The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Lifetime ISA will be included in assessments of savings under universal credit.
Priti Patel
Further details about how the Lifetime ISA will work will be announced in the autumn. Following this the Government will confirm how it will be treated for Universal Credit purposes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-04-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the effect of the reduction of work allowances under universal credit announced in the Summer Budget 2015 on the number of children living in relative poverty in (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18, (c) 2018-19, (d) 2019-20 and (e) 2020-21.
Priti Patel
The Government is committed to working to eliminate child poverty and improve life chances for children. Work remains the best route out of poverty, and Universal Credit is designed to strengthen incentives for parents to move into and progress in work. Early evidence shows claimants move into work significantly faster than under the current system. In addition, Universal Credit now provides for 85% of childcare costs meaning more support for hardworking families.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2016-06-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to review the guidance provided in Approved Document B to the Building Regulations 2010.
James Wharton
My Department is considering a number of issues related to the Building Regulations and building control system matters. We will make an announcement about our plans in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-09-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the coastguard turned down any request from any other service for assistance during inland floods in the last five years.
Mr John Hayes
Her Majesty’s Coastguard does not specifically record occurrences when other Category 1 Responders or any other service requests assistance. Information may be held within the text narrative of an incident record but this would require a check of tens of thousands of records over the last two to five years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to take advantage of new technologies such as activity and exercise tracking to improve childrens’ fitness and physical literacy in schools.
Edward Timpson
We want all pupils to be healthy and active, and have given schools the freedom to deliver a diverse and challenging PE curriculum that best suits the needs of their pupils.
PE is a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the national curriculum. The programme of study sets the expectation that schools should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way that supports their health and fitness. Through the primary PE and sport premium, primary schools have already received over £450 million of ring-fenced funding to provide additional and sustainable improvements to their PE and sport provision. In an independent evaluation, 84% of schools reported an increase in pupil engagement in PE during curricular time and in the levels of participation in extra-curricular activities.
Schools can decide how best to use this funding, and may elect to bring in additional resources and technologies if they feel this would provide additional and sustainable improvements to their PE and sport provision. The Government has committed to doubling the funding to £320 million a year from September 2017 using revenue from the soft drinks industry levy.
In the new Sport Strategy, the Government has committed to support children and young people to develop the confidence and skills to take part and to be positive about sport and activity. As part of this work, we will be exploring how to further increase physical literacy standards in primary schools and considering how we can track levels of physical activity to help support children to have healthy and active lives.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-01-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many soldiers of the Lancashire Regiment were deployed in tackling recent flooding; how many reserve soldiers of that Regiment were involved; how long that deployment lasted; and what assessment he has made of the effect of those soldiers’ contribution to the wider recovery and rescue operation.
Penny Mordaunt
2nd Battalion the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (2 LANCS) were the UK Standby Battalion throughout the period of the recent flooding. They were deployed as follows:
13-15 November 2015 – Three Liaison Officers (planners) were deployed: two in Penrith, Cumbria and one in Hutton, Lancashire. A company of around 100 troops were deployed constructing flood barriers at Braystones, Cumbria and Ribchester and Whalley, Lancashire. A further two companies of around 100 troops each were at 12 hours and 24 hours notice to support, but did not deploy.
6-16 December 2015 – Around 300 troops, 200 of whom were from 2 LANCS, deployed to conduct tasks across two counties; around 10 troops deployed to Lancaster Hospital, the remainder deployed throughout Cumbria to tasks at Carlisle, Patterdale and Glenridding, Appleby, St Michael on Wyre, Keswick, Cockermouth, Garstang and the clearance of the A591. In addition, there were around 300 troops held at notice in unit lines 200 of whom were from 2 LANCS.
28 December 2015 – 8 January 2016 – Around 400 troops from 2 LANCS deployed, as did around 100 troops from other Regiments. These troops conducted tasks within this period across four counties at: Croston, the River Douglas, Ribchester and Whalley in Lancashire, as well as locations across North and West Yorkshire and Cumbria. There were further around 1050 troops from other Regiments held at notice.
Although around 35 Reservists were employed during the December and January periods of support, and around 5 Reservists were held at short notice, none of them were from 2 LANCS.
The Armed Forces, particularly 2 LANCS as the UK Standby Battalion, were heavily involved in the emergency response in what was a very dynamic situation and they played a significant role in helping local authorities and the Environment Agency respond to the floods. I would like to take this opportunity again to thank all those involved in the response to the floods across all the affected areas, from troops on the ground to air crews and those in command roles.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-02-01.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many telephone calls HM Revenue and Customs has received from (a) small businesses, (b) medium-sized businesses and (c) large businesses in each of the last five years; and what the average time taken to answer telephone calls from each such category of business was in each of those years.
Mr David Gauke
This information is not held by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
HMRC handles around 50 million telephone calls annually and regularly publishes general performance reports at Gov.uk.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release, UK to step up NATO maritime commitment, of 10 February 2016, which Type 45 Destroyers he expects will be deployed to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1 in October 2016.
Penny Mordaunt
I refer the hon.Member to the answer I gave her on 29 February 2016 to Question 28003.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what contractual standards have been set for Maximus Health and Human Services Ltd for the number of completed work capability assessments.
Priti Patel
Centre for Health Disability Assessments, a MAXIMUS Company, has a target of 1,170,000 completed assessments in 2016/17.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if the Government will continue to pay for training to enable apprentices to achieve Level 2 or GCSEs in English and mathematics, as required, once the Apprenticeship Levy has been introduced.
Nick Boles
Apprentices have to meet a minimum standard in both English and maths up to Level 2. There are specific qualifications they must achieve. If an apprentice does not already have these, they may need to do an English or maths course. We will pay providers directly, for the Level 1 and 2 English and maths training they provide to apprentices.
Further information on the amount that will be paid for English and maths training for apprentices who require it, will be published provisionally in June 2016 and confirmed in October 2016.