Tag: 2016

Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-03-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will establish an awards scheme for schools that have excelled in supporting children with special educational needs and disability similar to the scheme for pupil premium awards.

Edward Timpson

It is crucial that schools are effective in identifying their pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and providing the right support to help these pupils fulfil their potential. We have recently made major reforms to the SEND system through the Children and Families Act 2014, so as to improve the support for children and young people with SEND. In the White Paper that we published on 17 March, Educational Excellence Everywhere, we have set out plans to embed those reforms and review our strategy to improve SEND provision. As part of this we will wish to look at options for how to identify and promote excellent SEND practice in schools. If My Honourable Friend has any specific proposals then I would be happy to receive them.

01/01/2023
Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-04-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that they fulfil the pledge in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Human Rights and Democracy Report 2015 to continue to look at every available option to ensure accountability” for the crimes committed by Daesh.”

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We continue to look at every option to ensure accountability. In the meantime we are supporting the gathering and preservation of evidence that could in future be used in a court to hold Daesh to account.

The UK co-sponsored the UN Human Rights Council resolution of September 2014 mandating investigation of Daesh abuses in Iraq. Working with international partners, we are doing everything we can to assist in the gathering and preservation of evidence that could in future be used by judicial bodies to make a judgement on this matter. It is vital that this is done now, before evidence is lost or destroyed.

01/01/2023
Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the Office of Road and Rail has adequately evaluated the impact of inter-city trains on the East Coast Main Line sharing the tracks approaching London with Thameslink services providing 24 trains per hour through the core section.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

No such assessment has been made by the Government. However, in making its own assessment, the Office of Road and Rail were aware of the requirements of the planned Thameslink service.

01/01/2023
Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has spent in addition to his Department’s obligations under franchise agreements on driver training or driver recruitment by each train operating company since May 2010.

Paul Maynard

None, as this falls under the franchise agreement and is for the Train Operating Companies to spend.

01/01/2023
George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NICE highly specialised technology evaluations are expected to take place over the next two years.

Nicola Blackwood

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently developing guidance on four drugs through the highly specialised technology (HST) evaluation programme which it expects to complete within the next year. NICE has capacity to develop guidance on three HST topics each year.

01/01/2023
Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all people in vulnerable categories receive the flu vaccination.

Jane Ellison

This flu season eligible groups, such as those with a long term health condition, are encouraged to take up the flu vaccine through a single winter health campaign, ‘Stay Well this Winter’[1]. The campaign launched in October and advises the public on how to avoid common winter illnesses.

The National Health Service and local authority partners have been encouraged to implement the campaign at local level and make use of available campaign resources, including patient letters, information leaflets and posters. Voluntary organisations, health charities and schools have received tailored resources to assist them in communicating the risks of flu and benefits of vaccination to their members and parents/pupils. General practitioners are urged to invite all eligible patients for vaccination. For the first time this flu season, many community pharmacies are also offering free NHS flu vaccinations to eligible adults, extending patient choice and opportunities for patients to take-up the vaccine.

[1] News release: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/winter-campaign-starts-with-largest-flu-vaccination-programme

“

01/01/2023
Roger Mullin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Mullin on 2016-02-01.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Barnett Formula applies to government funding of emergency flood relief.

Greg Hands

The government is investing nearly £200 million to help communities recover from Storm Desmond and Storm Eva. The Barnett Formula has been applied to this funding in the normal way.

01/01/2023
Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what work Citigroup is conducting for Network Rail in relation to the ownership of railway stations; what fee has been paid to Citigroup for such work; and when the review into the ownership of railway stations is expected to report.

Claire Perry

Network Rail is exploring new models for the management and ownership of its 18 managed stations with the goal of bringing improvements for both passengers and the communities they serve. They have engaged Citigroup as advisors to consider a range of potential options. No decisions have yet been taken and no estimate of the potential value of these stations has been made as part of this work. Citigroup were appointed following a competitive tender process, and the details of their fee are commercially confidential.

Network Rail expect that this work will be presented to their Board by the end of 2016.

01/01/2023
Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2016-03-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) establishment and (b) running costs of the Food Crime Unit have been to date; and what resources have been allocated to that Unit in each of the next five years.

Jane Ellison

The National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) is initially focusing on establishing the scale and nature of food crime in the United Kingdom at a strategic level through developing intelligence sharing relationships across the law enforcement community and with the food industry. This will also enable the Unit to instigate investigative interventions by law enforcement partners and local authorities to identify and disrupt specific instances of food crime.

At the end of this year, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) will review progress on food crime, in line with Professor Elliott’s recommendations following the horsemeat incident. This review will inform decision-making about the Unit’s future form and function including the need or otherwise for the unit to establish an in-house investigative capability.

Intelligence analysts within the Unit have just completed the first ever Food Crime Annual Strategic Assessment (FCASA). The FCASA sets out the Unit’s developing understanding of food crime and will drive its work to ensure resources are focused where the threat to consumers and other interests is the greatest.

The NFCU receives reports of suspicions of food fraud from a number of sources via many different routes. The FSA website directs users to a dedicated email address and telephone number for reporting these suspicions. Information is also received through local authority and law enforcement partners. Information received is analysed and, where appropriate, entered onto the Unit’s intelligence database. Between 1 January 2015 and 18 March 2016, 793 such records were created.

Establishment costs for the NFCU were minimal as the Unit initially evolved from a small but similar capability within the FSA. Total running costs to date are in the region of £579,000. Estimated costs for the forthcoming year are £1.2 million, subject to final allocations being agreed.

01/01/2023

Baroness Burt of Solihull – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Burt of Solihull on 2016-04-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people were employed in the retail sector in each of the last 10 years, and what estimate they have made of the number of people who will be employed in that sector over the next 10 years.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The number of jobs (both employees and self-employed) in the retail sector in each of the last ten years and the proportion of total UK Workforce Jobs is given in the table below:

Year	Workforce Jobs (‘000s)	% of UK Total
2006	3,189	10.0%
2007	3,194	10.0%
2008	3,218	9.9%
2009	3,127	9.8%
2010	3,076	9.7%
2011	3,065	9.7%
2012	3,098	9.6%
2013	3,084	9.4%
2014	3,126	9.4%
2015	3,159	10.0%

Source: UK Employees Jobs and Self Employed Jobs (ONS)

Her Majesty’s Government has not made forecasts of future job levels in the retail sector.

01/01/2023