Tag: 2016

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the conclusion of the report from the charity Sense, Making the case for play, published in February 2016, that a misguided interpretation and approach to health and safety is creating a barrier to accessing play settings and activities for children with multiple needs.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The government recognises that play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning, and the Early Years Foundation Stage is clear that “practitioners must consider the individual needs, interests, and stage of development of each child in their care… to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child in all of the areas of learning and development.” Health and safety should not create a barrier to accessing play activities for children with multiple needs.

    The staff working in early years settings as Early Years Educators (level 3) and Early Years Teachers (graduates) are required to have an understanding of different pedagogical approaches, including the role of play in supporting early learning and development. The criteria for the Early Years Educator and standards for Early Years Teacher Status qualifications are set by the department. However, it is the responsibility of early years settings to provide play opportunities for their children and pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

    Ofsted conducts a regular cycle of inspection to ensure that provision meets the required quality and safety standards and assesses the extent to which the learning and care provided by the setting meets the needs of the range of children who attend, including the needs of any children who have SEND.

    The Childcare Act 2016 expands the free childcare entitlement from 15 to 30 hours for three- and four-year-olds of working parents. As part of the Early Implementer Package announced on 2 February 2016, local authorities involved will be using the opportunity to test and showcase how childcare can be delivered in a way that improves access for children with SEND. The department also launched a consultation on 3 April 2016 seeking views on key elements of the operation and delivery of the 30 hours and we welcome views on provision for children with SEND. The consultation is available on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/30-hour-free-childcare-entitlement

    “

  • Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will investigate the compliance of professional advisers to Retail Acquisitions with know-your-customer and money-laundering regulations.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    A regulatory framework is in place to deal with non-compliance with know-your-customer and money-laundering regulations. However, this is not the focus of the current investigation by the Insolvency Service into BHS.

    If, during the course of the current Insolvency Service investigation into BHS, it appears that there is good reason to widen the scope of its enquires, the Insolvency Service has powers under the Companies Act 1985 to initiate confidential enquiries.

  • Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer on 2016-06-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what surveys of earthworm populations and diversity in arable soils in England have been carried out since 1996, and for each project what was the contractor’s budget, and where the final report can be found on the gov.uk website.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Defra has not carried out any surveys of earthworm populations and diversity specifically in arable soils.

    However, Defra carries out research on earthworms as part of a wider programme of research on sustainable land management because of their important role in developing soil structure, water movement, nutrient dynamics, and plant growth.

    Defra has contributed funding to the Open Air Laboratory (OPAL) Soil and Earthworm Survey in England launched in 2012. Two technical reports detailing the analysis of the first set of results of the Soil and Earthworm Survey are publicly available on the website of Imperial College London.

    Defra’s delivery partner Natural England has previously funded the London Natural History Museum to survey earthworms in a number of semi-natural sites across England and Scotland, but also included sampling from 6 arable sites. This work was captured in a report published by Natural England in April 2014 entitled “Earthworms in England: distribution, abundance and habitat”. The report is available on Natural England’s website, reference NECR145.

    In 2014 Defra funded the establishment of the Sustainable Intensification Research Platform (budget £4,111,184), supporting research into sustainable productive farming techniques, which includes current assessment of earthworm abundance under contrasting arable systems at the Allerton Project at Loddington.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-09-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics’ Labour Force Survey showing that there has been a 20 per cent increase in the past year of workers on zero-hours contracts, what action they are taking to support those workers.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The latest ONS survey shows that less than 3% of the UK workforce is on a zero hours contract with nearly 70% happy with the hours they work. These contracts have a part to play in a modern, flexible labour market.

    Government made exclusivity clauses in zero hour contracts unlawful in 2015, meaning individuals have more control over their lives and can work more hours with another employer if they wish. Government also created a route of redress for individuals whose employer mistreats them if they look for, or work elsewhere.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many rail freight interchanges there are in the UK; and what the utilisation rate is on the freight network.

    Paul Maynard

    The UK has 16 intermodal rail freight interchanges. These are:

    o Birmingham International Railfreight Terminal

    o Daventry International Railfreight Terminal

    o Hams Hall

    o Widnes

    o Wentloog

    o Selby

    o Doncaster Railport

    o Grangemouth

    o Trafford Park Euroterminal

    o Trafford Park

    o Lawley Street

    o Leeds – Freightliner

    o Mossend Euroterminal

    o Wakefield Euroterminal

    o Willesden Euroterminal

    • Barking

    In addition to these interchanges, there are a large number of port-located rail terminals and small independent facilities nationwide.

    The usage and available capacity of these terminals varies by facility and time of year. However, overall changes in the rail freight market means there has been an increase, in recent years, in imports and exports of containerised goods through the major ports (intermodal freight), increasing utilisation at these sites.

  • Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the results were of temperature tests to determine eligibility to receive winter fuel allowance of people living abroad in 2015.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The winter fuel payment eligibility criteria for people who normally live in the EEA, was changed for winter 2015-16. A temperature criterion was introduced by the DWP using information from a report it commissioned from the Met Office. This report showed the average winter temperature data for each EEA country and Switzerland and for the regions of the UK. The Met Office report was produced in 2012 and used information from a dataset for the reference period 1961-1990 available through the Climatic Research Unit of the University of East Anglia.

    The average winter temperature in the warmest part of the UK, the South West, is 5.6oC. This point is the basis for the changes made to the winter fuel payment eligibility criteria. People living in countries with an average winter temperature of no more than 5.6oC, or a temperature that is close enough to that to be statistically equivalent, are eligible for a winter fuel payment.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-02-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 27 January (HL5039), what evidence the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has received that a major cause of miscarriage is the failure of embryos to develop to the blastocyst stage; what records they hold regarding miscarriages occurring after human embryos that were known to be unable to develop further in vitro had been deliberately transferred to the uterus of a patient; and what sanctions are imposed on clinics in which such implantations take place.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has not received any such evidence. With regards the role of the HFEA in granting a research licence, its role is to ensure that any project fulfils one of the purposed set out below:

    – Increasing knowledge about serious disease or other serious conditions.

    – Developing treatments for serious diseases or other serious medical conditions.

    – Increasing knowledge about the causes of congenital diseases.

    – Promoting the advances in the treatment of infertility.

    – Increasing knowledge about the causes of miscarriages.

    – Developing more efficient techniques of contraception.

    – Developing methods for detecting gene, chromosome or mitochondrion abnormalities in embryos before implantation.

    – Increasing knowledge about the development of embryos.

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

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to ensure diabetes (a) care and (b) information provided by Southampton City CCG is responsive and relevant to the needs of the patient.

    Jane Ellison

    We are advised by NHS England that the Southampton City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) commissions diabetes services in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines across primary, community and secondary care. All services are regularly reviewed and service providers are required to report service level data to ensure that the provision is meeting the NICE quality standards. We understand this will include service access data and patient reported satisfaction. The CCG commissions an integrated pathway of diabetes care of which 80% is delivered in primary care.

    We are also informed that the Diabetes Community Team provides support into primary care and sees more complex patients as appropriate, it also provides professional education and training and structured education for patients which is in line with the NICE guidelines. NHS England advises that the Southampton City CCG’s acute in-patient team provides care for those admitted into hospital with more acute needs and also provides appropriate out-patient services, professional education and support for patients who access the insulin pump service.

    Additionally, in April 2016 the CCG advises it will be implementing a new integrated foot care pathway that will meet the needs of those with low, moderate and increased risk of foot complications and for those with active foot disease.

    In regards to providing people with diabetes with information to improve self-management and promote better health and wellbeing, the CCG confirms it works closely with organisations such as Diabetes UK in order to do this. The CCG has engaged with local patients, more recently this engagement has focused on the foot care provision, building on the evidence from the Patient Experience of Diabetes Services Survey in 2013.

  • Mark Prisk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Mark Prisk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Prisk on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the plans she has to reintroduce tick treatment for pet animals returning to the UK.

    George Eustice

    The requirement for tick treatment was dropped as part of the harmonisation of the EU pet travel rules for movement and import of non-commercial dogs following a qualitative risk assessment and economic impact assessment for the introduction of Mediterranean Spotted fever (MSF) and the Brown Dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus.

    The evidence which informed these pieces of work has not changed and therefore there is still no strong scientific basis for reintroducing the requirement for tick treatment to control MSF, a zoonotic disease.

    Treatments for ticks are readily available and veterinary practices are able to advise on the most appropriate treatments.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how long it takes on average for the UK to reach a decision on asylum claims made under the Dublin III Regulations.

    Lord Keen of Elie

    Whilst the Home Office does publish information on decision timeliness the way the data is recorded means that it would require manual interrogation of the main immigration database to calculate the average decision time for cases transferred under Dublin III. This data cannot be provided for reasons of disproportionate cost