Tag: 2016

Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of the exploitation of unpaid trials in at-risk sectors.

Nick Boles

Entitlement to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) applies where someone meets the criteria of a worker. There is no legal or consistently-used definition of an internship and therefore no authoritative, single assessment of their prevalence, unpaid or otherwise. However, the Low Pay Commission 2015 Report on the National Minimum Wage sets out their findings from the evidence they have collated as well as research that they have commissioned to assess the prevalence of unpaid internships.

The Government works to promote high-quality, paid internships through improved codes of practice, awareness campaigns and changes to the BIS-sponsored Graduate Talent Pool. We also continue to tackle exploitation. The Government invested over £13m in 2015/16 to ensure enforcement of the NMW and we continue to name and shame employers who break minimum wage law.

January 1, 2023
Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-21.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.205 of the Budget 2016, if he will publish the calculations referred to in footnote 143 on the potential costs to consumers of the rise in the standard rate of insurance premium tax.

Harriett Baldwin

We do not usually publish such calculations.

January 1, 2023
Lord Radice – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Radice on 2016-04-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what contribution the Royal Navy has made to Operation Atalanta, and what contribution it is expected to make in the future.

Earl Howe

The United Kingdom fulfils its enduring commitment through the provision of the two-star Operation Commander (Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces and Commander United Kingdom Amphibious Forces in rotation). The UK also contributes Operation Headquarters facilities (OHQ) at Northwood and on average 60 members of OHQ staff, approximately 40% of the total OHQ.

The Royal Navy (RN) will continue to contribute to Operation Atalanta. In addition the RN maintains a constant presence in the Gulf region. Anti-piracy and anti-terrorism measures are among a number of concurrent tasks carried out by the RN and supporting assets.

January 1, 2023
Simon Hart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Hart on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many penalty charges have been issued for motorway middle lane offences since the legislation governing those charges came into force.

Mike Penning

The Home Office publishes data on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for motoring offences each year, as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ statistical bulletin. However, data are not held specifically on motorway middle lane offences. These would be captured under the broader category of careless driving offences, which also includes offences such as tailgating and aggressive driving.

The published data can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales

January 1, 2023
George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2016-09-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the findings of the CLIC Sargent report, entitled Cancer costs: financial impact of childhood cancer revealed, published on 1 September 2016, if he will carry out an immediate review of travel assistance available to young cancer patients and their parents.

David Mowat

We know that cancer can affect all areas of a person’s life, including finances – 83% of people say they are financially impacted by cancer. People require holistic support from diagnosis onwards, encompassing their physical, financial, psychosocial, and information and support needs, throughout their entire cancer journey.

Children and teenagers with serious or critical illnesses such as cancer are also entitled to apply for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) (or a Personal Independence Payment if over 16). This is a tax free allowance, which contributes to the extra costs incurred by families in caring for children with additional needs and includes a mobility component. Children in receipt of DLA can receive up to £139.75 a week, and people who are terminally ill can have their claim fast tracked to access benefits sooner. Families and carers can also qualify for Carer’s Allowance and receive £62.10 a week if they meet the eligibility criteria, and some councils run Council Tax Reductions schemes for people on low incomes or who claim benefits.

We do not have any plans to review the hospital travel costs scheme – which provides financial assistance to those patients who do not have a medical need for ambulance transport, but who require assistance with their travel costs. This is part of the well-established NHS Low Income Scheme, in which patients on low incomes or receiving specific qualifying benefits or allowances can be reimbursed in part or in full for costs incurred in travelling to receive treatment at hospitals and this would include cancer treatment. It also can be claimed where the appointment has been made for a child or other dependent.

January 1, 2023
Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-10-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what date his Department holds on the number of incidents involving (a) lorries and (b) buses that related to wheel loss.

Andrew Jones

The police-reported personal injury accident data does not include anything that specifies whether an accident resulted from wheel loss.

The closest piece of information in the statistics is the contributory factor of ‘tyres illegal, defective or under inflated’. A total of 19 heavy goods vehicles and two buses or coaches in Great Britain had this contributory factor in 2015.

January 1, 2023

Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-06.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the change has been in the numbers of people who missed the 31 January deadline for making their tax return between 2010 and 2015.

Mr David Gauke

Information on the number of taxpayers who missed the 31st January deadline for making their tax return between 2010 and 2015 is available in the following table:

Filing Deadline	31 Jan 2010	31 Jan 2011	31 Jan 2012	31 Jan 2013	31 Jan 2014	31 Jan 2015
Tax Return Year Counted	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/14
Issued	9.7m	10m	10.5m	10.34m (3)	10.74m (2)	11.13m
Filed on-time by 31 Jan	8.57m	8.64m	9.45m	9.61m (3)	10.03m (2)	10.24m (1)
% Filed on-time	88%	86%	90.4%	92.9% (3)	93.4% (2)	92.0%
% Outstanding at 31 Jan	12%	14%	9.6%	7.1% (3)	6.6% (2)	8%

January 1, 2023

Baroness Meacher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Meacher on 2016-02-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the level of compliance with the School Admissions Code across all schools, especially in the light of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association, An Unholy Mess, that claimed a widespread failure to comply among religiously selective schools in England.

Lord Nash

The Department will be conducting a full public consultation in due course and will give careful consideration to all the views expressed in that consultation as part of the current review of the School Admissions Code. In addition, the Schools Adjudicator reports annually to the Secretary of State on fair access. The Department is therefore also taking account of the Adjudicator’s report for the 2014 -2015 school year.

January 1, 2023
Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Prime Minister’s Oral Statement of 22 February 2016, Official Report, column 35, on the European Council, whether his Department is undertaking planning in the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the EU referendum.

John Penrose

At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

January 1, 2023
Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that supply teachers are trained to an appropriate standard in the subjects they teach.

Nick Gibb

The qualifications of supply teachers are currently governed by the same regulations as teachers employed by schools.

In maintained schools, teachers must hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) except those who satisfy the requirements for non-qualified teachers to carry out specified work set out in the Education (Specified Work) (England) Regulations 2012, for example, instructors with special qualifications or experience. Academies and Free Schools can employ teaching staff without the automatic requirement for them to hold QTS. This applies equally to supply teachers and teachers employed by schools.

To be awarded QTS, a teacher must demonstrate that they meet all of the Teachers’ Standards at the appropriate level. This includes a requirement to “demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge” and to have “a secure knowledge of the relevant subject(s) and curriculum areas” relevant to their teaching.

Our recent White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, set out our proposals to reform the way in which teachers qualify, by replacing the existing arrangements for QTS with a new, more challenging accreditation. This will be based on a teacher’s demonstration of proficiency in the classroom over a sustained period, rather than being awarded at the end of initial teacher training. It will require teachers to demonstrate advanced subject knowledge and an awareness of how evidence and research should inform effective teaching practice. The award of the new qualification will be confirmed by heads of some of our best schools, ensuring the consistency and quality of teacher accreditation. We will be publishing further information about how we intend to implement this reform in due course.

Head teachers are, and will remain, responsible for the employment of teaching staff in their schools; this includes satisfying themselves that the teacher is suitably qualified, and providing appropriate training opportunities.

January 1, 2023