Tag: 2016

Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-01-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 7 December 2015 (HL3817), what assessment they have made of the fact that, in relation to men and women under 35-years of age, the pay gap is in favour of women.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

This Government is committed to ending the gender pay gap. New figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that the gender pay gap in the UK remains the lowest on record. The pay gap for women under the age of 40, working full time, is particularly low. The gap is -0.8% for women working full-time aged 22-29 and 0.6% for women working full-time aged 30-39.

As well as revising statutory guidance for schools on careers to raise young women’s aspirations, we have established a new Careers and Enterprise Company to encourage greater collaboration between employers and schools to inspire young people and supported the ‘Your Life’ campaign to encourage more young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.

01/01/2023

Nusrat Ghani – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nusrat Ghani on 2016-02-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full-time equivalent GPs were employed in general practices in Wealden constituency in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12, (d) 2012-13 and (e) 2013-14.

Alistair Burt

The information is shown in the following table.

Total general practitioners (GPs) in selected area, Full Time Equivalents 2009-2014:

	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
East Sussex Downs and Weald Primary Care Trust (PCT)
Total GPs	236	240	243	242
GPs (excluding registrars)	213	213	219	220
GPS (excluding retainers and registrars)	208	211	217	218
GP Provider	179	173	173	173
GP Other	29	38	43	45
GP Registrar	22	27	25	21
GP Retainer	5	2	2	2
NHS High Weald Lewes Havens Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)
Total GPs					115	110
GPs (excluding registrars)					110	110
GPS (excluding retainers and registrars)					109	109
GP Provider					80	78
GP Other					29	31
GP Registrar					5	1
GP Retainer					0	0

Source: The Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

Notes:

Data as at 30 September in each year
NHS Workforce figures are not available by constituency. Wealden constituency was contained within and serviced by East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT from 2009-2012 and NHS High Weald Lewes Havens CCG from 2013 onwards. These trusts are not geographically co-terminus and thus the figures are not comparable over a time series.

01/01/2023

– 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2016-03-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take in the light of the findings of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspectorate of Constabulary’s recent PEEL: Police legitimacy 2015 report, and the comments by HM’s Inspector of Constabulary that far too many forces were not complying with the Home Office and College of Policing Best Use of Stop and Search scheme

Lord Bates

HM Inspector of Constabulary’s (HMIC’s) findings on stop and search powers, particularly compliance with the Best Use of Stop and Search Scheme, as published in their National Legitimacy Report, are concerning. The voluntary Scheme was launched fully in December 2014 and all 43 forces, as well as the British Transport Police, signed up to it to demonstrate that their force is using stop and search powers fairly, effectively and in a way that builds community confidence. HMIC found 13 forces non-compliant in three or more components of the Scheme, and a further 19 were found to be non-compliant with at least one. This represents an unacceptable breach of the Scheme’s terms and, accordingly, membership of the 13 forces was immediately suspended on 10 February; the remaining 19 forces not fully compliant have been put on notice.

HMIC will inspect forces suspended from the Scheme to assess progress with compliance over the next 6 months. Forces are also required to set out details on how full compliance with the Scheme’s requirements will be achieved as part of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s duty to respond to HMIC reports, as set out in section 55 of the Police Act 1996. This information, as well as the findings from HMIC’s follow-up visits to determine the progress made, will inform the decision in the summer on whether to lift the suspension from the Scheme or remove forces altogether.

01/01/2023
Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of nationals from other EU member states who are on social housing waiting lists.

Brandon Lewis

The Department’s annual Local Authority’s Housing Statistics provide information on the total households on local authority waiting lists in England but do not record nationality. The Department’s English Housing Survey does ask whether respondents are on a waiting list and also records nationality. The sample size, however, is not sufficient to provide a robust estimate by nationality.

01/01/2023
Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-05-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what other migration routes or visas are available to a Tier 2 worker earning under £35,000 other than visas requiring participation in full-time education or marriage.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office published a full impact assessment on the changes to Tier 2 settlement rules when they were laid before Parliament on 15 March 2012. The impact assessment is available on the gov.uk website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/117957/impact-assessment-tier2.pdf.

Alternative routes available for Tier 2 workers unable to meet the minimum earnings threshold would depend on their individual circumstances. For the most part, economic migrants who wish to change their basis of stay in the UK are expected to leave and re-apply for an alternative visa from their home country. However, in-country switching is permitted in some categories, for example into Tier 1 routes aimed at high value migrants.

Tier 2 migrants who apply for settlement and do not meet the requirements will be refused. Those who do not qualify for an alternative route and have reached the maximum period of limited leave allowed under Tier 2 should make plans to leave the United Kingdom. Any migrant who has over stayed the validity of their visa or otherwise failed to regularise their stay in the UK may be removed if they refuse or fail to leave of their own volition. They may also be liable to prosecution under the Immigration Act 1971.

01/01/2023
Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken was to process Disclosure and Barring Service checks for (a) standard and (b) enhanced disclosures between 1 January and 31 March 2016.

James Brokenshire

The average time taken to process Disclosure checks between 1 January and 31 March 2016 for (a) Standard was 6 days and (b) Enhanced was 16 days.

01/01/2023
Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with officials in her Department on the potential effect of the outcome of the EU referendum on recipients of overseas development assistance currently given to (a) the European Development Fund, (b) the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department and (c) the European Investment Bank.

Rory Stewart

DFID will make an assessment of how we will work with the European Union Institutions as part of the exit negotiations and we look forward to working with all of our international partners in future to achieve the best results possible.

01/01/2023
Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-18.

To ask the Attorney General, what steps he plans to take in response to the findings of the report, entitled Communicating with victims, published by HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate in January 2016.

Robert Buckland

On the day of the report the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) agreed to act on each of the three recommendations made.
- The CPS is already conducting a review of overall support to victims and witnesses with the police and agreeing our respective roles in communication will form part of this review;
- The CPS will ensure that the quality assurance checks of communications from the Victim Liaison Units (VLUs) are improved through guidance and training; and
- The CPS will seek to improve both the flagging of substantial alterations in appropriate cases and the systems for notification of the VLUs.
In addition, the CPS has already taken action to address a range of issues identified in the report. For example, they have redeployed more paralegal staff and managers to Crown Courts to ensure that there are sufficient staff to support victims and witnesses. When rollout is complete around 350 paralegal staff and managers will be based at Crown Courts across England and Wales. The CPS is also introducing new guidance on Speaking to Witnesses at Court which will improve the service provided and is currently operating in a number of pathfinder sites. It will be rolled out across the country by summer 2016.

The CPS is also reviewing the resourcing of VLUs to ensure that sufficient staff are in place to manage the workload of those units.
01/01/2023
Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2016-02-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2016 to Question 24173 between 2015-16 and 2019-20, to which other government departments and cross-government funds her Department plans to transfer, the amounts referred to in table 2.7 on page 85 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

Mr Desmond Swayne

As set out in DFID’s settlement letter from HM Treasury, over the Spending Review period, DFID plans to transfer the amounts referred to in table 2.7 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 to the following government departments and cross-government funds:

Conflict, Stability & Security Fund

Department for Business, Innovation & Skills

Department for Culture, Media & Sport

Department of Energy & Climate Change

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Department of Health

Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs

Home Office

Office for National Statistics

Prosperity Fund

01/01/2023
Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many UK citizens currently have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC); and how many such people have used their EHIC to obtain state provided healthcare in other EU countries in each of the last five years.

Ben Gummer

The United Kingdom EHIC means that people living in the UK are able to travel to the European Economic Area (EEA) safe in the knowledge that they will be able to receive free or reduced cost healthcare should they need it.

There are currently 27,570,911 cards in circulation, as of January 2016. The number of cards granted since 2006, providing such cover is:

2014/15 – 5,414,977

2013/14 – 5,571,060

2012/13 – 5,240,608

2011/12 – 6,830,734

2010/11 – 5,703,895

2009/10 – 4,162,170

2008/09 – 4,269,023

2007/08 – 4,160,935

2006/07 – 5,163,121

Source: Business Services Authority

The Department does not hold information on how many people have used their UK EHIC to obtain state provided healthcare in another EEA country in any 12 month period. This is because data on UK EHIC usage is recorded by individual treatment episode rather than the card holder.

01/01/2023