The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2015-12-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisons have children’s play areas.
Andrew Selous
This information is not held centrally.
Tag: 2015
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Emma Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of information maintained by the NHS to enable his Department to assess the reasons why women choose to have a BRCA1/2 test.
George Freeman
NHS England does hold data on the individual reasons patients may have for seeking referral for a BRCA1/2 test. A new clinical commissioning policy to guide and expand access to BRCA testing was published by NHS England in July 2015. This policy is intended to provide greater clarity and equity for patients across England wishing to consider testing by providing consistent criteria for referral, where a referral is made by a specialist clinic.
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Sarah Wollaston – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2015-12-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to include a commitment to constructing safe paths alongside busy roads in rural areas in the forthcoming National Road Safety Strategy to improve cycle safety.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Conservative Manifesto 2015 had a commitment to reduce the number of cyclists and other road users killed or injured on our roads every year. We have been working closely with road safety groups to consider what more can be done and expect to publish our Road Safety Statement shortly.
The Road Safety Statement will set out the high level plan and overarching approach to road safety that we expect to take over the rest of the Parliament, and will be followed by a series of more detailed proposals and consultations. The Department for Transport will publish a Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy in 2016 which will set out our plans for investment in safer cycling and walking infrastructure.
Busy roads in rural areas will either be the responsibility of Highways England or local authorities.
Highways England have committed to provide a safer, integrated and more accessible strategic road network for cyclists and other vulnerable road users. To support this, the Government has outlined a commitment to invest £100m between 2015/16 and 2020/21 to improve provision for cyclists on the strategic road network.
On a local level, provision of cycling infrastructure is for local traffic authorities. The Department encourages them to ensure cycling is considered as part of the planning process.The Department for Transport’s Cycle Infrastructure Design guidance supports local authorities on providing cycle-safe infrastructure for cyclists.
It is also worth noting that from within the record £6 billion to be allocated to local highways authorities between 2015 and 2021 for road maintenance, from 2018/19 the plan is to change the formula used to allocate local highways maintenance capital funding so that it also takes into account footways and cycleways as well as the roads, bridges and street lighting, which it is currently based on. Once implemented, around 9% of the funding will be based on footway and cycleway lengths.
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Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Prime Minister’s announcement of 7 November 2015 on broadband access, what public funding has been assigned for the delivery of the Universal Service Obligation for broadband; and whether he plans to publish this information as part of the comprehensive spending review.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Government will be consulting in early 2016 on the Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband. The USO will be designed to be as efficient as possible, and ensure value for money for the consumer and taxpayer.
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Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-12-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to the number of people in the work-related activity group on people with restrictive medical conditions; and what alternative measures he plans to put in place to assist such people.
Priti Patel
The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in Bill on 20th July and Ministers have considered impacts with regard to all relevant legal obligations when formulating the welfare policies announced in the Bill.
This change includes new funding for additional practical support for claimants with limited capability for work from April 2017, when the removal of the work-related activity component will come into effect, rising from £60m in 2017/18 to £100m a year in 2020/21.
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Graham Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities about minimum EPC standards for the private rented sector.
Andrea Leadsom
The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 were made in March this year following a full public consultation, and establish an EPC minimum of E for domestic and non-domestic private rented sector properties from April 2018.
Officials in the Department liaise regularly with the insulation industry, local authorities, and other stakeholders on a range of energy efficiency issues including the minimum EPC standards for the private rented sector. Discussions have also been held recently with French officials about domestic energy efficiency issues including minimum standards.
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Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-12-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that local authorities with a low council tax base are not disadvantaged in relation to authorities in more affluent areas by the new power to raise council tax by 2 per cent in order partially to offset cuts in social care following the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
The Government recognises that councils have varying capacity to raise money through council tax. The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government set out, in the provisional local government finance settlement 2016-17, proposed changes to rebalance support, including to those authorities with social care responsibilities, by taking into account the main resources available to councils. In particular, he published illustrative allocations for the extra funding we are providing to local authorities for adult social care through the improved Better Care Fund: these allocations directly take into account the council tax-raising capacity of authorities.
I refer the noble Lord to information accompanying the Oral Statement made on 17 December, Official Report, Column 2238-2239 (attached).
Further details are available on the Government website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/council-tax-in-2016-to-2017 and https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486708/Core_spending_power_supporting_information.xlsx
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Nusrat Ghani – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nusrat Ghani on 2015-11-16.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of removing the obligation to register as self-employed for students in full-time education earning less than the standard personal allowance.
Mr David Gauke
The information is not available. HM Revenue and Customs does not routinely record whether a student is in full time education.
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Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-12-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment the Ministry of Justice has made of whether there is a correlation between alcohol consumption and criminal activity.
Lord Bates
Alcohol is a contributory factor in crime and disorder. The Home Office has estimated that alcohol-related crime costs society around £11.4 billion per year.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales data from 2013/14 showed that around half (53%) of all violent crimes are alcohol-related, with two-thirds (64%) of all violent crimes involving strangers attributable to alcohol-consumption. Alcohol is also associated with over a third (36%) of domestic violence incidents.
There is also a link between non-violent crime and alcohol. 36% of penalty notices for disorder in 2014/15 were issued for being drunk and disorderly. Alcohol is closely associated with anti-social behaviour with nearly one fifth of adults (18%) perceiving people being drunk or rowdy as a problem in their local area in 2014/15.
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Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) adults and (b) children undertake appropriate health checks to prevent diabetes complications.
Jane Ellison
Public Health England (PHE) supports local authorities to implement the mandated NHS Health Checks programme. A routine part of NHS Health Checks involves assessing a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes and, for those at risk a diagnostic test is carried out for confirmation of diabetes.
The NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme aims to reduce the risk of sight loss among people with diabetes through early detection and timely treatment, if needed, of diabetic retinopathy.
The Healthy Child Programme ‘Pregnancy and the first five years of life’ provides five core reviews for all pregnant women and young children and provide a framework for health promoting and primary prevention activities around behaviours such as breast feeding, healthy nutrition, physical activity and healthy weight which will influence a child’s future health including onset of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The reviews are followed up with early intervention and targeted support for families where additional needs have been identified. The Healthy Child Programme ‘0-19’ provides advice and guidance including healthy weight management, nutrition, physical activity and support children with additional health needs including diabetes.
Improving outcomes for those with diabetes is of great concern to the Government. We will announce our plans in due course.