Tag: 2016

  • Lord Grocott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Grocott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grocott on 2016-05-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Nash on 3 May (HL Deb, col 1308), how many allegations of fraud in respect of academies and free schools were made to the Education Funding Agency in each financial year from 2012–13 to date.

    Lord Nash

    EFA does not classify allegations into fraud or other forms of irregularity until they have been investigated. The number of fraud allegations cannot therefore be isolated from other allegations of irregularity. After investigation EFA concluded that only 10 of the allegations received in respect of academies and free schools since 2012-13 were probable fraud. This shows that there are low levels of fraud within the 5,685 academies in the sector. Where fraud or other irregularity is identified EFA takes swift action which may include conducting its own investigations.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive on the increase in the rate of incidence of American foulbrood in bee hives.

    George Eustice

    Defra maintains regular contact with all UK devolved governments on incidence of bee pests and diseases. Coordinating our efforts across the UK ensures outbreaks are managed and appropriate controls are put in place, benefiting all UK bee populations.

    In January Defra agreed to use molecular sequencing to identify the strain of American Foulbrood within colonies from Northern Ireland. The results offered an additional inspection tool for Northern Ireland’s Bee Inspectors in their efforts to understand and control the disease.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, when he expects to have a permanent address for his Department.

    Mr David Jones

    The Department is permanently headquartered at 9 Downing Street.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Syrian refugees and asylum seekers were informed of mental health provisions they could expect in Northern Ireland before they agreed to settle there.

    James Brokenshire

    The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement scheme prioritises those who cannot be supported effectively in their region of origin. Northern Ireland, in common with other devolved administrations and local authorities, is provided with full case details of all referrals before deciding whether to accept them for resettlement so they can make an assessment of whether they have the infrastructure and support networks needed to ensure the appropriate care and integration of these refugees. Whilst the Government provides funding to ensure these needs can be met, it is up to individual local authorities to decide how this should be achieved.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-02-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many university students aged 19 to 25 use the NHS low-income scheme.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    73,591 NHS low-income scheme applications were processed in 2015, for England, Scotland and Wales, where the claimant was a student aged between 19 and 25; determined by the age of the main claimant on the date the application was processed. The data may not include students aged 19 – 25 where their partner is the claimant. No distinction is made between a student attending further or higher education.

    It is possible that a claimant might submit more than one application annually. A breakdown of the numbers of these applications resulting in full Help with Help Cost support is not available.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of blue badges for disabled drivers held by people in England and Wales in (1) 2013, (2) 2014, and (3) 2015.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The estimated total number of Blue Badges held in England and Wales for 2013, 2014 and 2015 were:

    2013: 2,776,000

    2014: 2,663,000

    2015: 2,597,000

  • Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff are employed in delivering the Fit for Work programme in (a) Sheffield, (b) Nantgarw and (c) the UK.

    Justin Tomlinson

    As at 31 March 2016, Health Management Limited (HML), which delivers in England and Wales, employs 83.93 staff at its Sheffield office, 18 staff at its Nantgarw office and a further 19.6 staff elsewhere in England and Wales. Fit for Work Scotland employs 46.4 staff in Scotland. The total for the UK is therefore 167.9.

    (Staffing numbers are given in full-time-equivalent figures)

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-05-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government took in response to the report of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones, chaired by Sir William Stewart, published in 2000; what steps the Government has taken in response to that report’s recommendations on limiting children’s use of mobile phones; what research the Government has commissioned or undertaken since that report on that issue; and whether any such research supported or contradicted the findings of that report.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government published a detailed response to the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (IEGMP) report’s recommendations and set in place a range of measures to address concerns about mobile phones and health. International guidelines for limiting exposures to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields were adopted, and precautionary advice to mobile phone users was published. The Mobile Telecommunications Health Research Programme ran for 11 years after the IEGMP report and government continues to support research on this topic.

    IEGMP concluded the balance of evidence at the time of its report did not suggest mobile phone technologies put the health of the population at risk; that remains the case after a considerable volume of more recent national and international research.

    Precautionary advice to mobile phone users has been maintained and is available here:

    http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Mobile-phone-safety/Pages/Introduction.aspx

    “

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department’s purchasing policies support British (a) industry and (b) agriculture.

    George Freeman

    The Department’s purchasing policies support the Government’s commitment to do all it can to ensure United Kingdom suppliers can compete effectively for public sector contracts, in line with our current international obligations and guidance issued by the Crown Commercial Service.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Indonesia concerning the death penalty.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We raise our concerns at the highest level and will continue to do so. The former Prime Minister (the Right Hon. Mr David Cameron) reiterated our position to Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in April. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Reading West (Mr Sharma) has expressed his concerns about the executions that took place in July.