Tag: 2016

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-01-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish monitoring his Department undertook on the impact on micro-businesses of the changes to dividend taxation included in the Finance Bill.

    Mr David Gauke

    At Summer Budget 2015, the Chancellor announced that the dividend tax credit will be replaced by a new £5,000 tax-free dividend allowance from April 2016, and that dividend tax rates would be amended from the same date.

    A tax information and impact note setting out expected impacts was published on 9 December. This is available to view at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-tax-changes-to-dividend-taxation/income-tax-changes-to-dividend-taxation.

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  • Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-02-22.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to reduce the productivity gap.

    Greg Hands

    The government has published “Fixing the foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation”, its plan for productivity growth in the UK. This plan outlines the steps the government is taking to encourage further investment in the drivers of productivity growth, including science, education, skills and infrastructure. It also sets out the ways the government is promoting a dynamic economy through reforming planning laws, boosting competition and creating a Northern Powerhouse.

    These steps include: investing £6.9 billion in the UK’s research infrastructure up to 2021; introducing a levy on large employers to help deliver 3 million apprenticeships starts this Parliament; guaranteeing that all revenue raised from VED in England from 2020-21 will be allocated to a new Roads Fund and invested directly back into the strategic road network; and creating a new “zonal” system which will grant automatic permission in principle on brownfield sites.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much in VAT-based contributions the UK paid to the EU in each of the last 10 years; and if he will estimate the amount of such contributions in each of the next five years.

    Mr David Gauke

    The European Commission’s annual Financial Report provides calendar year historical contributions figures.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to tackle loneliness among people with autism.

    Alistair Burt

    Loneliness is a complex problem and affects people in many different ways. There is no single solution that can tackle loneliness and many of the solutions to combatting it lie within local communities. Examples of emerging practice are provided on the Social Care Institute for Excellence Prevention Library.

    The Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2020 set out a vision for a society where the public thinks and feels differently about dementia. It raises the importance of social action solutions such as peer support and befriending services which can also provide practical and emotional support to people with dementia and carers to reduce isolation and prevent crisis.

    The Prime Minister’s 2020 Challenge, promotes dementia friendly communities, which are helping to support people with dementia to live more independent and fulfilling lives in their own communities, for longer. Currently, there are around 140 communities across England. Towns, cities and villages have signed up to Alzheimer’s Society’s foundation-stage recognition process for dementia friendly communities and there are over 1.5 million Dementia Friends.

    The Cross Government Autism Strategy originally published as Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives in 2010 and updated as Think Autism in 2014 has done much to encourage innovation to break down social isolation by helping autistic people, their families and carers access health, social care, other public services, and peer support. Recently the Department has been working with the Autism Alliance UK, the largest network of autism charities, on the Connect to Autism project. It encourages local organisations, services and companies to become Autism Champions through training staff in autism awareness with a view to helping people who have autism overcome the anxiety and loneliness they can suffer in many everyday environments.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36373, which overseas territories and Crown dependencies declined the invitation to attend the Anti-Corruption Summit on 12 May 2016.

    Matthew Hancock

    None.

  • Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) hon. Members, (b) members of the local authority and (c) the public are consulted about the sustainability and transformation plans being developed for Warrington and its surrounding area.

    Mr Jeremy Hunt

    We acknowledge that local government are vital in helping to set the strategic direction of health and care service development locally.

    The March guidance to Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) leads clarified that submissions should state how:

    – partnership arrangements should include local government and explain fit with existing plans, including Health and Wellbeing Strategies and Joint Strategic Needs Assessments;

    – systems will work with local government to deliver prevention and public health improvements; and

    – the footprint will engage other employers, working with local government, to improve health and wellbeing of local people.

    At a regional level, National Health Service arm’s length bodies (ALBs) have:

    – worked initially with local authority colleagues to agree footprints and STP leadership;

    – offered membership of the four new regional STP boards to Local Government Association representatives (including the potential for involvement in the assessment of initial returns); and

    – asked their regional colleagues to continue to work with the STP footprints in their area to encourage them to reflect the knowledge, expertise and experience of local government colleagues where appropriate, e.g. Health and Wellbeing Board leads’ insight into the plans for, and effects on, the local system.

    As set out in the NHS Shared Planning Guidance, published in December 2015, the success of STPs will depend on having an open, engaging, and iterative process that involves patients, carers, citizens, clinicians, local community partners, parliamentarians, the independent and voluntary sectors, and local government through health and wellbeing boards. The arm’s length bodies responsible for the NHS Five Year Forward View – NHS England, NHS Improvement, the Care Quality Commission, Public Health England, Health Education England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence – have asked for local engagement plans as part of the STP process, building where appropriate on existing engagement through health and wellbeing boards and other local arrangements. Where plans propose service changes, formal consultation will follow in due course in line with good practice and legislative requirements. The arm’s length bodies will be holding conversations with each area to assess their plans for local engagement.

  • William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has for road investment in the north of England.

    Mr John Hayes

    This Government is committing a total of £15.2 billion in the enhancement and long-term maintenance of the Strategic Road Network between 2015/16 and 2020/21 including 127 major schemes. Of these there are 42 schemes for the North of England with a value of £2.9 billion investment.

    On the local road network, we have been providing significant investment for roads in the North. This includes eight schemes completed including the Crewe Green Link Road, five under construction including the Heysham-M6 Link Road and the Mersey Gateway Bridge, as well as a further five which are under development. In addition we are currently considering further bids for development funding for large schemes on the local network, including the A6 to M60 Relief Road Scheme. These bids are currently being assessed and the successful schemes will be announced in the autumn.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the responses received to his Department’s pre-consultation on reducing legal costs in clinical negligence claims.

    Ben Gummer

    Feedback from the pre-consultation on the introduction of fixed recoverable costs (FRC) in clinical negligence claims has been used to inform the development of the FRC policy. We intend to publish a summary of the feedback within the consultation document in due course.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to maintain the diversity of the local newspaper sector in the UK.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    As the Secretary of State has stated previously, Local papers are the bread and butter of journalism – they part of the communities they serve, and people rely on and respect them. In our manifesto, we committed to consulting on the introduction of a business rates relief for local newspapers in England, which we have now done, and are considering next steps.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Carolyn Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has undertaken of the electrical safety and adequacy of measures to prevent electrical fires in care homes in England.

    Mike Penning

    Fire safety in care homes is the responsibility of the operator who is required under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 to assess the risk from fire to residents and employees and to implement appropriate fire precautions to prevent fires and mitigate the risk that, should a fire break out, lives are not put at risk. This would include mitigating the risk of and from electrical fires.

    The Government’s fire safety risk assessment guidance for residential care premises provides detailed advice on ensuring electrical equipment is safe, and is inspected regularly by a competent electrical engineer in accordance with the Electricity at Work Regulations.

    It is for local fire and rescue authorities to determine whether the specific fire precautions and management and maintenance arrangements in place in any particular residential care premises are sufficient to comply with the provisions of the Order.