Tag: 2016

  • Steve Rotheram – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve Rotheram – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to safeguard the jobs of EU nationals living in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.

    Damian Hinds

    Our country remains open for business. Employment is at a record high with a almost a million new businesses in our country since 2010 and we will always welcome those with the skills, the drive and the expertise to make our nation better still. The Prime Minister has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living here, and the only circumstances in which that wouldn’t be possible is if British citizens’ rights in European member states were not protected.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will meet members of the Manufacturing Commission to discuss its report, entitled Industrial Evolution, published in October 2015.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government’s top priority is to continue creating a highly competitive business environment that makes the UK an attractive location for new manufacturing investment in sustainable processes. We are protecting spending on innovation and the cutting-edge smart manufacturing technologies that will encourage digital, virtual, resource-efficient factories in the future. The High Value Manufacturing Catapult has skills, expertise and equipment available to help partner companies improve the efficiency and sustainability of their processes. As part of Autumn Statement 2015, my Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that funding to the nine existing Catapults would increase in real terms over the Spending Review period ensuring the UK remains a world leader in high-value manufacturing.

    In addition, we are taking into account UK business opportunities during negotiations on the EU Circular Economy proposals which include aims to improve business sustainability, resource and energy efficiency.

    At the Summer Budget 2015, the Chancellor announced a review of the business energy efficiency tax landscape and Government launched a consultation in September. The consultation set out proposals for delivering a simpler and more stable environment for business that will reduce administrative costs and improve incentives to invest in energy efficiency. This will help increase the productivity of UK businesses, save carbon emissions and ensure secure energy supplies. The Government is currently considering all consultation responses and is likely to publish its formal response at Budget 2016.

    I would be delighted to receive further representations from the Manufacturing Commission on their recent Industrial Evolution report.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information he holds on the average length of time allocated for face-to-face appointments for personal independence payment claimants attending the Queen’s Road assessment centre in Brighton; and if he will make a statement.

    Justin Tomlinson

    DWP does not set a time limit for face-to-face assessments. Consultations take as long as necessary in order to reach the evidence-based conclusions on individual cases. Atos Healthcare assumes for scheduling purposes an average length of 1.5 hours for the Health Professional to see the claimant and to write up the report.

  • Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to employment and support allowance for new claimants in the work-related activity group on the mental health of those affected.

    Priti Patel

    We have fully assessed the impacts on equality of the welfare measures in the Bill and the wider budget, meeting our obligations as set out in the Public Sector Equality Duty. An impact assessment was published on 20 July last year.

  • Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Freyberg on 2016-03-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to publish a response to their consultation on accredited safe havens, Protecting personal health and care data: a consultation on proposals to introduce new regulations, which closed on 8 August 2014.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Department received 278 responses to the 2014 consultation Protecting personal health and care data, but was unable to publish the Coalition Government’s response to that consultation before the 2015 election.

    The consultation set the clear ambition to move as quickly as possible to a future state where:

    – the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) is the place for holding identifiable health and care information at the national level;

    – access to data is more automated so that routine functions, including many commissioning functions, do not require access to identifiable data; and

    – consent is used more widely as the means for sharing identifiable information.

    Analysis of consultation responses demonstrated no obvious consensus about the function, purpose, number and controls required for Accredited Safe Havens (ASHs) to operate. Since the 2014 consultation, HSCIC, working with NHS England, local government, Public Health England and other key stakeholders has committed to the delivery of the future state within two years, without the need for interim ASHs. Delivery of these functions by HSCIC has the added benefits of:

    – increasing the likelihood of the public that there are robust protections and safeguards in place for their health and care data and information and;

    – reducing the need for the health and care system to use identifiable data as a basis for delivering their functions.

    The Government has concluded that the focus should be on supporting the HSCIC and NHS England in taking forward the future state as soon as possible. This will address the need to support integration and, in the longer term, to ensure flexibility is built in to reflect future priorities and also developments in technology and data.

    In September 2015, The Secretary of State for Health commissioned the Care Quality Commission to undertake a review of data security in the National Health Service, and in parallel commissioned Dame Fiona Caldicott, the National Data Guardian, to undertake an independent review of data security and consent, to:

    – Develop new data security standards;

    – Devise a method of testing compliance with the new standards, and;

    – Propose a new consent/opt-out model for data sharing.

    The National Data Guardian’s independent review will report shortly and the government will consult on the recommendations and respond to them in due course.


  • Liz McInnes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Liz McInnes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of hospitals which do not have a multi-disciplinary diabetes foot care team as advised in NICE guidance.

    Jane Ellison

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published clinical guidance and quality standards on the treatment of diabetes and its complications. The NICE Diabetes Quality Standard is clear that people with diabetes who are at risk of foot ulceration should receive regular reviews by a foot protection team in accordance with its clinical guidance. The Health and Social Care Act (2012) places a duty on NHS England to have regard to the NICE Quality Standards. Clinical commissioning groups should also have regard to them in planning and delivering services, as part of a general duty to secure a continuous improvement in quality.

    Our mandate to NHS England for next year includes an objective for NHS England “to lead a step change in the NHS in preventing ill health and supporting people to live healthier lives”.

    There has been an increase in the provision of access to a Multidisciplinary Diabetes Foot care Teams and an indicator measuring performance is included within the National Diabetes Audit to enable progress to be tracked. The focus to date has been on improving access to assessment and treatment by a specialist team. In terms of the proportion of hospitals with a Multidisciplinary Diabetes Foot Care Team, this was 60% in 2011, 72% in 2013, and the figure for 2015 will be published soon as part of the National Diabetes Inpatient Audit 2015 report.

  • Carol Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Carol Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carol Monaghan on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what mechanism exists to ensure that research proposals which have been judged to cross the boundary between the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the UK Space Agency proceed to peer review.

    Joseph Johnson

    Staff in the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the other research councils and the UK Space Agency (UKSA) discuss research proposals on a case-by-case basis where there is cross-disciplinarity between organisational boundaries. The EPSRC operates a remit query service to assist applicants in establishing the best council for their submission. Where a proposal is received by EPSRC without using this remit service, EPSRC identify and discuss the proposal with the most relevant organisation to ensure that, where applicable, co-funding can be secured and that appropriate reviewers can be requested to cover the breadth of research disciplines covered in the proposal. Following supportive peer review the proposal would then, in the case of EPSRC, be tabled at an appropriate funding panel for authorisation or rejection in open competition with other proposals.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the financial cost to local authorities of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards for people who are placed in care homes or hospitals for their care or treatment.

    David Mowat

    The Department published an impact assessment on the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards in 2008; it has made no further estimate. The Law Commission’s review of the safeguards, which has been commissioned by the Department, is expected to be published at the end of the year.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 29 September 2016 to Question 44820, whether any subsequent action is taken by HM Revenue and Customs against employers named and shamed for non-compliance with the national minimum wage and national living wage to check that they have changed their business practice and are continuing to pay their workforce legally.

    Margot James

    HM Revenue and Customs does not have a formal process for revisiting previously non-compliant employers.

    However, HMRC responds to 100% of worker complaints, including into employers where arrears have previously been found. As well as responding to complaints, HMRC also maintains a risk-led targeted enforcement programme which involves proactively investigating employers in high-risk sectors.

    HMRC will always take action where they believe an employer is not paying the National Minimum Wage/National Living Wage to ensure that every worker receives what they are legally entitled to.

  • Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh on 2016-01-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of savings to businesses of his Department’s plans to introduce quarterly tax returns for businesses.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government has no plans to introduce quarterly tax returns for business. The Government is introducing simple, secure and personalised digital tax accounts, removing the need for annual tax returns. Updating HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) through software or apps will deliver a light-touch process, much less burdensome and time-consuming than it is today.

    The Government will consult on the details of these proposals throughout 2016 and will publish a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) in the usual way. This will include an estimate of the impacts on business. The Government routinely publish TIINs for tax policy changes when the policy detail for those changes is finalised or near-finalised.

    HMRC has discussed these reforms with a range of professional bodies and advisory groups representing small businesses and the self-employed. HMRC has also engaged extensively with a range of professional bodies and other stakeholders representing the accountancy profession.

    On 14 December 2015, HMRC set out details of its plans at its annual stakeholder conference, which was attended by a large number of different organisations representing small businesses.