Tag: 2016

  • Baroness Northover – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Northover – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Northover on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 1 February (HL5238), what proportion of UK aid spending on water, sanitation and hygiene is targeted at the maintenance and upkeep of existing facilities.

    Baroness Verma

    Our WASH programmes take an integrated approach to both provision and maintenance of existing facilities, involving building national, local and community capacity and systems to ensure that services continue to function over time. In 2014, total UK bilateral ODA spending on water supply and sanitation was £181 million. UK aid expenditure is reported in Statistics on International Development report at table A6a which I have attached for your convenience.

    We do not collect data separately on the amount of funds allocated to installation of facilities and their subsequent maintenance. In most countries responsibility for financing operation and maintenance is passed to the community where services have been installed, after appropriate training has been provided.

  • Lord Rennard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Rennard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rennard on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the Electoral Commission’s UK Parliamentary General Election 2015: Campaign spending report.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The Electoral Commission published its “UK Parliamentary General Election 2015: Campaign spending report” on 29 February 2016. The Government is considering the report and will respond in due course.

  • Richard Burgon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Richard Burgon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burgon on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what statutory duty there is on individual general practitioners to provide notice of closure of a GP practice to NHS England or clinical commissioning group.

    Alistair Burt

    GP Contract regulations require a practice to give NHS England written notice of their intention to terminate their contract. Where the contract is with a partnership, the contract terminates six months from the date of the notice. In the case of a single handed practice, the contract terminates three months from the date of the notice.

    There is no specific statutory duty on NHS England to notify patients of the closure of a practice however the National Health Service Act 2006 requires NHS England to ensure the provision of primary medical services throughout England.

    However, NHS England take the closure of a practice very seriously and will look to engage with patients at the earliest opportunity.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many referrals the Insolvency Service received from (a) each of the sectoral regulators and (b) any other third party for alleged malpractice by directors of companies in each year since 2009.

    Anna Soubry

    The number of complaints received about live companies, and the number of reports received about insolvent companies from insolvency practitioners (IPs), is summarised in the table below. No records are kept of the total number of complaints received about insolvent companies and separate figures are not available for complaints received from regulators.

    Reporting year

    No complaints received about live companies

    No of reports received from IPs

    09/10

    5,989

    7,030

    10/11

    4,852

    5,373

    11/12

    3,523

    5,401

    12/13

    3,014

    5,335

    13/14

    3,603

    4,671

    14/15

    3,791

    4,620

    15/16

    3,904

    4,277
  • Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discretion is available to local authorities to grant blue badges to disabled people who are in receipt of the enhanced mobility rate of personal independence payment other than through the moving around criteria; and what steps he has taken to monitor local authorities in their exercise of that discretion.

    Andrew Jones

    It is set out in the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000 (as amended), that to qualify for a badge via a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) award the applicant must score at least 8 points in the “moving around” activity of the mobility component. There is no discretion for local authorities to issue badges for other PIP awards.

    However, where a person fails to qualify for a badge through PIP, they may still apply to their local authority for a badge under the other eligibility criteria; these include any permanent and substantial disabilities (including non-physical disabilities) which cause very considerable difficulty in walking.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effect on safety of buildings on pupils of removing the expectation from guidance that most new schools should have automatic fire sprinkler systems fitted.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department has recently consulted stakeholders on proposed revisions to fire safety guidance, which seek to clarify when sprinklers will be fitted in schools. We are not changing the rules on fire safety. It has never been compulsory for sprinklers to be fitted in schools. All new schools must comply with building and fire safety regulations. Where it is concluded that sprinklers must be fitted to protect property or keep children safe, they will be. We are actively considering responses to the consultation and will respond in due course.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of whether the conditions have been met for the Pensions Regulator to issue a contribution notice to Tata Steel in relation to the British Steel Pension Scheme.

    Richard Harrington

    The assessment of whether it is appropriate to issue contribution notices is the responsibility of the Independent Pensions Regulator.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what contingency arrangements her Department has made for the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the upcoming EU referendum.

    Andrea Leadsom

    I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by my rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 14 January 2016 to Question 21952:

    http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-01-11/21952/.

    “

  • Lord Wigley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Lord Wigley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wigley on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that the recommendation by Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate in its Thematic Review of the CPS Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Units that all lawyers working at Rape and Serious Sexual Offences units undergo refresher training is implemented.

    Lord Keen of Elie

    Ensuring that staff have the tools and skills necessary to prosecute effectively is a CPS priority. A detailed CPS/Police Joint National Rape Action Plan was published in June 2014 which identified a programme of training activity to deliver improvements in investigation and prosecution outcomes. This extensive programme, consisting of a range of face to face specialist training, is currently underway. The programme includes refresher training for all specialist prosecutors undertaking rape and serious sexual offence casework which will be delivered during 2016.

  • Baroness Coussins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Coussins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Coussins on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultations they have held, if any, about the rates of pay of interpreters contracted to work for the Home Office Interpreter Operations Unit, and what the outcome of those consultations has been.

    Lord Bates

    In November 2015 the Interpreter Operations Unit wrote to all interpreters registered to work on behalf of the Home Office informing them of plans to change their rates of pay from January 2016. Some discussions were held with interpreter representatives in December 2015. All proposed changes are currently on hold pending a further internal review of existing pay and conditions. This review will take place in 2016/17.