The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many clinical commissioning groups and local authorities are jointly commissioning children’s palliative care.
Ben Gummer
Clinical commissioning groups have responsibility for ensuring that they are meeting the needs of those requiring children’s palliative care services. We do not collect information on how clinical commissioning groups commission children’s palliative care.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brendan O’Hara on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how soon after publication of the requirements for the second round of consideration of locations for a UK spaceport the Government expects to be able to announce the selected location.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The 2014 Government Spaceplane Review provided the groundwork for enabling spaceplane operations from the UK, including identifying key criteria for locating a UK spaceport, and identifying potential locations based on these. The Government tested the conclusions of this review through consultation and published its response in March 2015. This confirmed Campbeltown, Glasgow Prestwick and Stornoway in Scotland, Llanbedr Airfield in Wales and Newquay in England as potential spaceport locations.
Further information on the Spaceplane review and the Government consultation can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/spaceport-locations-and-criteria
Commercial spaceflight is a complex, international, and evolving market. The Government is considering a range of options on next steps that would best deliver our ambition of a spaceport, and the supporting regulatory environment for spaceflight, within this Parliament.
The Government is in discussion with the US Government on ITAR-related issues. However, ITAR applications are not a factor at this stage for potential spaceport locations but may become so if a US spaceplane operator seeks to operate from the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether housing association tenants who part-buy their properties under shared ownership will be able to use Right To Buy to purchase either a share or all of that property.
Brandon Lewis
As is the case with the existing Right to Buy, the agreement with housing associations and the National Housing Federation to extend Right to Buy discounts to housing association tenants will not apply to those people who already own a share in their home, including those who purchased their home under shared ownership.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK officials are based in China; and how many were based in that country in (a) 2010, (b) 2005 and (c) 1997.
Mr Hugo Swire
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) publishes the number of UK FCO officials overseas in its Annual Report. In the financial year 2014/15 there were 114 UK FCO officials based in China and in the financial year 2010/11 there were 113 UK FCO officials based in China. Information prior to 2010 is not held in a way that enables us to accurately report the staffing position overseas.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-06-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which body will have the responsibility for conducting reviews of the funding caps on apprenticeship standards and frameworks.
Nick Boles
The Institute for Apprenticeships will advise on funding rates for all newly developed apprenticeships and, where appropriate, the funding rate for standards and assessment plans when they are reviewed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2016-09-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have had discussions with local government organisations in Jammu and Kashmir about the unmarked graves in north Kashmir where civilians or combatants were buried between 2006 and 2009.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK has not had discussions with local government organisations about this issue.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-10-20.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 16 September (HL1580), which organisations will deliver the new Desistance and Disengagement Programme; and whether the programme targets terrorist groups other than those related to Islamic extremism.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
Delivery of the Desistance and Disengagement Pilot Programme will be led by the Home Office in conjunction with key stakeholders and other Governmental Departments.
The Home Office will work alongside experienced practitioners and non-governmental organisations to deliver a suite of mentoring, psychological and theological interventions.
The pilot programme will focus on those convicted of all terrorism, or terrorism related offences, who have served their custodial sentences and are due to be released on licence. It is therefore not limited to Islamist extremists.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has commenced a programme of testing shipborne rolling vertical landing of the F35B Lightning II.
Mr Philip Dunne
Shipborne rolling vertical landing (SRVL) testing will begin during the UK’s F-35B first of class flying trials, which are scheduled to take place aboard HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH from 2018. SRVL testing is scheduled for completion in 2020. A programme of SRVL simulation testing will continue until first of class flying trials begin.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to increase the number of convictions for carrying out female genital mutilation.
Karen Bradley
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a crime and it is child abuse.
The Serious Crime Act 2015 introduced a number of measures to break down potential barriers to prosecution, including:
• a new mandatory reporting duty which requires specified professionals to report known cases of FGM in under 18s to the police; • extending extra-territorial jurisdiction over offences of FGM committed abroad; • providing lifelong anonymity for victims of FGM; • introducing FGM Protection Orders which can be used to protect girls at risk; and • creating a new offence of failing to protect a girl from the risk of FGM.
To help ensure the police have the guidance they need to tackle FGM effectively, in March 2015 the College of Policing published Authorised Professional Practice on FGM and this was updated in September 2015. In addition, lead FGM prosecutors have been appointed for each Crown Prosecution Service area and have agreed joint FGM investigation and prosecution protocols with their local police forces.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the parents of children with mental health problems are aware that their child may be eligible to claim disability living allowance.
Justin Tomlinson
The DWP recognises the position of parents who have children with mental health problems and supports them through the award of Disability Living Allowance where the relevant entitlement conditions are met. As a Department we have multiple channels to ensure our customers are provided with the best possible information about their entitlement to benefits. These include:
Public Information
The Department provides information on benefits, including Disability Living Allowance (DLA), in a range of formats on www.gov.uk. This includes information relating to DLA for children and includes links to benefit eligibility calculators that will signpost the user to further information about DLA for children.
Customer Facing Staff
Learning and development for our customer facing/telephony staff raises awareness around the different needs of vulnerable customers. We also have a portal that all staff can access to appropriately signpost support available.
Staff would actively consider this in their dealings with parents of disabled children, offering information on claiming Disability Living Allowance if appropriate.
Partnership Working
The Department also works with a range of organisations that provide information and advice on claiming DLA for children, such as Disability Rights UK, Contact a Family, Young Minds, NetMums and Carers UK. Our policy teams ensure that national partner organisations are kept informed about policy changes.
Visiting
Where a family is identified as needing a visit, our visiting officers typically complete holistic benefit checks which would include DLA considerations for any child.