Tag: 2016

  • Baroness Wolf of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Wolf of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Wolf of Dulwich on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many training providers were investigated for fraud or misappropriation of Skills Funding Agency funding during (1) 2011–12, (2) 2012–13, and (3) 2013–14; in how many cases there was a case to answer; and in those cases where findings of fraud or misappropriation were confirmed, which training providers were concerned.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Investigations will result either in no funding issues being identified or the identification of funds for recovery. Funds identified for recovery may have been mis-claimed in error or may be the result of potential fraudulent actions. The Skills Funding Agency is not a prosecuting authority so where an investigation indicates potential fraud the case is referred to the police. Fraud is not confirmed unless there is a successful criminal prosecution.

    The table below shows the number of cases investigated, the number of cases where funds were identified for recovery (whether as a result of error or potential fraud), the number of cases referred to the police, the number of cases resulting in charges being brought and the outcome of prosecutions in each of the financial years 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14. Note that where a case is referred to the police it may take a significant period (up to several years) for charges to be brought.

    Financial Year

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    No. of live investigations during the year

    43

    34

    37

    No. of cases where funds were identified for recovery

    20

    6

    9

    No. of cases referred to the police

    6

    0

    1

    No. of cases where charges brought

    4

    –

    0

    Outcome of prosecutions

    1 successful 2 unsuccessful 1 ongoing

    –

    –

    The successful prosecution as a result of an investigation in 2011-12 was of David Peters who worked as an assessor for Safetycor Ltd, a subcontractor to Exeter College and Wolverhampton College.

  • Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Glindon on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department ensures that the delivery of drug and alcohol treatment by local authorities conforms to the NHS constitution.

    Jane Ellison

    Section 2 of the Health Act 2009 as amended by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 requires local authorities to have regard to the National Health Service constitution in performing their health service functions which include the commissioning of services to treat dependence on drugs and alcohol.

    Public Health England supports local authorities in their public health functions by providing a range of supportive guidance and materials, as well as bespoke data, value for money tools, topical briefings, and advice on good practice.

    The Department distributes funding to local authorities through the Public Health Grant to carry out their public health functions. The grant conditions include a requirement for each local authority to have regard to the need to improve the take up of, and outcomes from, its drug and alcohol misuse treatment services. Local authorities are also required to report annual expenditure on drug and alcohol services.

  • Vernon Coaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Vernon Coaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2016-07-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance the Government has issued to local police forces in response to the recent increase in reported racist incidents.

    Karen Bradley

    We have been working with the police at national level to monitor the increase in reported hate crime over the past few weeks and to ensure that local forces have the necessary guidance and assistance to respond. Operational guidance on hate crime was issued by the College of Policing to all forces in 2014.

    Police forces are responding robustly to recent incidents, and victims can be reassured that their concerns about hate crime will be taken seriously by the police and courts. Any decisions regarding resourcing of front-line policing are a matter for chief constables in conjunction with their police and crime commissioner.

  • Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale on 2016-09-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received from the Scottish Government since July concerning the new pilot study on post-study work visas.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    We have been in contact with the Scottish Government concerning the Tier 4 visa pilot. There is no pilot study currently being conducted into post-study work visas.

    The Tier 4 visa pilot is part of the Home Office’s continued efforts to ensure that the UK maintains an excellent offer to attract the brightest and best to study at our world-leading institutions. The pilot is deliberately narrow in scope, with the institutions selected on the basis of their consistently low level of visa refusals. Its main aim is to test the benefits of a differentiated approach within Tier 4, whilst ensuring any changes do not undermine the robust application of immigration requirements.

    The pilot helps simplify the visa application process for international students looking to study on a Masters’ course, in the UK, of 13 months or less. Whilst it will also help to support students who wish to switch into a work route by extending the leave period following the end of their study to up to six months, it does not make any changes to the Tier 2 visa route and is not a return to the post-study work visa route.

    The four selected institutions were consulted regarding its implementation. Should the pilot be successful, the Home Office will consult key stakeholders about its possible expansion.

  • Stewart Jackson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stewart Jackson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has produced to assist police forces in apprehending foreign-born minors and their transfer into the care of local authorities; and if she will make a statement.

    Karen Bradley

    Guidance to the police on the identification and support of unaccompanied minors from overseas currently exists in two complementary guidance documents, both produced by the then Association of Chief Police Officers and currently supported by the National Policing Lead and the College of Policing: Guidance on the Management, Recording and Investigation of Missing Persons (2010) and Interim Guidance on the Management, Recording and Investigation of Missing Persons (2013). Advice to practitioners, including the police, is also contained within two pieces of statutory guidance from the Department for Education: Care of unaccompanied and trafficked children (2014) and Safeguarding Children who may have been trafficked (2011).

    The College of Policing ran a public consultation in 2015 on revisions to the Authorised Professional Practice (APP) guidance to the police on the handling of missing persons investigations. This is currently being developed following consultation. The APP is expected to contain reference to unaccompanied foreign children, highlighting their vulnerabilities and the potential danger of exploitation, and re-affirm the need to investigate these cases effectively, considering the risks to the child, particularly from adults who may purport to be relatives.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he holds on steps being taken to rescue Yazidis being held hostage by Daesh in Syria and Iraq.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    We hold no specific information on steps being taken to rescue Yazidis being held hostage by Daesh in Syria and Iraq. However, Yazidi hostages have been freed by the Peshmerga during recent offensive operations against Daesh. We are also aware of media reports of organisations who are working to free those being held hostage.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of child abuse flagged by sexual offences have been investigated in each police force area in each of the last three years.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office does not collect data on the number of cases of sexual offences flagged as child abuse that have been investigated.

    The Home Office collects information on the number of crimes the police in England and Wales record and the outcomes they assign to these crimes. The Home Office is clear that all crimes reported to the police should be taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, taken through the courts and met with tough sentences.

    From the data the Home Office receives, information can only be provided for certain sexual offences that identify that the victim is aged under 18 by the name of the offence in statute, namely:

     Rape of a female child under 16

     Rape of a female child under 13

     Rape of a male child under 16

     Rape of a male child under 13

     Sexual assault on a female child under 13

     Sexual assault on a male child under 13

     Sexual activity involving a child under 13

     Sexual activity involving child under 16

     Sexual grooming (the victim must be under 16)

     Abuse of position of trust in a sexual nature (under 17)

     Abuse of children through sexual exploitation

    Data for these offences by police force area are available in the police recorded crime and outcomes open data available here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables

  • Baroness Lister of Burtersett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Lister of Burtersett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether final clearance for any Government policy has been denied due to a failure to complete a Family Test assessment.

    Baroness Altmann

    DWP takes the process of monitoring the application of the Family Test very seriously and we have and will challenge the clearance of policies that haven’t considered the Family Test.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total expenditure by the NHS on HIV drugs was in each of the last five years.

    Jane Ellison

    The indicative spend for NHS England commissioned HIV services for 2014/15 is £539 million. This figure is for the total indicative spend on HIV not just drugs, as it is not possible to extract the spend on HIV drugs alone for 2014/15. Accurate data on spend on HIV drugs from previous years is not available.

  • Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2016-07-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the result of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, what measures they plan to take to ensure the UK’s continued participation in EU-wide data sharing initiatives for clinical trial development and condition-specific patient registries.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government recognises the importance of our research base, which is why we have protected the ring fenced science resource budget in real terms from its current level of £4.7bn for the rest of the parliament. Programmes such as the £1.5bn Global Challenges Research Fund and the £1bn Ross Fund will support the UK’s status as a global leader in medical research.

    The Global Challenges Research Fund will mobilise the UK’s world leading research base to address key challenges facing developing countries, including in health research. The Ross Fund will develop, test and deliver a range of new products (including vaccines, drugs and diagnostics) to help combat the world’s most serious diseases in developing countries.

    The referendum result has no immediate effect on the right of researchers to apply to or participate in EU research programmes. UK participants can continue to apply to the programmes in the usual way. The future of UK access to these programmes will be determined as part of a wider discussion with the EU.