The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on work permits and immigration rules for EU citizens working in the construction and building trades after the UK leaves the EU.
Gavin Barwell
The Secretary of State meets with the Home Secretary and other stakeholders regularly to discuss a wide range of policy issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-12-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether Government subsidies and financial incentives to retail companies to encourage the creation of apprenticeships in the retail sector were given to companies known to use zero-hours or casual contract since 2010.
Nick Boles
We do not hold this information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-01-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many successful convictions were secured by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Figures for the years in question are as follows;
(a) 2013-14, 16 arrests, 2 cautions
(b) 2014-15, 33 arrests, 11 cautions
(c) 2015-16, 13 arrests, 1 caution, 1 conviction
Securing convictions is not the sole aim of the unit. Equally important in the fight against IP crime is the Unit’s work on taking down infringing websites and pursuing broader disruptive activity.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what security arrangements are in place to protect patient data.
George Freeman
The Department takes protection of patient data very seriously. It is the role of the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) to ensure that high quality information is used appropriately to improve patient care. The organisation has legal powers to collect and analyse information from all providers of National Health Service care. It is committed, and legally bound to the very highest standards of privacy, security and confidentiality to ensure that patient confidential information is protected at all times. Access to information is strictly controlled. Under further safeguards introduced by the Care Act 2014, the HSCIC may only use its general dissemination powers for information where there is a clear purpose for the provision of health care or adult social care or the promotion of health.
The Department has recently made considerable investment in conjunction with the HSCIC and strategic partners in order to create the Care Computer Emergency Response Team service (CareCERT).
CareCERT was launched in September 2015 and exists to be a centre of excellence for Cyber Security advice and Security Incident Management.
CareCERT has sent regular alerts and advisories to every NHS organisation and local authority on a range of Cyber Security issues. This specifically helps to protect patient data by ensuring health and care organisations are prepared and implement appropriate security technology to protect information.
To improve health and social care services for everyone patient information is used for purposes beyond direct care, including for commissioning, public health, research and monitoring services. Commissioners need good information about the types of illnesses people have and the treatments they receive, as well as the result of that care or treatment so that they can commission the services that people need. Information also helps researchers to improve medicines and treatments for patients and to find better ways to prevent illness and treat conditions. Health and care information can also be used to identify who is most at risk of particular diseases and conditions.
The NHS Constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. It sets out rights to which patients, public and staff are entitled, and pledges which the NHS is committed to achieve, together with responsibilities, which the public, patients and staff owe to one another to ensure that the NHS operates fairly and effectively. The NHS Constitution states that:
― You have the right of access to your own health records and to have any factual inaccuracies corrected.
― You have the right to privacy and confidentiality and to expect the NHS to keep your confidential information safe and secure.
― You have the right to be informed about how your information is used.
― You have the right to request that your confidential information is not used beyond your own care and treatment and to have your objections considered, and where your wishes cannot be followed, to be told the reasons including the legal basis.
Dame Fiona Caldicott, the National Data Guardian, is taking forward an independent review to develop clear guidelines for the protection of personal data against which every NHS and care organisation will be held to account and will be recommending a new data security standards and a new consent or objections model for health and care information. The Independent Review is expected to report to the Secretary of State for Health shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools participated in the Schools Direct programme in each year since 2010.
Nick Gibb
The School Direct programme began in 2012. School Direct lead school information was not published prior to 2013/14 and partner school information was not collected prior to 2015/16. The summary data below reflects this:
|
2013/14 |
2014/15 |
2015/16 |
2016/17 |
|
|
Number of School Direct lead schools |
788 |
887 |
773 |
818 |
|
Number of partner schools |
No data available |
No data available |
8,184 |
8,956 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Twigg on 2016-04-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent from the public purse on the maintenance of NHS buildings in each year since 2010.
George Freeman
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table.
Data is collected annually in the Estates Return Information Collection from the National Health Service for maintenance service costs (prior to 2013-14 the data collected was “total building and engineering maintenance costs”). The data for 2010 onwards is provided for the NHS below:
|
£ million |
|
|
2010-11 |
768.46 |
|
2011-12 |
751.40 |
|
2012-13 |
753.64 |
|
2013-14 |
756.06 |
|
2014-15 |
749.82 |
The data is provided as received from the NHS and has not been amended centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Turkey about the planned removal of parliamentary immunity from a large number of elected deputies in the Grand National Assembly, in particular from the Peoples’ Democratic Party; and whether they plan to make representations to the government of Turkey about its obligations as a member of the Council of Europe, the OSCE and NATO.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The lifting of parliamentary immunity is a matter for the Turkish parliament. As a modern democracy and candidate for EU accession, we would expect Turkey to undertake any subsequent legal processes transparently and fully respect the rule of law.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-07-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with representatives of video and computer games creators on possible amendments to the meaning of the term supply in the Video Recordings Act 1984 to include adults providing children with access to recordings categorised as containing age-inappropriate content.
Matt Hancock
Following public consultations involving representations from classification bodies, child welfare groups, local authorities, content producers and many others, since 2010 we have legislated twice to strengthen the protections provided by the Act. This has ensured that retailers now cannot sell or rent any age-inappropriate DVDs or video games discs or cartridges to children. It also ensures these products are all labelled with relevant British Board of Film Classification (DVDs) and PEGI (video games) age ratings and content advice. This means adults have better information to help them make responsible decisions about the material children can access.
We will continue to work with industry and the age ratings bodies to encourage further promotion of the BBFC and PEGI age ratings to consumers including through initiatives such as BBFCInsight and AskAboutGames.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proposals he has to enhance and extend neighbourhood plans.
Gavin Barwell
The Government is fully committed to neighbourhood planning and recently introduced regulations that implement powers in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 to speed up and simplify the neighbourhood planning process. To support the Government’s approach, the Neighbourhood Planning Bill, which went through Second Reading in Parliament on 10 October, contains measures to further strengthen neighbourhood planning.
We are also supporting neighbourhood planning through a £22.5 million support programme which has made over 1,500 payments to groups since April 2015. All groups can apply for a grant of up to £9,000. Additional grant and technical support is available to priority groups, including those in urban and more deprived areas. Groups can also access a range of tools and templates, and a dedicated advice service, to help them prepare their plans.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2015-12-16.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what grounds it was decided that compliance checks for tax credit applications would be outsourced to Concentrix.
Mr David Gauke
Reducing tax credits fraud and error is a top priority for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The contract with Concentrix offers additional capacity to help build on HMRC’s own work, which has reduced tax credits fraud and error to the lowest ever level. Using a private company provides a cost-effective way to reach additional claims that need checking.
The checks are to ensure that people are paid the correct amount of money to prevent them from getting into debt which they may find difficult to repay and protect losses to taxpayers.
Concentrix operate under the same powers and processes as HMRC. Concentrix select cases to be checked using information provided by HMRC. Concentrix decide how best to achieve the expected benefits, including the number and type of cases and number of staff employed. HMRC closely monitors their performance.
The contract uses a payment by results model, which means Concentrix is only paid based on the money it saves the Exchequer as a result of correcting claims that are incorrect. They will not be paid if the decisions they make about claimants’ awards are incorrect.
The contract was signed on 6 May 2014. The contract was awarded to Synnex-Concentrix UK Ltd in April 2014, following a procurement exercise advertised under the open procedure. Information about the contract value and contract award is already in the public domain.
https://www.deltaesourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=97910033
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