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 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2015 to Question 20339, what the repayment requirements are for universal credit advance payments; and whether interest is charged on those payments.

    Priti Patel

    Universal Credit (UC) Advance Payments of benefit are recovered from the UC award over a period of six months. In exceptional circumstances recovery can be deferred for up to 3 months.

    No interest is charged on advance payments of benefit.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on patients of the decision by NHS England to refuse funding for micro-processor knees.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has not refused to fund micro-processor knees. A revised policy proposal for the routine commissioning of microprocessor controlled knees was considered by NHS England’s expert Clinical Priorities Advisory Group which recommended its adoption for routine commissioning. The proposal was then considered by NHS England’s Specialised Commissioning Oversight Group at its meeting on 9 December 2015 where it was agreed that NHS England would support this service development as a possible call on its resources. However given the potential scale of investment and the need to consider its priority relative to other treatments which would also have a possible call on the specialised commissioning resources it was decided that the policy should go forward for consideration as part of NHS England’s next annual prioritisation round in June 2016.

  • Lord McColl of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord McColl of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McColl of Dulwich on 2016-02-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to prevent homelessness among victims of modern slavery who are EEA nationals with positive Conclusive Grounds National Referral Mechanism decisions on their departure from the government-funded victim care contract.

    Lord Bates

    During the recovery and reflection period, support providers work with the victim of modern slavery to produce a detailed and tailored ‘move on plan’. Following a positive Conclusion Grounds decision, victims are entitled to a further 14 days of support, at which time the ‘move on plan’ assists the victim in their transition from the specialist service. The victim either returns to their home country or if they wish to stay and are eligible to do so move on to access mainstream support services in the UK. In addition, the Home Office considers extension requests for victims who need longer than 14 days to make the transition from the specialist service on a case-by-case basis.

    On leaving the Government-funded service that is provided under the victim care contract, victims who are EEA nationals may be able to exercise Treaty rights and remain lawfully in the UK on that basis but those who are not exercising such rights are encouraged to return home unless they are entitled to remain on other grounds. The Home Office also considers whether to grant Discretionary Leave to victims who are unable to exercise free movement rights where there are particularly compelling circumstances, they need to stay in the UK to pursue a compensation claim or to assist with police inquiries/investigations.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of how many people in each (a) region and (b) constituent part of the UK will be affected by changes to personal independence payments: aids and appliances; and what support he plans to give to those affected.

    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.

  • Lord Moonie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Moonie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moonie on 2016-04-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effects on (1) the individual, and (2) the armed forces, of the enlistment of persons under the age of 18.

    Earl Howe

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) operates in a competitive employment market and will continue to recruit from the widest available talent pool, including from the age of 16 in order to sustain the required manning levels for the UK Armed Forces. Young people bring fresh ideas, knowledge and talent to the Armed Forces. MOD policy dictates that no one under the age of 18 can join the Armed Forces without specific parental consent, both for the recruiting process to begin and again prior to joining; nor can they be deployed on front line operations.

    All recruits aged under 18 benefit from key skills education in literacy and numeracy, should they need it, and all are enrolled onto apprenticeships. The Armed Forces remain the UK’s largest apprenticeship provider, equipping young people with valuable and transferable skills for life. Ofsted regularly inspects our care of newly joined young recruits, and we are very proud of the standards we achieve.

    The provision of education and training for 16 year-old school leavers provides a route into the Armed Forces that complies with Government education policy and offers a significant foundation for emotional, physical and educational development throughout an individual’s career.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with stakeholders on the terms of reference of the forthcoming review on personal independence payments.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department has regular discussions with stakeholders on all aspects of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

    PIP is subject to two statutory, independent reports on the operation of assessments which determine ability to carry out daily living activities or mobility activities. The terms of reference for the second report, due to be published by April 2017, will be subject to the statutory criteria and will be published in due course.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many racehorses (a) died and (b) were destroyed as a result of training injuries in Britain in (i) 2013, (ii) 2014 and (iii) 2015.

    George Eustice

    Neither the Government nor the British Horseracing Authority holds information on racehorse fatalities as a result of training injuries.

  • Graham Stringer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Graham Stringer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stringer on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which clinical commissioning groups fund homeopathy treatments; and if he will provide a list of those groups.

    Nicola Blackwood

    Information on which clinical commissioning groups fund homeopathy treatment is not held centrally.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to paragraph 3.22 of English Apprenticeships: Our 2020 Vision, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of the planned 17,000 NHS apprenticeship starts which will be taken up by apprentices with special educational needs or disabilities.

    Nick Boles

    The NHS has committed to creating 100,000 apprenticeships by 2020, offering opportunities to thousands of people who wish to pursue a career in the health sector. This is part of a wider, cross-government commitment to reaching three million apprenticeship starts in England across all sectors in 2020.

    Apprenticeships are full time jobs with training. We do not interfere in employers’ recruitment decisions or set specific quotas for the number of apprenticeships to be taken up by people with special educational needs or disabilities. All employers must fulfil their duties as set out in the Equality Act 2010 for apprentices as they would for other employees. We believe that the overwhelming majority of young people with special educational needs or disabilities are capable of sustainable, paid employment with the right preparation and support. For many, apprenticeships are the best route into paid employment. To support this, people aged 16 and over can apply for Access to Work funding for adjustments to the workplace. In addition, reasonable adjustments are available for any qualifications within apprenticeships to ensure the apprentice has every opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much has been spent on maintenance of (1) the Clifton Suspension Bridge, (2) the Tyne Bridge, and (3) the Severn Bridge, in the last five years.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    It is important to note that the bridges mentioned in the question are not maintained by the Department for Transport. Clifton Suspension Bridge is run by Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust, the Tyne Bridge is run by Newcastle City Council and the Severn Bridge is run on a concession by River Crossing PLC.

    However, I have been informed that the Tyne Bridge spent £58.016 million and the Severn Crossing spent £64.31 million on maintenance in the last 5 financial years. The department has not been given details for Clifton at this current time.