The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to promote domestic solar photovoltaic installations.
Andrea Leadsom
The Government is continuing to promote domestic solar photovoltaic installations with the Feed-in Tariff scheme which will support small-scale solar until 2019.
We project that the FIT scheme could support up to 220,000 new solar installations between now and 2019.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the 100,000 Genomes project will be able to diagnose patients with a ring chromosome.
George Freeman
The 100,000 Genomes Project could potentially diagnose participants with a ring chromosome through whole genome sequencing. The close working between NHS Genomic Medicine Centres and Genomics England means that ring chromosomes will continue to be detected primarily through routine diagnostic care. The 100,000 Genomes Project will give important information on the effective use of genomic technologies to bring benefit to National Health Service patients.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress he has made on implementing recommendation 10 in the executive summary of Public Health England’s March 2015 report entitled, Public mental health leadership and workforce development framework, on building the capacity of the National Mental Health Intelligence Network.
Jane Ellison
Progress on implementing recommendation 10, which is to build the mental health intelligence capability through the National Mental Health Intelligence Network (NMHIN) can be categorised into three sections and is as follows:
1) Capacity – NMHIN increased capacity in 2015/16 through NHS England investment. This enabled recruitment to work on additional/enhanced programmes on Crisis Care and Perinatal Mental Health and the first stage of a mental health Joint Strategic Needs Assessment toolkit. NHS England have committed to continue investment in 2016/17.
2) Products – the NMHIN has enhanced mental health intelligence capability through the development of;
a) Profiling tools (i.e. new tool on Suicide Prevention; expanded tool on Severe Mental Illness and Common Mental Health Disorders; updated tools which include; Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing) and,
b) ntelligence products (i.e. Measuring Mental Wellbeing in Children and Young People).
3) Dissemination – the NMHIN has enabled more people to use mental health intelligence through a communication and training programme that provides: routine updates on products and work programmes, training sessions on using products, online access to video and document guides, and a programme of presentations that promote products and encourages use. The Public Health England Local Intelligence Service support this programme and increasingly a range of partners request sessions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Marie Rimmer on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his plans are to facilitate the pooling of business rate revenue following full devolution of business rates in (a) areas that are not covered by combined authorities and (b) other areas.
Mr Marcus Jones
The retention of business rates locally is an important part of our plan to take power out of Whitehall and return it to local government. This means we will no longer be taking local business rates income into Whitehall for redistribution as grant. All locally collected business rates will stay with local government.
We have already been clear that we will retain redistribution within the system. We recognise that we will need to redistribute to ensure councils don’t lose out merely because they currently collect less in rates.
The Government is currently working with the Local Government Association, and engaging directly with local authorities, to develop the detail of this change. This includes developing the mechanics of redistribution. As previously announced, we will consult later this year and implement this important change to the local government finance system by the end of this Parliament.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for the Government’s policy on asylum of the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief, entitled Asylum report: inadequate assessment of religion-based claims, published in June 2016.
James Brokenshire
We are currently carefully considering the report and its recommendations. The report acknowledges the progress made by the Home Office with regards to guidance and training provided to its staff but highlighted the Group’s view that there were some discrepancies between the Home Office policy and practice.
The Home Office carefully considers all asylum claims on their individual merits and grants protection for those who genuinely need it, in accordance with our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). In every asylum case the particular circumstances of the individual are considered in light of published country information, which includes issues relating specifically to religious freedoms.
Published guidance on the interviewing and consideration of religious claims is regularly reviewed and takes into consideration the views of religious groups and other stakeholders.
All asylum decision makers are currently receiving credibility training. This course trains decision makers on how to assess the evidential value of their interview questions (including when assessing religious based claims and religious conversion), the various reasons why someone may not come across as credible in an asylum interview and discusses issues such as speculation and implausibility. The 5-week Foundation Training Programme (FTP) for new decision makers trains staff on all aspects of the asylum decision making process, including religious based claims and religious conversion has been endorsed by the UNHCR.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-09-06.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether RFA Diligence has been fully manned since her refit in 2015.
Earl Howe
Since the refit that completed in February 2015, RFA DILIGENCE has not been fully manned by Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel. In addition, personnel supplied by contractors ensure that the safety and integrity of the ship is maintained until she goes out of service in December 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2016-10-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department received any representations from King’s College Dental School, between 2012 and 2014, on the use of dental tests to establish the age of people claiming asylum.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Home Office received representations from a number of bodies be-tween 2012 and 2014 about the possible use of dental tests to establish the age of people claiming asylum. The view of many of those making representations was that the use of dental tests for this purpose would be unreliable, inappropriate and unethical.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2016 to Question 20474, which businesses have been in receipt of funding from the apprenticeship programme for the creation of apprenticeships in the retail and commercial enterprise sector subject area.
Nick Boles
Funding for training against apprenticeship frameworks is provided to education and training providers and not allocated to businesses.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to Bahraini government on the treatment of political prisoners in that country.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We regularly discuss human rights and reform with the Government of Bahrain. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) most recently raised human rights with his Bahraini counterpart, Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa on 4 February. Where we have specific concerns around convictions or sentencing, we raise these with the Government of Bahrain as part of our dialogue on human rights and reform.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the average length of (a) domestic and (b) international calls to the Forced Marriage Unit; and what the cost of these calls were to (i) domestic and (ii) international callers in (A) each financial year since its establishment in 2005 and (B) 2015-16 to date.
Karen Bradley
Figures on the number of cases reported to the Forced Marriage Unit via its public helpline and email inbox are published annually and are available on GOV.uk. The figures include a breakdown of the countries involved for cases with an overseas element. Information on the origin, average length, and cost of calls is not collated centrally.