Tag: Andrew Gwynne

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in which instances embassies and high commissions in the UK have invoked the principle of diplomatic immunity in each of the last five years.

James Duddridge

Under Article 31 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State. He shall also enjoy immunity from its civil and administrative jurisdiction, except in limited circumstances specified in the Convention. Full statistics and details about instances when Embassies and High Commissions have invoked the principle of diplomatic immunity for the period specified are not recorded centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Such requests would cover instances where a member of the mission’s diplomatic or consular staff (or a member of their family forming part of their household) was the alleged offender, the alleged victim of a crime, or had witnessed a crime and police had sought a witness statement; or where police had sought witness statements from staff in relation to their official functions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report of Ofsted on its inspection of Audenshaw School Academy Trust which took place on 23 and 24 February 2016, if she will make an assessment of the effect on the students for whom pupil premium funding was intended of that funding being saved for a capital project.

Mr Sam Gyimah

The conditions of grant for the pupil premium make clear that its purpose is to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. School leaders are best placed to decide how to spend the pupil premium in line with this policy and the needs of their pupils. Schools are not prevented from using the pupil premium to fund capital projects or from carrying over funding between years.

The Department for Education supports schools to make evidence-based decisions through the work of the Education Endowment Foundation, established to identify and promote effective practice in raising the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. The Department does not monitor how Academies and maintained schools spend the pupil premium but instead holds them to account for the outcomes of eligible pupils through the publication of data in performance tables and Ofsted inspection.

Where concerns are raised about the performance of an academy then they are addressed by the Regional School Commissioner with responsibility for that area. The Department also takes seriously any concerns about the financial management of a school. We are aware of the findings of the Ofsted report on Audenshaw School relating to its use of the pupil premium, following an inspection in February 2016. We are also aware that the Hon. Member, Andrew Gwynne, has met the Regional Schools Commissioner for Lancashire and West Yorkshire, Vicky Beer, on a number of occasions to discuss his concerns about Audenshaw School Academy Trust. The Department has carefully reviewed all the information provided on this matter and has identified no grounds to take further action.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures are in place to ensure that alternative accommodation is found for people evicted from a care home.

Alistair Burt

Should a person have to leave a care home, the Care Act requires the local authority to carry out an assessment of their needs. The local authority must decide if the person has eligible needs by considering the outcomes they wish to achieve, what their needs are and how these impact on their wellbeing.

Where a person is assessed as having eligible care and support needs – for example, for care and support, public assistance with the cost of care, help with arranging care or information and advice – those needs must be met by their local authority.

For a person placed in residential care by a local authority, the authority would continue to have a duty to meet their needs and to arrange alternative care services. Should a person be able to fund their own care but lack capacity to arrange it, the local authority has powers under the Act to meet their needs.

Statutory guidance issued under the Care Act sets out when a local authority should use these powers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many services which have been approved by NHS England’s Clinical Priorities Advisory Group are planned for discussion at the NHS England prioritisation round in June.

George Freeman

The Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) will agree recommendations as to which proposals for new investments in specialised services should be considered by NHS England in the prioritisation round for 2016/17. CPAG is scheduled to meet between 6 and 9 June 2016.

NHS England is currently considering the outcome of a public consultation that it held between April and May 2016 on a proposed method for the relative prioritisation of new investments in specialised services. The consultation guide that it published described the proposed method and the types of data that would be considered. Many detailed submissions were made by respondents to consultation, and they will all be carefully considered. NHS England is expecting to make a decision on the eventual method that will be adopted for 2016/17 in May 2016.

The consultation guide can be found at the following address:

https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/investment-decisions/supporting_documents/consultationguide.pdf

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to meet the (a) advice and advocacy and (b) psychosocial needs of people living with HIV in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham health authority area following implementation of the proposed reduction in specialist HIV support services.

Jane Ellison

Support services for people living with HIV are commissioned by local authorities.

We are advised by NHS England that the boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham are currently consulting on a new service model, under which advice and advocacy, counselling and assessment and signposting services for people living with HIV would be provided by local non-HIV specialist services.

We understand that the consultation exercise commenced on 9 May 2016 and is due to end on 28 June.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on how to take into account a neighbourhood planning process being underway when considering making their own applications for housing on sites that will be affected by that neighbourhood plan.

Gavin Barwell

The procedures for dealing with development by local authorities are contained in the Town and Country Planning General Regulations 1992. A local authority’s development proposals, like those of other persons applying for planning permission, must be decided in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

Once brought into force, a neighbourhood plan becomes part of the development plan for the area; an emerging neighbourhood plan may be a material consideration. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that the weight of emerging plan policies will depend on the stage of the plan, the extent of unresolved objections and the degree of consistency with national policy. It is for the decision maker in each case to determine what is a material consideration and what weight to give to it.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department has had discussions with representatives from Japan on arrangements for Japanese pharmaceutical companies in the UK.

Greg Hands

The Department for International Trade (DIT) works with new investors from Japan as well as Japanese companies across many sectors that have a UK presence. The Life Sciences Organisation (LSO) in this Department as well as the overseas market team in Japan have been engaging directly with Japanese pharmaceutical companies in Japan and those with a UK footprint. We welcome engagement from Japan and senior officials will continue to engage in a structured way on all levels.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-09-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with her ministerial colleagues in other departments on the use of the development aid budget by those departments; and if she will make a statement.

Rory Stewart

The Secretary of State for International Development has regular meetings with her ministerial colleagues in other departments and discusses a range of issues.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what definition is used under the Troubled Families programme for a family being turned around; and on what criteria a family is released from the programme.

Mr Marcus Jones

‘Turning around’ a family was a phrase used in the first Troubled Families Programme (2012 – 2015) and meant that real change was achieved to improve the lives of families in the programme:

• children back in school for three consecutive terms; AND significant reduction in youth crime by a third and anti-social behaviour by 60%

• OR an adult previously on benefits must be back in work for at least three consecutive months.

The new Troubled Families Programme (2015 – 2020) reaches out to families with younger children and a broader range of problems – including families affected by domestic abuse or with children in need. The new Programme has different criteria for claiming a results payment. Local authorities can claim results payments for families when they can demonstrate that significant and sustained progress has been made against every problem a family is facing, or that continuous employment has been achieved.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the value of stationery that has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Department in each of the last five fiscal years; and what the cost was of replacing such stationery.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The department does not hold record of this