UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2016

  • Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to introduce (a) stricter regulations and (b) a ban on the use of snares.

    Rory Stewart

    In 2012 Defra published research on the extent of use and humaneness of snares in England and Wales. Following publication of the report, officials worked with stakeholders to explore options in light of the report’s findings. We are considering options and will make an announcement in due course.

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

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

    To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, how many all-in-one computers have been issued to hon. Members and their offices since May 2015; and how many such computers have had to be recalled due to a fault.

    Tom Brake

    1,071 all-in-one computers have been issued since May 2015. 14 have been recalled due to a fault.

  • Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take to help give the views of young people greater prominence in policy decisions in their community.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The Cabinet Office supports the Government’s commitment of giving young people the power and opportunity to play a real part in their community. We promote engagement, advocacy and consultation at both national and local level

    We support the British Youth Council (BYC) to deliver its ‘youth voice’ programme, including key activities such as the national annual Make Your Mark ballot, UK Youth Parliament, and the Youth Select Committee.

    Cabinet Office has committed to continuing its support for these activities for the remainder of the current Parliament.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of the use of neonicotinoid pesticides when granted emergency authorisation on the bee population in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

    George Eustice

    Emergency authorisation was granted in 2015 for the use of two neonicotinoids on up to around 32,000 hectares of oilseed rape crop in high-risk situations in England and used by the applicant in Eastern counties. The expert assessment of the application concluded that this would not pose an unacceptable risk to bees. No authorisations were granted for use in Northern Ireland.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding her Department has allocated to schools in (a) Calderdale and (b) West Yorkshire to tackle bullying in the last (i) 12 months and (ii) five years.

    Edward Timpson

    The Government continues to make tackling all forms of bullying a top priority. All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy with measures to tackle bullying among pupils. While they are free to develop their own anti-bullying strategies they are held clearly to account for their effectiveness through Ofsted.

    School funding to prevent and tackle bullying is part of their overall funding allocation, and is not separately identified at school or local authority level. In addition, the Department has directly funded a number of national anti-bullying organisations, supporting their work within schools across England to combat bullying.

    In 2015/16 we provided around £1.3 million to various anti-bullying charities including the Diana Award, Kidscape and the National Children’s Bureau (hosted by the Anti-bullying Alliance). These organisations train teachers and pupils in schools to prevent bullying and deal with its impact when it occurs so that bullied children do not suffer continuing distress. Additionally in the past 12 months we have supported the Government Equalities Office (GEO) to deliver a £2 million grant programme aimed at combatting homophobic bullying in schools.

    Between 2011 and 2016 we provided over £6.6 million to these and other charities to help them to support schools to support pupils who are bullied and to develop strategies to prevent bullying from happening.

    The Department and GEO will both be funding further projects this year.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the findings of the RSPCA report entitled, Breed Specific Legislation – A Dog’s Dinner, published in August 2016, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of breed specific legislation.

    George Eustice

    The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 was reviewed as recently as 2014. At that time it was decided to make some changes, including extending the criminal offence of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control to all places and increasing the maximum penalties substantially from 2 years’ imprisonment to (i) 14 years‘ imprisonment in cases of death of the victim; (ii) 5 years’ imprisonment in cases of injury; and (iii) 3 years’ imprisonment in cases where a dog attacks an assistance dog.

    The Government does not consider that dogs bred for fighting, or those that share the characteristics of these animals, make ideal pets. However, the law allows individual dogs to be exempt from the general prohibition if a court is satisfied that they do not pose a threat to public safety and if the owner is considered a fit and proper person.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the potential effect of the introduction of the national living wage on the cost of care paid for by local authorities.

    David Mowat

    Social care continues to be a key priority for the Government. This is why, against the context of tough public sector finances; the Government has taken steps to protect social care services. The Government is giving local authorities access to up to £3.5 billion of new support for social care by 2019/20. This should mean local government has access to the funding to increase social care spending in real terms by the end of the Parliament. This will support councils to continue to focus on core services and to pay fees which reflect provider costs including the National Living Wage.

    The spending took into account a range of financial and economic factors, including projections and data on the National Living Wage from the Office of Budget Responsibility and Skills for Care.

    The National Living Wage is an important step in rewarding the valuable contribution made by care workers, who often fall into the lowest earning occupations. Out of an estimated 1.16 million workers in adult social care in England, up to 900,000 people are expected to benefit.

    Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities must have regard to fostering an effective workforce with the appropriate capabilities when shaping their local markets. The Act and its statutory guidance make clear that prices and fee rates agreed with providers must reflect these new duties, including the National Living Wage. The Department continues to monitor the whole of the market of care providers and engage with the sector to better understand the challenges they face and support local authorities who purchase services.

  • Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether she attends the Cabinet committee on flooding.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Cabinet Office regularly publishes lists of Cabinet Committees and their membership on their website – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-cabinet-committees-system-and-list-of-cabinet-committees.

    “

  • Karen Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Karen Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Buck on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children and young people have been referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in each clinical commissioning group area in each quarter since April 2013.

    Alistair Burt

    We do not hold this information centrally.

  • Karen Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Karen Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times local authorities in England have been subject to a judicial review of section 17 of the Children Act 2004 in each of the last five years.

    Caroline Dinenage

    HMCTS does not collect data to the level of detail required to identify local authorities or social service authorities, or applications in respect of the Children Act 2004. The information can only be collated at disproportionate cost.