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Tag: 2016

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many teenagers have (a) commenced and (b) graduated a National Citizenship Service programme in each of the last five years.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    Since National Citizenship Service (NCS) began, over 200,000 young people have taken part in this life changing opportunity. NCS is the fastest growing youth movement in this country for a century, with a 46% increase in the number of participants between 2013 and 2014.

    Year

    Participants Commence NCS

    Participants Graduated

    2011

    8,400

    6,800

    2012

    26,000

    22,600

    2013

    39,600

    32,300

    2014

    57,800

    50,900

    The participant figures for 2015 will be published with the 2015 evaluation in due course.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will expedite the work of the cross-governmental working group on drones; and if he will bring forward legislative proposals to mitigate the safety risks posed by civilian drones.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Government’s primary responsibility is the safety and security of our citizens. That is why we apply the highest regulatory safety standards for commercial aviation in the world.

    There is legislation in place that requires users of small drones to maintain direct, unaided visual contact with their vehicle, and that requires users to not recklessly or negligently cause or permit their vehicle to endanger any person or property.

    It is already illegal to operate a drone recklessly or negligently, and the Crown Prosecution Service has successfully prosecuted where there has been persistent reckless behaviour.

    Education of drone users is vital. The DfT is working with the CAA on raising awareness of responsible drone use. This includes the CAA’s ‘Drone Code’ safety awareness campaign and the issuing of safety leaflets at the point of sale.

    We will continue to keep our policies and regulation under review to ensure public safety remains paramount. This currently includes working with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to develop consistent, EU-wide safety rules for drones.

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will estimate the number of days of sickness absence taken for reasons of depression, anxiety or stress in each of the last three years.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

    James Wharton

    I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my Rt Hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General today. UIN: 36288

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department spent in the last five years on the provision of English language teachers for students recently arrived in the UK with little knowledge of that language.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The department distributes school funding to local authorities through the dedicated schools grant. Each local authority then devises a formula through which it allocates funding to schools in its locality. No funding is allocated on the basis of pupils who have recently arrived from overseas, either from central government to local authorities or from local authorities to individual schools.

    Local authorities can include an ‘English as an additional language’ (EAL) factor in their funding formulae. EAL funding is determined on the basis of census data which records whether or not a pupil’s first language is English. Funding allocated through this factor forms part of the school’s core budget and it is for school leaders to determine how best to use their whole budget so that all pupils can reach their full potential.

    We will introduce a national funding formula from 2017-18 so that funding is fair and matched to need. Our first consultation proposed that the formula should include an EAL factor. We will set out the precise detail of the formula in our second consultation.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans the Education Funding Agency has in place for the use of the former East Ham police station.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department acquired the former East Ham Police Station for a free school and has every intention to use this site for a school. We are considering the best use for the site, taking into account both that it is listed and the accommodation needs of whichever school occupies it.

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support his Department is giving to the Royal British Legion Industries Lifeworks programme.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that the mobile nature of Service life can create a particular difficulty for working partners who often give up their own jobs to accompany Service personnel. The MOD’s Partner Employment Programme (PEP) is therefore focused on addressing the barriers that hinder spousal employment, both in the UK and on overseas postings.

    As part of our drive to support partners of Service personnel, the MOD’s Armed Forces Covenant Team secured LIBOR funding for a two year period (2013-2015) to support The Royal British Legion Industries’ (RBLI) Lifeworks for Families in the successful delivery of vocational assessment and employability courses to Service spouses and dependants.

    Lifeworks for Families has now secured private funding for continuation until 2019 and the MOD continues to support the successful delivery of this work through continued engagement and publicity with our policy staff and the single Services. I am pleased that nearly 800 individuals have already benefited from this programme. Demand continues to be high and MOD officials are working with RBLI to deliver an additional bespoke workshop in spring 2017, which will support the families of serving personnel in Cyprus as they return to the UK.

    In addition, RBLI Lifeworks for Veterans received £958,000 of LIBOR funds in March 2016 to deliver intensive employment support to long term unemployed veterans across the UK. This funding supports the continuation of the current five year programme until 2018. To date, over 600 Armed Forces veterans have benefited from the course, resulting in 83% of participants achieving paid employment.

  • Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which, if any, of the recommendations of the report on the welfare of immigration detainees by Stephen Shaw have been rejected, and on what grounds.

    Lord Bates

    The Government’s position on the Stephen Shaw review was set out in the Written Ministerial Statement laid on 14 January 2016.

    The Government accepts the broad thrust of Mr Shaw’s recommendations. In particular the Government accepts Mr Shaw’s recommendations to adopt a wider definition of those at risk, including victims of sexual violence, individuals with mental health issues, pregnant women, those with learning difficulties, post-traumatic stress disorder and elderly people, and to recognise the dynamic nature of vulnerabilities. We will introduce a new “adult at risk” concept into decision-making on immigration detention with a clear presumption that people who are at risk should not be detained, building on the existing legal framework.

    A more detailed mental health needs assessment in immigration removal centres, using the expertise of the Centre for Mental Health, will be carried out and is expected to report in March 2016. NHS commissioners will use that assessment to consider and revisit current provision to ensure healthcare needs are being met appropriately. The Government will also publish a joint Department of Health, NHS and Home Office mental health action plan in April 2016.

    We will also be considering a number of operational recommendations made by Mr Shaw, on a case by case basis, taking account of available resources.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to end the offering of compensation in personal injury claims when there is no medical evidence.

    Dominic Raab

    The Government is determined to crack down on fraud and the compensation culture.

    The Government recognises that offers to settle made to claimants without medical evidence may encourage opportunistic and fraudulent claims. The Government introduced new court rules in October 2014 to discourage such offers and we continue to keep the matter of third party capture, including the impacts on motor premiums, under review.

  • Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what types of commercial agreements NHS England and NICE will be required to consider as part of the conditional approval route in the new Cancer Drugs Fund.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has advised that it intends to publish new detailed standard operating procedures for the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) by June 2016. These will include any further general details concerning the nature of managed access agreements associated with a drug’s entry into the Fund.

    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 National Health Service patients to innovative and cost effective new medicines and the CDF. The AAR is looking at the capability of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NHS England and the Department to support innovative pathways for the assessment, adoption and reimbursement of treatments.