Tag: 2016

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of the new technology required to implement universal credit was completed by 1 January in (a) 2012, (b) 2013, (c) 2014, (d) 2015 and (e) 2016.

    Priti Patel

    The technology for Universal Credit delivery and rollout has been developed in such a way as to support the needs of the numbers and types of people who access Universal Credit at any given time. We do not have a detailed point-in-time breakdown for the dates given.

  • Michael Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Michael Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government will (a) fund or (b) conduct algal harvesting in order to improve water quality in Poole Harbour.

    Rory Stewart

    To improve the water quality in Poole Harbour, the Environment Agency focuses on improving nutrient and soil management efficiency of surrounding farmland rather than funding algal harvesting. A feasibility study commissioned by the Environment Agency has concluded that algal harvesting in Poole Harbour would have little material impact on the water quality in the harbour and that the harvesting process may have a detrimental impact on the bird population, with the costs outweighing the benefits.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 4.45 of the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence Review 2015, when he expects to announce further details of the Government’s proposed new armed forces offer.

    Penny Mordaunt

    In order to deliver the battle-winning forces which the UK needs for the future, we are looking at developing a new "offer" for new joiners into the Armed Forces which meets the expectations of future recruits. It will ensure our future expenditure on personnel is sustainable and applied in the most efficient way. We have now begun the conceptual stages of evidence gathering and initial policy development which will determine whether the concept of a new offer is viable and when it could be delivered. We will engage stakeholders including the Armed Forces Pay Review Body as usual on our proposals when they mature. The new offer for new joiners will not impact on existing Service personnel.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the continued ban on Gaza Strip exports to the West Bank, Israel and abroad.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    While there is not a ban on Gazan exports to the West Bank, Israel and abroad, Israeli restrictions on Gazan exports of many goods remain. The UN has reported that there was a sharp increase in exports and transfers from Gaza during 2015. According to the UN, in January 2016, 288 truckloads of goods were permitted to leave Gaza for the West Bank, Israel and international markets. This is the largest figure in a single month since the imposition of movement and access restrictions in 2007. We welcome the steps that Israel has taken to ease some restrictions. However, we want to see Israel go much further. We have frequent discussions with the Government of Israel about the need to ease restrictions on Gaza. We continue to press for an end to movement and access restrictions in and out of Gaza, and for urgent measures to relieve the humanitarian suffering of those in Gaza.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what weighting her Department gives to deprivation as a factor affecting educational outcomes.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The department recognises that deprivation is a strong predictor of pupils’ future attainment and acts as a proxy for a range of barriers to educational success, including low aspiration for the future, low levels of parental education and special educational needs.

    Overcoming these barriers can create additional costs for schools as they seek to provide additional support. This is why we have committed to continuing the pupil premium at current rates for the duration of this Parliament. Worth £2.5bn this year, the pupil premium provides schools with significant extra funding to help disadvantaged pupils achieve their full potential. Since its introduction in 2011 the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has narrowed at age 11 and age 16, offering disadvantaged pupils a more prosperous future as adults.

    We are committed to introducing a national funding formula so that schools’ funding is matched fairly and consistently to need. In our recent consultation on the principles and building blocks of a national funding formula we proposed to include a deprivation factor. We will set out the detail of the formula in a second consultation, to be published later this year.

  • Wendy Morton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Wendy Morton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wendy Morton on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of (a) special care neonatal and level three cots and (b) transfers between neonatal units and between neonatal intensive care units.

    Ben Gummer

    The NHS Toolkit for High Quality Neonatal Services (2009) and NHS England’s service specification for Neonatal Intensive Care Transport (2013) sets out standards that neonatal services in England should be meeting to make sure babies born premature or sick get the care they need and deserve. For those babies who are born sick or premature, NHS England commissions Neonatal Care from 165 neonatal units. These units are organised and supported by 13 Operational Delivery Networks with well-defined service standards for all levels of neonatal care within the NHS England Maternity, Children and Young People Managed Clinical Networks. These are intended to provide appropriate levels of care for all babies identified with problems both before and following delivery. Neonatal transport services are a vital part of care for premature and sick babies, to ensure that babies can be moved quickly for the right care in the right place for their needs.

    We know that that there is still more to do to ensure neonatal services are consistent across the country and that is why the Neonatal Clinical Reference Group at NHS England has committed to review the findings of the ‘Bliss Baby report 2015’, (http://www.bliss.org.uk/babyreport) and consider plans for improvement in neonatal services.

    “

  • Judith Cummins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Judith Cummins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Judith Cummins on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of claims for employment and support allowance were refused following a work capability assessment were subsequently allowed after (a) mandatory reconsideration and (b) appeal to tribunal in Bradford South constituency in each of the last three years.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Information on Employment and Support Allowance, outcomes of Work Capability Assessments and Mandatory Reconsiderations are published at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/statistics.

    Constituency level information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    “

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, for what reasons the Government plans to activate Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union by the end of March 2017.

    Mr David Jones

    There was a good reason why the Government said immediately after the referendum that it should not invoke Article 50 before the end of this year. This has given us the time to develop our negotiating strategy and avoid setting the clock ticking until our objectives are clear and agreed. As the Prime Minister has made clear, Article 50 will be triggered no later than the end of March next year.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the security and political situation in Libya.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We welcome the signature of the Libyan Political Agreement on 17 December which paves the way for a new Government of National Accord in Libya. The security situation remains fragile and it is vital that the new government is formed quickly to tackle the threats from Daesh and people smuggling.

  • 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 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2016 to Question 23676, when the work being undertaken by Health Education England and NHS England to which he refers will be completed.

    Alistair Burt

    The additional significant investment in perinatal mental health totaling £350 million from 2016/17- 2020/21, together with the recommendations of the forthcoming report of the independent Mental Health Taskforce, will enable NHS England to design a broader five year transformation programme to build capacity and capability in specialist perinatal mental health services, with the aim of enabling women in all areas of England to access care that is in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines by 2020/21.

    Work is underway to lay the foundations for this longer-term work through targeted funding of activities to build capacity in specialist services. This will include, for example, a £1 million investment in strengthening clinical networks across the country. It is also expected to include developing clinical leadership capacity and training for the perinatal workforce to build the skills and capabilities within specialist teams.

    NHS England will work with partners, including Health Education England, over the coming months, to develop the five year programme for improving specialist perinatal mental health services.