The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to provide new swimming facilities in Easington constituency.
David Evennett
Sport England is currently supporting Durham County Council to conduct a review of its sports facilities strategy to ensure the provision of facilities for grassroots sports in the area, including swimming, can meet the needs of the local community.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the quality of information and data used to inform his Department’s investment prioritisation process; and if he will make a statement.
Joseph Johnson
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is committed to ensuring that all of its key policies and programmes are based on high quality evidence and subject to robust monitoring and evaluation. The foundation for this vision was set out in the Department’s Evaluation Strategy published in December 2014 and the first update – BIS Evaluation Plan 2016.
A substantial amount of work is undertaken across the Department to better understand, and develop, the evidence underpinning investment options. For example, in preparation for Spending Review 2015, the Department thoroughly reviewed its evidence base, through Evidence Challenge Panels (ECP) and an Investment Gateway (IG) process. The ECP membership consisted of Directors of spend areas and provided senior peer review of work underway to address the key evidence gaps and to support longer term planning to develop BIS’ evidence base. The IG was set up to support prioritisation of spend and ensure investment decisions are based on robust business cases consisting of strategic, economic, financial, management and commercial assessments. The IG panel includes the chief analyst and DG finance. The ECP and IG in turn fed into the Department’s submissions to HM Treasury for the Spending Review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-04-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Government has made on Food Enterprise Zones.
George Eustice
All 17 of the pilot areas are making steady progress towards establishing their Food Enterprise Zones (FEZ). Some have secured their Local Development Orders (LDO) which are the planning bases for establishing FEZ. As soon as an LDO is established, FEZ can then take forward plans to encourage businesses to make investment decisions to benefit local communities.
In Suffolk, there will be three LDOs within two FEZ to reflect the different needs of local food related businesses. These include the FEZ in South Suffolk at Orwell where LDOs will support the growth of existing businesses as well as attracting new inward investment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-06-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to reduce the number of nurse advisers in the Department of Health.
Lord Prior of Brampton
As part of the DH2020 plan, the Department is making significant changes to the way it works. The underlying principles informing the changes include that the Department should focus on its core and unique functions to improve the health and care system in England to help people to live better for longer.
The Department’s approach is to flexibly access professional advice from a wide range of sources, including arms-length bodies, regulators and professional bodies, rather than from fixed standing teams of internal advisers.
These changes do not affect the role of the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), who as the CNO of the Department already advises, and will continue to advise, all Ministers and the Department on the range of nursing issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-09-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of locating the Security Industry Authority outside London; and what alternative locations have been considered for that authority.
Brandon Lewis
The Security Industry Authority is already considering options for a move from Holborn as part of its planning around estates.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-10-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to evaluate the use of €46 million earmarked for the Khartoum Process; what benchmarks and agreed criteria have been developed to guide the Process; and what procedures have been put in place to monitor, audit, and review the efficacy of the Process.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Khartoum Process does not have a defined single fund, but draws from several different sources of EU funding; including the Better Migration Management Fund and the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.
The UK, as the current Chair of the Khartoum Process, works closely with the Secretariat to maintain a map of current and proposed projects, and ensure effective coordination and monitoring. The European Commission has responsibility for assessing implementation against the Valetta benchmarks and outcomes, and conducting the full audit and review of the EU funding programmes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Allen on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the current waiting time is for a PCV driving examination at Watnall test centre; what steps his Department is taking to reduce that waiting time; and when he expects that waiting time to be reduced.
Andrew Jones
The current waiting time for a vocational, LGV or PCV test at Watnall test centre is 11 weeks.
The Driver and Vehicle and Standards Agency (DVSA) is working hard to reduce waiting times. It is recruiting for driving examiners across the UK and has specifically targeted high-wait areas. Watnall was targeted in a recent recruitment campaign DVSA launched. Once new examiners are in place in Watnall, DVSA is confident waiting times will reduce. In the meantime, DVSA is continuing to monitor waiting times closely, deploying examiners from low-wait centres and offering weekend testing wherever possible.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harrison on 2016-02-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year An Unholy Mess that a significant number of religiously selective schools are breaking the School Admissions Code by taking into account the past behaviour, attendance, attitude, or achievement, of children.
Lord Nash
Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, are required to comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code and other admissions law.
Where an objection is made to the Schools Adjudicator, if the arrangements are found to be unfair or fail to comply with the Code, the admission authority must make changes to ensure their arrangements are compliant without undue delay. Where an admission authority fails to implement decisions of the adjudicator, the Secretary of State may direct the admission authority to do so.
We continue to keep the Code under review, and, where we consider any changes are necessary to make the admissions system work more effectively for parents, these will be subject to a full public consultation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the cost of including data by type of disability in the school census.
Edward Timpson
No estimate has been made of the cost of including data by type of disability in the school census. The Department is exploring if there are other ways of capturing details of pupils’ disability.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-03-24.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.59 of the Summer Budget 2015, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of restricting finance cost relief for landlords on the ability of private individuals who operate buy-to-let businesses with large private buy-to-let companies.
Harriett Baldwin
An individual’s property income is subject to a separate set of tax rules to those of a private company.
Once the changes are fully in place by 2020-21, all individuals will get finance cost relief at the basic rate of income tax, 20%. Incorporated businesses will continue to receive relief at the corporate tax rate which is currently 20% and due to fall to 17% in 2020.