Tag: 2016

  • Zac Goldsmith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Zac Goldsmith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will require Heathrow Airport to accept the recommendation of the Civil Aviation Authority that night flights at that airport be banned between 11.00pm and 6.00am before the Government makes a decision on airport expansion.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Airports Commission shortlisted three airport expansion schemes, two at Heathrow and one at Gatwick. The Government accepted the Commission’s shortlist in December 2015, and has since been undertaking a programme of further work, including on mitigation, to support a decision on a preferred scheme. We are carefully considering the evidence in relation to all three schemes, including the Commission’s comprehensive evidence base and recommendations. These recommendations included a ban on night flights between 1130 and 0600 for its preferred scheme, the Heathrow Northwest Runway. We are aware of no such recommendation from the Civil Aviation Authority.

  • Callum McCaig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Callum McCaig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2016-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with the CEOs of the Big Six energy companies on the availability of the cheapest energy tariff for existing customers.

    Jesse Norman

    Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Ministers will be meeting with a number of energy supply companies in due course to discuss a wide range of issues. Government’s focus remains firmly on getting the best deal for consumers and ensuring the market works for everyone.

  • Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answers of 8 December 2015 to Question 18144 and 22 December 2015 to Question 19937 on Dupuytren’s contracture, what his Department’s timetable is for considering whether to add that condition to the list of industrial injuries disablement benefit discussions.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Work began in May 2014 following publication of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Committee’s report on Dupuytren’s Contracture. It is expected that a decision whether or not to add it to the list of prescribed diseases will be made early this year and will take account of the potential costs involved and other relevant factors.

  • Michael Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Michael Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Rural Payments Agency will inform all farmers who are expecting payments of the specific timings that those payments will be expected.

    George Eustice

    The Rural Payments Agency has already written to farmers whose claims are deemed more complex and who are unlikely to be paid by the end of January, giving an indication of the earliest point at which they will receive payments. As of 25 January the agency has paid around 61,100 farmers and is working on paying the remaining claims as soon as possible.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence Review 2015, when he expects to announce further details of the Government’s proposed armed forces families strategy.

    Mark Lancaster

    The UK Armed Forces Families’ Strategy 2016-2020 was published on 14 January 2016 and is available at the following website:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-armed-forces-families-strategy

    The Strategy will be supported by an action plan which we plan to publish in spring 2016.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the closure of the Palestine Today news television channel in the West Bank and the arrest of three journalists.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities. However we are aware of reports of closure of the Palestine Today television channel and are investigating the background.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of new nursery staff in (a) Burnley and (b) Lancashire who will be affected by the new requirements for staff taking a Level 3 in childcare.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The requirements have been in effect since 2014 for individuals taking the level 3 Early Years Educator qualifications.

    The requirement for level 3 Early Years Educator staff to hold a GCSE Maths and English at grade C or above was introduced to make sure that new entrants to the workforce have the numeracy and literacy skills they need to operate in a level 3 role. Staff working in level 3 roles can have a range of responsibilities, all of which require them to be highly skilled and well-qualified. Level 3 staff are likely to work directly with children, and many will have additional responsibility as room leaders and some will lead and manage an entire childcare setting.

    The department holds national data on level 3 staff in the early years sector. We know excellent progress has been made over the past few years in which qualification levels have continued to rise. Between 2008 and 2013, the proportion of the 233,200 full day care staff with at least a level 3 qualification grew from 75% to 87%[1]. We are continuing to collect data on level 3 staff through the Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey this year, and will collect data from 2016 in the Early Years Census.

    We have been talking to childcare employers and training organisations about early years qualifications. We want to continue to work with the sector to understand the challenges faced, and find ways to tackle these whilst ensuring a quality workforce remains.

    [1] Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey 2013

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of NHS blood donation services.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is operationally responsible for providing a safe and reliable supply of blood, blood products and expertise to hospitals in England. Each year, donors voluntarily give around 1.7 million units of blood to ensure that hospitals receive the 6,000 blood donations they need every day, to treat patients. There has not been a shortage of blood for many years.

    NHSBT recruits around 200,000 new donors each year to replace those who can no longer donate for reasons such as ill health, pregnancy or foreign travel.

    To meet an on-going overall drop in demand but a more complex need for specific blood groups, NHSBT is increasing donation from O negative blood donors, A negative platelet donors and donors from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. To increase blood donation, NHSBT recently launched a BAME toolkit to be used by Members of Parliament seeking to increase blood and organ donors in their constituencies.

    The toolkit can be found at:

    https://www.dropbox.com/sh/i5d5f93ppiqys38/AAB_Q44nwfOiRFMYUx9qKlH8a?dl=0

    “

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance is provided to jobcentre advisers on imposing sanctions on benefit claimants with diabetes.

    Damian Hinds

    There is no specific guidance available to Jobcentre Plus staff on imposing sanctions on benefit claimants with diabetes. There is guidance available to Jobcentre Plus staff on the application of sanctions imposed by a Decision Maker if a claimant fails to fulfil all of their responsibilities as a claimant.

    When Decision Makers make their decisions they do so using guidance for decision makers taking into account all the claimants individual circumstances including health conditions. These circumstances determine whether or not a claimant should be sanctioned.

  • Alex Chalk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Alex Chalk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Chalk on 2016-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to ensure that the UK intellectual property practitioners will continue to have the right to file European Trade Mark and design applications and appear on behalf of clients at the EU Intellectual Property Office after the UK leaves the EU.

    Joseph Johnson

    We have sought UK intellectual property practitioners’ views on the effects of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union and we are aware that this is a concern to them. We are continuing to engage with practitioners and businesses and are actively considering the options available.