Tag: 2016

  • Baroness Hamwee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Hamwee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hamwee on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation was undertaken before giving guidance to Home Office officials on adults at risk in immigration detention to distinguish between torture by state actors and by non-state actors.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The definition of torture adopted for the “adults at risk in immigration detention” policy is in line with that set out in the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT) although, for the purposes of the policy, it has been extended to cover serious harm inflicted by terrorist groups exploiting instability or civil war to hold territory.

    The Government adopted this definition as it most accurately reflects the need to protect those who are most likely to be adversely affected by detention – that is, those who have been harmed by the state, or by an organisation exercising similar control, and for whom detention is most likely to be redolent of the harm they have suffered.

    In order to be consistent, the same definition was applied to the reporting system in rule 35 of the Detention Centre Rules 2001 under which doctors working in immigration removal centres are required to report concerns that a detainee may have been the victim of torture. This has no effect on the requirement also in rule 35 for such doctors to report where a detainee’s health is likely to be injuriously affected by continued detention or the conditions of detention.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will launch an independent investigation of the circumstances of the abuse that has been reported at Medway Secure Training Centre.

    Andrew Selous

    Kent Police and Medway Council’s child protection team have launched a joint independent investigation into the allegations made about Medway Secure Training Centre (STC) and it would be inappropriate to commission another investigation while this is underway. HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Ofsted – both independent inspectorates – also visited the STC last week. Any further action will be announced in the usual way.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to equalise access to IVF treatment through the NHS across the country.

    Jane Ellison

    The level of provision of infertility treatment, as for all health services they commission, is decided by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and will take into account the needs of the population overall. The CCG’s decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. As such, provision of services will vary in response to local needs.

    NHS England expects that all those involved in commissioning infertility treatment services to be fully aware of the importance of having regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence fertility guidelines.

    On 14 December last year I met with stakeholders, together with colleagues from NHS England and Monitor, to discuss the issue of improving the provision of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The Department along with NHS England and Monitor will be giving further consideration to the scope for improving the commissioning of IVF services.

  • Robert Neill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Robert Neill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Neill on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2015 to Question 15112, when he intends to bring forward amendments to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015; what provisions will apply to office premises that have been granted prior approval for conversion to residential use but which will not be completed before 30 May 2016; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    We announced on 13 October 2015 that the permitted development right for the change of use from office to residential is to be made permanent, and that those with prior approval will have three years from the date of prior approval in which to change use. Further information on the detail and timing of the regulations will be provided in due course.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what (a) evidence her Department holds and (b) research her Department has undertaken on the effect of smart meters on people with electromagnetic hypersensitivity.

    Andrea Leadsom

    DECC takes its advice on matters related to public health from Public Health England.

    Public Health England has conducted and reviewed research on the effects of smart meters and has stated that the radio waves produced by smart meters do not pose a risk to health, including to those who identify themselves as electromagnetically sensitive. More information can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smart-meters-radio-waves-and-health/smart-meters-radio-waves-and-health.

    “

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the Northern Powerhouse schools strategy plans to fast-track the best (a) schools to become teaching schools and (b) local heads to become national leaders of education.

    Nick Gibb

    Our White Paper, Education Excellence Everywhere, sets out the range of support we will offer to schools across England.

    Where schools are failing, Regional Schools Commissioners will identify a suitable academy sponsor to turn them around. In areas where there are too few sponsors, we will recruit new sponsors, including high-performing schools and more sponsors from business, charity and philanthropy. We will also encourage existing sponsors to expand, increasing incentives and minimising barriers, learning from the investment we have already made through the Northern Sponsor Fund.

    For other struggling schools, we will ensure there is nationwide coverage of system leaders (teaching schools and National Leaders of Education), who will be expected to work with weaker schools to support them to improve. To help achieve this, we will improve how we designate system leaders by introducing a more sophisticated approach based on timely and accurate data rather than relying heavily on Ofsted judgements. We will also partner schools with the potential to become strong system leaders with existing teaching schools and National Leaders of Education.

    Through the Department’s strategy for Achieving Excellence Areas, we will target our existing programmes to secure sufficient high quality teachers, leaders, system leaders, sponsors and members of governing boards on the areas of greatest need. At the Budget, the Government announced that we will invest an additional £20 million a year to build on this strategy to raise education standards across the Northern Powerhouse. The allocation of this funding will depend on the identified need and will be reassessed each year, based on the evidence.

    For the additional funding announced in the budget, decisions on how the funding will be allocated for the 2016-17 financial year will be made by the autumn of this year and will be informed by the emerging findings of the review by Sir Nick Weller. We will be publishing the terms of reference for Sir Nick Weller’s review shortly.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many civil servants in her Department are paid through limited companies.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office have no civil servants employed that are paid through limited companies.

  • John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many partnerships have been adversely affected by section 75 employer debt in pension funds; how many such partnerships have been (a) converted to limited liability and (b) declared insolvent; and what advice his Department has provided to partnerships facing potential section 75 employer debts.

    Richard Harrington

    We do not have any information about numbers of employers who may be liable for a section 75 debt. This is a matter between the employer and the scheme.

    The Department does not provide advice to any employers about potential section 75 debts. The Pensions Regulator provides a range of information and guidance on all matters related to pensions scheme funding. However, employers or former employers should take their own professional and legal advice about their liabilities.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many complaints HM Revenue and Customs has received about Concentrix from residents in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency since that company has been under contract with his Department.

    Jane Ellison

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold the data broken down specifically by constituency areas. HMRC is currently focused on resolving the outstanding cases but will be preparing regional analysis, which will be available in due course.

  • Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refused asylum seekers were granted, continued on, or were reinstated onto support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 in Scotland after lodging an appeal with the First-tier Tribunal (Asylum Support) in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15.

    James Brokenshire

    This information is not recorded centrally and is not readily available. It could only be provided at disproportionate cost.