Tag: 2016

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many women in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) each parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland, born on or after 6 April 1951, have been affected by the equalisation of the state pension age.

    Richard Harrington

    Women born between 6 April 1950 and 5 April 1953 were affected by State Pension age equalisation under the Pensions Act 1995.

    The Pensions Act 2011 accelerated the equalisation of State Pension age, and included transitional arrangements limiting State Pension age delays, affecting women born between 6 April 1953 and 5 December 1953. It also brought forward the increase in State Pension age from 65 to 66 which affected women born between 6 December 1953 and 5 April 1960.

    Information on the numbers affected by constituent country or parliamentary constituency is not held by the Department for Work and Pensions. However, the most recent population breakdowns for Northern Ireland and its parliamentary constituencies by age can be found here:

    http://www.nisra.gov.uk/demography/default.asp41.htm

    “

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to encourage community groups and facilities used by them to improve hearing impairment facilities.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    All members of the community should have access to their local facilities and whilst the Secretary of State will continue to encourage community groups to adapt to meet the needs of its members; it is for the owner of the facilities to assess and make reasonable adjustment.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has a policy on US presidential candidates entering the UK who use hate speech.

    James Brokenshire

    A non -European Economic Area national may be refused entry to the UK, if, from information available the person’s exclusion is considered to be conducive to the public good. Each decision is made on a case by case basis taking into account all the relevant factors.

  • 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 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Highways England document, Cycling Strategy: our approach, published in January 2016, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the needs of cyclists are also considered when improvements are made to the local road network.

    Andrew Jones

    Decisions on how best to provide for cyclists on local roads are matters for the local authority – not only do they have a duty to balance the needs of all road users when considering how to design and manage their road networks, but they also have a detailed understanding of their roads.

    Our guidance in Local Transport Note 2/08: Cycle Infrastructure Design is comprehensive and allows councils to design good, safe schemes within current legislation. It already includes most of the measures highlighted as good practice by, for example, the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group, and British Cycling.

    Government promotes best practice through the Cycle Proofing Working Group; an advisory body to the Government on ‘cycle proofing’. They share knowledge of cycle proofing with those designing and implementing cycle infrastructure on UK roads through their website:-

    https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/cycle-proofing-working-group

  • Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-02-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current performance and practices of South Yorkshire Police regarding investigations of sexual exploitation of children.

    Lord Bates

    As I set out in response to the Noble Lord on 20 August 2015, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary published a National Child Protection Inspection post-inspection review of South Yorkshire Police in July 2015. The report found that South Yorkshire Police had made child protection a priority and was taking steps to improve its response to child sexual exploitation although areas of poor practice still remained. South Yorkshire Police must continue to work towards implementing Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary’s recommendations. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary is continuing to monitor South Yorkshire Police’s approach to child protection.

    The South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner has commissioned an independent review into the force’s handling of reports of child sexual exploitation. The review, led by Professor John Drew, launched on 30 September and the report will be published this year.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what involvement Ministers of his Department had in the decision by Public Health England to reduce the recommended amount of dairy in the Eatwell guide; for what reasons that change was made; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government has adopted the refreshed Eatwell Guide, which reflects updated government dietary recommendations based upon conclusions from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, robust modelling and consumer research.

    An external reference group informed the development of the Eatwell Guide and representatives from the Department were observer members of this group.

    The approach considered the most objective and robust by the reference group to inform the sizes of the food group segments, ensured that all government dietary recommendations were met. This resulted in a new image with a reduced ‘dairy and alternatives’ segment, which will support consumers to reduce saturated fat and salt consumption, while still meeting calcium recommendations.

    Ministers agreed to the final version of the Eatwell Guide prior to publication and were briefed during the course of the work.

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will carry out a cost-benefit analysis on the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis as a preventative measure for HIV.

    Jane Ellison

    Decisions to fund pre-exposure prophylaxis will depend on a full assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness and how it can be integrated with other HIV prevention efforts.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment she has made of the efficiency and effectiveness of the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    We strongly value the work and commitment of Electoral Office staff in managing electoral registration and elections in Northern Ireland. The introduction of digital registration to Northern Ireland later this year will bring Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the United Kingdom and means that now is the right time to consider how services can be delivered as effectively as possible in the future.

  • Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Nandy on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his Department’s policy is on the role of unabated coal-fired power generation over the next decade.

    Jesse Norman

    Coal currently plays an important role in our energy mix, helping to ensure security of supply. However the level of coal generation has declined significantly in recent years as cleaner, lower-carbon alternative forms of generation come onto the system. I would expect this decline to continue as part of our plans for a cleaner energy future.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many university technical colleges have fewer pupils on roll than they have capacity for.

    Edward Timpson

    46 of 48 UTCs have opened since 2013 and understandably it will take a number of years for these UTCs to reach full capacity. To date only the JCB Academy, which opened in 2010, has reached full capacity.