Tag: 2016

  • Lord Boateng – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Boateng – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Boateng on 2016-06-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what level of resourcing from the international community needs to be applied to meet the Global Fund’s target of saving an additional eight million people at risk of dying from AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

    Baroness Verma

    The investment case for the Fifth Replenishment of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) projects that a successful replenishment of $13bn will enable the Global Fund to save 8 million lives and avert up to 300 million new infections over the period 2017-2019.

  • Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2016-09-08.

    To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2016 to Question 43403, what the evidential basis is for his assertion that no hon. Members have handed in the text of their Bill; what discussions he and his officials have had with House authorities on the status of each of the Private Members’ Bills presented on 29 June 2016; and which Bills have been received by Parliamentary Counsel in draft as part of the process of discussion with Departments.

    Mr David Lidington

    Bills formally submitted to the Public Bill Office are available to all Members and are published online. Government Departments are holding discussions with several Members about their Bills.

    The Government will set out its position on each Bill at the relevant Second Reading.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner’s letter to her of 13 January 2016 on the introduction of a ban on the sale of zombie knives.

    Karen Bradley

    The Government continues to work with the police and partners to ensure we reduce violence and knife crime, and in the year ending June 2015, knife crime recorded by the police was 17% lower than 2010. We are aware of concerns about zombie knives and we are currently considering representations including the letter of 13 January from the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for the West Midlands and on 21 January from the prospective mayoral candidate for London Zac Goldsmith. A reply will be sent shortly and we will offer to meet with the PCC.

    We are currently considering what action to take against the prevalence of zombie knives on our streets. We are talking to retailers, including Amazon, about the action they can take. There are strict laws on the sale of knives to under 18s and on how knives can be marketed. We are concerned about any knives being carried in public especially if used to threaten and inflict violence. It is a criminal offence to possess a knife in public without good reason, and if a person is convicted a second time they now face a minimum mandatory custodial sentence following the introduction of this change by the Government in July 2015.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how she monitors how (a) academies, (b) primary schools and (c) other schools are following her Department’s Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) Guidance when teaching SRE.

    Edward Timpson

    The Government believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive a high quality and appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE). SRE is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools and many primary schools also teach it in an age-appropriate way. The Government also expects academies and free schools to deliver SRE as part of their provision of a broad and balanced curriculum.

    Any state-funded school teaching SRE must have regard to the Secretary of State’s SRE guidance (2000). The Department has received requests about updating the existing SRE guidance which we will carefully consider.

    Initial Teacher Training (ITT) is currently determined by the Teachers’ Standards, which all trainee teachers must be able to demonstrate by the end of their training. The Standards set out the key principles of good subject pedagogy and the importance of subject knowledge development across the curriculum. Schools and headteachers are best placed to determine which staff learning activities will be most beneficial for their schools and we expect them to lead the personal development of their teachers to improve the quality of all round teaching.

    The Department supports schools’ efforts to improve PSHE teaching by drawing schools’ attention to a range of high quality PSHE education teaching resources, including quality resources, lesson plans, a programme of study, factsheets and case studies. These resources are kite-marked by the PSHE Association to ensure that schools can trust the materials they use and improve their teaching.

    Ofsted does not inspect individual curriculum subjects. However, aspects of PSHE education and SRE will inform its judgment on personal development, behaviour and welfare. Inspectors must also consider the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. Schools have responsibility for acting upon the inspection reports they receive and any weaknesses will be considered when the school is next inspected.

    We expect schools to ensure that young people, whatever their developing sexuality or identity, feel that SRE education is relevant to them and sensitive to their needs. The statutory SRE guidance is clear that schools should teach about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Sexually transmitted infections are also covered as part of the national curriculum for science at key stage 3.

    We welcome the supplementary SRE guidance ‘SRE for the 21st Century’ produced by Brook, the PSHE Association and the Sex Education Forum, which includes guidance on ensuring that SRE is inclusive. All children and young people, regardless of background or identity, are entitled to quality SRE that helps them build confidence and stay healthy.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2016 to Question 24213, on European fighter aircraft warnings, what the two possible equipment solutions selected for formal assessment in the coming months are.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The collision warning system project for the Typhoon aircraft has not yet reached Main Gate. Therefore I am unable to disclose the two possible solutions as that information is commercially sensitive.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS has spent on overseas recruitment exercises in each of the last five years for which data is available.

    Ben Gummer

    Local National Health Service organisations are best placed to decide how many staff they employ and how best to recruit those staff to meet services tailored to the needs of their patients and local communities, to deliver safe care. Information on the costs that NHS trusts may have incurred when seeking to employ staff either within the United Kingdom or overseas is not collected by the Department.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dentists have been registered as working in NHS practices in Ashfield constituency in the (a) 2015-16, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2009-10 financial year.

    Alistair Burt

    The information requested is not collected in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table.

    Number of dentists with National Health Service activity, for specified years ending 31 March – selected organisations

    Organisation Name

    2009-10

    2012-13

    2014-15

    Nottinghamshire County Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT)

    331

    ..

    ..

    NHS Mansfield and Ashfield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

    ..

    87

    85

    NHS Newark and Sherwood CCG

    ..

    48

    53

    NHS Nottingham North and East CCG

    ..

    96

    103

    NHS Nottingham West CCG

    ..

    52

    60

    NHS Rushcliffe CCG

    ..

    56

    69

    Sources: Health and Social Care Information Centre; NHS Dental Services of the NHS Business Services Authority

    Notes:

    1. Dentists are defined as performers with NHS activity recorded in each financial year by FP17 forms.

    2. Dentists will be counted more than once if they have a contract in more than one CCG or PCT (2009-10).

    Therefore a total for the specified CCGs is not provided in 2012-13 and 2014-15.

    3. Data consists of performers in General Dental Services (GDS), Personal Dental Services (PDS) and Trust-led Dental Services (TDS).

    4. ‘ .. ‘ denotes data not applicable

    5. As at 1 April 2013 CCG replaced PCTs. 2009-10 data are not available by CCG.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-06-28.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to ensure stability in the housing market and increase the confidence of property developers since the EU referendum of 23 June 2016.

    Greg Hands

    Ministers have met with house builders and industry leaders since the Referendum result to ensure stability.

    Britain’s economy is fundamentally strong. Markets have been volatile, but they have continued to function effectively. The Treasury, the Bank of England and the FCA are watching markets, including the housing market, extremely closely.

    Action by the government over the last seven years has substantially strengthened the resilience of the financial system. Capital requirements for the largest banks are now ten times higher than before the crisis. Yesterday (5th July) the Chancellor announced that the Bank of England will use the new powers given to them by Government to help boost the lending capacity of the banks to our economy. UK’s main lenders have agreed to make this extra capital available to support lending to UK businesses and households in this challenging time.

    Government remains committed to boosting housing supply, including by delivering the most ambitious affordable house building programme since the 1970’s.

  • Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-09-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making the provision of youth services a statutory duty for councils.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    Government does place an existing statutory duty on local authorities through the Education Act 2006 (Section 507B) to secure, as far as is practicable, sufficient services and activities to improve the wellbeing of young people. However, in fulfilling this responsibility government believes that local authorities should be empowered to decide how best to secure services that meet the needs of young people within the budget that is available to them.

    Government is committed to ensuring all young people can reach their full potential and has recently announced an £80 million investment in the youth sector that is being delivered through the Youth Investment Fund and the #iwill Fund.

  • Mrs Louise Ellman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mrs Louise Ellman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Louise Ellman on 2016-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the use of in-service emissions testing to ensure compliance with vehicle type approval emissions standards.

    Andrew Jones

    The annual periodic inspection (MOT test) is an effective means that ensures vehicles are well maintained, safe and have no serious defects that cause high emissions or excessive noise. Due to the large number of MOT stations across the UK and approximately 30 million vehicles being tested each year, the test must be straightforward, use equipment that is readily available in garages and be cost effective for motorists.

    Ensuring compliance with type approval standards would require expensive laboratory-type instruments at MOT stations and increases in the time taken for the test that would inevitably raise the cost for motorists.