Tag: 2015

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the effect on jobseekers of the requirement to search and apply for jobs within a 90-minute travel radius.

    Priti Patel

    Before requiring a JSA claimant to apply for a job within a 90 minute travel radius, a Work Coach will always take a claimant’s personal circumstances into account, including local travel arrangements and only require a claimant to apply for a job within a 90 minute radius if it is reasonable to do so. No recent assessment has been made of the effect on jobseekers of the requirement to search and apply for jobs within a 90 minute travel radius.

  • Keith Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Keith Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of the number of lorries travelling through Calais to the UK were scanned by lorry body scanners in each month of 2015.

    James Brokenshire

    To ensure the integrity and security of the UK border, Her Majesty’s Government cannot provide port specific statistics.

    Border Force operates a multi-layered search regime using a range of interventions to screen all freight vehicles entering the UK through the juxtaposed ports. This includes the use of specialist technologies such as Passive Millimetre Wave Imaging devices, heartbeat monitors and carbon dioxide detectors as well as physical searches by sniffer dogs, Border Force staff and specialist search contractors.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-11-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with representatives from the Icelandic government on debt owed to (a) UK taxpayers and (b) the public purse by Icelandic banks.

    Harriett Baldwin

    HM Government officials continue to engage with the Icelandic authorities in order to complete the recovery process from the failed Icelandic banks. In total, £8.64 billion was paid out by HM Treasury to compensate UK depositors of the Icelandic banks Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander Ltd (KSF), Heritable Bank plc and Landsbanki (Icesave).

    All eligible UK retail depositors were fully compensated. To date, the Treasury has recovered £7.71 billion from the three estates. The Government expects to make a full recovery of the outstanding funds from the estates.

  • Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK combat aircraft are flying combat missions against ISIS in (a) Syria and (b) Iraq.

    Michael Fallon

    The UK has 16 manned combat aircraft flying combat missions against Daesh in both Syria and Iraq. This number includes RAF Tornado and Typhoon aircraft. There are also a number of RAF Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) deployed to the Middle East that are flying combat missions in both Iraqi and Syrian airspace.

  • Steve Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Local Government Transparency Code 2015; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    My Department is currently reviewing compliance with the Local Government Transparency Code 2015.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons recipients of personal independence payments are called for reassessment.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Personal Independence Payment is designed to ensure decisions on entitlement, award lengths and timing of reviews are appropriate and evidence-based.

    All ongoing awards, regardless of duration, will be reviewed periodically to ensure that the individual continues to receive the correct amount of benefit. Where we have sufficient evidence to do so, we will conduct a paper based assessment without the need for the claimant to attend a face to face assessment.

    The claimant can also ask for a review if the daily living needs or mobility needs arising change.

    Reviews can result in a higher or lower award or no change.

  • Sammy Wilson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Sammy Wilson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if his Department will allocate additional funding to the Superconnected Cities fund for those applications in the most recent round that were unsuccessful.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Any decision regarding funding is subject to the forthcoming Spending Review.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure suitable training and accreditation for support dogs.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Standards for assistance dogs are maintained on the basis of a voluntary regulatory framework. There is no specific legislation for the regulation of assistance dogs.

  • Andrew Griffiths – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Griffiths – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Griffiths on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children in need whose primary assessment of need was abuse or neglect were within 12 months of a previous referral in the most recent year for which figures are available.

    Edward Timpson

    The information requested is not available.

  • 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, how much (a) NHS England, (b) Public Health England, (c) Monitor and (d) the Care Quality Commission has spent on overseas visits since 2012-13; and what the date, destination and purpose was of each such visit.

    Jane Ellison

    Using information from central travel systems the Arm’s Length Bodies have advised their costs for the years specified. Costs for 2015-2016 will be available after the end of the financial year.

    (a) NHS England

    Since 2012-13 NHS England has spent £167,492.78 on overseas travel. See attached spreadsheet for a breakdown of the costs including date, destination and purpose of visit. A summary table of annual costs is included here.

    Cost of overseas travel 2012/13 – 2015/16 – NHS England

    Financial Year

    Total Spend

    2012 -2013

    –

    2013 – 2014

    £97,389.30

    2014 – 2015

    £70,103.48

    Total

    £167,492.78

    (b)Public Health England

    Since 2012-13 Public Health England has spent £2,991,553.00 20 on overseas travel. See attached table for a breakdown of destination and type of cost. Detail of individual trips can only be supplied at disproportionate cost. PHE is the lead for the UK on International Health Regulations, which extends to playing its part in protecting the UK from international health hazards, most obviously from communicable diseases. PHE’s expert scientific and medical staff are routinely deployed across the world, for example: to respond to public health incidents of international concern, such as with the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). A summary table of annual costs is included here.

    Cost of overseas travel 2012/13 – 2015/16 – Public Health England

    Financial Year

    Total Spend

    2012 -2013

    –

    2013 – 2014

    £1,565,958

    2014 – 2015

    £1,425,595

    Total

    £2,991,553.00

    (c) Monitor

    Since 2012-13 Monitor has spent £9,552.96 on overseas travel. See attached table for a breakdown of the costs including the date, destination and purpose of visit. A summary table of annual costs is included here.

    Cost of overseas travel 2012/13 – 2015/16 – Monitor°

    Financial Year

    Total Spend

    2012 -2013

    £994.39

    2013 – 2014

    £3,833.07

    2014 – 2015

    £4,725.50

    Total

    £9,552.96

    °Figures include central travel bookings, expenses and credit cards

    (d) Care Quality Commission

    Since 2012-13 CQC has spent £16,548.32 on overseas travel. CQC have advised that they do not collect the level of data asked for and to collate it would incur disproportionate cost. They have provided a table of year on year costs of overseas travel.

    Cost of overseas travel 2012/13 – 2015/16 – Care Quality Commission°

    Financial Year

    Total Spend

    2012 -2013

    £3,136.73

    2013 – 2014

    £5,067.78

    2014 – 2015

    £8,343.81

    Total

    £16,548.32

    °Figures include flights and travel expenses