Tag: 2016

  • Lord Balfe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Balfe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Balfe on 2016-10-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they gave to proposals to regulate retail price promotions on unhealthy foods as part of their Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action and, if they were not considered appropriate, why not.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    In developing Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action we have been clear that we considered a number of different policies and have focused on the ones that are likely to have the biggest impact on childhood obesity.

    The policies in the plan are informed by the latest research and evidence, including from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition report Carbohydrates and Health, Public Health England’s evidence package Sugar reduction: the evidence for action, other Government departments, debates in the House of Commons and various reports from key stakeholders including the House of Commons Health Select Committee.

    Current restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food and drink in the United Kingdom are amongst the toughest in the world. Alongside this, we welcome the action taken by forward thinking retailers on promotions. These voluntary actions mean that business can move more quickly and go beyond what regulation would permit.

    We are confident that the measures we have announced will make a real difference and estimate that childhood obesity rates could be reduced by around a fifth (330,000) over the next ten years. Though we are clear in our goals and firm in the action we will take, this plan represents the start of a conversation, rather than the final word.

    Copies of Carbohydrates and Health and Sugar reduction: the evidence for action are attached.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to offer a discounted rate for dependents who apply for a Certificate of Entitlement for Right of Abode in the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    This Government has no plans to offer discounted rates for such dependants.

    Income from application fees helps provide the resources necessary to operate the immigration system, with the remainder of funding provided through general taxation. The Government’s aim is to reduce the overall contribution of funding that comes from general taxation.

  • Baroness Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Crawley on 2016-02-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish their review into Trading Standards, first announced on 10 July 2015 as part of their report into productivity Fixing the foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government is still considering the issues raised during this review and will respond in due course.

  • Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much the Government plans to provide each local authority to meet the cost of planned changes to national insurance.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    All new Government policies which impact on local government are assessed for whether they will represent a new burden on local authorities, against the criteria published in the New Burdens guidance. The New Burdens doctrine does not apply to policies which apply the same rules to local authorities and to private sector bodies, such as the apprenticeships levy, the national living wage and changes to national insurance. The guidance is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-burdens-doctrine-guidance-for-government-departments.

    In setting the future funding settlement for local government at the Spending Review in November 2015, the Government took account of a wide range of factors, including some which fell outside the New Burdens doctrine but nonetheless represented new costs for local authorities such as the apprenticeships levy, the national living wage and changes to national insurance.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the Supported Accommodation review on the commissioning of services for vulnerable people.

    Brandon Lewis

    We understand the importance of ensuring that those people living in supported accommodation, who are generally the most vulnerable members of our society, receive appropriate protections.

    My Department, along with the Department for Work and Pensions, have jointly commissioned an evidence review of the supported housing sector. The review will report shortly, and we will continue to work with and listen to providers as part of developing a long-term sustainable funding regime.

    In the meantime, we have put in place a one-year exception for all supported accommodation, from the rent reduction measures, and from the Local Housing Allowance cap.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she expects the regulatory approval processes, including the Generic Design Assessment, to be completed for proposed new nuclear reactors at Wylfa in Wales.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The regulatory approval process for new nuclear reactors proposed for construction in the UK is run by the UK’s independent nuclear regulators, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW). DECC does not direct or intervene in the assessment process.

    Generic Design Assessment of the ABWR reactor proposed for construction at the Wylfa site in Wales is targeted for completion in Q4 2017. Horizon has not yet made applications for site specific regulatory approvals, such as licensing and environmental permits, but DECC expects these to be made in good time, targeting completion for 2018.

  • Martin Docherty-Hughes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Martin Docherty-Hughes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martin Docherty-Hughes on 2016-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what estimate he has made of the number of counterfeit electrical goods sold in Scotland in the last 12 months.

    David Mundell

    I have had a range of discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, and Scottish Government ministers.

    The UK-wide Intellectual Property Office works with law enforcement and industry partners across Scotland to reduce the availability of all types of counterfeits, including electrical goods.

    Recent successful joint-enforcement activity involving the Intellectual Property Office, Trading Standards, and Police Scotland, in the Barras Market area of Glasgow, achieved over £30 million pounds worth of fake goods seized. These items included not only counterfeit electrical goods, but fake eBooks, watches, clothing, footwear, and tobacco products.

    The operation saw the arrest of 100 traders, the removal of stalls selling fake goods and the return of legitimate business to the area, and is a superb example of the collective effort of Scotland’s two Governments using our powers and potential in a common endeavour.

    The Government does not hold data estimating the number of counterfeit electrical goods that were sold in Scotland during the last 12 months. However, we have recently launched a landmark Intellectual Property enforcement strategy in which we have set out how we will improve our data collection. The Intellectual Property Office are developing a robust methodology for measuring the harm caused by IP infringement and a comprehensive scoreboard to be published annually. This will mean better reporting in the criminal justice system, better reporting of court cases, and a deeper understanding of consumer behaviours and emerging trends.

  • Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications were made by (a) EEA nationals for registration certificates and (b) EEA family members and extended family members for residence cards in each month since January 2016.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Data on the total number of EEA related applications made by people in the UK is published on a quarterly basis as part of the Migration Transparency Data release. The latest published figures (Q2 2016) can be found in the table ‘Temporary and permanent migration data’. See tab InC-01a. This data can be accessed via the link below.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-and-permanent-migration-data-august-2016

    With regards to the online processing of EEA applications, UK Visas & Immigration is undertaking a programme of transformation of which digitisation is a core part. UKVI is working towards digitising all application routes from existing methods of applying by paper for applicants from within and outside of the UK. The intention is to enable customers to apply online across the services and immigration routes in a straight-forward and customer-focused way.

    The online application service Access UK first launched for visit visa customers in China in June 2014, and has subsequently been rolled out to 180 countries globally for overseas visit routes in more than 15 languages. For those already in the UK, Access UK has launched for customers applying for tier 2 (work) and tier 4 (study) extensions and is preparing for further services to go online. UKVI is currently trialling the online service for some EEA applicants. As the programme matures we expect benefits to security, customer service and efficiencies to be identified and realised.

  • Baroness Northover – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Northover – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Northover on 2016-10-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent ageing and older people in developing countries remain an issue of concern for the Department for International Development, why this matter no longer forms part of the Department’s ministerial portfolios, and whether ageing still forms part of the Department’s Inclusive Societies work.

    Lord Bates

    The Department for International Development’s (DFID) Inclusive Societies department leads the Department’s work on ageing. The Minister of State, Rory Stewart, has responsibility for Inclusive Societies department’s work.

    Many DFID programmes reach and include older people, for example on health systems strengthening and eye care, or specific programmes for the poorest including supporting slum dwellers in Tanzania or supporting widows resulting from the Genocide in Rwanda.

    Ageing also features in DFID country level poverty analyses as a key factor in understanding poverty. In addition to this DFID is taking a global leadership role to push for better quality and use of age disaggregated data to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals leave no one behind. DFID hosted a series of high profile events on this subject in May and is working towards the publication of an action plan detailing next steps early in 2017.

  • David Crausby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David Crausby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prosecutions there have been for motor insurance fraud in each of the last five years.

    Dominic Raab

    This information is not held centrally, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.