Tag: 2015

  • Caroline Nokes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Caroline Nokes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Nokes on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with headteachers on (a) expanding childcare and (b) developing a right for parents to request that schools provide childcare.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Schools are an important provider of high quality early education and childcare, and the government has already improved the regulatory framework and supported schools to help them deliver more places for children. We are actively working with schools and others to identify and share good practice and learning across the system so that more schools can offer flexible, full-day nursery provision either themselves or in partnership with others. This work will feed directly into the Early Implementation pilots of the 30 hours entitlement in 2016.

    As a part of this, officials have had a number of discussions with unions, including the National Association of Headteachers about the 30 hours entitlement, and have met them on the new parental right to request before school, after school and holiday childcare for school-aged children. We continue to work closely with unions and other representative bodies to assess how both of these policies will work in practice, and intend to work collaboratively with them on implementation. A full economic impact assessment and new burdens assessment will be carried out in due course.

  • Andrew Tyrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andrew Tyrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Tyrie on 2015-11-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Table 7.1 of the Final Report of the Airports Commission, published in July 2015, if his Department will make an assessment of the effect on the data in that table under an appraisal period of (a) 10, (b) 20 and (c) 30 years.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government is currently considering the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report before taking any decisions on next steps.

    The Government will carefully consider all the evidence set out, including that on costs, when making a decision on additional runway capacity.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the value of stationery that has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from her Department in each of the last five fiscal years; and what the cost was of replacing such stationery.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department has made no estimate on the value of any stationery (a) lost or (b) stolen in any of the last five fiscal years.

  • Alan Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Alan Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Johnson on 2015-11-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding her Department plans to allocate for specialist services for kinship carers in the period to March 2019.

    Edward Timpson

    We will set the Department’s individual budgets as part of the internal business planning process. We will announce the future of specific programmes in due course.

  • Helen Goodman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Helen Goodman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK funding of Bahraini reform programmes.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We believe that UK support to Bahrain’s reform programme is the most constructive way to achieve long-lasting and sustainable reform in Bahrain. While it will take time to see the full results of much of this work, UK support is having a direct, positive impact on areas of concern. All FCO programmes and project work is routinely monitored and evaluated to inform and improve future assistance.

  • Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-11-27.

    To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his Oral Statement of 26 November 2015, Official Report, columns 1489-94, what assessment he has made of the reliability of the 70,000 ground forces referred to as international partners in the fight against Daesh.

    Mr David Cameron

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Ms Lucas) on 1 December 2015, UIN 17826 and 17854, and to the answer I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for New Forest East (Dr Lewis) of the same date, UIN 18014.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to address the political crisis in Syria before March 2016.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are closely involved in international efforts to facilitate a political solution to the conflict in Syria. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) attended discussions convened by US Secretary Kerry in Vienna on 30 October, which may be the begining of a political process in Syria.

    Foreign Ministers agreed to meet again within two weeks. The UK will fully support this process including by hosting ministerial or official-level meetings. We are supporting the moderate Syrian opposition to ensure they are represented in the political process. Through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, the Foreign Office is also providing a broad range of support to Syrians inside Syria on peace building, governance, human rights, and civil society issues.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they and the major aid agencies have made for protecting refugees who are still in, or are crossing, south-east Europe this winter.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK has so far provided nearly £16 million to ensure migrants and refugees arriving in and travelling through Europe are provided with warmth, comfort and lifesaving humanitarian support and protection during the winter. DFID is funding humanitarian organisations such as the Red Cross, UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, as well as humanitarian NGOs in southern Europe and the Balkans. These organisations are tailoring interventions to meet the needs of children, families and older people. This includes medical assistance, special transport services to help keep families together and support the most vulnerable, referral of children and other vulnerable people to specialised services, and efforts to reunite families that have become separated during their journey. We have also delivered in-kind assistance via the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism. Through this, the UK has provided migrants and refugees in Slovenia, Serbia and Croatia with blankets, sleeping bags and tents so that 11,000 people in each country are provided with warmth and comfort during the winter.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the meningitis B vaccine will be available for children and young people; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    The MenB immunisation programme was introduced in September 2015, with the vaccine being offered to babies at 2, 4 and at 12 months of age. The vaccine is also available for the small number of older children who are at increased risk of infection, such as those with specific immune problems.

    The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisatio (JCVI) carried out a comprehensive and careful review of a wide range of evidence in relation to MenB vaccine and did not recommend the use of MenB vaccine in other age groups, including older children.

    The Department, in collaboration with the JCVI and Public Health England, has identified that preparatory research is needed before the effects of MenB carriage in adolescents can be addressed. This preparatory research is in the process of being contracted and it is hoped that this work will begin in early 2016.

  • Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assumptions they have made about the increase in demand for social care in calculating that the new 2 per cent council tax levy and the £1.5 billion for the Better Care Fund, announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, would meet future demand; and whether they will list the assumptions made and the projected increase in demand for each year from 2015 to 2020.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Spending Review decisions take into account a range of financial and economic factors as well as changes in demand. Our analysis of adult social care demand drew on:

    ‒ academic modelling of future demand for services;

    ‒ projections and data on pay including the National Living Wage from the Office of Budget Responsibility and Skills for Care;

    ‒ gross domestic product deflators for inflation; and

    ‒ consideration of the potential for efficiencies and savings, based on a range of sources.

    That analysis informed the decision to provide a settlement which means local government has access to the funding it needs to increase social care spending in real terms by the end of the Parliament, including:

    ‒ The social care precept which puts money raising powers into the hands of local areas who understand the need in their area and who are best placed to respond;

    ‒ From 2017-18, social care funds for local government, rising to £1.5 billion by 2019-20, to be included in an improved Better Care Fund; and

    ‒ More than double the funding for the heavily oversubscribed Disabled Facilities Grant to over £500 million per annum by 2019-20.