Tag: 2016

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-05-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the implications are for his policy on private NHS contractors carrying out healthcare services of the failure of Central Nottinghamshire Clinical Services to be able to continue to provide such services; what steps his Department is taking to ensure that other such contractors continue to provide the services for which they are contracted; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for securing the provision of services to meet the needs of their population. The Department expects CCGs to hold providers to account in a way which works effectively in their area.

    CCGs are free to commission services from the provider that they feel offers the best services for the local population in line with the legislative framework. We do not anticipate that the failure of Central Nottinghamshire Clinical Services will affect this policy.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-07-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what policy priority they now intend to accord to the Council of Europe.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK continues to be an active member of the Council of Europe. We value its role in the rules based international system, which helps nations work together to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

  • Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to transfer the Army Air Corps’ Islanders and Defenders to the RAF in 2018; and what plans his Department has for 5 Regiment’s Army Air Corps command organisation.

    Harriett Baldwin

    It has been agreed that the governance of the Fixed Wing Manned Aerial Surveillance Capability will be transferred from the Army to the RAF. Detailed implementation plans, including timescales and the implications for 5 Regiment Army Air Corps, or other Units have yet to be finalised.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of progress in electoral registration in Somaliland; and what support the UK is providing for that process.

    James Duddridge

    The UK, together with Denmark and the EU are providing funding in support of the biometric voter registration system and expertise required to plan and prepare the voter registration system in Somaliland. The UK has contributed £2.18million. The process began on 16 January and is progressing as planned. Over 100,000 people have already been registered. The UK is funding independent monitoring of the process to ensure that it continues to be effectively administered, peaceful and accessible to all.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the objections received by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator in relation to the School Admissions Code by (a) all parties, (b) civil society organisations and (c) individuals in a school’s local area have not been upheld in each of the last five years.

    Nick Gibb

    Figures relating to all objections received by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator are published in the Chief Adjudicator’s annual report, which can be found on GOV.UK: www.gov.uk/government/publications/osa-annual-report

    “

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department’s Single departmental plan: 2015 to 2020, published in February 2016, what changes are expected in exposure to (a) nitrogen dioxide and (b) PM2.5 by 2017.

    Rory Stewart

    In December last year Defra published new plans setting out how the UK Government intends to improve air quality and meet the requirements of the ambient air quality Directive for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the shortest possible time. Our ambition, as set out in the plans, is for the UK to have some of the very best air quality in the world. Improving air quality in our towns and cities will reduce exposure for a large number of people and have a positive impact in reducing adverse health effects.

    For all UK zones we assess compliance annually for a range of pollutants covered by European air quality directives, including PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide. All limit values, other than those for NO2, are currently met. The results are published in the annual Air Pollution in the UK compliance reports, which are made available on the UK-Air website: http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/annualreport/

    “

  • Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that ex-offenders are helped into work or education upon the completion of their sentence.

    Caroline Dinenage

    We want prisons to be places of hard work, rigorous education and high ambition, with incentives for prisoners to learn and for prison staff to prioritise education and employment opportunities.

    We already work with a wide range of employers in prison through One3One Solutions and engagement by Prison Governors. But we want Governors to do more so we are putting the tools to drive this change in the hands of those at the frontline who best know what works.

    We are keen to increase the number of employers who can provide valuable vocational work for offenders while in prison and who are able to offer them support in preparation for release and employment opportunities following their release. I regularly meet businesses across the country, to encourage them to get involved and new businesses are now coming on board as a consequence. The Employers Forum for Reducing Reoffending brings together employers willing to employ offenders and provides a range of advice and support to new employers considering working with offenders and provides business to business mentoring to members of the Forum. We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to increase the involvement of more businesses. The Prime Minister has also announced changes to recruitment practises across the civil service to ensure that people are considered on their merits and not on their criminal conviction and we want to encourage more employers to do the same.

    Separately, the Secretary of State for Justice has commissioned a review of prison education led by Dame Sally Coates.

  • Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-05-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 3 May 2016 to Question 35165, on Personal Independence Payments, what changes his Department has put in place to take account of the finding that 75 per cent of successful appeals resulted from additional oral or documentary evidence being submitted.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The 75% can be broken down as follows:

    Cogent oral evidence – 66%

    Cogent documentary evidence supplied at the appeal – 9%

    These figures are from internal DWP systems, where only one of possible multiple reasons can be recorded, and are derived from unpublished information and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics standard.

    The Department encourages claimants to provide as much relevant evidence as necessary to support their claim. The “How your disability affects you” form and accompanying guidance sets out the range of information that can help the Department reach a decision. The guidance for Health Professionals also sets out sources of further evidence which could help inform their advice to the Department.

    At the Mandatory Reconsideration stage, again claimants are encouraged to provide any further evidence about their disability. Following the first independent review of Personal Independence by Paul Gray, the Department is reviewing all communications (including those used by Assessment Providers) it has with claimants throughout the claim, assessment and reconsideration process to ensure that claimants clearly understand the importance of providing sufficient evidence to support their claim and application.

    Further, once a claimant has submitted their claim, the Department has created a new Standard Work Instructions (SWI) for its decision making staff to gain further evidence, where appropriate. For Mandatory Reconsideration, the SWI puts a process in place to establish what the areas for dispute are, consider any gaps in the evidence, ensure any expected further medical evidence is received and referring that to the Assessment Provider. “

  • Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-07-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance has been provided to the Legal Aid Agency about section 47 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

    Lord Keen of Elie

    The Lord Chancellor has the power to issue guidance or directions to the Director of Legal Aid casework under section 4 of LASPO. No such guidance or directions have been issued in respect of legal aid available as a result of section 47 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects to receive the £2 billion green dividend that the Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced before the EU referendum on 23 June 2016.

    George Eustice

    Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union (EU) and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. During this period the Government will continue to negotiate, implement and apply EU legislation and receive funding under the Common Agriculture Policy. The Government will work with stakeholders and NGOs to design new domestic policy arrangements to be put in place after we leave the EU.