The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-01-13.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on increasing the annual limit for ISA contributions.
Harriett Baldwin
As announced at Autumn Statement 2015, the annual ISA subscription limit for 2016-17 is being maintained at its current level of £15,240. However, the government keeps all aspects of the tax system under review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2016 to Question 25465, if he will publish the (a) total value and (b) number of grants made by his Department in the last 12 months as part of (i) the Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development scheme, (ii) the Health and Social Care Volunteering Fund, (iii) the Strategic Partnership Programme and (iv) Specific Policy Grants supporting Departmental policy.
Alistair Burt
The following information shows new grant awards made by the Department in the financial year 2015/16. Recipients of grants include voluntary organisations. The Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development scheme and the Health and Social Care Volunteering Fund grant awards shown here span a period of up to three years.
|
Scheme / Programme |
New Awards Made (£) |
Number of New Awards made |
|
Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development |
£5,980,964 |
14 |
|
Health and Social Care Volunteering Fund |
£2,789,777 |
25 |
|
Strategic Partner Programme |
£4,020,000 |
23 |
|
Specific Policy Grants |
£133,112,643 |
25 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of senior civil servants in his Department are women.
Mike Penning
The percentage of senior civil servants broken down by gender is reported on an annual basis within the Department’s Diversity report. The published report for 2014/2015 can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/diversity-report-2014-to-2015
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the value was of (a) jobseeker’s allowance and (b) employment and support allowance sanctions imposed by his Department in each of the last five years.
Priti Patel
The Department does not make an estimate of the value of benefit withdrawn as a result of benefit sanctions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what has been the change in sea bass stocks available to the UK fishing industry since the Council of European Fisheries Ministers meeting in 2014.
George Eustice
Updated scientific advice is expected from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea at the end of June this year, which will provide the latest assessment. However, the overall estimated reductions of the EU bass measures for the main gear groups in the commercial sector are set out in the Table below (calculated for the UK fleet). These are estimates which take into account the effects of the initial six-month moratorium, related derogations and the subsequent monthly vessel catch limits.
Those parts of the industry that use hook-and-line and fixed gillnets benefit from derogations in the form of higher monthly catch limits and a moratorium of two, rather than six, months.
More in-depth analysis, also taking into account additional factors such as the effects of the 2015 increase in the minimum conservation reference size for bass, and reduced availability, will be undertaken.
|
Gear type |
Previous average tonnage, 2011-13 |
Estimated tonnage catch potential for 2016 |
Estimated reduction from 2011-13 average (%) |
|
Bottom Trawl |
131 |
37 |
72 |
|
Nets |
378 |
224 |
41 |
|
Hook and line |
171 |
167 |
2 |
|
Purse seine |
56 |
21 |
63 |
|
pelagic trawl |
77 |
11 |
86 |
|
Totals |
813 |
460 |
43 |
Table. Estimated reductions in catch potential for UK bass stocks (%).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-06-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Written Statement of 26 May 2016, HCWS30, whether his Department carried out an equality effect assessment on the effect on the public of the decision to centralise policy functions in his Department’s London office.
Joseph Johnson
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has carried an Equality Analysis to consider the impact of the decision on staff with protected characteristics, in compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Porter of Spalding on 2016-09-06.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the emerging findings of the Local Government Association’s Housing Commission report Building our Homes: communities and the future.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
We welcome the work which the Local Government Association is doing to meet our shared aims of delivering the homes which communities need, and creating a housing market that works for everyone. Many of our existing measures will help to achieve those aims.
The government has already doubled the housing budget to help deliver a million homes and double the number of first time buyers. We have allocated £8 billion to deliver 400,000 affordable homes, including shared ownership, starter homes and homes for affordable rent. This government and its predecessor have pursued a wide range of actions to improve the speed of the planning process, and we are taking steps to diversify the market.
We look forward to reading the full report, and engaging with the Local Government Association on existing and future policies.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wasserman on 2016-10-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications were received for the job of independent Chair of the Board of Directors of the College of Policing; and when they expect to announce the name of the successful candidate.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
The Home Office received 23 applications for the role of Chair of the College of Policing. The selection process has commenced and an announcement will be made in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many £500 grants were provided to help households affected by flooding in each local authority in the Greater Manchester area between 1 December 2015 and 13 January 2016; and how much funding has been received by each of those councils to provide such grants up to 13 January 2016.
James Wharton
The Department is supporting local authorities affected by Storm Desmond and Storm Eva with community recovery, business support and property resilience through the Communities and Business Recovery Scheme. It is for local authorities to determine how to use this money to best meet local need and ensure value for money.
To date the Department has paid out over £47 million under the Communities and Business Recovery Scheme, including the amounts below to local authorities in the Greater Manchester area.
|
Local authority |
Funding received (£) |
|
Bolton |
384,377 |
|
Bury |
1,495,514 |
|
City of Manchester |
129,290 |
|
Oldham |
29,910 |
|
Rochdale |
1,403,164 |
|
Salford |
1,981,754 |
|
Trafford |
3,694 |
|
Wigan |
178,009 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on patient care of reductions in funding of HIV support services from April 2016.
Jane Ellison
Decisions on funding and access to social care support services for people with HIV are made by local authorities. The Care Act 2014 sets out the legal framework for social care in England, and this applies to all adults with support needs including those living with HIV.
Diagnosed early most people with access to HIV treatment can expect a near normal life expectancy. Public Health England monitors the results of individuals receiving NHS HIV treatment. In 2014, 91% of people attending for care were receiving antiretroviral (ARV) treatment of which 95% were virally suppressed and very unlikely to be infectious to others. The United Kingdom is already ahead in meeting two of the three ambitious UNAIDS 90/90/90 global goals of 90% of people with HIV being diagnosed, 90% on ARV treatment and 90% viral suppression for those on ARV treatment by 2020.