Tag: Helen Hayes

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will amend the Cycle to Work scheme to incorporate a higher maximum allowance for disabled cyclists requiring specialist cycles.

Mr Robert Goodwill

We are currently in the process of updating the Cycle to Work Scheme guidance published on GOV.UK and we are considering reviewing the maximum allowance of £1,000. Discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and HMRC will be arranged before we confirm any changes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government has access to radar data covering Aleppo on 27 April 2016 that might identify the type, the origin and identity of aircraft present when al-Quds Hospital in the Sukari neighbourhood of Aleppo was attacked.

Mike Penning

I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

However, indiscriminate attacks which fail to distinguish between civilians and legitimate military targets would be a violation of International Humanitarian Law and we welcome the UN’s recent decision to establish an Internal Board of Inquiry into the attack on a UN aid convoy on 19 September.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the affordability of childcare in (a) Lambeth, (b) Southwark and (c) London.

Mr Sam Gyimah

The Government uses a range of information to consider the affordability of childcare, including our Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents’[1]; independent surveys, such as the Family and Childcare Trust Annual Childcare Cost Surveys[2]; and the recent House of Lords Select Committee’s report on affordable childcare, to which we responded on 17 December, 2015[3].

We are committed to supporting hardworking parents with the costs of childcare, and to making childcare more affordable. That is why we will be investing an extra £1billion per annum by 2019-20 to help hardworking families with the cost of childcare.

We are already funding 15 hours a week of free early education for all three- and four-year-olds and for disadvantaged two-year-olds. This saves families around £2,500 per child per year. Through our Childcare Bill we are making plans to fund and deliver an additional 15 hours of free childcare for the working parents of three- and four-year olds from September 2017 (with early implementation in some areas from September 2016). This is worth around another £2,500 per child per year. We also continue to invest in the Early Years Pupil Premium.

We are introducing Tax-Free Childcare from early 2017, under which around 2 million families could benefit by up to £2,000 per child per year or £4,000 per child per year if a child is disabled.

For working parents on low and middle incomes, working tax credit pays up to 70% of their childcare costs and this will increase to 85% under Universal Credit from April 2016. This support will be available, for the first time, to those working fewer than 16 hours per week.

[1] www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-survey-of-parents-2012-to-2013

[2] www.familyandchildcaretrust.org/childcare-cost-survey-2015

[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/affordable-childcare-response-to-the-select-committee-report

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what representations he has received from charities on the Government’s proposal to prevent charities using government grants to lobby Parliament.

Matthew Hancock

Taxpayers money should not be diverted away from its intended purpose and wasted on political campaigning and political lobbying. The clause does not stop grant recipients, including charities, from using other sources of funding for this or from making their views known.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much Public Health England plans to spend on HIV prevention in 2016-17; and what interventions will be provided with that budget.

Nicola Blackwood

In 2016/17, Public Health England’s (PHE) allocation for the national HIV Prevention and Sexual Health Promotion programme is £2.5 million and these monies will be invested in five different workstreams.

A total of £1.2 million has been allocated to the national HIV prevention programme for most at-risk populations (MARPs) which will deliver, on behalf of PHE, a range of activities in system leadership, social marketing, amplification of local HIV prevention and monitoring and evaluation that aim to reduce HIV incidence in MARPs. This contract has been re-tendered and retained by HIV Prevention England, a consortium led by Terrence Higgins Trust.

A total of £0.6 million has been allocated for the 2016/17 HIV Prevention Innovation fund which will support voluntary sector organisations, supported by their local authority, to deliver local projects that offer new and innovative ways of delivering HIV prevention in groups at high risk of HIV.

A total of £0.2 million has been allocated as PHE’s contribution to the national HIV self-sampling service jointly commissioned with over 80 local authorities.

A total of £0.25 million for the Sexual Health and Reproductive Health Information contract was re-tendered and successfully retained by FPA (formerly Family Planning Association) who will deliver, on behalf of PHE, a range of information products to enable people to make healthy, safe and sustainable sexual and reproductive health choices.

A total of £0.25 million has been allocated for monitoring and evaluation of the HIV Prevention and Sexual Health Promotion programme.

PHE staff are also involved in supporting HIV prevention in England through data analysis and reporting, public health system leadership and management of programme activities at both national and local levels.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government has access to radar data covering Kafar Takhareen in Idlib governorate on 29 July 2016 that might identify the type and origin and identity of aircraft present when a Save the Children supported maternity hospital was attacked.

Mike Penning

I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

However, indiscriminate attacks which fail to distinguish between civilians and legitimate military targets would be a violation of International Humanitarian Law and we welcome the UN’s recent decision to establish an Internal Board of Inquiry into the attack on a UN aid convoy on 19 September.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when NHS England plans to publish guidance to commissioners on their duty to pay excess treatment costs.

George Freeman

NHS England has confirmed that guidance to commissioners on their duty to pay excess treatment costs will be published by the middle of November 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations she has received from business organisations on the quality of careers information advice and guidance in (a) Lambeth and (b) Southwark; and how she has responded to those representations.

Mr Sam Gyimah

We have engaged with many employers and their representative bodies, including the Confederation of British Industry and the British Chambers of Commerce, on the subject of careers education and guidance for young people. We are not aware of any specific representations on the quality of careers provision in Lambeth and Southwark.

We want to spread excellent practice in careers education and employer engagement across the country so that every young person, regardless of background, can access the inspiration and guidance they need to prepare for working life. ‘London Ambitions’ is a great example of a collaborative approach which will transform the landscape of careers and employment support for young people in Lambeth, Southwark and other London boroughs. Commissioned through the London Enterprise Panel and London Councils, the report’s recommendations include at least 100 hours of experience of the world of work by the age of 16, comprehensive, up-to-date information on the jobs market in the capital and a ‘London Ambitions Careers Curriculum’ to help young people link their learning experiences to future success in the workplace.

At a national level we have established The Careers & Enterprise Company which is connecting employees from firms of all sizes to schools through a network of enterprise advisers drawn from business volunteers. Working with key stakeholders, including employer representatives, we are developing a comprehensive strategy to outline this government’s plans for improving careers provision by 2020. This will be published in the spring of 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much domestic solar PV by MWp was deployed in Quarter 1 of the new FIT scheme; and what the cap was for that quarter.

Andrea Leadsom

Domestic solar PV (typically greater than 4kW) is included within the greater than 10kW solar PV cap. In quarter one of 2016, the deployment cap for solar PV greater than 10kW was set at 48.4 MW and 21.031 MW of capacity was deployed. Unutilised capacity was rolled over to the next quarter’s cap.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of the timing of the announcement on the rate for NHS-funded nursing care for residents of care homes in 2016-17 on the management of those care homes.

David Mowat

The Department appreciates the importance of timely communication of the rate of National Health Service-funded Nursing Care for care homes.

The new rate will be paid on an interim basis whilst further work is done to review the element of the rate for agency nursing staff (which could lead to a reduction to the rate from 1 January 2017) and to consult on introducing regional variation from April 2017.

The rate for 2017/18 will be published following completion of work which is being done by the Department.