Tag: 2016

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2016 to Question 43488, what the reason is for the discrepancy between the figure provided in that answer and data in recent research published by Women’s Aid on 13 September 2016 on the proportion of survivors of domestic abuse that had access to a separate waiting room in the family court.

    Dr Phillip Lee

    These two pieces of data are not comparable. Question 43488 refers to the Crown and Magistrates’ courts specifically, and family courts were not included. We are clear that security in the family courts is taken extremely seriously and we have robust arrangements in place to protect court users.

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether full funding for the implementation of the new access target for early intervention in psychosis is included in the Government’s commitment to an additional £600 million of funding for mental health in 2016-17.

    Alistair Burt

    No decision has yet been reached on how the additional £600 million of funding for mental health in 2016-17 will be allocated.

    A key element of achieving parity across mental and physical health care is in people having timely access to evidence-based and effective treatment.

    One focus of the first set of mental health standards for 2015/16 is that from 1 April 2016, 50% of people experiencing a first episode of psychosis are treated with a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved package of care within two weeks of referral. This is being supported by £40 million recurrent funding from NHS England to support delivery of the early intervention in psychosis (EIP) standard. Health Education England are focusing £5 million for workforce development towards meeting the EIP standard.

  • Angela Rayner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Angela Rayner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Rayner on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what modelling his Department has undertaken on potential transitional arrangements for women born in the period 1951 to 1953 who are affected by accelerated equalisation of the state pension age; and if he will publish the results of any such modelling.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Of the group stated in the question only women born on or after 6 April 1953 are affected by the changes in State Pension age in the 2011 Pensions Act.

    The faster increase to 65 under the Pensions Act 2011 affect an estimated 230,000 women born between 6 April 1953 and 5 December 1953. This figure, rounded to the nearest 10,000, is for Great Britain and is based on DWP calculations using ONS statistics.

    During the passage of the Pensions Bill 2011 the Government tabled an amendment so that the maximum delay to State Pension age relative to the previously legislated timetable that any individual faced was 18 months. This amendment affected people born between 6 January 1954 and 5 September 1954. The analysis accompanying this amendment is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/182066/pensions-bill-spa-info.pdf

    “

  • 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 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of applicants for disabled students’ allowance (DSA) used supporting notes from (a) medical professionals connected to and (b) medical professionals not connected to their higher education institution to back up their application; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of people who claim DSA without the knowledge of their higher education institution.

    Joseph Johnson

    Students wishing to apply for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) need to provide evidence of their disability to Student Finance England (SFE) in order to demonstrate their eligibility. Depending on their disability, this needs to come from a medical doctor or other suitably qualified professional. Information about whether this evidence is provided by someone connected to the students’ HE provider is not held centrally.

    Students are encouraged to speak to their institution’s disability adviser, to ensure they are receiving all the help that is available to them. However, students do not need to disclose their disability to their HE provider in order to apply for DSAs.

    All disabled higher education students who are eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowances are referred to an independent assessment centre so as to identify the type and level of support they require.

    Students are free to choose which assessment centre they wish to attend. They can find a centre via the DSAs Quality Assurance Group’s website:

    http://www.dsa-qag.org.uk/students/find-an-assessment-centre

    “

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will appoint an independent commission to investigate the role of PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, Ernst & Young and Deloitte in designing, selling and implementing tax avoidance schemes.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government is committed to countering tax avoidance to ensure all taxpayers pay their fair share. At Budget 2016, the Chancellor announced a comprehensive package of measures to tackle tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning, and tax evasion by individuals and businesses. Overall, this will raise £12 billion by 2020-21.

    We keep our policy on countering tax avoidance under continuous review to respond to emerging risks.

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

    Mr David Lidington

    The UK is deeply concerned about the recent upsurge in fighting on the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact. I issued a statement on 2 April calling for the sides to halt the fighting and to exercise restraint. After four days of intense fighting, a ceasefire was announced on 5 April; although the situation remains tense. While the UK has no direct role in negotiations, we strongly support the work of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chairs, who have recently visited the region. We will continue to urge the sides to work with the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to reach a negotiated peace settlement.

  • Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the role of financial technology in encouraging consumers to switch their current account.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The government is committed to increasing competition in banking to improve outcomes for consumers. This includes delivering the Current Account Switch Service (CASS) which allows customers to switch their personal or business current account where they see a better deal – simply, quickly and reliably. Consumers have switched over 2.8 million times since the service was launched in 2013.

    Making it easier for people to understand and compare banking products and services can help drive consumer engagement and could lead to an increase in switching. Financial technology is an important part of this.

    In its recent provisional decision on remedies, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) proposed requiring the largest retail banks in Great Britain and Northern Ireland to develop and adopt an open API banking standard by early 2018.

    This will make it easier for financial technology firms to make use of customer bank data in a variety of innovative ways, including providing services that make it easier for consumers to compare products and shop around for a better deal.

    The government welcomes the CMA’s ongoing work as a crucial step towards the goal of a highly competitive banking sector, and stands ready to take action as necessary once the CMA publishes its final report in the summer.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to ensure that the (a) devolved administrations, (b) local government and (c) regional bodies are represented in negotiations to exit the EU.

    George Eustice

    Until we leave the EU, current arrangements for farming, fisheries, food and drink, rural affairs and our environment remain in place.

    We are now preparing to negotiate our exit. Defra officials will be working with the new Department for Exiting the European Union to look at future arrangements. The Government will work very closely with the Devolved Administrations, local government and regional bodies on this approach.

  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what proportion of staff on the payroll of his Department who work in Westminster are (a) British nationals and (b) nationals of another country.

    David Mundell

    The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly; all staff that join do so on an assignment, loan or secondment from other Government bodies, who remain the employers.

  • Ian Lavery – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Ian Lavery – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the membership of the National Flood Resilience Review team is.

    Mr Oliver Letwin

    The National Flood Resilience Review Group meets regularly to review progress of the review. We do not comment on specific date, nor do we publish agendas or minutes

    The National Floods Resilience Review Group is chaired by Oliver Letwin and consists of Ministers and senior officials from relevant departments, including Defra, DECC, DfT, DCLG, HMT, DCMS, the Environment Agency and the Met Office.