Tag: 2016

Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-04-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the implementation of the Government’s Digital Inclusion Strategy, published in April 2014.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Government has invested heavily in basic digital skills. For example, BIS continues to fund a programme to help people gain the skills needed to access employment, education and wider opportunities. The Future Digital Inclusion programme aims to support 1 million people, including those with low skills, the unemployed and people with disabilities and learning difficulties. It indirectly supports SMEs and sole traders. Since September 2014 it has supported 482,000 individuals. Last year, Arts Council England oversaw government investment of £2.7m for more than 1,000 libraries to ensure that free WiFi is now available in over 99% of libraries in England.

Increasing the level of digital engagement in the UK requires commitment from all sectors. To date, 93 organisations have signed up to collaborate with government departments to increase digital engagement in the UK. This commits them to working together to join up their efforts where relevant, to scale up good ideas and to devise new and innovative solutions. A wide range of activities and programmes have been delivered by partners across the UK.

01/01/2023
Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what support her Department is providing to recipients of Green Deal funding who have had their home improvements interrupted because the contracting companies have ceased trading.

Andrea Leadsom

Under the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF), where applicants had their home improvements interrupted, they were free to engage another approved installer to undertake the work within the six month validity period of their voucher. The GDHIF scheme was designed to provide a financial incentive for work to be done at the applicant’s instigation. Installers were required to come from an approved list but applicants were responsible for engaging an installer. The same response applies where vouchers expired before home improvements were completed; the responsibility rests with the applicant to ensure works were completed before the voucher expired.

01/01/2023
Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will make it his policy to ensure that (a) UK students can continue to participate in the Erasmus programme and (b) UK universities can continue to participate in cross-European research projects.

Mr David Davis

The UK remains a member of the EU until our withdrawal is completed. There is no immediate change to the rights of UK universities and their students and staff from EU countries. UK researchers can still apply for Horizon 2020 projects. There is no change to those currently participating in, or about to start, Erasmus+ exchanges and Marie Curie fellowships.

01/01/2023
Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which convictions of UK citizens in foreign countries the UK is currently challenging; and what guidance his Department follows in deciding which convictions of UK citizens in overseas courts to challenge.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The British Government does not interfere in the legal systems of other countries by challenging convictions, any more than we would accept interference in our judicial system. We do, however, lobby strongly and consistently against the application of the death penalty, and against the carrying out of such sentences when they are imposed. We always lobby, where apt, to ensure the rule of law for fair trials.

01/01/2023
Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2015-12-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will implement the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Joint Committee on Human Rights to raise the minimum age of armed forces’ recruitment to 18; and if not, why not.

Earl Howe

All recruitment into the UK military is voluntary and no young person under the age of 18 years may join our Armed Forces unless their application is accompanied by the formal written consent of their parent or guardian. We take the duty of care towards all recruits seriously, in particular those under 18 years of age. We have robust, effective and independently verified safeguards in place to ensure that under-18s are cared for properly.

The Armed Forces do not intend to phase out the recruitment of personnel under the age of 18. Our policies on under-18s in Service are robust and comply with national and international law. In addition to the comprehensive welfare system that is in place for all Service personnel we remain fully committed to meeting our obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, and have taken steps to bestow special safeguards on young people under the age of 18.

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.

All recruits aged under 18 receive 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. Over 95% of all recruits, no matter what their age or prior qualifications, enrol in an apprenticeship each year. The Armed Forces offer courses in a wide range of skills, such as engineering, information and communications technology, construction, driving, and animal care. Ofsted regularly inspects our care of newly joined young recruits, and we are very proud of the standards we achieve.

Our policy on under-18s is published in Part 2 of Joint Service Publication 898, "Defence Direction and Guidance on Training, Education and Skills", available at the following website: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/433762/20141126-JSP_898_Part2_Guidance_v1_1.pdf

01/01/2023
Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the total compensation expected to be paid by insurers to people with mesothelioma who were exposed to asbestos by their employer negligently or in breach of statutory duty over the next (a) five, (b) 10, (c) 20 and (d) 30 years.

Justin Tomlinson

The Department does not make estimates of the total amount of compensation expected to be paid by insurers to people with mesothelioma who were exposed to asbestos by their employer negligently or in breach of statutory duty.

01/01/2023
Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of clinical staff have suffered from work-related stress in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Ben Gummer

The Department does not collect the number or proportion of clinical staff who have suffered from work related stress. However, the annual NHS Staff Survey[1] records the proportion of staff responding to the Survey who reported having felt unwell as a result of work related stress during the previous 12 months. This proportion for clinical staff in each of the last five years is as follows:

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

31%

39%

39%

38%

37%

[1]www.nhsstaffsurveys.com

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01/01/2023

Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hollern on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) nursing homes and (b) dual registered nursing homes there were in the North West of England in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Gummer

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. The CQC has provided the following information.

Number of active nursing homes¹in the North West region at end of 2012, 2013 and 2014 fiscal years

Date	Care homes with nursing service type only	Care homes with nursing service type and other service types	Total care home service with nursing locations
31 March 2013	566	79	645
31 March 2014	568	75	643
31 March 2015	570	77	647

¹Nursing homes are defined as “care homes with nursing service type only”. Dual registered nursing homes are defined as “care homes with nursing service type and other service types”.

Source: CQC database as at 7 April 2015

Note: Service types can change over time. The numbers provided are based on the service type(s) of the location as at April 2015 or date the location de-activated if inactive as at April 2015.

Local authorities in the North West Region: Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton, Bury, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Cumbria, Halton, Knowsley, Lancashire, Liverpool, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Sefton, St. Helens, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Warrington, Wigan and Wirral.

01/01/2023

Naz Shah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Naz Shah on 2016-04-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of children attending a breakfast club in secondary schools in (a) England, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) Bradford in last 12 months for which figures are available.

Mr Sam Gyimah

The most recent results of the Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey suggest that in England in 2013, around 591,200 school-aged children under eight attended before school care in a typical term-time week. However, it is not possible to identify within this total the number of children who attended provision in primary and secondary schools separately. In addition, the survey sample sizes do not allow for an estimate for Yorkshire and the Humber, or LA level estimates, nor does it collect information about secondary age children.

The findings of the Survey can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2013

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

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) expressions of interest and (b) applications Natural England has received for a badger control licence; and what the timetable for decisions is on applications received.

George Eustice

Natural England has received (a) 21 expressions of interest; and (b) 8 applications for badger control licenses. Decisions will be announced before the start of each year’s badger control operations.

01/01/2023

2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
31%	39%	39%	38%	37%