The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrea Jenkyns on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations she has received from (a) local authorities and (b) other bodies on the pressures on school places due to immigration from (i) EU and (ii) non-EU countries.
Edward Timpson
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-06-28.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consult widely on how the UK’s contributions to EU programmes for disaster relief, aid and development might be used in the future.
Baroness Verma
The UK’s aid strategy sets out how we will tackle extreme poverty and in doing so protect our own national security and interests. We will continue to ensure that our 0.7% ODA commitment is used to deliver our development objectives to maximum effect whilst achieving value for money for the taxpayer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-09-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which local authorities have agreed to accept Syrian refugees.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
More than 170 local authorities have provided firm offers of places and many more have pledged to resettle refugees under this scheme. We continue to work with them all in order to meet our commitment. Progress on resettlement is reported in quarterly immigration statistics, including the local authorities participating in the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme and how many refugees have been resettled in each area.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Anne Main on 2016-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the EU ban on neonicotinoids has been renewed; and if she will make a statement.
George Eustice
EU restrictions prohibiting the use of three neonicotinoids on some crops have been in place since 1 December 2013. Other uses of these neonicotinoids remain approved. The restrictions have been implemented in full in the UK and will remain in place unless and until the European Commission decides to change them. The Commission has mandated the European Food Safety Authority to carry out a scientific review of the effects of neonicotinoids on pollinators. The UK will participate in that process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Davis on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether personnel from Reaper Squadrons 39 and 13 have been deployed to Sicily.
Penny Mordaunt
No personnel from 39 Squadron or 13 Squadron have been deployed to Sicily.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect on the financial situation of women of their not being notified about changes introduced by the Pensions Act 1995.
Justin Tomlinson
The 1995 Act started the process of equalising the state pension age of women by phasing in the rise of the retirement age from 60 to 65 between 2010 and 2020. Changes were communicated by means of State Pension estimates issued to individuals on request since 1995, as well as through a DWP pensions education campaign in 2004. Since April 2000 more than 11.5 million personalised statements have been issued. A 2004 DWP report, Public Awareness of State Pension Age Equalisation, reported its survey findings that 73% of those aged 45 to 54 at the time were aware of the changes to women’s State Pension age.
Following the Pensions Act 2011 the Government wrote to all those directly affected to inform them of the changes to their State Pension age. Research published in 2007 by the DWP showed that, in 2006, 86 per cent of women aged 55-64 and 90 per cent aged 45-54 were aware that the State Pension age would increase in future.
A number of changes to the State Pension with impacts on state pension outcomes have been implemented since the introduction of the Pensions Act 1995. The Pensions Act 2007 introduced beneficial changes to the entitlement conditions for State Pension, which were estimated to result in 75 per cent of women reaching State Pension age in 2010 being entitled to a full basic State Pension compared to only 30 per cent in 2007.
The Pensions Act 2014 introduces the new State Pension from April 2016, available to women born on or after 6 April 1953. Around 650,000 women reaching State Pension age in the first ten years will receive an average of £8 per week (in 2014/15 earnings terms) more due to the new State Pension valuation of their National Insurance record. By 2030, over 3 million women will stand to benefit by an average of £11 per week.
Independent analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies has shown that the rise in women’s State Pension age since 2010 has been accompanied by increases in employment rates for the women affected. For those who are unemployed, or unable to work, working age benefits are still available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department issues on what evidence should be used to determine basic treatment for people presenting with acute urinary tract infections.
Jane Ellison
The Department does not determine which treatments should be available for what ailments. National Health Service commissioners are responsible for making decisions on individual treatments on the basis of the available evidence, taking into account guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) where available.
NICE guidance is always evidence based, assuring us of the latest clinical thinking and research to determine the best treatment for patients.
The guidelines from NICE for urinary tract infections can be found here:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg171/chapter/1-recommendations
NHS England published new guidance on 16 November 2015 to help improve the care and experience of people with continence issues. This includes the most up to date evidence to support commissioners and providers. The guidance can be found on NHS England’s website and accessed via the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/2015/11/16/continence-care/
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, by what means she will assess the risk to bee populations when considering emergency applications for the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on crops.
George Eustice
Emergency authorisation is a procedure set out in law which allows for the authorisation of a pesticide product for a period not exceeding 120 days, for “limited and controlled use, where such a measure appears necessary because of a danger which cannot be contained by any other reasonable means”.
All applications for emergency authorisation in the UK, including those for neonicotinoids, are decided according to these criteria following an expert assessment of the scientific data.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hollins on 2016-06-28.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 16 June (HL576), whether the trial of Mazher Mahmood is among those cases she refers to as connected to the subject of the Leveson Inquiry and which must conclude before they will consider Part 2 of the Leveson Inquiry, and which other criminal proceedings are also in that category.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
There are a number of on-going cases captured by the Leveson criteria, which were laid down to avoid the risk of prejudice to the right to fair trials in the criminal courts. The trial of Mazher Mahmood is one of these.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-09-08.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many officials of his Department provide secretariat support to unpaid advisors.
Ben Gummer
There are no unpaid special advisers in the Cabinet Office.