Tag: Ben Howlett

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-11-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of women completing PhDs in STEM subjects.

Joseph Johnson

The number of female doctorate qualifiers in STEM subjects increased from 5,485 in 2009/10 to 6,300 in 2013/14, an increase of 15%. The total number of doctorate qualifiers in STEM subjects also increased over this period, from 12,830 in 2009/10 to 14,020 in 2013/14, and the proportion of female doctorate qualifiers in STEM subjects who are female increased from 43% to 45%.^[i]

The Government is committed to developing a strong, diverse research community. The Research Councils and National Academies share this commitment. We are taking steps to encourage greater representation of women in STEM subjects at university and in the academic community through the establishment of a Diversity Steering Group and support for such initiatives as the Athena SWAN charter which promotes gender equality in academia.

[i] Higher Education Statistics Agency: Number of Doctorate Qualifiers in STEM subjects by Gender. (Academic Years 2009/10 to 2013/14). Excel spreadsheet is attached to this PQ.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to establish an independent body to monitor the salaries of council staff.

Mr Marcus Jones

Ministers have taken a number of steps to increase the transparency and accountability of local decisions on the pay and reward of council staff. This action has helped ensure that local people have the information they need to hold councils to account.

Local elected members need to make sure that decisions about the remuneration of senior staff are clearly in the interest of local taxpayers, and that they operate to the same standards of restraint as the rest of the public sector.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps to protect Christians in Syria from persecution by Daesh.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We recognise the situation is desperate for many communities within Syria and Iraq. We condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by Daesh against all civilians, including Christians and other minorities, as well as the majority Muslim population in Syria and Iraq.

The International Syria Support Group (ISSG) has agreed that protecting the rights of all Syrians, regardless of ethnicity or religious denomination is fundamental. This means that Syrian minorities will be included as the political process progresses. Through our membership of the ISSG, we will ensure that this is adhered to.

The Global Coalition has provided air support to the Syrian Democratic Forces (which include Syrian Christian members) in their fight against Daesh.

Ultimately, the best way of safeguarding minority rights is by defeating Daesh and establishing peace and stability in the region. The UK has been at the forefront of these efforts and, together with our allies, has a comprehensive strategy to deal with Daesh.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-03-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to increase the financial limit for the contribution of tenants to qualifying works as set out in paragraph 6 of the Service Charges (Consultation Requirements) (England) Regulations 2003.

Brandon Lewis

The Government is aware of concerns surrounding the financial threshold above which consultation on service charges must take place under section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (as amended by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002). This was also referred to as part of the Competition and Markets Authority study into property management services. We have been working with stakeholders in the sector, including the Association of Residential Managing Agents, to consider what can be done to improve how section 20 works, including the financial threshold. The Government is awaiting the final set of recommendations from the Association and will respond to the Competition and Markets Authority study in the Autumn.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-11-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that the regulation of nurses and midwives remains appropriate for the health and social care environment as it evolves.

Ben Gummer

The Department is taking forward a Section 60 Order (of the Health Act 1999) which will remove statutory midwifery supervision from the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC’s) governing legislation.

The Department is also in discussions with the NMC on what other reforms may be achieved through the Order.

The Orderwill be subject to a full public consultation early next year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-01-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will remove the fuel duty escalator on liquefied petroleum gas.

Damian Hinds

The Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) differential reduces by 1 penny per litre per year, which is a continuation of the approach set out by the two previous Administrations. This reflects the greater natural environmental damage caused by LPG compared with other road fuel gases as outlined in the 2003 Alternative Fuels Framework. However, like all taxes, fuel duties are kept under review with the Government announcing any changes at fiscal events.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has conducted or commissioned on the effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis in preventing HIV infection in men who have sex with men.

Jane Ellison

Public Health England part funded the PROUD study that examined the effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis in preventing HIV infection in men who have sex with men. The results of the study were published in September 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will extend the English national concessionary travel scheme for disabled people beyond off-peak times.

Andrew Jones

Whilst I appreciate that concessionary pass holders might wish to use buses before 9.30am, there are no plans to extend the statutory scheme to include morning peak time travel. Local authorities already have powers to introduce “discretionary concessions” building on the minimum national standard. Authorities can, for instance, enable some disabled pass holders to use services during peak hours, to use modes of transport other than buses or to travel with a companion free of charge. Such enhancements are however, entirely a matter for the respective authorities and are funded locally. It follows that any decision on whether to create such enhancements is a matter for the authority concerned.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-11-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what timetable he proposes for legislative reform of the regulation of health care professionals.

Ben Gummer

This Government is grateful for the work of the Law Commissions of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in reviewing the regulation of health and (in England) social care professionals.

The Law Commissions made 125 recommendations to reform the existing complex and burdensome regulatory system. The joint four UK country response to the Law Commissions was published on 29 January 2015 which accepted wholly or in part the vast majority of its recommendations.

The Department is currently reviewing how best to take forward the work of the Law Commissions. We hope to be able to provide an update on this work soon.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-01-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will reduce the level of VAT applicable to construction companies involved in the conversion of non-residential buildings to residential use.

Mr David Gauke

The sale of, or long lease in, non-residential buildings that have been converted to residential use is, subject to certain criteria, zero-rated for VAT.