The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Blackman on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many tests for Vitamin D were carried out by pathology laboratories in England in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2013-14; and what the cost to the NHS was of providing such tests in each of those years.
Jane Ellison
This information is not held centrally. Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for commissioning laboratory testing locally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-06-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects the first sale of higher value council housing allowed by the Housing and Planning Act 2016 to take place.
Brandon Lewis
Under the Housing and Planning Act, local authorities have a duty to consider selling vacant higher value housing. Local authorities will know which homes will be defined as higher value, and therefore which homes they have a duty to consider selling, once Parliament has scrutinised and approved the regulations, including the higher value regulations which are subject to affirmative resolution.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-09-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the contribution of Scottish Gaelic language to British culture and the creative industries.
Matt Hancock
We recognises the important contribution Gaelic language makes to British culture and the creative industries. The Heritage Lottery Fund recently provided £4 million funding to reopen Lews Castle where over 20 community heritage societies have come together to shape the way the story of the Outer Herbrides is celebrated and shared. Interpretation is in Gaelic first with English subtitles throughout the museum.
UK Government and its agencies are committed to working with the Scottish Government to help the creative industries continue to grow in Scotland, through the provision of broadband and mobile infrastructure, fiscal incentives, export promotion, advocacy and facilitation and the provision of official statistics.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-01-14.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for preventing destitution, in particular as it affects some migrants and asylum applicants.
Lord Bates
Asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are provided with support by the Home Office. This generally consists of free accommodation and a weekly cash allowance to cover other essential living needs. Failed asylum seekers and other migrants without immigration status are generally expected to leave the UK, but may be eligible for support in certain circumstances. The Immigration Bill restricts the support provided by the Home Office to failed asylum seekers to those who are destitute and face a genuine obstacle to their departure at the point their appeal rights are exhausted. The Bill also clarifies the circumstances in which local authorities may need to provide support to destitute migrants without immigration status, pending resolution of their status or their departure from the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what planning his Department has undertaken for the possibility of the UK voting to leave the EU.
Andrew Selous
On 19 February, the Prime Minister set out the Government’s position on Europe.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Prisk on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the merits of bringing forward proposals to extend crown indemnity to GPs.
Alistair Burt
The Department is working with NHS England on a number of steps that form part of a longer term consideration on primary care indemnity cover. This will: look at the historical position on indemnity provision; consider carrying out a scoping exercise on general practitioner (GP) indemnity; and include wider consultation with GPs, patients, defence lawyers, claimant lawyers, medical defence organisations, the NHS Litigation Authority and commercial insurance organisations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answers of 15 March 2016 to Questions 30647 and 30649, what the evidential basis is for the statement that her Department’s policy enables thousands of people each year to be reunited with their families in the UK; and how many extended family members seeking family reunion have been granted asylum in exceptional circumstances by the Entry Clearance Officer in each of the last three years.
James Brokenshire
In the last three years, over 13,000 family reunion visas have been granted under the Immigration Rules. This information is available in the quarterly statistics published by the Home Office and available on Gov.UK here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2015/list-of-tables#visas
A further 65 visas have been granted outside the Rules due to exceptional circumstances.
We have committed to making clearer in revised guidance the kinds of cases which may benefit from leave outside the Immigration Rules due to exceptional circumstances. The guidance will be updated by the end of April.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to place unaccompanied refugee children from European countries with foster families or in local authority care homes.
James Brokenshire
As announced on 4 May we will be consulting closely with local authorities to find suitable places within the UK for these children.
Local authorities will be required to provide the right support, care and accommodation to meet the child’s specific needs. Statutory agencies at a local level are best placed to understand and meet the needs of all children and will continue to make decisions about the right accommodation and support services for those who are looked after.
Unaccompanied children will be eligible for foster care if it is considered that that this placement type will provide appropriate support and best meet their individual needs.
The UK has well-established and effective safeguarding procedures to ensure the safety of children who come to the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-06-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on the average time between veterans applying for the Legion d’Honneur and subsequently receiving the award.
Mark Lancaster
Following the answer I gave to the hon. Member for York Central (Rachael Maskell) on 6 June 2016 to Question 38675, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has received approximately 5,200 applications for the Legion d’Honneur between June 2014 and June 2016. We are unable to provide a breakdown by month. As at 24 June the MOD had submitted 3,750 cases to the French authorities. We are not automatically advised when awards are issued, but a list provided by the French authorities on 13 May 2016 showed that 3,200 awards had been made.
It is not possible to give a meaningful figure for an average waiting time for veterans to receive their awards, as this has reduced steadily, from over a year for initial applications to the current time of around two to three months owing to changes in the processing. Some priority cases, particularly where there are health concerns, are processed much more quickly.
The Department is working closely with the French authorities and we are doing our best to ensure that all awards are issued as soon as possible and at the maximum rate at which they can be produced.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pat McFadden on 2016-09-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children receiving free school meals obtained five GCSEs, including English and mathematics in each local authority area in England in the latest year for which figures are available.
Edward Timpson
The percentage of pupils who are eligible for free school meals and obtained five GCSEs, including English and mathematics, in each local authority area in England is published in table LA8 as part of the “GCSE and equivalent attainment by pupil characteristics 2015” statistical first release (SFR)[1].
[1] KS4 SFR 2014/15: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/493475/SFR01_2016_LA_Tables.xlsx (Table LA8)
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