UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2015

  • Lord Lexden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Lexden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2015-11-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the sale of the playing fields of over 100 schools since 2010 on the physical fitness of young people.

    Lord Nash

    The Government does not approve the sale of playing fields but assesses applications from schools and local authorities to dispose of them. A disposal can include a lease of the playing fields to a third-party commercial organisation with the fields, following investment and improvement, continuing to be used by the school.

    It is neither the government nor the Department for Education that instigate the disposal of playing fields. It is the local authorities, academies or schools that seek consent to convert these often surplus or un-used fields to enable them to invest in school sport or education. However, there is strict control in place which requires an assessment of the facilities available to pupils. The government will only give permission to dispose of school playing fields if it is clearly demonstrated that they are surplus to requirements and the sports and curriculum needs of the school and its neighbouring schools will continue to be met.

    Since any approved disposal would not impact on the provision of the sports curriculum at the school/s, no follow up studies on the sale of playing fields has been undertaken.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to consult (a) parliamentarians and (b) the public on her Department’s 25 year plan for a healthy natural economy.

    Rory Stewart

    The Government is currently developing the framework that will guide the development of the 25 year environment plan, which will be published in early 2016. Over the course of 2016, supported by the Natural Capital Committee, we will be engaging with a wide range of interested parties and the public on the detailed content of the plan.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were referred by the NHS England Liaison and Diversion Service for support or treatment in the last three years for which figures are available.

    Alistair Burt

    NHS England made almost 40,000 liaison and diversion screenings and more than 10,600 referrals to treatment or support services for people of all ages between 1 April 2014 and 31 August 2015. Data is not available prior to 1 April 2014.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much West Yorkshire PCTs are owed by foreign patients for medical treatment from the NHS.

    Alistair Burt

    Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, primary care trusts (PCTs) ceased to exist from 1 April 2013, being replaced by clinical commissioning groups.

    The Department does not hold information centrally on the amounts owed to clinical commissioning groups by foreign patients for National Health Service medical treatment received.

  • Jack Dromey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jack Dromey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on (a) temporary agency staff, (b) consultants, (c) non-payroll staff, (d) administration and (e) marketing and advertising in real terms in each year since 2010-11.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office publishes monthly spending data for temporary agency staff, consultants and non-payroll staff. This information is available online, and can be found here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workforce-management-information-2015 >

    Transparency Data was introduced by the coalition government in 2010, to enable the public to hold the Government to account, with the aim of reducing administration costs. The information available online through Transparency Data includes departmental spending on temporary staff, consultants and non-payroll staff. The previous administration did not compile or collate that information, and it is therefore not possible to provide comparative figures, or to establish what was previously spent, on the same basis.

    The Home Office has reduced administration expenditure budgets by 50 per cent since 2010-11 in real terms. The Home Office is committed to a further 30 per cent reduction by 2019-20 over Spending Review 2015 period.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which NHS trusts make Docetaxel chemotherapy treatment available.

    George Freeman

    Information on which treatments are provided by different National Health Service trusts is not collected centrally.

    Commissioners are legally required to fund docetaxel for the treatment of hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer (where the disease becomes unresponsive to hormone treatment) as recommended in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s technology appraisal guidance.

    NHS England has advised that it does not routinely commission docetaxel chemotherapy for the treatment of hormone sensitive prostate cancer. However, an associated policy statement is currently being developed and NHS England expects this to be published in the early part of 2016, subject to appropriate approvals and governance arrangements.

  • Gerald Kaufman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gerald Kaufman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerald Kaufman on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when she intends to answer the letter of the hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, dated 28 September 2015, on John Rooke.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    I responded to the Rt Hon Gentleman’s letter on 6 November 2015.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Syrian refugees will qualify for (a) indefinite leave to remain and (b) UK citizenship after five years of residence.

    Richard Harrington

    Syrians who are resettled under the Syrian Resettlement Scheme are given a five year humanitarian protection visa. At the end of the 5 years they can apply for settlement (indefinite leave to remain) and if granted they can apply for UK citizenship 12 months later. Each application for settlement and citizenship is decided in accordance with our guidance for these routes.

  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the type approval regime is for (a) aircraft used at UK airports and (b) ships used at UK ports; and whether there are any emissions standard components to either of those regimes.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The certification of aircraft and aero-engines is primarily the responsibility of the certification authority for the state of manufacture. In Europe this is the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) who also have oversight of aircraft and engines certified in other regions that expect to be registered in the UK or any other European country.

    The certification requirement for Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), Carbon Monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbon is based on operating the engine on a test bed at different thrust settings to simulate the landing and take-off phases of flight below 3000 feet. The visible smoke test identifies the worst case condition for smoke. A new standard for CO2 emissions from aircraft is being developed and is expected to assess the cruise emissions as this phase dominates total fuel burn. EASA certification Engineers would verify the fuel burn on tightly controlled test flights.

    Ships are primarily regulated through the United Nations International Maritime Organization and are subject to a range of technical and operational requirements set down in international law.

    Emissions from shipping are subject to controls under Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) and a related European regime with performance standards in place for both pollutant emissions and energy efficiency. Where these requirements refer to the type approval of specific equipment, an approval process is carried out against the agreed standard to ensure the equipment is fit for purpose. The type approval of equipment on ships is normally carried out by a certification authority on behalf of a State.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will bring forward legislation to encourage the greater use of non-custodial sentencing options for driving offences where danger was caused but with no evidence of intent or wilful risk-taking on the part of the driver.

    Andrew Selous

    Parliament sets the maximum penalties for driving offences and it is for the courts to decide what sentence to impose, taking into account aggravating and mitigating factors of the offence and the offender, and in line with the sentencing guidelines. The previous Secretary of State established a review into these issues. We are considering how to take this forward. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State is meeting colleagues to discuss this issue in the new year.