Tag: 2016

  • Chris White – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Chris White – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris White on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to (a) encourage greater use of email and (b) implement other measures to reduce costs in communication by government departments.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Government Digital Service (GDS) continues to support departments as they digitally transform their business operations, making government services easier and more efficient to use. There is a ‘digital first’ strategy across Government to save on time as well as paper and postage costs, including the use of email to achieve this aim.

    The Government Communication Service (GCS) saved nearly £330m for taxpayers in 2014/15 compared to 2009/10 by making its campaigns more cost effective. The communications profession is also more streamlined, with headcount across Government reduced by a third since 2009/10. These reforms helped the Government reduce communications spending by a total of £1bn over the last Parliament. GCS continues to investigate new ways of reducing costs in Government communications.

  • Lord Green of Deddington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Green of Deddington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Green of Deddington on 2016-01-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many third country nationals have been transferred to the UK from other EU member states under (1) Article 8, (2) Article 9, and (3) Article 10, of the Dublin Regulations for their asylum cases to be heard by the UK authorities in each of the years for which data are available, and from which EU member state those individuals came.

    Lord Bates

    Data on cases progressed under the Dublin Convention is recorded on the main immigration database. However, this data is not currently available in the form requested as it is not held in a way that allows it to be reported on automatically.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department’s wellness strategy is.

    George Eustice

    Our Department’s employee Wellbeing Framework complements our Health and Safety Policy and supports the implementation of the Civil Service Employee Health and Wellbeing Strategic Action Plan. Our framework has been developed collaboratively by the Defra Wellbeing network to ensure consistency across all organisations in the Defra group. It focuses on three key priorities: Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies and Healthy Lifestyles and is delivered to our employees via workshops, campaigns and other initiatives accessible to all.

  • David Winnick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Winnick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North, of 17 February 2016, on comments made by him on the Walsall borough; and what the reason is for the time taken to respond to that letter.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    A reply was sent on 13 April and the delay was caused by a clerical error within the team.

  • Baroness Smith of Basildon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Baroness Smith of Basildon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Smith of Basildon on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation has taken place between the Department of Energy and Climate Change and (1) the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, (2) the Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, and (3) the Civil Nuclear Police Federation, in relation to the occupational retirement age of Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Energy has met with the Chair of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA) and the Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) on two occasions since taking office where the pension age of officers was discussed. In October 2015 and March 2016.

    The Minister of State has recently written to the Civil Nuclear Police Federation about meeting representatives of that organisation to discuss issues including the age at which CNC officers receive their pension.

    Officials at the Department of Energy and Climate Change have worked closely with officials at the CNPA and CNC at all levels, up to and including the Chief Constable, on the issue of the pension age of CNC officers since May 2014. The Department has received frequent and substantial advice on all aspects of this issue. This includes, but is not limited to, the impact of fitness standards on CNC officers and how those standards affect deployability of officers, and the costs of administering a pension scheme with a lower effective pension age.

    The Minister of State has received two letters from the Civil Nuclear Police Federation outlining their legal case for a lower pension age. Officials have met with the Civil Nuclear Police Federation to discuss the pension age of CNC officers on two occasions in 2015.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 1.37e of the Educational Excellence Everywhere White Paper, when she plans to launch the National Teaching Service.

    Nick Gibb

    The National Teaching Service was launched, with a pilot scheme in the North West, on 29 January 2016[1].

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/national-teaching-service-pilot-gets-underway

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  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on producing a long-term industrial strategy for the Yorkshire and Humber region.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    On 2 August, my right Hon. Friend the Prime Minister chaired the first meeting of the Ministerial Committee on Economy and Industrial Strategy, which brings together Secretaries of State of Departments across Whitehall to help to drive forward an Industrial Strategy that will aim to deliver the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘an economy that works for all’ and put the United Kingdom in a strong position for the future, promoting a diversity of industrial sectors and ensuring the benefits of growth are shared across cities and regions up and down the country, including Yorkshire and Humber.

    Overall responsibility for developing and implementing an industrial strategy sits within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. We will be working closely across Government and with a range of organisations – including regional representatives, businesses, trade bodies, universities, and trade unions – to deliver this, to help ensure that the economy grows strongly in all parts of the country, and to support the UK’s global competitiveness.

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the efficacy of grammar stream programmes in comprehensive schools.

    Nick Gibb

    The Government is committed to enabling all children to fulfil their potential by delivering a school system that works for everyone.

    The Department has not commissioned any recent research to look at the specific benefits or effects of streaming by ability in comprehensive schools. However, we do know that the vast majority of schools choose to stream by ability over the core subjects.

    There are indications that this approach benefits higher-ability pupils. For example, the Educational Endowment Foundation (EEF) evidence review[1] found that on average studies showed that higher attaining pupils make one to two additional months’ progress when set or streamed compared to when taught in mixed ability groups. The EEF found that high attaining pupils benefit from different kinds of grouping, including pull-out classes, accelerated classes and moving up a year.

    [1] https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/setting-or-streaming/

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  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on Israeli products in each of the last three years.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    This information is not held centrally in the format requested. However, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has made the total value of payments below against contracts where the MOD Commercial teams have identified Israel as the location of some or all of the work required for the completion of the overall contract.

    Financial Year

    Total Value of Payments (£ million)

    2012-13

    18.9

    2013-14

    25.5

    2014-15

    15.8

    These figures may not include all subcontracted components of Israeli manufacture and may include subcontracted components manufactured in countries other than Israel. The analysis is based on Location of Work codes and does not relate to the billing address of companies nor is it based on ownership of the companies involved in the production of the product.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on assistance to elderly people to help them with increases in energy prices.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Providing direct help to vulnerable consumers, including the elderly to keep their energy bills down is a priority for the Department. For example, direct help is given to vulnerable consumers through energy efficiency schemes such as the Energy Company Obligation and through the Warm Home Discount scheme, where 2 million low income and vulnerable households per year receive rebates off their electricity bills. DECC officials regularly meet with other government departments to discuss helping vulnerable consumers.