Tag: Chris Elmore

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans he has to involve representatives from the Welsh Government in negotiations for exiting the EU.

Mr David Jones

The Prime Minister has committed to full engagement with the Devolved Administrations to get the best possible deal for all parts of our United Kingdom as we leave the EU. We will give the Welsh Government every opportunity to have their say as we form our negotiating strategy and we will look at any suggestions they put forward.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to facilitate the learning of the Welsh language by pupils in England.

Nick Gibb

Primary and secondary schools can choose to teach the Welsh language to pupils if there is sufficient demand. It is possible for a pupil in England to take privately a Welsh language GCSE offered in Wales if an examination centre is willing to enter them. This will include a revised Welsh Second Language GCSE available for first teaching from September 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps are being taken to improve television reception in the South Wales valleys.

Matt Hancock

Under a 2006 agreement, digital terrestrial, cable and satellite digital television services together cover practically all UK households, so that in all but the most exceptional of cases, everyone should be able to get free-to-air digital television, by one means or another.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-07-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to support agriculture in South Wales since May 2015.

George Eustice

Agricultural policy is devolved. Support for agriculture in South Wales is the responsibility of the Welsh Government.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-10-24.

To ask the Attorney General, what recent steps the Serious Fraud Office has taken to prevent serious fraud and other economic crimes.

Robert Buckland

Over the past two years the Serious Fraud Office has secured:

• the first contested convictions for rate rigging,
• its first contested conviction of a corporate for offences involving bribery of foreign officials,
• the first two Deferred Prosecution Agreements in the UK, and
• the first conviction of a corporate for an offence under s7 of the Bribery Act.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many spoilt ballots were counted in the 2016 Police and Crime Commissioner elections.

Chris Skidmore

Provisional analysis undertaken by the Government has identified that a total of 311,509 ballot papers were rejected at the elections of Police and Crime Commissioners held on 5 May 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will meet representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.

Richard Harrington

I am responding on behalf of the Secretary of State (SoS), as Minister for Pensions with overall responsibility on this issue.

The previous Minister Baroness Altmann and Minister Shailesh Vara (the previous Under-Secretary of State for DWP) met with representatives of the WASPI group on 29th June 2016 to listen to their concerns. Although WASPI’s ask was unclear, at the time, Ministers indicated that the DWP did not have the available funds to deliver further concessions.

One other outcome from that meeting was that WASPI agreed to explore options with the relevant All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). A meeting between APPG representatives, the SoS and myself is being taken forward, and consequently there is nothing further to be gained from meeting WASPI representatives directly.

I should add that I have been quite clear that the Government will make no further changes to the pension age or pay financial redress in lieu of a pension.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure the long-term future of S4C.

Matt Hancock

We are strong supporters of S4C and Welsh language broadcasting . We have committed to a comprehensive review of S4C in 2017 which will look at a range of issues including funding arrangements, remit, accountability and governance.

In order for S4C to continue to provide a first-class service and have a sustainable future, we announced (on Wednesday 3rd February) an extra £400,000 funding for 2016/17.

As set out in the BBC White Paper, the BBC will maintain a commitment to Welsh language broadcasting services – we expect the BBC to continue its partnership with S4C to deliver TV services in Wales during the next Charter period.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits to local communities of rail electrification in South Wales.

Claire Perry

The Government recognises the value to the Welsh economy and local communities that improved services from rail electrification, both to and in Wales, will bring in the form of regeneration and jobs. That is why we are prioritising the Great Western Mainline electrification and providing a £125m contribution to the electrification of the Valley Lines. The Valley Lines now forms part of the wider South East Wales Metro project which will transform travel in the Cardiff capital region. This project is the responsibility of the Welsh Government, and is further supported by a wider Cardiff Capital Region Investment Fund announced as part of the March 2016 City Deal.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to ensure consistency in the length of intervals between awards of personal independence payments.

Penny Mordaunt

The assessment for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is designed to treat people as individuals, considering the impact of their impairment or health condition on their everyday life and how each claimant has personally adapted to living with a disability. The length of an award for PIP is based on the needs of the individual claimant and whether these are likely to change in the future, as a result, for example, of treatment or changes in their health condition.

The Department monitors all aspects of the PIP application process including the performance of the assessment providers, Atos Healthcare and Capita. The reports of Health Professionals who carry out assessments are subject to quality audit, to ensure accurate advice on the best time to review a case based on a claimant’s individual circumstances.

The PIP Assessment Guide for Health Professionals carrying out assessments includes guidance on how to determine the length of an award – Section 2.9 Prognosis (page 54) and 2.10 Review dates (page 56).

This guidance can be accessed on the gov.uk website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/449043/pip-assessment-guide.pdf

There is also guidance and information for DWP decision makers on how best to establish the length of an award.

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