Tag: Dan Jarvis

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to require local authorities to prioritise homeless people in the allocation of social housing.

Mr Marcus Jones

We have maintained the protection provided by the statutory reasonable preference criteria which ensure that overall priority for allocation of social housing continues to be given to those in the greatest housing need. The reasonable preference categories include people who are homeless and those owed certain duties under the homelessness legislation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to respond to the findings of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research evaluation study, No evidence Troubled Families Programme has any significant impact on key objectives, published on 17 October 2016.

Mr Marcus Jones

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research Impact Study was just one of 6 reports comprising the independent evaluation of the first Troubled Families Programme. The evaluation found that the programme had many positive achievements. These include:

• Families feeling more confident and optimistic about being able to cope in the future
• Joining up local services for families by encouraging a single keyworker approach to work with the whole family on all of its problems
• Raising the quality and capacity of local data systems
• Better joint working with partners such as Jobcentre Plus

The data shows that nearly 120,000 of the families on this programme saw their lives improve – more children attending school, youth crime and anti-social behaviour significantly cut and, in more than 18,000 families, an adult holding down a job. The evaluation does not dispute this fact.

Unsurprisingly, the ambitious and innovative impact study which used national administrative datasets to track changes in families circumstances over comparatively short time periods, was unable to specifically attribute positive outcomes achieved in employment, youth crime or school attendance to the Troubled Families Programme.

This was because at that time the level of change achieved was not significantly different from that seen in a group of families not on the programme with whom comparisons were made. This is not the same, however, as saying that the evaluation shows family outcomes did not improve, as some have wrongly inferred.

Of course, we will continue to review all evidence of how the programme is working, to learn from it and see if there’s more we can do to help families facing such multiple problems. In fact, we have already adapted the new programme in a number of ways, including extending the length of time over which family outcomes will be tracked – from 12 months to 5 years.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of fixing recoverable costs in medical negligence cases to a maximum of £250,000 on a claimant’s ability to pursue a case.

Ben Gummer

Over the past 10 years claimant legal costs as a percentage of damages paid by the National Health Service have increased from 32% to 52%. We believe that claimant legal costs are disproportionate to the value of the damages paid, sometimes representing up to 299% for lower value claims, and disproportionate to the defendant costs. Ultimately this all comes out money for front line services. The proposal for fixed recoverable cost in lower value clinical negligence claims was suggested by Lord Justice Jackson in his report Reform of Civil Litigation Funding and Costs in England and Wales.

The Department is working closely with partners and interested parties to develop a proposal to introduce fixed recoverable costs for clinical negligence claims. The Department’s proposal in the consultation is a maximum threshold level of £250,000, based on Lord Justice Jackson’s original proposal and with a view to covering at least 80% of all claims. We welcome views on the proposal from all sectors. The results of a pre-consultation exercise with a number of key stakeholders, including representatives of claimant lawyers, and the consultation documentation, including the Impact Assessment, will be published early 2016 subject to relevant Committee clearances.

The level of potential savings will ultimately depend upon the final maximum threshold level proposed. By making legal costs proportionate to the damages paid we would hope to save circa £80 million per annum. The Department is also working with various clinical groups looking at how the current level of incidents can be reduced. In terms of maternity our target to reduce avoidable harm by 50% and save 6,000 lives.

The Department sees the fixed recoverable cost work as part of an overall strategic approach aimed at improving patient safety, improving customer care and improving litigation. Improving patient safety and reducing the incidents of harm is a key element of this.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF missions have been flown over Syria.

Penny Mordaunt

I can confirm that from November 2014 until 10 January 2016 the RAF has conducted 324 missions over Syria.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding her Department plans to allocate to support the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz Project.

Nick Gibb

Every young person should be taught about the Holocaust and the lessons it teaches us today. In recognition of its significance, the Holocaust is compulsory within the national curriculum.

For the past ten years the Department for Education has funded the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz Project which has taken more than 28,000 students to visit the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp.

The Department will continue to promote, support and fund the teaching of the Holocaust.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of senior civil servants in his Department are women.

Joseph Johnson

Within the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills HQ, 46% of senior civil service posts are held by women. At Director General and Director level, 51% of posts are held by women.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-02-24.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to further reform the Bank of England.

Harriett Baldwin

The Government has set out its plans for reform of the Bank of England in the Bank of England and Financial Services Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment the NHS has made of the potential health risks of exposure to formaldehyde used in the manufacture of everyday products.

Jane Ellison

Consumer products are subject to the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 which demands that "No producer shall supply or place a consumer product on the market unless the product is a safe product.”

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) applies in the workplace when hazardous substances are manufactured, used or where processes are undertaken that generate hazardous substances. COSHH requires the employer to carry out a risk assessment to establish what, if any, hazards are associated with products/processes employees are using/undertaking and then put measures in place to control exposure to those hazards.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department received from the European Social Fund (a) between 2007 and 2014 and (b) from 2014 to the last month for which data is available.

Mr Desmond Swayne

My Department has not received any funding from the European Social Fund.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which military operations UK armed forces have been involved in that have (a) included other EU member states and (b) been EU-led.

Penny Mordaunt

The security and stability of the UK has long depended on our strong partnerships in the Euro-Atlantic area, and we have worked alongside our Allies both in NATO and EU operations. The UK Armed Forces are currently deployed alongside European partners in many environments, including the NATO Operation in the Aegean and the EU-led Operation in the Central Mediterranean, both providing critical support to the international efforts to destroy the illegal smuggling networks putting thousands of lives at risk. Additionally, UK Armed Forces are deployed in other EU Operations and Missions in Mali, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Somalia, as well as the anti-piracy operation off the Horn of Africa.