Tag: 2016

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of whether the bus service operators grant is used by bus operators to keep fares down.

    Andrew Jones

    We have been reviewing the Bus Service Operators Grant scheme in recent years with a view to improving its effectiveness in supporting bus services. In their assessment of the impact of any changes in policy associated with the Bus Service Operators’ Grant, departmental economists normally assume operators pass subsidy received on to passengers 50% through lower fares and 50% through increased service levels. Under these assumptions, they estimate that BSOG has the impact of keeping fares 3% lower than they would be in its absence in England outside of London.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the availability of sufficient long-term funding for the delivery of the commitments in NHS England’s Transforming Care programme.

    Alistair Burt

    In the national service model and Building the right support published in October 2015 NHS England, the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services set out how areas would be supported to deliver lasting change to people with a learning disability and/or autism who display behaviour that challenges.

    To develop community capacity, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), local authorities and NHS England’s specialised commissioners have formed 48 transforming care partnerships (TCPs) to plan for the future. TCPs have been asked to use the total sum of money they spend as a whole system on people with a learning disability and/or autism to deliver care in a different way to achieve better results. This includes shifting money from some services (such as inpatient care) into others (such as community health services including mental health services or individual packages of support). The costs of the future model of care will therefore be met from the total current envelope of spend on health and social care services for people with a learning disability and/or autism.

    During a phase of transition, commissioners will need to invest in new community support before closing inpatient provision. To support them to do this NHS England will make available up to £30 million of transformation funding over three years, to be matched by CCGs, and £15 million in capital funding. This funding is in addition to the £10 million made available to six fast track areas in 2015/16.

  • Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Susan Elan Jones on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of banning micro beads.

    George Eustice

    Microbeads from personal care products are believed to make up a very small percentage of the total amount of microplastics entering the marine environment, with estimates ranging from 0.01% to 4.1%. A ban in the UK would therefore be expected to have only a small impact on the effects on the environment attributed to microplastics. However, microbeads, like other microplastics, do not biodegrade and so accumulate in the marine environment. There are also less harmful alternatives that are suitable to use.

    Defra supports voluntary action by industry to phase out microbeads from personal care products, and is supporting other EU Member States in calling for the European Commission to come up with proposals to ban their use in cosmetics and detergents.

  • Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy McDonald on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what sanctions can be applied in the event of a breach by Govia Thameslink Railway of its remedial plan.

    Claire Perry

    The “Enforcement Policy: Rail Franchise Agreements and Closures” sets out what actions can be taken; a copy of this is attached.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the need for humanitarian aid and assistance in Yemen.

    Rory Stewart

    The United Nations’ 2016 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (YHRP), published in January 2016, reports that 21.2 million people in Yemen require some kind of humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs or protect their fundamental rights, particularly for food, water and sanitation, healthcare, and support to internally displaced people. The YHRP is currently 26% funded with donations of £351 million. The UK has so far committed to spending £72 million in Yemen over 2016-17. We continue to call on other donors to provide funding for the crisis.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Government Actuary’s Department report, A cohort approach to social care funding, published on 15 September 2016, what assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness of his Department’s policies on meeting the pension and social care needs of the millennial generation; and if he will bring forward proposals for a cohort approach to social care funding in his Autumn Statement.

    David Mowat

    Social care continues to be a key priority for this Government. It is critical in enabling people with care and support needs to retain their independence and dignity. That is why we have already introduced landmark reforms to ensure people should not have to sell their home in their lifetime to meet the cost of care and we have set out plans to cap the amount that people will need to spend to meet their cost of care.

    We are mindful of the changing demographic of our population and the evidence produced from the Foresight ‘Future of Ageing Population’ project and are looking in the longer term about how best to respond to the challenges ahead. Decisions about the Autumn Statement are a matter for the Treasury.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the situation in Gaza.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We remain deeply concerned by the situation in Gaza. There is an urgent need for all the parties to reach an agreement that addresses the underlying causes of conflict in Gaza and to take the necessary steps to ensure Gaza’s reconstruction and economic recovery. Any agreement should ensure that Hamas and other militant groups permanently end rocket and other attacks against Israel; the Palestinian Authority resumes control of Gaza and restores effective governance; and that Israel lifts its restrictions to ease the suffering of ordinary Palestinians. Through the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism, over 96,000 people have now been able to buy materials to repair homes that were damaged during the conflict. The UN reports that more than 90 percent of damaged schools and hospitals have been repaired while repairs have either been completed or are ongoing on about half of all partially damaged homes. We continue to raise Gaza in our meetings with the Israeli government. On 10 September, the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymead and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), emphasised the importance of improving daily life for the people of Gaza with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. On 24 November our Deputy Head of Mission in Tel Aviv met the Head of Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories’ Civil Administration department. He stressed the urgency of Israel coming forward with a transformative package for Gaza and the West Bank, setting out in particular our concerns about power supply and movement and access restrictions. We are also urging Egypt to show maximum flexibility in opening the Rafah crossing.

  • Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much Fylde and Wyre Clinical Commissioning Group spent on contracts with Same Day Walk-In Centres in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

    Jane Ellison

    The data requested are not centrally available. This is a matter for Fylde and Wyre Clinical Commissioning Group.

  • David Burrowes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Burrowes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Burrowes on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the uptake of the marriage tax allowance is; what steps he is taking to increase uptake of that allowance; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    400,000 couples have successfully claimed Marriage Allowance. HM Revenue and Customers is continuing to extensively market Marriage Allowance, including through print, radio and billboard advertising. Eligible couples who haven’t already claimed for the tax year 2015/16 will not lose out as they have until 5 April 2020 to do so.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to announce details of the 2016-17 social work bursary.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department plans to publish details of the number of new social work bursaries that will be available in the 2016 academic year, by the end of May 2016. This will include details of the number of new bursaries allocated to each Higher Education Institute for both undergraduates and postgraduates.