and Health Education England Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) Transformation programme for 2014-15.
The funds were spent on delivering the programme to 65 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) partnerships of National Health Service and local authority commissioners working with statutory and non-statutory providers covering 68% of the 0-19 population in England. The model of delivery for the programme is through five Learning Collaboratives made up of Higher Education Institutes and the relevant CAMHS partnerships.
The collaboratives deliver training, peer mentoring for new partnerships and have a support and challenge role to enable services to deliver a choice of evidence based outcomes focussed interventions in collaboration with children, young people and their families.
Partnerships also receive funds to backfill staff whilst training, outreach service development and infrastructure improvement.
In addition, the programme funded participation by children, young people and parents at a national and local level and data capture to inform service planning.
The direct training delivered includes:
– Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for the treatment of anxiety and depression;
– Parenting Therapy for the treatment of conduct disorders in those aged 0-10;
– Interpersonal Therapy for Adolescents for the treatment of moderate to severe depression;
– Systemic Family Practice for the treatment of conduct disorders in the over 10s, self-harm and depression, and eating disorders;
– Enhanced Evidence Based Practice which teaches practitioners the basic principles of CYP IAPT;
– All therapy courses have a course for training supervisors; and
– Service leadership and management.
The table below outlines the numbers of trainees that were recruited in the 14-15 academic year.
Training Numbers from 14-15
|
Course |
Number of trainees |
|
Therapy training |
262 |
|
Supervisor training |
87 |
|
Practitioner training |
178 |
|
Service leaders |
59 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of progress by the Aerospace Technology Institute on reaching its goal of reducing fuel emissions by 20 per cent over the next 20 years.
Anna Soubry
The Government is working through the Aerospace Growth Partnership and the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) to promote UK growth by supporting industry to develop technologies for future aircraft.These will need to meet demanding environmental and societal requirements, and the ATI supports the targets for reducing noise and emissions set out by the Advisory Council for Aviation Research and Innovation in Europe (ACARE).These targets include reductions by 2050 in fuel burn of 75%, a reduction of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) emissions of 90% and a reduction in perceived noise of 65% based on a year 2000 baseline.
To date, over 100 ATI projects, worth a total of over £1bn, have been approved.The majority of these are focused on technologies for more efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many step down beds are under contract to Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; what the location of each such bed is; and what the average cost of each such bed was in each of the last three years.
Ben Gummer
This information is not collected centrally.
We have written to Stuart Heys, Chair of the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust informing him of the hon. Member’s enquiry. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-29.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what alternative sources of advice there are for people exercising pension freedoms who do not access Pension Wise guidance.
Harriett Baldwin
The government committed to providing free, impartial guidance through Pension Wise, to help people make informed and confident decisions about how they use their defined contribution pension savings in retirement. It is available online, via the telephone and face to face. As of 29 October 2015, there were over 20,000 completed appointments for face to face guidance and 9,000 completed appointments for telephone guidance as well as over 1.7 million visits to the website.
Pension Wise runs exit surveys of those who have completed an appointment It is not mandatory for a user to complete an exit survey. The government is committed to being open and transparent with Pension Wise data and will be making core data readily available by placing it on the government performance platform this autumn. The data will be in the public domain and updated regularly. HM Treasury is working with Pension Wise delivery partners to provide the level of detail that we require for reporting purposes.
The Financial Conduct Authority, in line with its remit to protect consumers and ensure markets function in consumers’ interests, is monitoring developments in the retirement income market closely and has committed to take action where consumers are coming to harm or where the market is not operating competitively.
The government recognises that people may wish to consult different sources of information before reaching a decision about their retirement income. In addition to Pension Wise, The Pension Advisory Service (TPAS) provides independent, impartial information and guidance about pensions, free of charge, to members of the public. The Money Advice Service also provides free and unbiased information and guidance on all money matters.
A number of pension providers offer financial guidance. Individuals can also access regulated advice from an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA). HM Treasury and the Financial Conduct Authority are jointly considering how financial advice could be made more accessible and affordable for consumers through the Financial Advice Market Review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerald Kaufman on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he intends to answer the letter from the Right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton to her dated 19 October 2015 on Mr Z. Hussain.
Jane Ellison
A letter was sent to the Rt. hon. Member on 25 November.