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Tag: 2016

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) financial and (b) other support is available to help young adult carers who wish to continue on to higher education.

    Nick Boles

    The Government recognises that young carers face challenges participating in higher education and they may require additional support to do so effectively. We have made changes to student support for those in higher education in the 2016/17 academic year. In particular, students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are living away from home and studying outside London can receive a maximum maintenance loan for living costs of £8,200 a year in 2016/17. This represents an increase of £766 from the maximum combined loans and grants available in 2015/16. In addition to the main support package, a student who is a young carer can apply for a Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance.

    Students in 16-19 education can also apply for a discretionary bursary to help meet the costs of their travel, equipment, educational trips or anything else that they might require to participate effectively in their education. Funding is also allocated to sixth forms and colleges so they can provide additional educational support to students fromdisadvantaged backgrounds, including young carers.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans his Department has to ensure that a privatised Green Investment Bank will work to open major new investment options for investors in the UK’s low carbon economy while making a material contribution to decarbonisation.

    Anna Soubry

    Details of why the Government believes moving UK Green Investment Bank plc (GIB) into private ownership represents the best way to enable the company to deliver its ambitious green business plan and have a greater impact on green investment while minimising burdens on the UK taxpayer are provided in our November 2015 policy statement on the future of GIB and are further set out in the Government’s response to the Environmental Audit Committee’s report on the future of GIB which was laid in Parliament on 2 February. Both documents can be found on the GIB pages of the GOV.UK website.

  • Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Susan Elan Jones on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the effect of the Government’s policy on biomass on the availability of UK-produced wood supplies to UK industries.

    Anna Soubry

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has held no specific discussions with my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the effect of the Government’s policy on biomass on the availability of UK-produced wood supplies to UK industries.

    BIS is coordinating discussions between senior leaders in the industrial biotechnology, synthetic biology, chemicals, medicines manufacturing and agri-tech sectors, to consider how these industries can work together, alongside the UK’s excellent science and technology base, to build a strong and growing bioeconomy. These discussions are likely to include the availability of biomass feedstocks and their impact on specific sectors.

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

    Lord Shinkwin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Shinkwin on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of non-invasive prenatal testing techniques for Down’s Syndrome on the Down’s Syndrome community in the light of the percentage of abortions that take place on the grounds of a Down’s Syndrome diagnosis.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) commissioned a full review of the published scientific and cost evidence (systematic review) relating to Non Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT). Based on the evidence from the systematic review and the pilot study, the UK NSC ran a three month consultation that closed on 30 October 2015 seeking views on whether NIPT be offered as an additional test to women identified with a higher risk of carrying a baby with a chromosomal condition.

    The consultation was sent directly to 38 organisations and responses were received from 30 stakeholders. Details of the evidence recommendation can be found in the document titled, ‘cfDNA Systematic Review Final Report.’ Details of the organisations contacted can be found in Annex A of the document titled, ‘cfDNA Cover Sheet’ and consultation responses can be found in the document titled, ‘Screening for cfDNA Compiled Comments.’ All three documents were published on the UK NSC website and copies are attached.

    The UK NSC review included the early findings from the Reliable Accurate Prenatal non-Invasive Diagnosis study. However, the possible introduction of NIPT for Down’s, Patau’s and Edwards’ syndromes to the National Health Service foetal anomaly screening programme does not fundamentally alter the choices presented to prospective parents regarding entering the foetal anomaly screening programme or not, or in options and choices available when testing identifies a foetus with a syndrome. Therefore, no assessment was made of the impact of NIPT on the number of abortions, Down’s Syndrome community and medical professional and society’s attitudes towards people with Down’s syndrome.

    As NIPT for Down’s, Patau’s and Edward’s syndromes is giving more accurate information than women already get, the UK NSC does not consider it to raise any new ethical issues. However, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics held a workshop in January 2016 to consider the ethical aspects of introducing NIPT.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2016 to Question 34050, how much funding his Department has allocated to the work programme and work choice in the 2016-17 financial year.

    Priti Patel

    The total budget for Contracted Employment Programmes for 2016-17 is £402.4m. It is not possible to publish the disaggregation of this figure to individual programmes, as this is subject to change throughout the year.

  • John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects negotiations on the new EU treaty to incorporate the new settlement for the UK in the EU to begin in the event of the UK voting to stay in the EU.

    Mr David Lidington

    The central element of the deal that the Government has secured is an International Law Decision agreed by all the Heads of State or Government of the Member States of the EU. It is legally-binding under international law and will take effect if the British people vote to remain in the EU. The Decision also includes a legally binding and irreversible commitment that the Member States will at the next opportunity, and subject to compliance with their respective constitutional requirements and the procedures in the EU Treaties, amend the EU Treaties to address key UK concerns.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of tracking of digital devices through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on consumer rights and privacy.

    Matt Hancock

    The Government takes both the protection of personal data and the right to privacy extremely seriously. Under the Data Protection Act owners should be informed how their data will be handled.

    The independent regulator for information rights, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), has produced guidance on privacy on mobile apps, which is available at;

    https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisations/documents/1596/privacy-in-mobile-apps-dp-guidance.pdf

  • Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wes Streeting on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what estimate he has made of the cost of negotiations with the EU in the two years after Article 50 is invoked.

    Mr Robin Walker

    Detailed work is underway to establish the budget required to fulfil the department’s responsibilities over the period of the Spending Review. The budget will be set out to the House of Commons and approved as part of the Supplementary Estimates in the new year, as is standard practice.

  • Philip Hollobone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Philip Hollobone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Hollobone on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) guidelines, (b) regulations and (c) EU directives are in place which restrict the use of antibiotics for livestock.

    George Eustice

    The rules governing the authorisation and use of veterinary medicines are set at the European level through an EU Directive and these apply to all Member States. All antibiotic veterinary medicines in the UK are available only on prescription by a veterinary surgeon, who in turn is only permitted to prescribe to animals under their care.

    The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), an executive agency of the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra), published the ‘Code of Practice on the responsible use of animal medicines on the farm’ in December 2014. The guidance makes it clear that the Government does not support the routine preventative use of antibiotics, or the use of antibiotics to compensate for poor animal husbandry.

    A number of UK veterinary and farming organisations have well established guidance on the prescription and use of veterinary medicines, including antibiotics.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the ability of a privatised Green Investment Bank to address market failures in the low carbon economy.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government’s position on this matter was set out in paragraphs 31 – 36 of our November 2015 policy statement on the future of the UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) which can be found on the GIB pages of the GOV.UK website.

    This makes clear that GIB’s remit has always been to invest in green projects on fully commercial terms to help demonstrate green investment can be profitable and attract additional private sector investment into green sectors from mainstream finance providers. GIB will continue to perform that role in private ownership.

    There are other Government policy mechanisms in place aimed at promoting investment in more high risk projects and early stage technologies.