Tag: 2016

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many qualified UK applicants to study nursing at higher education institutions in England for academic year 2015-16 were rejected; and how many such applicants have been rejected for the 2016-17 academic year.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Information relating to the number of applications and rejections for pre-registration nursing and midwifery training is not collected by the Department.

    Information on applications and admissions to full time education courses in the United Kingdom is collected by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service.

  • Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will consider taking steps to ban the sale of foie gras in the UK.

    George Eustice

    The EU has introduced controls on the production of foie gras. These controls do not ban the sale of foie gras and while the UK is a member of the EU we are subject to EU Treaty obligations in relation to the free movement of goods. Foie gras is not produced in the UK and this Government has made its views very clear that the production of foie gras using force feeding (or ‘gavage’ as it’s known in France) gives rise to serious welfare concerns. If any production were to occur, the Animal and Plant Health Agency would be asked to investigate and advise on any contravention of UK animal welfare laws.

  • Fabian Hamilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Fabian Hamilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which Ministers and staff of her Department will be attending the Hanoi Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade in November 2016; and what the projected cost of that attendance will be in (a) staff salaries, (b) travel and (c) other costs.

    Rory Stewart

    The UK remains committed to its global leadership role in helping to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. During his visit to Vietnam in July 2015, the Prime Minister confirmed that the UK would provide £200,000 to support Vietnam in hosting a third high level international conference on the illegal wildlife trade. The Conference, to be held on 24-25 November 2016, will build on the successful London and Kasane Conferences of 2014 and 2015. Decisions about who will represent the UK at the Vietnam Conference have not yet been made.

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

    Lord Addington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Addington on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the most commonly occurring learning difficulties with which a teacher is expected to deal in the classroom.

    Lord Nash

    The Department uses the School Census to assess the prevalence and type of special educational need (SEN) in schools. In January 2015, moderate learning difficulty was the most common type of SEN recorded by schools. Autistic spectrum disorder was the most common need for those with a statement or Education Health and Care (EHC) plan.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2016-03-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the BBC’s Royal Charter should be for at least 10 years.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    These issues are being considered as part of Charter Review. The Government will set out its proposals in the forthcoming White Paper.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many (a) full-time equivalent civil servants work in his Department and (b) civil servants work full-time on the Northern Powerhouse agenda.

    Mr Mark Francois

    There are currently 1651 full time equivalent civil servants working in the Department for Communities and Local Government.

    The Northern Powerhouse is a key ambition of this Government which requires input from officials across DCLG and other Government Departments, across a wide range of policy areas. This enables bottom-up ownership of the Northern Powerhouse agenda by Northern areas to ensure the North can influence, direct and benefit from the Northern Powerhouse, including through Devolution Deals.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has invested in transport in Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire since 5 February 2015.

    Andrew Jones

    Information on transport spend in Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire is not available for this period. The latest data from HM Treasury’s Country and Regional Analysis identifies Department for Transport investment of £898 million in Yorkshire and the Humber (which covers the same area) in 2014/15.

    Over the period from 5 February 2015, Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire has benefitted from significant investment in transport schemes, for example £16.4m to support the Leeds Inner Ring Road essential maintenance scheme, £10.3m for the Leeds Rail Growth scheme for two new stations at Apperley Bridge (now open) and Kirkstall Forge (due to open in June), £10.3m for the Leeds Station Southern Access Scheme, and £18.1m from the Cycle City Ambition scheme to deliver a cycling ‘super highway between Leeds to Bradford (due for completion May 2016).

    This month the Department for Transport informed Leeds Council that it was accepting the independent Planning Inspector’s decision, which said the Leeds Trolleybus system promoted by the council is not suitable for development, and not providing consent for their Trolleybus scheme to go ahead. We have however agreed in this instance that £173 million of DfT funding will be retained so the right public transport scheme in Leeds can be developed as quickly as possible.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that English classes are provided for refugees as soon as possible after refugee status has been granted.

    Mike Penning

    We are working towards achieving more integrated communities and creating the conditions for everyone to live and work successfully alongside each other.

    Those who are granted refugee status are given access to the labour market, mainstream benefits and housing assistance from their local authority. There are therefore no plans to allow refugees to stay in asylum support accommodation.

    The Home Office offers integration loans to recognised refugees. The loan is designed to help refugees integrate into UK society by offering financial support towards housing costs, employment and training.

    The Home Office also funds strategic migration partnerships which provide coordination and support services for those organisations working with migrants and refugees in local communities.

    Earlier this year the Government announced that £20 million of additional funding for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses would be introduced in October 2016. This funding will reach the most isolated communities in the UK.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ban third party sales of dogs and puppies while allowing an exemption for registered and approved rehoming charities.

    George Eustice

    We are currently reviewing the regulations that control the breeding and sale of dogs following a recent Defra public consultation on the licensing by local authorities of animal establishments. Whilst there are no proposals to ban the sales of dogs by third parties, there are proposals to tighten up the standards of welfare that apply to such activities. We published the summary of responses to the consultation on 15 September and shall announce the outcome in due course.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 11 January 2016 to Question 21375 and of 18 January 2016 to Question 22215 on flood control: per capita costs, what steps she took to ensure that the geographical boundaries of Environment Agency areas and census regions matched for the purposes of those calculations.

    Rory Stewart

    Public facing Environment Agency Areas match local council boundaries used by the Office of National Statistics (with the exception of ‘Central Bedfordshire’) and so census figures can be scaled to the Environment Agency Areas that the flood risk management Grant in Aid allocations were taken from. As Central Bedfordshire is wholly within the Areas that make up our eastern hub this does not change the per capita calculation.