Tag: David Anderson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Office of the Independent Adjudicator is able to send the complaint outcome to the complainant and member higher education provider within 90 days of the reviewer’s determination that the file is complete.

Joseph Johnson

The Office of the Independent Adjudicator’s Annual Report (2014), which contains the latest published figures available, states that it took an average of 207 days to close a complaint from the time the student first submitted a complaint form. Provisional figures indicate that improvements have been made since then and the 2015 Annual Report is likely to show a significant reduction in this figure.

The European Directive on Alternative Dispute Resolution, which came into force on 9 July 2015, now requires dispute resolution bodies such as the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) to issue complaint outcomes within 90 days of receiving the full complaint file, unless the case is highly complex. The OIA and other alternative dispute resolution bodies are required to report to the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, which is monitoring compliance with the Directive.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to make translarna available to boys who could benefit from it.

George Freeman

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that provides guidance for the National Health Service on whether to fund selected drugs and treatments. NICE is currently evaluating Translarna (ataluren) for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy through its highly specialised technology programme. The publication date for NICE’s final guidance is to be confirmed.

The NHS in England is legally required to fund drugs and treatments recommended in NICE highly specialised technology guidance within three months of its final guidance being issued. In the absence of guidance from NICE, it is for commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund medicines based on an assessment of the available evidence.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place a copy of the UK Joint Targeting and Battle Damage Assessment Policy paper, dated 2005, in the Library.

Penny Mordaunt

The UK Joint Targeting and Battle Damage Assessment Policy paper, dated 2005 established the baseline principles primarily for coordinating the delivery of lethal effects. This paper has been superseded by Joint Services Policy (JSP) 900 UK Targeting Policy – Edition 2 dated September 2015 which contains the policy and direction on targeting, and guidance on the processes involved and best practice to apply. UK Targeting policy has evolved to incorporate operational lessons identified through Full Spectrum Targeting, apportioning action (lethal and non-lethal) in accordance with desired policy outcomes, and to bring greater interoperability between the UK, NATO and the 5 Eyes Nations (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US ). JSP 900 cannot yet be placed in the public domain as it would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces and forces cooperating with them. However, we are working to produce a releasable version which is to be published later in 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has consulted teachers’ unions on implementation of the new assessments at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.

Nick Gibb

Throughout the introduction of our important reforms to primary assessment, we have worked closely with teachers, head teachers and their union representatives.

In addition to regular discussion between teacher unions and officials, we launched two public consultations ahead of the changes: one on primary assessment and accountability from July to October 2013 and another on teacher assessment arrangements from October to December 2014. We received a large volume of diverse feedback, including from teachers unions, and this was given proper consideration in developing the new arrangements.

We continue to listen to the concerns of the profession as the details of the new arrangements are finalised. On 9 February, I met Russell Hobby, General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, to discuss teacher assessment arrangements. I subsequently wrote to Mr Hobby to summarise our discussion and address some of his concerns; that letter was published on 19 February and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-assessments-letter-from-nick-gibb-to-the-naht. I am also due to meet representatives from the Association of Teachers and Lecturers and the National Union of Teachers in the coming weeks.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-03-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of which fuel source is the most efficient for national electricity grid re-starts following power cuts; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom

DECC officials routinely work with National Grid to assess the resilience of response processes, including the failure of the National Electricity Transmission System.

This work includes assessment of how different fuel sources can deliver this ‘Black Start’ capability.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-04-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made on the inquiry into alleged child abuse at the Kincora boys home.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

This is a matter for the independent Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry. I can confirm that there will be the fullest possible degree of co-operation by the UK Government and its agencies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-05-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the implications for his policies are of the position of the US State Department on Ethiopia’s use of anti-terror legislation to detain politicians and protestors, set out in its press release of 29 April 2016; and if he will make a statement.

James Duddridge

The UK Government is aware of both the European parliament’s Motion for a Resolution on the situation in Ethiopia and the UN special rapporteurs’ report on Ethiopia’s alleged use of force against protestors in Oromia. We remain deeply concerned about the handling of demonstrations in Oromia and the reported deaths of a number of protestors, and have repeatedly made representations to the Ethiopian Government over the ongoing situation in that region. Justine Greening, the Secretary of State for International Development, raised our concerns with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on 21 January, as did I, with the Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Dr Tedros, at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa on 27 January. Our Ambassador also raised the issue with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on 26 April. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and raise our concerns with the Ethiopian government, including on the use of force.

We will continue to work with our partners, including the US, in urging the Ethiopian government to use restraint in their handling of the protests in Oromia.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-06-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to publish the findings of its forthcoming review on personal independence payments.

Justin Tomlinson

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to his previous Question UIN39987.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of developing zero subsidy Contracts for Difference auctions for the electricity supply market; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom

Stakeholders have suggested the concept of a market stabilising Contracts for Difference (CfD) and we are listening to ideas from industry about how this can be achieved and how we can best ensure a level playing field between renewable and other generation technologies. We are still working up ideas and would welcome continued input from stakeholders.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department knew of any restrictive covenant on the use and disposal of HMP Holloway, the land upon which it is situated or its buildings before publication of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

Andrew Selous

We will consider what impact the existence of any restrictive covenant would have on any future closures and new prison sites. Providing a list of restrictive covenants on the use and disposal of each prison in England and Wales could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.