Tag: 2016

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will estimate how many pupils are being taught how to cook in the 2015-16 academic year.

    Nick Gibb

    The specific information requested is not held by the Department for Education.

    Under the National Curriculum, as updated in September 2014, cooking is now compulsory for pupils in Key Stages 1-3 in maintained schools. Children are taught about food, nutrition and healthy eating and how to cook a repertoire of dishes.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2016 to Question 23435, whether it is his Department’s position that the UK was a party to the armed conflict occurring in Syria at the time of the air strike on 21 August 2015.

    Michael Fallon

    An armed conflict was occurring in Syria at the time of the air strike on 21 August 2015. The UK’s military strike was governed by international humanitarian law.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans there are for (a) Transport for the North, (b) Transport for Greater Manchester and (c) Transport for London to take over from Network Rail the management or ownership of railway stations.

    Claire Perry

    The Department for Transport is working with Network Rail and other parties to explore new models for station management and ownership with the goal to bring improvements for both passengers and the communities they serve.

    Any decisions on such potential future options will take account of the ‎recommendations of Nicola Shaw’s report into the longer term shape and financing of Network Rail, and the government would expect any proposals to demonstrate improvements for passengers and value for money for the taxpayer.

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

    Lord Marlesford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2016-03-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what NHS facilities are available for proton beam treatment for cancer in the UK; where the facilities are located; and when each became operational.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    In 2012, the Government provided £250 million to build two high energy proton beam therapy (PBT) facilities at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester and University College London Hospitals (UCLH) NHS Foundation Trust in London. Work has already started and is proceeding as quickly and safely as possible, with the first facility due to become operational in 2018.

    NHS England is committed to continuing the Proton Beam Therapy Overseas Programme until the centres being built at The Christie and UCLH are in a position to undertake the treatment currently being commissioned from overseas providers.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Annual Report 2015 of the Service Complaints Ombudsmen for the Armed Forces, what steps he is taking in response to the finding on page 2 of that Report that the most common reasons for not submitting a complaint given by service personnel who claim to have experienced bullying, harassment or discrimination were that nothing would be done and that complaining would adversely affect the career of the potential complainant.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Service Complaints Ombudsman’s annual report for 2015 was published on 25 April 2016. Whilst there are no recommendations in this year’s report, given the introduction of a reformed complaints system and a fundamentally new Ombudsman role, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is curently considering the report in detail to see what lessons there are for the complaints process or wider policies.

    The aim of the reforms introduced on 1 January 2016 is to address long-standing concerns raised by the Service Complaints Commissioner that confidence in the system has been affected by complexity which has led to delay and by a lack of strong independent and effective oversight. Such a lack of confidence can in turn leave our personnel reluctant to raise issues and so have them resolved. The new process is streamlined, and Service personnel will now be able to approach the new Service Complaints Ombudsman if they are dissatisfied, which will make a real difference for individuals. The Ombudsman has significant new powers to hold the MOD to account for fair, effective and efficient complaints handllng. The Ombudsman comments in her report that she is hopeful that the new system will make a real impact on confidence levels. The MOD shares that view, and looks forward to the Ombudsman’s 2016 report for her assessment of whether the aims are being achieved.

    It is important that all Service personnel know where to get information about how to make a service complaint, as well as about the role of the new Service Complaints Ombudsman and how to contact her. We will take further steps to communicate as widely as possible through appropriate channels the role of the new Ombudsman, particularly to junior personnel, which will supplement and support the visits undertaken and communication material produced by the Ombudsman.

    Bullying, harassment and discrimination are not tolerated in the Armed Forces. Tackling such behaviour depends on our Service personnel having confidence that the complaints system will deal with their concerns appropriately and will treat them fairly. The Service Complaints Ombudsman will hold the MOD to account for how it handles complaints and how it treats its Service personnel under the complaints process. It is by raising complaints and approaching the Ombudsman if they are dissatisfied that complainants can ensure that the MOD is openly held to account. It is also through the Ombudsman’s recommendations that the MOD can identify where action needs to be taken to improve.

    The finding by the Service Complaints Ombudsman that proportionately more women feel moved to make a Service complaint than their male colleagues is a concern. The Ombudsman goes on to commend the work that is being done by the Army in particular, where the issue is the most acute, to tackle this. The initiatives that she sets out in the report are continuing.

    It is the responsibility of all those involved in the service complaints process to ensure complaints are handled effectively and efficiently. All complaints are to be dealt with promptly but fairly, regardless of the complainant’s rank or whether they are still serving. There have been no discussions with the Chief of the Defence Staff on the issues raised.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 13 April 2016 to Question 32732, when she plans to publish a response to the consultation into out-of-school education settings.

    Edward Timpson

    The Government wants children to be educated in a safe environment without exposure to hateful and extremist views that undermine British values. The call for evidence on out-of-school education settings was launched on 26 November 2015 and ran for six and a half weeks closing on 11 January 2016.

    Around 3,000 people completed the published response form, either online or manually. The Department for Education received a significant number of further representations to the consultation by email and post. All responses and representations are being analysed.

    We will be publishing a response to the consultation in due course.

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of crime in (a) North Swindon, (b) Wiltshire and (c) England in each of the last six years.

    Brandon Lewis

    According to the independent Crime Survey for England and Wales, crime has fallen by 6% nationally in the last year and by well over a quarter since June 2010. Families, communities and property across the country are safer as a result.

    The numbers of crimes recorded by the police in the Swindon Community Safety Partnership area (which includes the constituency of North Swindon), in Wiltshire and in England have all risen in the last year. The Office for National Statistics has been clear that recent rises in police recorded crime reflect both improvements in crime recording practice and a greater willingness of victims to come forward, particularly to report domestic abuse and sexual offences.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on the technical and economic analysis required for a full route decision on Phase 2b of High Speed 2; and when the deadline is for details of that route to be announced.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department and High Speed 2 Limited continue to develop technical and economic analysis on HS2. The Government intends to announce a decision on the route of Phase 2b by the end of the year. This will be supported by a Strategic Outline Business Case.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive 2000 on how floods have been controlled in the UK.

    Rory Stewart

    Implementation of the Water Framework Directive is devolved within the UK.

    Implementation of the Directive promotes, through river basin planning, an integrated approach to managing water and promotes local decisions in catchments to take account of the particular circumstances. Where parts of rivers are managed for certain uses (including flood protection), they are formally designated as ‘heavily modified’ and the management of those rivers must take account of those uses. In England, 1,105 of 3,767 rivers are designated as heavily modified; 781 of them because of their important role in providing flood protection.

    Many of the actions needed to protect and improve the quality of the water environment (for instance restoring peat land, wetland creation and sustainable management of soils) also help to reduce flooding. The Directive also promotes sustainable flood risk prevention and flood management schemes. Consideration of natural flood management measures to slow, store and filter flood water can deliver additional social and environmental benefits when used along with traditional hard defences, and can increase resilience of communities to extreme events, both floods and drought. The ‘Slowing the Flow’ project in Pickering is an example of this.

  • Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the application-to-place ratio prior to interview is for ST1/CT1 posts starting in August to December 2016 at each specialities national recruitment office.

    Ben Gummer

    Health Education England (HEE) is responsible for the management of medical specialty recruitment on behalf of the four United Kingdom countries.

    The information requested for 2016 is not yet available.

    HEE publishes application to place ratios in October on an annual basis. The August to December 2016 data will be published in October 2016.

    Competition ratios for 2015 can be found here:

    http://specialtytraining.hee.nhs.uk/specialty-recruitment/competition-ratios/2015-competition-ratios/

    To note: The data used to determine the competition ratios for is drawn from the initial recruitment round and does not include re-advertisements.

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