Tag: 2016

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-03-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of women in Easington constituency who will be affected by the reduction of the income rise disregard for tax credits to £2,500.

    Damian Hinds

    This information is not held and statistically reliable projections at constituency level could only be provided at disproportionate cost. From April 2016, the income rise disregard – the amount by which a tax credit claimant’s income can increase within a year before their tax credit award is adjusted – will be reduced from £5,000 to £2,500.

    The only people who will be affected by this will be those who see an increase in their in-year income by more than £2,500. There will be no net cash losers because their income will have increased.

    In the subsequent tax year, a claimant’s tax credits award will be calculated in the usual way, using their full annual income for the previous year to determine their tax credit entitlement. This means that after the change in the tax year, whether the claimant’s increase in income was above or below the disregard level, their tax credit award for the following year will be adjusted to what it would have been had no disregard existed

  • Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the Supporting Syria Conference 2016, to whom and by what mechanisms the Government’s funding pledges at that conference will be made.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    At the London Conference, the Prime Minister announced that the UK will more than double our total pledge to the Syria crisis from £1.12 billion to over £2.3 billion. The UK has already spent more than £1.1 billion in providing lifesaving aid in Syria and the region.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic effect of the High Speed 2 project on Coventry; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Much of the research on the impacts of HS2 on specific areas of the UK so far has focussed on the HS2 named cities such as Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and London. However, to build an understanding of the potential for HS2 to contribute to balanced economic growth in the UK, The Economic Case for HS2, published in 2013, apportioned the estimated social benefits of the project to different regions. The West Midlands was estimated to receive 15% of the benefit of the full ‘Y’ network in 2036, valued at £303m (in 2011 prices). Coventry, located close to the planned HS2 Birmingham Interchange station, can be expected to benefit from faster journey times through the high speed network as well as released capacity on the classic network.

    Early research published in the HS2 Regional Economic Impacts report in 2013 attempted to estimate the gross GVA effects of HS2 on the West Midlands economy in 2037 and produced an illustrative estimate of between £1.5bn and £3.1bn of additional output per annum (in 2013 prices). We continue to refine the methodology of how we assess regional economic impacts and build evidence on the contribution which HS2 could make to creating sustainable and balanced economic growth.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-06-28.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department plans to publish its most recent data on migration to and from the UK.

    Chris Skidmore

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

  • 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 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, (a) when and (b) by whom the decision was taken to withdraw funding for the NHS retirement fellowship; and what evidence on the health benefits of fellowship activities was considered prior to that decision being made.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Health Education England (HEE) has, for the last two years, provided funding on behalf of the system to the NHS Retirement Fellowship. The funding was provided in support of the work they do for former employees of the National Health Service, however, the funding was always intended to be transitional support and not a guaranteed grant year on year. Like all publicly funded bodies, HEE is having to review its financial commitments and in turn, has prioritised funding for the education and training of the future workforce.

  • Angela Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Angela Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Smith on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of planning applications which were refused on the grounds that the sewerage network or waste water treatment facilities did not have sufficient capacity to service those developments in each of the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The information requested is not collected by the Department.

    The National Planning Policy Framework expects local councils to work with other authorities and providers, such as water and sewerage companies, to assess the quality and capacity of infrastructure and its ability to meet forecast demands. This includes infrastructure for wastewater and its treatment. This should help inform councils’ Local Plans, which should plan positively for the development and infrastructure required in the area. Further information is provided in our on-line planning practice guidance, ‘Water supply, wastewater and water quality’, available at http://planningguidance.communities.gov.uk/blog/guidance/

    “

  • Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Black of Brentwood on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to make pre-exposure prophylaxis available in England to men who have sex with men in England who are at high risk of HIV.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England is working with local authorities, clinicians, patient representatives and Public Health England to consider the clinical and cost effectiveness of providing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to groups at increased risk to prevent them acquiring HIV. This includes a full review and analysis of published literature in this area. The PrEP clinical policy proposition is one of many going through NHS England’s 2016/17 prioritisation round.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department issues to schools on tackling the problems of traffic congestion at the school gate during school drop-off and pick-up.

    Nick Gibb

    The local authority (LA) is responsible for enforcing parking restrictions around schools. The LA must also promote sustainable travel and transport, and strategies for encouraging walking, cycling and public transport should form part of that. The duty applies to all children and young people of compulsory school age who travel to receive education or training in a local authority’s area and is reinforced by the Department’s home to school transport statutory guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/445407/Home_to_School_Travel_and_Transport_Guidance.pdf

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  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department’s review of criminal driving offences will consider changes to the distinction between careless and dangerous driving offences.

    Dominic Raab

    Driving offences can have devastating consequences for victims and their loved ones.

    The government is aware of concerns about a number of sentencing issues and is committed to making sure sentencing for driving crimes is proportionate within the context of our wider sentencing framework. It is our intention to commence a consultation in due course which will look at driving offences and penalties.

  • Valerie Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Valerie Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Valerie Vaz on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans that the Post Office Card Account will be available until 2021.

    Priti Patel

    Post Office Card Accounts provide a useful service to many people and there are no plans to change provision.

    The Department recognises, however, that working age claimants may also be receiving wages. As the account does not receive wages or allow for direct debit or standing order facilities, Post Office Card Accounts are not suitable for all of their needs. Those claimants are therefore being encouraged to open main stream bank accounts including credit union accounts.

    The Post Office Card Account contract was awarded from 01 December 2014 and expires on 30 November 2021 and there are no plans to amend that term.