Tag: Ian Murray

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has carried out a (a) policy equality statement, (b) equality impact assessment or (c) any equality monitoring on its contracts with Compass to provide accommodation to asylum seekers since those contracts were signed in 2012.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Home Office is currently considering any equality impacts as part of the wider considerations as to whether to extend the asylum support and accommodation contracts for the period from 2017-19.

The Home Office takes its equality duty seriously and engages regularly with Non-Governmental Organisations and its contractors to ensure that support and accommodation for asylum seekers meets the needs of individual service users.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with organisations representing women in (a) Scotland, (b) England and (c) Wales on the devolution of abortion legislation to the Scottish Parliament.

Jane Ellison

I have had discussions with Ministers on the Smith Commission Agreement and the Scotland Bill. The Secretary of State for Scotland has spoken to women’s groups in Scotland about devolution of abortion legislation, and Department of Health officials have had informal discussions and communication with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on this matter.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what modelling was used when calculating a new rate of return of 9.2 per cent from hydropower with reduced feed-in tariff levels.

Andrea Leadsom

The modelling used to deliver a rate of return of 9.2% is based on discounted cash flows of a hydro plant’s cost and revenue streams, which is the approach often used by investors to evaluate opportunities. The capital and operational costs are calculated over the expected lifetime of the project and are compared with the expected revenue streams of a well-sited installation. The generation tariff makes up the difference over and above the income streams that a plant would need to hit its target rate of return. The rate of return is achieved based on a project having an average (median) capital and operating cost, and a high level of generating output (higher than average load factor). The level of return is aimed at attracting those investors with lower hurdle rates, such as individuals, communities and small scale organisations, which the FITs scheme targets.

The impact assessment, published alongside the response to the feed-in tariffs review, sets out in more detail how rates of return were calculated:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486084/IA_-_FITs_consultation_response_with_Annexes_-_FINAL_SIGNED.pdf.

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of assessment reports conducted by contractors for Scottish claimants of (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payments were carried out by a qualified doctor in each of the last four quarters for which information is available.

Justin Tomlinson

All health professionals (HPs) undertaking assessments on behalf of DWP must be registered practitioners (occupational therapist, nurse, doctor, physiotherapist and paramedic) who have also met requirements around training, post-qualification experience and competence.

The number and proportion of Employment and Support Allowance assessments completed in Scotland by a doctor was:

April to June 2015 – 2,342 (19.4%)

July to September 2015 – 2,239 (18.6%)

October to December 2015 – 2,254 (18.7%)

January to March 2016 – 1,969 (14.2%)

Personal Independence Payment assessments in Scotland were completed by occupational therapists, nurses, physiotherapists and paramedics rather than doctors.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what annual per-person rate her Department provides to each of its Compass contractors for the accommodation of asylum seekers.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office provides accommodation for eligible asylum seekers via its contractual arrangements with three suppliers. Payments are made on a per person per night basis. The details of these daily rates are commercially sensitive and therefore we are unable to release this information.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-06-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2016 to Question 38918, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on asylum seeker dispersal policy in Scotland since December 2015.

David Mundell

I am due to meet the Minister for Immigration soon to discuss a range of issues. Officials from the Scotland Office are in regular contact with officials from the Home Office on a range of issues concerning asylum seekers in Scotland, including asylum seeker dispersal policy.

The Home Office is currently in direct discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and a number of local authorities on how asylum dispersal will continue to work in practice. The Home Office maintains an active partnership with local government across the UK, including those in Scotland, and funds Strategic Migration Partnerships to plan for the most appropriate dispersal of asylum seekers. The partnerships consider the impact on communities and local services so that adjustments to dispersal patterns can be made where appropriate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions the Government has had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on the future of higher education research funding in Scotland after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker

There is no immediate change to the rights of UK universities and their students and staff from EU countries. UK researchers can still apply for Horizon 2020 projects. The Treasury will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. The Prime Minister has made it very clear that it will take time for the UK government to agree its position for the negotiations. As part of this, the government will of course want to engage fully with the devolved administrations and listen to their views.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal Colleges on the devolution of abortion legislation to the Scottish Parliament.

Jane Ellison

I have had discussions with Ministers on the Smith Commission Agreement and the Scotland Bill. The Secretary of State for Scotland has spoken to women’s groups in Scotland about devolution of abortion legislation, and Department of Health officials have had informal discussions and communication with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on this matter.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she last met the British Hydropower Association to discuss the calculation of feed-in tariffs for the hydropower industry; and what recent representations she has received on this matter.

Andrea Leadsom

The BHA attended a round table I hosted in September 2015 to discuss the feed-in tariff (FIT) review. My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State last met the BHA in her previous role as Energy Minister in March 2015. DECC officials have met the BHA several times during the course of the FIT review consultation and members of the BHA contributed to a number of stakeholder meetings and discussions on the detail of the FIT review proposals during the same period. DECC officials have met the BHA again since publication of the Government response on the FIT review to discuss the methodology for setting feed-in tariffs for hydropower plants. The BHA have since written to the Secretary of State to raise concerns about the outcome of the FIT review for hydropower; we are considering the points raised and will respond shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of assessment reports conducted by contractors for Scottish claimants of (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payments were returned by his Department as not being of a sufficient standard to enable a decision to be made in each of the last four quarters for which information is available.

Priti Patel

In each of the last four quarters for which information is available, less than 0.1% of all Employment and Support Allowance and less than 0.1% of all Personal Independent Payment assessment reports completed in Scotland have been returned to the provider for rework, meaning that the report has been deemed not fit for purpose by the Department.