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Tag: 2015

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why patients in England cannot access the drug Docetaxel, in contrast to patients in Scotland.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body which, for England, makes decisions on the clinical and cost effectiveness of products based on thorough assessment of the best available evidence. NICE has recommended docetaxel for the treatment of hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer (where the disease becomes unresponsive to hormone treatment). It has not appraised docetaxel for use alongside hormone treatment.

    In the absence of guidance from NICE, it is for commissioners in England to make funding decisions on drugs and treatments based on the available evidence. Although docetaxel is not licensed for this indication, there is no funding, legal or regulatory barrier to prescribing drugs off-licence. Where clinically appropriate, off-licence prescribing is safe and legal and most clinicians regularly prescribe in this way.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the leaked 2009 report by the United States Central Intelligence Agency that drone strikes are ineffective and counter-productive.

    Earl Howe

    The Government deplores the leaking of any classified information, wherever it occurs. It has been the policy of successive British Governments not to comment on leaked documents.

  • Baroness Greengross – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Greengross – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Greengross on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what will be the total amount available under the Disability Facilities Grant fund in 2016–17.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Helping disabled people to live independently in their own homes for longer through adaptations remains a key priority for this Government. The Government will have invested just over a billion pounds into the Disabled Facilities Grant between 2011-12 and 2015-16. This has delivered around 200,000 adaptations to the homes of disabled people. Future funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant is a matter for the Spending Review.

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of reduction in funding to English for Speakers of Other Languages Mandation Courses on the level of employment among people for whom English is an additional language.

    Nick Boles

    The decision to withdraw the 2015/16 English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Plus (Mandation) funding was taken in the knowledge that providers could use their adult skills budget to continue to provide ESOL training for jobseekers and therefore mitigate any adverse impact. Our data showed that the numbers of claimants being referred to ESOL Plus (Mandation) provision was significantly lower than originally anticipated.

  • Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the schedule of comparable programme objects in his Department’s publication, Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly: Statement of Funding Policy, published in October 2010, what the total cost was of royal travel between May 2010 and May 2015.

    Greg Hands

    Information relating to the total cost of Royal travel is readily available in the annual financial reports. They include a full breakdown of costs for Royal Travel for each of the years in question.

    http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalHousehold/Royalfinances/AnnualFinancialReports/Annualfinancialreports.aspx

    The Statement of Funding Policy no longer contains information on Royal Travel costs.

    “

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to provide tax incentives for businesses seeking to enter the automotive and motor racing industries.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government provides generous tax incentives to help new and innovative businesses in the UK, including the automotive and motor racing industries. The rate of corporation tax is currently 20% and will be 18% in 2020, the lowest of any economy in the G20.

    The Government supports research and development (R&D) in the automotive and motor racing industries through R&D tax reliefs. At Summer Budget 2015, the Government also announced that it would increase the permanent level of Annual Investment Allowance to £200,000 which will further support investment in plant and machinery.

    The Government has also committed £86 million through the Advanced Propulsion Centre to secure Britain’s strength in the research, development and commercialisation of low carbon vehicle technologies.

  • Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to assist local authorities to safeguard the residential amenity of urban residential locales with high numbers of private sector lettings; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    A local housing authority can, through licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation and other privately rented properties (selective licensing), impose conditions relating to the management of the premises so its use does not adversely impact upon its vicinity. Since 27 March 2015 an authority can make a selective licensing scheme in an area where (a) it has recently, or is experiencing, a high level of migration into the private rented sector and (b) the scheme will help preserve or improve the social or economic well-being of that area.

  • Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the decision to order the Protector programme of aircraft was taken by his Department.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I refer the hon. Member to the written statement released by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Michael Fallon) on 12 October 2015,titledFuture Unmanned Air Systems Capability.

    The Government has taken an early decision in the Strategic Defence and Security Review to commit to the Protector programme. The programme is currently in its assessment phase, so detailed work is continuing to confirm a contract for the airframe and associated details, including date for the capability’s entry into service and acquisition and life support cost profile, following which the Ministry of Defence will be better placed to understand the implications for the UK workforce and supply chain.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much (a) revenue and (b) capital funding was provided to per pupil in state (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in Devon (A) in cash terms and (B) at 2015 prices in each financial year since 2005-06.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Average per pupil revenue funding figures for Devon are given below. With the introduction of the dedicated schools grant (DSG) in 2006-07, the changes to the funding mechanism meant figures were no longer available to be shown split by phase of education.

    Figures for financial years 2005 to 2013 are shown below. These are in cash terms:

    Average revenue per pupilfunding (cash)

    2005-06 (baseline)

    2006-07

    2007-08

    2008-09

    2009-10

    2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    Devon LA (£)

    3,560

    3,800

    4,050

    4,220

    4,430

    4,680

    4,600

    4,600

    These are in real terms using September 2015 GDP deflators in 2014-15 prices:

    Average revenue per pupil funding (real)

    2005-06 (baseline)

    2006-07

    2007-08

    2008-09

    2009-10

    2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    Devon LA (£)

    4,370

    4,530

    4,700

    4,770

    4,880

    5,010

    4,850

    4,770

    Per pupil figures use DSG allocations plus other schools related grants, e.g. school standards grant, school standards grant (personalisation), standards fund, and pupils aged 3-15 rounded to the nearest £10. Most of the additional grants were mainstreamed into DSG in 2011-12.

    The changes to DSG funding in financial year 2013 to 2014 with funding allocated through three blocks (namely schools, early years and high needs) means there is no longer a comparable overall figure with previous years. The table below shows the DSG schools block unit funding figures in cash and real terms for Devon LA.

    DSG schoolsblock per pupil funding (£)

    2013-2014

    2014-2015

    2015-2016

    Devon LA (cash)

    4,156

    4,156

    4,342

    Devon LA (real) [1]

    4,215

    4,156

    4,299

    [1] Real terms figures shown in 2014-15 prices using GDP deflators at 30.09.15.

    Since 2011-12 schools have received the Pupil Premium which targets funding at pupils from the most deprived backgrounds to help them achieve their full potential. In 2011-12, the Premium was allocated for each pupil known to be eligible for universal infant free school meals (UIFSM), looked after children and children of parents in the armed services. In 2012-13 coverage was expanded to include pupils known to have been eligible for Free School Meals at any point in the last six years. The amounts per pupil for each type of pupil are shown in following table in cash terms:

    Pupil Premium per pupil (£)

    2011-2012

    2012-2013

    2013-2014

    2014-2015

    2015-2016

    Free School Meal Pupil Primary

    £488

    £623

    £953

    £1323

    £1320

    Free School Meal Pupil Secondary

    £488

    £623

    £900

    £935

    £935

    Service Children

    £200

    £250

    £300

    £300

    £300

    LookedAfter Children

    £488

    £623

    £900

    £1900[2]

    £1900[2]

    [2] Also includes children adopted from care.

    Total Pupil Premium allocations for Devon local authority for each year are shown in the following table in cash terms:

    Pupil Premium Allocations (£ millions)

    2011-2012

    2012-2013

    2013-2014

    2014-2015

    2015-16 (prov.)

    Devon

    5.486

    11.161

    17.221

    22.942

    23.220

    These figures in real terms:

    Pupil Premium Allocations (£ millions)

    2011-2012

    2012-2013

    2013-2014

    2014-2015

    2015-16 (prov.)

    Devon

    5.786

    11.559

    17.467

    22.942

    22.990

    Price Base: Real terms at 2014-15 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 30.09.2015.

    The table below shows capital funding for the financial years that are available. The data is in cash terms as allocations are phased across more than one year making real terms calculations meaningless. Complete information on the split of capital between phases of education is not held centrally.

    Devon £m

    Capital allocations

    2005-06

    30.5

    2006-07

    53.0

    2007-08

    68.1

    2008-09

    56.8

    2009-10

    71.6

    2010-11

    31.8

    2011-12

    31.1

    2012-13

    37.5

    2013-14

    48.4

    2014-15

    42.3

    2015-16 (prov.)

    10.2

    Notes:

    • Capital allocations includes capital grant and supported borrowing allocations.
    • Figures are rounded to the nearest £100,000.
    • Funding in 2015-16 is still subject to project progress and is therefore subject to change. The funding figures provided for 2015/16 only include formulaic programmes and payments to date. Further funding is yet to be released for capital programmes dependent upon project progress and this has not been reflected in the figures.
  • Calum Kerr – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Calum Kerr – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Calum Kerr on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to ensure that (a) Seafish and (b) other bodies funded by fishing levies do not promote the fishing industries of other North Sea or Norwegian Sea countries.

    George Eustice

    Seafish does not spend its levy, directly or through other bodies, on promoting the fishing industries of other North Sea or Norwegian Sea countries. At the request of the four Fisheries Ministers, Seafish introduced a transparent process in 2012 to agree priorities for spending. Seafish consults UK Industry Panels to ensure that all parts of the UK seafood sector benefit proportionately from the levy raised. These activities are set out in the Seafish Corporate Plan, which can be found on the Seafish website.