Tag: Dan Jarvis

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects the inquiry announced by her Department on 20 January 2016 into the housing of asylum seekers in the north-east of England to report its findings.

James Brokenshire

Home Office officials are working closely with our housing providers to ensure that asylum seeker accommodation is not easily identifiable. I am not aware of a uniform door colour being the practice in any other region. My officials have also spoken to our housing providers to tell them that such a practice is not acceptable.

I was first made aware of this issue when The Times contacted the Home Office in mid-January. G4S has investigated correspondence and discussions on the issue of external door colour in the North East and has confirmed that it was raised in 2012 by a Middlesbrough local councillor and was considered by the G4S audit and assurance team, no complaints from asylum seekers relating to this matter were found and a response was issued.

As I said to the House on 20 January, I instructed officials to look into this issue as a matter of urgency and I expect that the audit will be concluded on the Home Office side very shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many meetings she has had on increasing the number of women receiving public appointments since May 2015.

Caroline Dinenage

I am working closely with the Cabinet Office to modernise recruitment practices and attract a more diverse field of candidates from an ever-wider range of social and professional backgrounds.

This includes engaging with government departments, the private sector and a range of different diversity networks and groups. We have engaged with them through online advertising, social media and at events to promote and raise awareness of public appointments and better understand the barriers or concerns for those considering a public appointment.

The most recent figures published show that we are making real, consistent, progress in increasing the number of public appointments going to women. Last financial year 44% of new appointments were made to women.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reductions in the public health grant for local authorities on local smoking cessation services in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) the UK.

Jane Ellison

Local authorities, funded by the Government’s public health grant, have responsibility for providing a programme of tobacco control that meets the needs of their populations, including the provision of locally commissioned services. Over the next five years, local authorities will receive £16 billion through the public health grant.

The evidence shows that specialist stop smoking services are the most effective way to help smokers quit. Public Health England supports local authorities by developing and distributing information and advice for the commissioning of effective regional approaches to tobacco control which maximise value for money at a local level.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the extension to the Right to Buy scheme for housing association tenants on the supply of housing in the UK.

Brandon Lewis

Under the terms of the voluntary agreement with the National Housing Federation and the housing association sector, housing associations will deliver an additional home through new supply nationally for every home sold under the voluntary right to buy. This will provide a significant increase to the overall supply of new housing.

This agreement is a further step towards meeting our ambition to build a million more new homes.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his 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 Julian Brazier

None.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the contribution of the UK’s membership of the EU to the Government’s aims of tackling terrorist and criminal networks.

James Brokenshire

Terrorism and serious organised crime are global threats that cross national borders. Our unique relationship with the EU gives UK law enforcement access to EU tools and instruments that help keep people safe and tackle serious and organised crime, but also mean we are not obliged to participate in new measures when we do not judge them to be in the national interest.

The tools and instruments that the UK participates in include Europol, an EU agency which supports cross-border police operations and intelligence sharing, and can assist in the identification of terrorist threats; the European Arrest Warrant, which allows swift extradition between EU countries of individuals accused or convicted of a criminal offence; and the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II), which enables law enforcement agencies around the EU to share live alerts, for example, for missing people and stolen vehicles. The UK is also in the process of implementing Prum, which will give us access to fingerprint and DNA data from other member states.

Since 2004, using the European Arrest Warrant, over 1,000 individuals accused or convicted of a criminal offence have faced justice in UK courts and over 7,000 have been extradited from the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to commemorate the First World War in 2016.

David Evennett

Since the Prime Minister set out plans for the Centenary in October 2012 the Government has delivered highly successful commemorative events for the start of the First World War and the Gallipoli Campaign.

In May 2016, commemorative events will be held for the Battle of Jutland, and in July 2016, we will mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme by holding national events at the Thiepval Memorial in France, at Manchester Cathedral, and at Heaton Park. In addition, a national vigil will be held in June at Westminster Abbey, and there will also be vigils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Season Two of the 14-18 NOW culture programme has been announced and this – together with Centenary Partnership events, Heritage Lottery funded projects and local commemorative activity – will ensure people right across the UK have the opportunity to participate in commemorative events.

Other centenary activities such as the UK Tour of the “poppies” and the national repair and conservation of War memorials also continue, more details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/first-world-war-centenary

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to develop a national cross-departmental strategy for reducing and eliminating excess winter deaths.

Jane Ellison

Excess winter deaths occur due to a range of complex issues, including circulating infections such as influenza.

Public Health England (PHE) oversees the implementation of the national flu immunisation programme working closely with the Department and the National Health Service. PHE publishes an annual Flu Plan ahead of the flu season each year which sets out a coordinated and evidence-based approach to planning for, and responding to, the demands of influenza across England.

PHE publishes the Cold Weather Plan for England (CWP), in collaboration with the Department, NHS England and the Local Government Association. This aims to avoid preventable illness and deaths in winter by setting out a series of actions for organisations, communities and individuals, to take throughout the year. The CWP is underpinned by a Cold Weather Alert Service provided by the Met Office. The plan is fully aligned with additional guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on reducing excess winter mortality and morbidity and the health risks associated with cold homes.

PHE also co-ordinates the cross-government Keep Warm Keep Well booklet which provides information for older people, those on low incomes and those with disabilities about keeping healthy in the winter and the financial help and benefits available.

The Cabinet office-led ‘Winter Resilience Network’ has regular cross-government meetings throughout the winter months. Key guidance is provided on the ‘Get Ready for Winter’ website, which is hosted by the Met Office.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-06-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much progress her Department expects to make towards eliminating fuel poverty by the end of this Parliament.

Andrea Leadsom

The 2030 target, now enshrined in law, requires Government to improve as many fuel poor homes as reasonably practicable to Band C energy efficiency standard by 2030.

We have also set an interim fuel poverty milestone for 2020, to get as many fuel poor households as reasonably practicable into Band E.

The Government will be guided by the fuel poverty strategy published in March 2015 which sets out a clear policy of working towards improving energy efficiency standards in the homes of the fuel poor.

We intend to focus the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and the Warm Home Discount more effectively on the fuel poor, and will consult on our future approach. Between them they will provide around £1billion of support each year.

The latest available statistics indicate that, in 2013, 2.35 million households were in fuel poverty in England of which 2.04 million were Band E or above. The next fuel poverty statistical release is due on 30th June 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on funding for dementia research.

Joseph Johnson

The Government is committed to maintain and enhance the strength of our research base. This is why we have protected the science resource budget in real terms from its 2015/16 level of £4.7 billion for the rest of the parliament, as well as committing to invest in new scientific infrastructure on a record scale – £6.9 billion over the period 2015-2021, including £150 million for the Dementia Research Institute.

The Treasury decision to underwrite the grants of competitively bid for EU research funding will give British participants and their EU partners the assurance and certainty needed to plan ahead for projects that can run over many years. We are committed to ensure that the UK continues to be a world leader in international science, including research on dementia.