The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of dwell times on the (a) punctuality of and (b) number of cancellations on automated rail services.
Claire Perry
There are no automated rail services on the UK national rail network.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Twigg on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of nurses that will need to be recruited from abroad to maintain levels of health care provision during the 2016-17 financial year.
Ben Gummer
The number of nurses that will need to be recruited from abroad to maintain levels of health care provision during the 2016-17 financial year is a matter for local National Health Service organisations with their knowledge of the healthcare needs of their local populations.
Local organisations must ensure they have sufficient levels of nurses to deliver safe and sustainable care. We remain committed to moving forwards towards a self-sustaining workforce and to reduce the demand for migrant labour, including nurses. Nurses have been included on the Home Office’s Shortage Occupation list but this Government remains committed to the principle that our nurses should be able to secure the jobs they are qualified for. Employers will have to satisfy the resident labour market test before they can employ a nurse from outside of the European Economic Area.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to support healthcare professionals working in the NHS to continue to undertake research.
George Freeman
The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) improves the health and wealth of the nation through research. Part of the NIHR is the Faculty.
The Faculty empowers and develops the NIHR community of research professionals, to improve the nation’s health, wellbeing and prosperity. The Faculty achieves this by creating a sense of common purpose and identity around shared values that cut across organisational and professional boundaries.
The NIHR Faculty comprises three categories of membership: Investigators (including Senior Investigators), Associates and Trainees. The Faculty encompasses research, clinical and support staff from all relevant professional backgrounds.
Since 2006 the NIHR:
― has made Senior Investigators awards to 338 individuals through nine competitions;
― has supported 10,593 unique trainees through fellowships and through the NIHR Infrastructure;
― has supported 5,920 unique Investigators through research contracts and the NIHR Infrastructure;
― has supported 2,355 unique Principal Investigators through research contracts;
― has supported 3,926 unique Investigators within the NIHR Infrastructure; and
― has supported 4,652 Associates in the NIHR Infrastructure.
The number of eligible clinical professional groups able to benefit from the training programmes targeted at allied health professionals and nurses has increased by 50% since 2006.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-07-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which ministers have official ministerial Twitter accounts; and whether they have plans to close those accounts.
Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen
Civil servants manage departmental social media accounts, but not individual MP Twitter handles.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been spent on road infrastructure per head of population in (a) Ellesmere Port and Neston constituency, (b) the North West, (c) the Northern Powerhouse area, (d) London and (e) England in (i) 2014-15 and (ii) 2015-16.
Andrew Jones
Figures on public sector road infrastructure spend per head of population are produced for England and the regions as part of the HM Treasury Country and Regional Analysis (CRA).
In 2014/15, the latest year for which data are available, capital spend on road infrastructure per head was £87 in the North West, £68 in London and £96 in England.
Defining the Northern Powerhouse area as the three regions in the north of England (North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber), capital spend on road infrastructure per head was £100 in 2014/15.
Data on spend per head on road infrastructure is not available for Ellesmere Port and Neston.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-12-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect on small businesses and entrepreneurs of the closure of the Business Growth Service.
Anna Soubry
We do not expect closure of the Business Growth Service to have an impact on small businesses and entrepreneurs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2016-01-27.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the recent extensive flooding, they intend to review the sections of the planning practice guidance relating to flood risk.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
Our planning guidance is clear that councils need to consider the strict tests set out in national planning policy, and where these are not met, new development on flood risk sites should not be allowed. These tests, set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, are designed to protect people and property from flooding and give councils the robust ability to reject inappropriate planning applications.
Councils are expected to avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains. Where development is necessary, it must be demonstrated that it is safe and will not increase flood risk elsewhere.
We are always looking to see what lessons can be learned and what changes should be considered including how local councils plan for development, where they allow building and the account they take of the strict tests set out in national policy to protect people and property from flooding.
My rt. hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Oliver Letwin), has already announced that he will chair a National Flood Resilience Review to assess how the country and our communities can be better protected from future flooding and extreme weather events. Additionally, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Elizabeth Truss), has announced that the new Cumbria Floods Partnership group will consider and identify what additional flood protection measures may be needed in Cumbria.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Rayner on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2016 to Question 26069, when the Government and the Financial Conduct Authority plan to publish the evidence received on transaction costs for pension trusts; and what the timetable is for determining the next steps referred to.
Justin Tomlinson
The Government remains committed to ensuring that members of pension schemes are able to obtain information about the costs and charges which they bear. Although it is not a legal requirement, the Government expects that many schemes will choose to publish their annual Chair’s Statement. In due course, the Government intends to make regulations requiring information about scheme costs and charges to be published.
Trade unions that are recognised to any extent for the purposes of collective bargaining in relation to members of the scheme are entitled to receive a copy of the Chair’s Statement. Trade unions which do not meet these criteria are not entitled to receive a copy of the Chair’s Statement. However, beneficiaries of pension schemes who are members of trade unions which are not recognised for collective bargaining purposes may still request the information and pass it on to their union or any other person.
We intend to publish a summary of the evidence received on transaction costs in pension schemes when we announce our next steps, which will follow in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Thomas-Symonds on 2016-03-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to ensure the early referral of ex-offenders on day one of release onto specialist employment support provision under the proposed work and health programme from 2017.
Priti Patel
The details of the policy for referral criteria and eligibility for the Work and Health Programme are still in development and we are looking to ensure that claimants with different circumstances receive the right support at the right time.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of mental health issues among firefighters; and if she will make a statement.
Mike Penning
The physical and mental well being of fire fighters is of utmost importance and we recognise that from time to time some fire fighters may experience challenging times because of the stressful and demanding functions of the role. The responsibility for ensuring the health and safety of fire fighters rests with individual fire and rescue authorities. The Chief Fire Officers’ Association supports them in this work through its lead on fire and rescue occupational health matters.
The Government announced in October last year the allocation of nearly £10 million to help support 200,000 emergency services personnel and volunteers, funded through the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) fines. Of this funding up to £4 million was allocated to mental health charity MIND to develop a programme of targeted mental health support and information for all emergency services personnel across England. The programme includes an anti-stigma campaign, a confidential advice line for emergency service staff, training, peer learning events and other resources to help promote better mental health in the work place.