Tag: 2016

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average cost is of the (a) DESMOND and (b) Empower structured education programmes in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England advises that information about the average cost of the DESMOND and Empower structured diabetes education programmes in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland is not collected centrally.

    NHS England also advises that the evaluation panel for the new contract for the type 2 diabetes education programme comprised a range of clinicians and commissioning officers, including a patient representative, an equality lead, a specialist general practitioner and a nurse. The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commissioning Groups’ Governing Bodies considered the breadth of experience and skills of the panel was acceptable. A 12-week consultation with patients, which ended on 12 June 2015, informed the development of the contract specification.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, other than voluntarily registering for self-assessment, what tools are available to ensure that tax is paid by locally employed staff working in foreign embassies.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Letters are issued annually on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to Diplomatic Missions in the UK (Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates) requesting staff lists providing details of all locally engaged staff and private servants.

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has a specialist team (the Embassy team) in place to deal with enquiries from locally engaged staff employed at Diplomatic Missions and International Organisations in the UK as detailed in ‘The London Diplomatic List’. In December 2015 HMRC wrote to all these bodies to ensure they held full and up-to-date contact information for the team.

    Locally engaged employees and private servants are expected to contact the Embassy team to notify their employment as soon as they are engaged.

    The Embassy team determines the employee’s liability to Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions. The team also carries out risk assessment activity and where it identifies individuals who have not notified their employment to HMRC, it takes action to ensure they pay the tax that is due.

  • Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Hollinrake on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing clear national planning guidelines for the (a) maximum density of shale gas well sites per square mile and (b) minimum distances of such sites from towns and villages.

    James Wharton

    The planning system currently requires shale well site density and distance to settlements to be considered where relevant in plan making and decisions on planning proposals, taking into account local context. Were limits to be set in national planning guidance, they may not provide appropriate protections in some contexts, or rule out otherwise acceptable development in others.

    For minerals such as shale gas, local authority mineral plans should set out environmental criteria for the assessment of applications and take into account cumulative effect of multiple impacts from individual sites and/ or from a number of sites in a locality. Planning law requires that decisions must be taken in accordance with the development plan for the local authority, including any relevant mineral plan policies, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

    In all cases, national planning policy must also be taken into account when applications are determined. This is clear that when a planning permission is granted for mineral development, including shale gas, there should be no unacceptable adverse impacts on the natural and historic environment, or on human health. It also ensures relevant cumulative effects are considered.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential for job creation in renewable energy sectors in the next five years.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The latest figures from the ONS suggest that, in 2014, 238,500 full-time equivalent employees were working directly in the Low Carbon and Renewable Energy sectors in the UK. This figure does not include additional jobs that have been created in the wider renewable energy supply chain.

    The Low Carbon and Renewable Energy sectors will be at the heart of this Governments Industrial Strategy to support jobs and growth.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what domestic visits (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department have made since July 2016; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Domestic visits made by the Secretary of State for Education and Ministers in their official capacity are listed in the following table:

    Minister

    Date

    Visit/Purpose

    The Rt Hon Justine Greening, Secretary of State

    July 2016

    Visit to DfE site in Coventry to meet staff

    The Rt Hon Justine Greening, Secretary of State

    July 2016

    Visit Walsall College (West Midlands) to meet staff and students

    The Rt Hon Justine Greening, Secretary of State

    August 2016

    Visit to Southfields Academy (London) to meet students receiving their A-level results

    The Rt Hon Justine Greening, Secretary of State

    September 2016

    Visit to Ashburnham Community School (London) to meet staff and students

    The Rt Hon Justine Greening, Secretary of State

    September 2016

    Speaking about gender balance at Women at the Top Event by Financial Times

    The Rt Hon Justine Greening, Secretary of State

    October 2016

    Visit Prudhoe High School (Northumberland) to open the new building

    The Rt Hon Justine Greening, Secretary of State

    October 2016

    Visit to Roehampton University to open Chadwick Hall

    The Rt Hon Justine Greening, Secretary of State

    October 2016

    Visit to UTC Oxford to meet with staff and students

    The Rt Hon Justine Greening, Secretary of State

    October 2016

    Visit to the University of Derby, Buxton and Leek FE College

    The Rt Hon Justine Greening, Secretary of State

    October 2016

    Visit to the Oasis Academy Limeside to meet staff and students

    The Rt Hon Justine Greening, Secretary of State

    October 2016

    Visit to the Schools North East Summit to speak at the conference

    The Rt Hon Justine Greening, Secretary of State

    October 2016

    Visit to DfE Site Manchester to meet staff

    The Rt Hon Justine Greening, Secretary of State

    October 2016

    Visit to City College to meet staff and students

    The Rt Hon Justine Greening, Secretary of State

    October 2016

    Visit to North City Children’s Centre

    Caroline Dinenage, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women, Equalities and Early Years

    September 2016

    Speaking at Early Implementers National Meeting (London)

    Caroline Dinenage, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women, Equalities and Early Years

    October 2016

    Speaking at National Mumandworking Awards (London)

    Caroline Dinenage, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women, Equalities and Early Years

    October 2016

    Speaking at the opening of the London Stock Exchange

    Caroline Dinenage, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women, Equalities and Early Years

    October 2016

    Speaking at the Fawcett Society (London Marriot Hotel (London)

    Caroline Dinenage, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women, Equalities and Early Years

    October 2016

    Speaking at the Women’s Business Council three year on event (London)

    Caroline Dinenage, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women, Equalities and Early Years

    October 2016

    Speaking at the Advertising Association Front Foot breakfast event (London)

    Nick Gibb, Minister of State for School Standards

    July 2016

    Visit to Seabridge Primary School (Newcastle) for the launch of their teacher recruitment film

    Nick Gibb, Minister of State for School Standards

    July 2016

    Visit to All Saints National Academy (Walsall) to meet staff and pupils

    Nick Gibb, Minister of State for School Standards

    July 2016

    Visit to Leeds to speak at Teach First Impact Conference

    Nick Gibb, Minister of State for School Standards

    August 2016

    Visit to UCAS (Cheltenham) on A Level results day

    Nick Gibb, Minister of State for School Standards

    September 2016

    Visit to King Solomon’s Academy (London) to speak at graduation ceremony

    Nick Gibb, Minister of State for School Standards

    September 2016

    Visit to Kensington Primary Academy (London) for opening ceremony.

    Nick Gibb, Minister of State for School Standards

    September 2016

    Visit to Havant Academy (Hampshire) to meet staff and pupils

    Nick Gibb, Minister of State for School Standards

    September 2016

    Visit to South Farnham School (Surrey) to meet staff and pupils

    Nick Gibb, Minister of State for School Standards

    September 2016

    Visit to the Brakenhale School (Bracknell) to meet staff and pupils

    Nick Gibb, Minister of State for School Standards

    October 2016

    Visit to the Spanish Embassy for ‘National Day of Spain’ reception.

    The Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Education

    September 2016

    Visit to Westminster Academy to discuss careers

    The Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Education

    September 2016

    Visit to Central Eltham Youth Project for work readiness training

    The Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Education

    September 2016

    Speaking at Edge Annual Lecture (London)

    The Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Education

    September 2016

    Visits to New College Durham (Durham) to meet staff and discuss further education and apprenticeships,

    The Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Education

    September 2016

    Visits to Derwentside College (Durham) to meet staff and discuss further education and apprenticeships,

    The Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Education

    September 2016

    Visits to Churchill Community College (North Tyneside) to meet staff and discuss further education and apprenticeships,

    The Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Education

    September 2016

    Visit to Unipres Corporation (Sunderland) to discuss apprenticeships

    The Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Education

    September 2016

    Visit to Blackpool and the Fylde College (Blackpool) to meet staff and discuss further education, visit to Moore Park Primary School to attend a primary futures event.

    The Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Education

    September 2016

    Visit to Blackpool BuildUp (Blackpool) to meet staff and discuss careers

    The Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Education

    September 2016

    Visit to Cambridge Regional College (Cambridge) to view further education and apprenticeships provision

    The Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Education

    September 2016

    Visit to Greene King (Bury St. Edmunds) to see apprenticeships in action

    The Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Education

    September 2016

    Visit to West Suffolk College (Bury St. Edmunds) to see further education and apprenticeships provision

    The Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Education

    October 2016

    Visit to the National College (London) focusing Digital Skills

    The Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Education

    October 2016

    Visit to Blackfen School for Girls (Sidcup) focussing on careers

    The Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Education

    October 2016

    Visit to MiddletonMurray (Sidcup) to discuss apprenticeships and traineeships

    The Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Education

    October 2016

    Visit to Sarah Bonnell School (London) to discuss careers

    Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities and Science

    July 2016

    Visit to British Library for the launch of the India Digitalisation Project

    Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities and Science

    July 2016

    Visit to Manchester to speak at the EuroScience Open Forum and for a meeting with university vice-chancellors

    Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities and Science

    September 2016

    Attendance at Festival of Education at University of Buckingham

    Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities and Science

    September 2016

    Visit to the University of Nottingham to open the University Enterprise Zone.

    Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities and Science

    September 2016

    Visit to Loughborough University to speak to students and staff.

    Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities and Science

    September 2016

    Visit to Nottingham Trent University to speak at Universities UK Conference

    Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities and Science

    October 2016

    Visit to Birkenhead for RRS David Attenborough Keel Laying Event and visit to Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

    Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Schools System

    July 2016

    Speaking at Education Policy Institute (London)

    Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Schools System

    September 2016

    Speaking at Foundation for Leadership in Education Summit (London)

    Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Schools System

    September 2016

    Taking part in panel discussion at Education and Employers Governance Conference (London)

    Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Schools System

    September 2016

    Speaking at Teach First Business Leaders Council (London)

    Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Schools System

    September 2016

    Speaking at British Chamber of Commerce

    Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Schools System

    September 2016

    Visit to Kings Langley School (Hertfordshire) to attend opening ceremony

    Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Schools System

    September 2016

    Visit to King Solomon Academy (London) to meet staff and pupils

    Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Schools System

    October 2016

    Attendance at On Side Youth Zone Meeting (London)

    Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Schools System

    October 2016

    Visit to DfE site in Manchester to meet staff and attend Head Teacher Board,

    Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Schools System

    October 2016

    Visit to Manchester Academy (Manchester) to meet staff and pupils

    Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Schools System

    October 2016

    Visit to New Islington Free School (Manchester) to meet staff and pupils

    Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Schools System

    October 2016

    Visit to King’s Leadership Academy (Warrington) to attend opening ceremony

    Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Schools System

    October 2016

    Attendance at discussion at Ormiston Academies Trust Annual Lunch (London)

    Edward Timpson, Minister of State for Vulnerable Children and Families

    July 2016

    Visit to Manchester to speak at ADCS Annual Conference

    Edward Timpson, Minister of State for Vulnerable Children and Families

    July 2016

    Visit to Manchester to speak at Council for Disabled Children Conference and visit Trafford Council to meet care leavers

  • Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Hollinrake on 2016-01-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to provide tax reliefs similar to those provided to businesses that contribute to flood defence schemes to landowners and farmers who assist in managing flood risk through soil management, investment in flood defences and water storage.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government keeps all tax policy under review. Any changes in tax policy are announced by the Chancellor at the Budget or Autumn Statement.

    At the Spending Review the Government confirmed that Defra’s £2.3bn, six-year flood defence capital programme will be protected, which will invest in over 1,500 schemes by 2021 to better protect 300,000 homes. The programme will also deliver economic benefits of £30bn in avoided damage over the next 50 years, and reduce overall flood risk in England by 5%.

    Following Storm Desmond and Storm Eva the Government has announced over £200m of funding to support households and businesses, and repair damaged flood defences and roads. Council tax and business rate relief has also been announced for affected households and firms.

  • Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what research her Department has conducted or commissioned on the effect of the early closure of the Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation to new onshore wind projects in Northern Ireland.

    Andrea Leadsom

    With certain limited exceptions, Energy Policy is devolved to Northern Ireland. Closure of the Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation is therefore a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK nationals work at administrator grade staff level in the European Parliament; and what proportion of the total number of that parliament’s employees they represent.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The European Parliament does not publish statistics on numbers of permanent staff by nationality. As of April 2015, our records show there were 144 British citizens working in the European Parliament at administrator grade level, including UK secondees. This represents 2.4% of approximately 6000 total staff employed by the European Parliament in 2015.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2016 to Question 28925, if his Department will begin collecting information on the proportion of foreign graduates who take up employment in the NHS; and if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that the public purse receives value for money when subsidising medicine degrees for foreign nationals.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department has no current plans to collect information on the numbers of foreign medical graduates who take up employment in the National Health Service.

    Non-European Economic Area (EEA) nationals pay full tuition fees when studying medicine in the United Kingdom and make a contribution to the UK economy. The Government has no current plans to introduce legislation to secure better value for money from non-EEA nationals studying medicine in the UK.

  • Lord Naseby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Naseby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Naseby on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what definition of lobbying” is used by the Department of Health in its grant application process.”

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Department does not provide definitions of specific words used in the grant application processes, used by Voluntary Sector organisation. The Department policy clearly states that grants will not be awarded if there is any indication within the application that some or all of any funding awarded will be used to support political activities.

    Grants Hub issued award letters have a standard term in the award letter which reinforces that no aspect of the activity being funded by the Department should be party political in intention, use or presentation.