Tag: 2016

Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assurances he has received from Vauxhall that all owners of Zafira B models were informed about the changes to the vehicle safety recall relating to those cars.

Andrew Jones

To address the latest reported fires, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency told Vauxhall that a secondary safety recall (R/2016/104) was needed on Vauxhall Zafira B models equipped with manual control heating and ventilation systems. Under the requirements of the Code of Practice on vehicle safety defects and the General Product Safety Regulations, manufacturers are required to inform owners/keepers of vehicles that are affected by a vehicle safety recall of the risk and what action they are conducting to address the issue.

01/01/2023
Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage professionals from the private sector to train as teachers.

Nick Gibb

Professionals are an important source of new teachers and bring relevant knowledge and skills from their previous employment. In 2015/16, 45% of new entrants to initial teacher training (ITT) courses were aged 25 or over. To attract more potential career changers, our marketing campaign, Your Future | Their Future, uses a range of media including television advertising, national newspaper advertising and targeted digital and print communications.

We provide support specifically for career changers to make the transition to teaching, especially in the subjects where they are needed most, including:
- The School Direct (salaried) route which is specifically targeted at career changers with three years’ work experience and allows them to earn a salary whilst they train to teach. We provide grant funding to schools to subsidise the costs of salary and training for trainees on this route.
- Our new flexible routes pilot from September 2016, which will allow career changers to train as maths and physics teachers. The pilot, which is delivered by 18 School Direct lead schools, will test whether schools can attract more career changers by offering flexible training routes which meet the needs of different individuals.
In addition, career changers can access extensive support that is available for all ITT candidates. This includes bursaries or scholarships of up to £30,000 tax-free; advice and guidance from the expert advisers on the Get Into Teaching Line; help with arranging school experience to assist with their ITT application; and access to our free Train to Teach events.

Those who wish to teach secondary biology, geography, mathematics, physics, chemistry, languages or computing are also eligible for our enhanced Premier Plus service. This includes tailored advice from a dedicated adviser, including the practicalities that often affect career changers, such as childcare funding. Applicants who wish to teach these subjects can also access funded Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses, through which they can boost or refresh their subject knowledge.
01/01/2023

Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what loans have been issued for what purposes to Business Improvement Districts in each (a) region of the UK and (b) local authority area in each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Percy

The Government is committed to Business Improvement Districts and the impact they have on their local areas.

We are keen to see the setting up of more Business Improvement Districts and we recognise that their development requires up front expenditure. In October 2013 we launched a £500,000 recyclable loan fund and have supported 20 areas with loans totalling £658,555. In the last two years the following loans have been issued to areas requesting support in setting up a Business Improvement District:

Area	Amount	Region	Local Authority
Cheltenham	£35,000	South West	Cheltenham Borough Council
Eastbourne	£41,000	South East	Eastbourne Borough Council
Hastings	£31,400	South East	Hastings Borough Council
Hexham	£40,000	North East	Northumberland County Council
Leicester	£50,000	East Midlands	Leicester City Cuncil
Lichfield	£20,000	West Midlands	Lichfield District Council
Milton Keynes	£35,000	South East	Milton Keynes Council
Oxted	£30,000	South East	Tandridge District Council
Poole	£42,000	South West	Poole Borough Council
Purley	£10,000	Greater London	London Borough of Croydon
Runcorn	£27,000	North West	Halton Borough Council
Watford	£49,822	East of England	Hertfordshire Borough Council
York	£30,000	Yorkshire and Humber	York City Council

01/01/2023

Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 52 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what mechanisms he plans to use to ringfence the £40 million Discover England Fund.

Tracey Crouch

To date all English funding has been ringfenced within the British Tourist Authority. This will continue.The £40m Discover England funding will be separately maintained and accounted for to ensure it is used in support of product development in English destinations, and in accordance with the process and criteria to be published shortly. The progress and spend of the fund will be monitored through regular reports.

01/01/2023
Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-02-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GP surgeries (a) closed, (b) opened and (c) merged in (i) London, (ii) each London borough and (iii) each Trust area in London in each year since 2010.

Alistair Burt

The information is not held in the format requested.

01/01/2023
John Cryer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Cryer on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many meetings he or other Ministers of his Department have had with representatives of Care UK, BUPA, Virgin Care, The Practice, United Health/Optum, Serco, Nestor Primecare, General Healthcare (BMI Netcare), Spire/Classic, HCA International, Ramsay and Capio in each month of (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014, (f) 2015 and (g) 2016 to date.

Ben Gummer

Information regarding all meetings between Departmental Ministers and external organisations is included in the Transparency Data, published quarterly. This can be accessed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-of-health&publication_type=transparency-data.

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01/01/2023
Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-03-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect on levels of poverty of the proposed reforms to personal independence payment in the Budget 2016.

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 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 Personal Independence Payment (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.

01/01/2023
Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department’s Graduate Development Scheme will take place in 2016; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Desmond Swayne

DFID will be running a Graduate Development Scheme for 2016. Recruitment is due to launch in May 2016.

01/01/2023
Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with inflammatory bowel disease as their main disabling condition granted a personal independence payment between April 2013 and October 2015 were (a) new claimants, (b) expiring time-limited claimants and (c) claimants whose circumstances had changed.

Justin Tomlinson

The available data on the number of claimants in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), by main disabling condition and whether they are new claimants or reassessment claimants, are published on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.

Data on the circumstances leading to a reassessment is not published and could only be produced at disproportionate cost.

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01/01/2023
David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make representations to the Competition and Markets Authority on investigating the price of milk at major supermarkets.

George Eustice

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) as the UK’’s competition authority can carry out investigations where there is evidence of abuse of a dominant position or market abuse. Whilst the Government does not generally intervene in what businesses charge consumers for their goods and services we do recognise concerns about transparency and trust in the dairy supply chain. A number of supermarkets have pledged to pay a premium over and above the current market price. This is welcome and gives some respite to farmers. Some retailers have also taken steps to increase the number of dairy products they source from the UK and improve country of origin labelling on cheese.

The Groceries Code which has been in operation since 2010 and the Adjudicator which came into force in 2013 have had a positive impact on the relationship between retailers and suppliers in the dairy chain. The Code was a specific remedy recommended by the Competition Commission following an extensive investigation into the UK grocery market. A review of the Adjudicator is due this year and will include a Call for Evidence on the case for extending the Groceries Code Adjudicator’s remit in the UK groceries supply chain and, as part of this, we will look at how this can further help the farming industry.

01/01/2023