Tag: 2016

  • The Marquess of Lothian – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Marquess of Lothian – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-04-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking in response to the Taliban’s recent announcement of a spring offensive and warnings of large-scale attacks in Afghanistan.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Taliban’s announcement of a spring offensive is consistent with the insurgency’s pattern of activity and was anticipated by the Afghan authorities. The UK is an integral part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s Resolute Support Mission (RSM), which is working to train, assist and advise the Afghan National Security and Defence Forces to meet the challenge posed by an enduring insurgency. Working in close cooperation with the Afghan authorities and RSM, the UK keeps its security under constant review.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of nursing, midwifery and allied healthcare graduates who are expected to pay off their student loan in full.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Government announced in the 2015 Spending Review that from 1 August 2017, all new nursing, midwifery and allied health professional students will receive their funding and financial support through the standard student support system, rather than through the current NHS Bursary Scheme. The changes will enable us to lift the cap on the number of students on nursing, midwifery and allied healthcare courses and provide full time students on these courses with access to around 25% additional financial support for living costs. We expect this reform to enable universities to provide up to 10,000 additional nursing, midwifery and allied health training places over this Parliament.

    The proportion of students that will fully repay their loans is estimated for the total full time student population, rather than separately for students on different courses. On this basis, we estimate that between 45% and 50% of student loan borrowers are expected to pay off their student loan in full.

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to assess the potential effect on rural communities of a UK withdrawal from the EU.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    The UK is still a member of the EU and we will continue to engage with EU business as normal and be engaged in EU decision-making in the usual way.

    Once Article 50 is invoked, we will remain bound by EU law until the withdrawal agreement comes into force.

    We now have an historic opportunity to deliver an environment for future generations to be proud of, grow our world leading food and farming industry that continues to attract significant global investment and harness the enormous economic potential of our rural communities.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has commissioned any studies in 2016 from (a) LSE, (b) UCL, (c) King’s College London, (d) University of Cambridge and (e) University of Oxford on the UK leaving the EU.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office ( FCO) has not commissioned any studies from University College London, King’s College London, the University of Cambridge or the University of Oxford on leaving the EU. The London School of Economics provided the FCO with some notes on European issues on a pro-bono basis at the end of September.

  • Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what educational provision there is for offenders who are unable to read or write.

    Nick Boles

    The Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) arrangements deliver a broad range of provision in adult prisons across England, operating within funding rules set by the Skills Funding Agency. Those funding rules require providers to deliver a core curriculum, commissioned by the prison Governor or the lead Governor for a cluster of prisons, in conjunction with the Skills Funding Agency, which must include mandatory initial assessment of English (and maths) for all prisoners on reception to custody as well as English, maths and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made on empowering tenants in the private rented sector to ensure landlords carry out reasonable repairs.

    Brandon Lewis

    On 1 February 2016 we issued a new Model Tenancy Agreement and updated our How to Rent Guide which makes clear landlord responsibilities in terms of carrying out repairs. The vast majority of landlords in the private rented sector provide good quality and well managed accommodation. We know that 84% of private renters are satisfied with their accommodation, and stay in their homes for an average of 3 and a half years.

    If a tenant feels that the property they are renting is unsafe, and the landlord fails to get the necessary repairs done, they should contact their local authority which has powers, under the Housing Act 2004, to assess the risks and hazards. If a property is found to contain serious (category 1) hazards, the local authority has a duty to take the most appropriate action, which could range from trying to deal with the problems informally at first to prohibiting the use of the whole or part of the dwelling.

    The Housing and Planning Bill contains measures to tackle rogue landlords who rent out sub-standard accommodation. Proposals include a database of rogue landlords and property agents, introducing banning orders for serious or repeat offenders, a tougher fit and proper person test, extending Rent Repayment Orders and introducing civil penalties.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, by what date he expects all local authorities to be fully reimbursed for flood protection grants they have paid to (a) households and (b) businesses.

    James Wharton

    To date over £48 million has been paid out to local authorities through the Community and Business Recovery Fund and Council Tax and Business Rates discounts to assist households and businesses affected by the floods caused by Storms Desmond and Eva.

    Local authorities have not notified the Department of any allowable costs not covered by the sums transferred. It is expected that further payments will be made shortly as flooded property numbers are confirmed and further funds requested.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-03-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make representations to the National Infrastructure Commission on assessing the potential merits of building ultra-super critical coal-fired power stations in the UK.

    Greg Hands

    The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) will have a mandate to examine all sectors of economic infrastructure, including energy. The NIC will shortly undertake work on a National Infrastructure Assessment, which will set out the UK’s infrastructure needs for the next 10-30 years.

    Coal fired power stations without abatement are not consistent with meeting our decarbonisation objectives. This is why the Government has committed to consulting on phasing out unabated coal by 2025 and to restricting the amount of coal generation in 2023.

  • Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Attorney General, how many fraud prosecutions were carried out in each CPS business area in England and Wales in each year since 2005.

    Robert Buckland

    The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the numbers of defendants and the outcome of prosecution proceedings, divided into twelve Principal Offence Categories, including ‘Fraud and Forgery’. The numbers of defendants prosecuted under this category are provided in the accompanying attachment.

  • Victoria Borwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Victoria Borwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Victoria Borwick on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs plans to undertake or commission on the risk of blood-borne viruses for former sex workers and ex-intravenous drug users.

    Jane Ellison

    As a Departmental Expert Committee the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) does not undertake or commission research directly. SaBTO is carrying out a review of selection criteria for donation of blood, tissues and cells. The review will be wide-ranging and comprehensive and will include evidence relating to the risks of blood-borne infections in people who have previously injected drugs or received money or drugs for sex. Should any gaps be identified in the course of the review, SaBTO could make research recommendations.