The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2016-01-11.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on the rates for carbon price support in (a) 2020 and (b) 2030.
Damian Hinds
CPS rates have been capped at £18/tCO2 until 2019/20. An announcement on the rates beyond 2019/20 will be made in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Russian government following the Russian airstrike in Hazzano, Syria, which damaged the bakery funded by the Department for International Development.
Mr David Lidington
We have repeatedly made clear to the Russian Government our serious concerns about its bombing campaign in Syria. We have consistently called on Russia to focus its targeting on Daesh and to cease the targeting of moderate opposition groups. We have also expressed concern over the numbers of civilian casualties being reported as a result of Russian strikes.
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has raised our concerns about Russia’s approach with Foreign Minister Lavrov, including at meetings of the International Syria Support Group. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), discussed Syria with President Putin at the G20 Summit in Antalya, and in a telephone conversation on 9 December following Parliament’s vote to support military action against Daesh in Syria.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department provides to senior civil servants on speaking at public events.
Matthew Hancock
All civil servants are subject to the requirements of the Civil Service Code and Civil Service Management Code. Further guidance on attendance at external events including those organised by political parties can be found in the Directory of Civil Service Guidance (vol 2).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2016-03-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people with a (a) physical disability, (b) mental disability and (c) physical and mental disability in (i) the UK and (ii) Twickenham constituency.
Justin Tomlinson
a) and b) Based on the latest available figures from the Department’s Family Resources Survey 2013/2014, an estimated 11.9 million people in the UK reported a disability. The table below provides more detailed information about the types of impairment that disabled people reported.
Table 1: Disability prevalence disaggregated by impairment type UK, 2013/14
|
Millions of individuals |
|
|
Impairment type |
2013/14 |
|
Vision |
1.5 |
|
Hearing |
1.7 |
|
Mobility |
6.5 |
|
Dexterity |
3.4 |
|
Learning |
1.5 |
|
Memory |
1.9 |
|
Mental health |
2.1 |
|
Stamina/breathing/fatigue |
4.5 |
|
Social/behavioural |
0.8 |
|
Other |
1.8 |
|
All with at least one impairment |
11.9 |
Source: Family Resources Survey 2013/14
Respondents can report, and be affected by, more than one type of impairment.
c) Using the FRS an estimated 2.7 million people in the UK reported both a physical and mental disability. This estimate includes all individuals currently living in private households. It does not include individuals living in communal establishments (e.g. care homes).
For the purposes of this analysis, the following categories have been classified as physical disabilities;
Vision, Hearing, Mobility, Dexterity, and Stamina/Breathing/Fatigue.
The following categories have been classified as mental disabilities;
Learning, Memory, Mental Health, and Social/Behavioural
Note that disabilities classified as "other" have not been included in part c).
The department cannot provide figures in the format requested for Twickenham.
Aggregate level estimates of people with disability aged 16-64 in Twickenham can be found on the Nomis website based on the Annual Population Survey: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/query/select/getdatasetbytheme.asp?opt=3&theme=&subgrp=
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Chalk on 2016-04-21.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the budget is for the Cyber Innovation Centre in Cheltenham.
Greg Hands
The Chancellor announced the Cyber Innovation Centre for Cheltenham in November 2015, helping to ensure Cheltenham remains a world leader in cyber excellence. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will be running a competitive tender process to invite providers to run the centre to ensure that this initiative delivers the best possible value for money. We will disclose the budget when the tender exercise has completed, which we anticipate will be this autumn.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-06-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average proportion of GP’s working time spent outside of the surgery is.
Alistair Burt
The information is not held centrally. As general practitioners (GPs) are independent contractors, it is for each practice to determine how they run their practice in order to meet the reasonable needs of their patients.
The Department commissions a GP Worklife Survey and this is carried out by the Manchester Centre for Health Economics at the University of Manchester on behalf of the Policy Research Unit in Commissioning and the Healthcare System (PRUComm).
In 2015, respondents were asked to indicate how much of their time was spent on external meetings, for example, meetings of the clinical commissioning group. Responses show that GPs spend 8.4% of their time on administration, 3.5% on external meetings and 6.3% on other activities.
The full report can be found at:
http://www.population-health.manchester.ac.uk/healtheconomics/research/Reports/EighthNationalGPWorklifeSurveyreport/EighthNationalGPWorklifeSurveyreport.pdf
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Robinson on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department plans to take steps to extend eligibility for the Blue Badge scheme to the parents of children with autism.
Andrew Jones
Local authorities do not have powers to independently extend eligibility. The criteria are set by statutory instrument. The Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000 (as amended) contain a number of criteria covering those who do not qualify automatically, including a provision for any permanent and substantial disability that causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking. It is the responsibility of local authorities to assess whether applicants meet any of the criteria.
People with autism are not excluded from being issued a badge. Any permanent and substantial disability that causes very considerable difficulty walking falls within the criteria. It is the responsibility of local authorities to assess the degree of difficulty and to issue badges accordingly. We have no plans to provide badges to carers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-10-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff of the Department for International Development stationed in the UK are in receipt of support for private school fees; and what was the cost in 2015–16.
Lord Bates
DFID spend on education allowance for staff in the UK in 2015/16 was £133,892.21. The number of staff in receipt of education allowance in the UK is withheld as the number is so low that it has the potential to identify individuals.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to protect legally privileged communications from surveillance.
Mr John Hayes
The Covert Surveillance and Property Interference Code of Practice, which came into force on 10 December 2014 following approval by Parliament, set out the safeguards in relation to covert surveillance activity under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 which is likely or intended to result in the acquisition of knowledge of matters subject to legal privilege.
There are similar safeguards in the existing Interception of Communications and Equipment Interference Codes of Practice which were approved by the House of Lords in December 2015 and the House of Commons earlier this month. The Investigatory Powers Bill and its associated codes of practice will replace the existing codes of practice for the interception of communication and equipment interference and will set out the powers available to public authorities to obtain communications and communication data and the safeguards that will apply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many students began podiatry courses in the last three years; what assessment he has made of the reasons for trends in those numbers; and what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of applicants to such courses.
Ben Gummer
This table shows the planned number of podiatry courses available in the last three years, and the actual take up of those training places.
|
Year |
2013/14 |
2014/15 |
2015/16 |
|
Podiatry (planned) |
365 |
362 |
362 |
|
Podiatry (actual) |
339 |
345 |
– |
Source: multi professional education and training budget monitoring returns
The number of podiatry students taking up courses for 2015/16 is not yet available.
The Health Education England (HEE) annual Workforce Plan for England 2016/17 will be published by the end of February 2016.
Ministers hold regular discussions with HEE on a broad range of workforce supply issues and puts out an annual Mandate to HEE setting its priorities for the coming year.
The HEE commissioning and investment plan – 2016/17 includes a forecast increase in supply of podiatrists in the National Health Service workforce of 36.4% by 2020 which is an additional 1,084 full time equivalents coming out of training.