Tag: 2015

Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has taken to encourage Premier League football clubs to pay all staff, including those employed via external contractors, at least the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Tracey Crouch

I welcome the fact that Chelsea Football Club have signed up to be an accredited living wage employee, not just paying their direct staff but contractors too. That is a big step forward, and one that I expect all Premier clubs to follow. I will press home that message to the Premier League’s Executive Chairman as part of the regular dialogue we have on a range of football matters.

November 3, 2022
Catherine West – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the legal basis was for the RAF drone attack carried out in Syria on 21 August 2015; and if he will publish the original legal guidance on which the decision to carry out the attack was made.

Michael Fallon

The Prime Minister made clear that the Attorney General had advised that the action we took would be lawful in self-defence of the UK. By long-standing convention, reflected in the Cabinet Manual, the content of the Law Officers’ advice is not disclosed outside government without the consent of the Law Officers. As the Attorney General explained in his oral evidence to the Justice Select Committee on 15 September 2015, the convention should be adhered to in this case.

November 3, 2022
Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the case for enabling schools to pay an allowance to school governors in recognition of their time, expertise and service.

Nick Gibb

The government recognises the crucial role of governors and values their expertise and dedication. As we move towards an increasingly school-led system, governance will need to be more effective with more highly skilled people governing groups of individual schools. The government, however, remains committed to the principle of voluntary service for governors and we have no plans to enable governors to be paid beyond the specific circumstances set out in section 7.6 of the Governors’ Handbook. This handbook can be found online at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/governors-handbook–3

Academy trusts are independent charities. Their governors are therefore also charity trustees who must comply with Charity Law. This means that they can only receive payment for carrying out trustee duties if this payment is specifically allowed by the academy’s governing document or has express authorisation from the Charity Commission. Any change to allow payment to trustees would need Charity Commission authorisation.

Governors in maintained schools and academies can receive allowances or expenses to cover costs they have incurred because of serving as a governor.

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November 3, 2022
Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of GCSE A to C grades achieved in each of the last three years were C grades.

Nick Gibb

The information requested is published in Table 11 of the “Revised GCSE and equivalent results in England: statistical first release” series [1], [2], [3].

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2013-to-2014

[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2012-to-2013-revised

[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-academic-year-2011-to-2012

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November 3, 2022
Conor McGinn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Conor McGinn on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the effect of proposed changes to the feed-in-tariff on solar firms and small businesses in (a) St Helens North constituency, (b) the North West and (c) the UK.

Andrea Leadsom

Our consultation on the feed-in tariff review reflects the need to balance sector support whilst keeping bills down for consumers.

We strongly welcome evidence from the sector during this review consultation, which ends on 23 October.

November 3, 2022
Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the effect on carbon emissions of the reduction on feed-in tariffs; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom

In order to meet the 2050 target, we know we will need significant cuts in emissions across all parts of the economy.

This will not depend on any single technology, but rather will need a balanced mix of low carbon technologies, including nuclear, renewables, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) in order to help tackle the threat of climate change while keeping the lights on and ensuring the best value for consumers.

The feed-in tariff scheme has been extremely successful in deploying small-scale renewables. The scheme has already exceeded our 2020/21 projections for hydro, wind, and anaerobic digestion and is within the projected range for solar PV. Given this, alongside the risk of rising costs to consumers, it is right to consider cost control measures.

November 3, 2022
Catherine McKinnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many expressions of interest have been received for the (a) Mid Tier and (b) Higher Tier of the new Countryside Stewardship scheme.

George Eustice

Expressions of interest were not invited for the Mid-Tier of the new Countryside Stewardship scheme, however:

a) 5,640 requests for Mid-Tier application packs were received, resulting in 2,314 agreement applications; and

b) 1,025 expressions of interest were received for the Higher Tier of the new Countryside Stewardship scheme, together with 257 applications for forestry agreements.

November 3, 2022
Fiona Mactaggart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to raise the human rights of ethnic and religious minorities in India during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to the UK in November 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire

India and the UK have a rich, wide-ranging and mature bilateral relationship. We will discuss a broad spectrum of issues during Prime Minister Modi’s visit.

The UK raises a range of human rights matters with India, including religious freedom and the treatment of ethnic minorities, both bilaterally and through the EU. This includes meeting Union and State level government institutions, such as the Indian National Commission for Minorities, which the British High Commission in New Delhi met earlier this month. The High Commission also stays in regular contact with civil society organisations and senior faith leaders working on religious freedom across India.

November 3, 2022
Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on relations between Spain and HM Government of Gibraltar.

Mr David Lidington

The Prime Minister is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: he believes he can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis.

November 3, 2022
Robert Neill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Neill on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of recent requests by NHS England to delay implementation of NICE guidance with his Department’s commitment to the three month funding requirement in the latest iteration of the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme; what steps he is taking to ensure that all positive NICE recommendations are funded within three months; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman

NHS England is specified in the 2014 Pharmaceutical Pricing Regulation Scheme agreement as the body responsible for ensuring there are no local barriers to ensuring access to technologies recommended in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal and highly specialised technology guidance.

NHS England has advised that there are a range of initiatives which assist NHS England in this obligation:

– NICE technology appraisalrecommendations are required to be incorporated automatically into relevant local medicines formularies;

– providers are required to publish local medicines formularies;

– the NICE Implementation Collaborative (NIC) examines barriers to the prompt implementation of NICE guidance;

– an innovation scorecard is published quarterly by the Health and Social Care Information Centre and tracks uptake of many NICE-approved medicines by the NHS;

– a joint NHS England and Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry work programme on medicines optimisation is ongoing, which seeks to improve outcomes and value from all medicines;

– NHS England works closely with Academic Health Science Networks to accelerate the adoption and diffusion of innovation.

The Department’s analysis of medicines spend for the first year of the PPRS shows that branded medicines spend grew by 8.2%, with new medicines on the Innovation Scorecard seeing growth of 18.4%. Further details have been published on the Government’s website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/analysis-of-growth-in-branded-medicines-2013-to-2014

Commissioners are legally required to fund drugs and treatments recommended in NICE technology appraisal and highly specialised technology guidance within three months of NICE’s guidance being published. There is provision for this funding period to be extended where there are particular barriers to implementation within three months.

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November 3, 2022