The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the potential change in the level of employment in law firms arising from the changes to personal injury law and procedure announced in the Autumn Statement 2015; and if he will make a statement.
Dominic Raab
The Government will be consulting on the detail of the proposals in due course. The consultation will be accompanied by an impact assessment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Johnson on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many penalty charge notices have been (a) issued to motorists and (b) subsequently withdrawn or successfully appealed since the inception of the Dart Charge scheme.
Andrew Jones
From the introduction of Dart Charge on 30 November 2014 to the end of March 2016 3,392,215 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) have been issued for non-payment of the road user charge.
Highways England has taken a balanced approach to enforcement of Dart Charge by being clear to drivers that they need to pay the charge and giving them every opportunity to do so. As part of this approach the first PCN issued for each vehicle includes a warning letter giving the registered keeper an extra 14 days to pay their original road user charge for use of the crossing (and any additional road user charges accrued by the end of the 14 days) without penalty. In total 1,490,319 PCNs have been cancelled due to drivers paying the outstanding road user charges following receipt of a warning letter.
In addition a further 86,195 PCNs have been cancelled following representation or appeal and 354,201 PCNs cancelled for other reasons including payment errors made by customers or early system issues which have since been addressed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-04-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to encourage (a) the Royal Academy, the National Portrait Gallery and the Tate and (b) other national art galleries to loan works from their collections to art galleries in (i) Harrow and (ii) other parts of outer London; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The National Portrait Gallery, Tate and other national museums and galleries currently loan works from their collections to other museums and galleries across the UK – and we are keen to see this increase. This Government is committed to ensuring great art is enjoyed by audiences right across the country, which is why at Budget 2016 we announced a new tax relief from 1 April 2017 to encourage museums and galleries to develop creative new touring exhibitions.
In 2014/15 the national museums and galleries, who have responsibility for their specific loan arrangements, collectively lent art and cultural objects to 1,629 UK venues. Information on loaning items can be seen on the websites of national museums and galleries. The Royal Academy is an independent charity, with responsibility for its own loan arrangements.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Arkless on 2016-06-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if the Government will review the mechanism by which service personnel are awarded payment in the event of life-changing injuries during their time in the armed forces to take greater account of the effect of those injuries on those people.
Mark Lancaster
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) provides no-fault compensation for members of the Armed Forces where illness, injury or death is caused by service from 6 April 2005 under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and, before that date, under the War Pensions Scheme (WPS).
Any disablement, injury or illness, including those which are life-changing, can be claimed with awards made where the claimed disorder is accepted as being due to Service. Lay and scheme medical advisers work together and decisions are evidence based, reflecting the individual case facts, contemporary medical understanding of causation and the relevant law.
Awards under the WPS depend on the assessed level of disablement with the method of assessment set out in the legislation and expressed as a percentage. The AFCS is tariff based. The legislation includes nine tables of injuries and disorders with associated tariff levels, relevant to military service. A lump sum is paid for pain and suffering taking account of the likely progress of the condition over the person’s lifetime. There are 15 tariff levels and, for the more serious disorders and injuries, a guaranteed income payment to cover reduced civilian employability is paid, in addition, from the date of claim for life.
Service personnel may make a claim for damages under common law for Service after May 1987 and where the MOD has a proven legal liability, compensation is paid. The amount of compensation is determined by common law principles which, broadly, take into account an individual’s pain and suffering, degree of injury, past and future financial losses and level of care required. Compensation can therefore vary depending on an individual’s circumstances.
The MOD has no plans to undertake a review of this mechanism, however the AFCS tariff levels and payment awards are currently being reviewed to ensure they are fit for purpose.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish the feedback NHS England gave to the Coast, Humber and Vale footprint area on the first draft of their Sustainability and Transformation Plan which was submitted on 30 June 2016.
David Mowat
The Coast, Humber and Vale Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) footprint area submitted their draft plans on 30 June, along with all STP footprint areas in England. Following this, conversations were held with each footprint area and a panel of National Health Service arm’s length body chief executives and Local Government Association representatives. These discussions were based around each footprint’s identified priorities, their key critical decisions and requests for support. Feedback was provided during these discussions to support the ongoing development of their plan. All local STP areas should now be having conversations with local people and stakeholders to shape the future of their local services – understanding what matters to them and explaining how services might be improved. All footprints will submit an updated plan in October, with further formal public engagement and consultation taking place from this point, as appropriate.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-10-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the risks and potential human rights infringements arising from the repatriation of refugees from Sudan to Eritrea.
Lord Bates
Refugees and irregular migrants in the Horn of Africa are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation not only by people smugglers and traffickers but also by government authorities. The UK is using its position as current chair of The Khartoum Process to push for international agreement around improving the conditions of migrants in the Horn of Africa.
The Khartoum Process is a regional initiative bringing together the Governments of Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan and Libya and the EU, the UK, Italy, France, Germany and Malta to better manage migration in the region, including the protection of irregular migrants. The Khartoum Process has a strong emphasis on the protection of migrant rights and is at the centre of a plan of action agreed between African nations, the EU and EU member states.
The UK Government has voiced concern for the wellbeing of refugees returned to Eritrea from Sudan with both governments will continue to press them to treat refugees and asylum seekers according to international law.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Shabana Mahmood on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to Israel of the implications of its obligations under the Geneva Convention for the practice of forcible transportation of child prisoners from Palestine to Israeli jails.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
As I made clear on 6 January during a Westminster Hall debate, the UK remains concerned about the detention of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons.
On 23 November 2015, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised our concerns about the treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention with the Israeli Chief Military Prosecutor. We welcome recent improvements made by the Israeli authorities, including increasing the age of majority from 16 to 18 years old. However, we remain concerned at the number of Palestinian minors held in Israeli detention. We will also fund another visit of the delegation who authored the independent report on Children in Military Custody in February to report on further progress.
We continue to push for further measures to ensure that international standards are upheld in regards to the treatment of Palestinian children detained.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the quantity and quality of specialist therapeutic support available to children who have experienced abuse.
Alistair Burt
Children who have been abused may require a range of services to meet their needs. Local commissioners are responsible for assessing local need and ensuring the delivery of appropriate services. Local partners and NHS England need to work together to help children who have experienced abuse or neglect access appropriate care pathways and evidence-based care.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answers of 5 and 16 February 2016 to Questions 25342 and 26658, by when he expects the land and property for disposals to be identified; and whether he expects the decisions on the selection of that property to be subject to public consultation.
Matthew Hancock
The land and property for disposals will be identified in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to amend the aids and appliances descriptors, or the points awarded to them, for personal independence payments assessments.
Justin Tomlinson
As confirmed by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State in his statement to the House on 21 March, the proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will not be going ahead.
We spend around £50bn every year on benefits alone to support people with disabilities or health conditions, with spending on PIP and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) having increased by more than £3 billion since 2010. The government is committed to talking to disabled people, their representatives, healthcare professionals and employers to ensure the welfare system works better with the health and social care systems and provides help and support to those who need it most.