Tag: 2016

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that workers in the care sector are paid the full national living wage.

    David Mowat

    Social care continues to be a key priority for the Government. This is why, against the context of tough public sector finances; the Government has taken steps to protect social care services. The Government is giving local authorities access to up to £3.5 billion of new support for social care by 2019/20. This should mean local government has access to the funding to increase social care spending in real terms by the end of the Parliament. This will support councils to continue to focus on core services and to pay fees which reflect provider costs including the National Living Wage.

    The Spending Review took into account a range of financial and economic factors, including projections and data on the National Living Wage from the Office of Budget Responsibility and Skills for Care.

    Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities must have regard to fostering an effective workforce with the appropriate capabilities when shaping their local markets. The Act and its statutory guidance make clear that prices and fee rates agreed with providers must reflect these new duties, including the National Living Wage.

    Social care workers play a vital role in our society and it is unacceptable that there are some circumstances where they are not being paid properly. Non-compliance with the National Living Wage is illegal and the Department is working with HM Revenue and Customs to help eliminate it from the home care sector.

    The Department has regular meetings with the trade bodies that represent the care sector and is grateful for the information provided that adds to our understanding of financial challenges including the National Living Wage. In addition major providers and associations in the care industry have formed their own taskforce to discuss key issues for the sector. The Department attends as an observer.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what contingency arrangements his Department has made for the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the upcoming EU referendum.

    Matthew Hancock

    I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given by my Rt Hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 14 January 2016 to UIN: 21952.

  • Lord Wasserman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Wasserman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wasserman on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the purdah period begins in respect of the forthcoming elections of Police and Crime Commissioners.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The purdah period for Government departments in respect of the forthcoming Police and Crime Commissioner elections will begin on 14 April 2016.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the proposals contained in Separation: Putting a Border on the Conflict published on 29 February by the Chairman of the Zionist Union and of the Israeli Labour Party.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have not made any assessment of the proposals contained in the document ‘Separation: Putting a Border on the Conflict’. We will judge any proposals on the basis of whether we assess they support progress towards the two-state solution.

  • Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the average cost per mile to upgrade a motorway to a smart motorway.

    Andrew Jones

    Highways England has an improvement programme to create additional network capacity by utilising the motorway hard shoulder as an additional lane. This is known as the Smart Motorway Programme.

    The cost depends on the scope and nature of each scheme and is heavily influenced by factors such as the number of junctions and the extent of work needed to existing structures.

    Based on the actual or forecast actual cost of relevant schemes started over the past five years, the total cost ranges from £7.5-£8.8m per mile of additional network capacity (using a common price base of March 2015).

  • David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government plans to take to reduce the size of the House of Lords.

    John Penrose

    Given the very large and urgent list of other constitutional reforms currently underway, it’s hard to justify giving Lords reform a higher priority than other manifesto promises. We will continue to consider steps that are able to command support from all sides of the House. The Leader of the House of Lords has convened cross-party talks to discuss these issues, and those talks continue.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department’s policy is on taking account of the benefits of contracts to the UK economy in determining future rolling stock orders.

    Claire Perry

    Procurement of rolling stock is usually carried out by the private operators through franchising. If the Department was to procure rolling stock it would take account of the latest competition and procurement guidelines relating to social and economic impacts.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the number of badgers to be culled in the next 12 months.

    George Eustice

    Advice to Natural England on setting the minimum and maximum numbers of badgers to be removed in licensed badger control areas during 2016 can be found on the gov.uk website at www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-to-natural-england-on-setting-minimum-and-maximum-numbers-of-badgers-to-be-controlled-in-2016.

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  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made on small businesses of the potential closure of independent pharmacies; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on that effect.

    Margot James

    My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regularly discusses a range of issues with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.

    Funding for the contractors providing NHS pharmaceutical services is determined by the Department of Health.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Prime Minister’s announcement of 11 January 2016, whether the £247 million of investment announced for liaison mental health services in emergency departments is in addition to (a) the £1.25 billion investment for perinatal and children and young people’s mental health announced by the then Deputy Prime Minister in March 2015 and (b) the £600 million investment for mental health announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

    Alistair Burt

    The investment for liaison mental health services and crisis home response teams detailed by the Prime Minister on 11 January 2016 is funded from within the Department’s overall Spending Review settlement.