The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether telephones with a direct connection to the universal credit helpline are available to use free of charge in every job centre.
Priti Patel
We no longer have customer access phones in Jobcentres. However, should a claimant need to use a telephone in connection with their claim or job search, they will be given access to a phone by their work coach.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Turner on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on the provision of learning outside of the classroom.
Nick Gibb
Field trips and educational visits are important and have a key role to play in children’s education.
It is for schools to use their professional judgement to decide how their activities deliver a broad and balanced curriculum and to plan lessons and use their budgets accordingly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-03-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding her Department has allocated for projects to prevent flooding in Burnley and Padiham.
Rory Stewart
Following the December 2015 flooding, the Environment Agency is developing a revised assessment of flood risk in Padiham, which may identify further measures to reduce flood risk in the area.
The Environment Agency has also allocated £10,000 to the Burnley Ordinary Watercourse Study in 2018/19. The study aims at better understanding the flood risk from ordinary watercourses and will inform any potential future investment needs.
The Fulledge Flood Risk Management Scheme was funded through £345,000 Flood Defence Grant in Aid and was completed in March 2013. The scheme reduces the flood risk to 781 properties in Burnley and helped to significantly reduce flooding in Burnley during storm Eva.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answers of 14 April 2016 to Questions 32741 and 32742, what grounds are given in the Cabinet Office guidance referred to for undertaking (a) business engagement assessments and (b) impact assessments; and what weight was given to those grounds in the decision not to undertake either such assessment for the (i) programme and (ii) proposals referred to.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The statement below is extracted from the Cabinet Office guidance:-
‘Any proposed change in policy, process or practice by a regulator which does not require a full Impact Assessment, but which creates a significant increase or decrease in the burden of regulator activity on business should trigger an Assessment.’
The proposals contained in the consultation document do not propose a significant change to the point of service delivery of regulated services to the end user, for example vessels in ports around the United Kingdom or globally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-06-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness in delivering medicines savings in the community of the therapeutic substitution service for community pharmacies proposed by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee.
Alistair Burt
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Workington (Sue Hayman) on 14 June 2016 to Question 40161.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Drew Hendry on 2016-09-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support her Department provides to rural communities to install their own fibre networks when commercial and other Government programmes have been unable to reach their premises.
Matt Hancock
Through the Government’s investment of over £780 million, superfast broadband is now available to over 90% of homes and businesses in the UK, compared to 45% in 2010. By the end of 2017 it will be available to 95% of homes and businesses. The Government welcomes initiatives taken by local communities and others to support community fibre broadband projects.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time was for a final decision on an indefinite leave to remain application in each of the last five years.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The service standard for application for ILR is 6 months or 182 days.
|
Year Despatched |
Average Days to despatch. |
|
|
2011 |
73.26 |
|
|
2012 |
105.46 |
|
|
2013 |
91.44 |
|
|
2014 |
104.52 |
|
|
2015 |
67.00 |
Notes Indefinite Leave to remain defined as those case types classed as Permanent Residence, Tier 1 ILR and Tier 2 ILR based on the case type matrix.
Data extracted on 19 October 2016.
These statistics have been taken from a live operational database. As such, numbers may change as information on that system is updated.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2016-01-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what contingency plans her Department has put in place in the event of one or more stakeholders in the Hinkley Point C project being unable to raise sufficient funding to complete development.
Andrea Leadsom
The funding of Hinkley Point C is a commercial matter for the parties involved. However, the agreements between EDF and CGN announced in October 2015 show the commitment of all sides to the project. EDF and CGN have confirmed major investment in Hinkley Point C and are working to rapidly conclude the detailed investment documentation.
My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State expects to be in a position to take her final decision on the Contract for Difference and associated agreements for Hinkley Point C once the documentation relating to equity investment into the project is finalised.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham on 2016-02-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have deployed, or intend to deploy, experts from the UK preventing sexual violence in conflict initiative team to help support local responses in Burundi to conflict-related sexual violence.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We take the allegations of sexual violence in Burundi very seriously. The UK has been at the forefront of supporting the UN’s efforts to encourage an end to violence and human rights abuses in the country. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), has raised the subject with the Government of Burundi, including with the Burundian Foreign Minister at the African Union Summit in January. While we have not deployed any experts from the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials will explore the possibility of supporting non-governmental organisations already present and active in Burundi when the allegations first came to our attention.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-29.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans the Department of Health has to instruct NICE to include a broader assessment of value in its appraisals of cancer medicines.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that provides guidance on the prevention and treatment of ill health and the promotion of good health and social care. NICE is responsible for its own processes and methodology.
In 2014, NICE held a three month consultation on proposals for a wider approach to the assessment of value. The diversity of the responses to NICE’s consultation showed that this is a very complex issue. It is critical that stakeholders continue to have confidence in NICE’s work and the Government agreed with NICE that it should not proceed with making the proposed changes to the way it assesses new medicines at that time.
NICE regularly reviews its processes and methodology and its internationally renowned technology appraisal programme has evolved constantly to meet new challenges. NICE has demonstrated its ability to adapt to changes in the health and care environment, and we expect it will continue to evolve in the future.
NICE most recently consulted on proposed changes to its technology appraisal methods and processes as part of its joint consultation with NHS England on proposals for a new Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF).
The Accelerated Access Review (AAR) is actively engaging with NHS England to ensure alignment between the work of the review on speeding up access for NHS patients to innovative and cost effective new medicines and the CDF. The AAR is looking at the capability of NICE, NHS England and the Department to support innovative pathways for the assessment, adoption and reimbursement of treatments.