Tag: Ian Murray

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 Ministers of the Scottish Government 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, which operating costs were included by her Department for full operation of a hydropower scheme for the purposes of modelling its feed-in tariff scheme.

Andrea Leadsom

The operating costs included for hydropower schemes aim to capture those costs faced by a developer that are strictly related to the operation of a hydropower plant; this is consistent with the approach taken across other support mechanisms, including the renewables obligation (RO).

The detailed consideration of operating costs is set out in the impact assessment accompanying the response to the feed-in tariffs review.

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

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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 outstanding (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payment assessments for Scottish claimants there were in each of the last four quarters for which information is available.

Justin Tomlinson

The number of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) initial work capability assessments still in progress in Scotland as at the dates below were:

Quarter Total 31 December 2014 30,700 31 March 2015 28,800 30 June 2015 28,200 30 September 2015 27,500

Source: Data is derived from administrative data held by the DWP and assessment data provided by the healthcare provider.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) clearance levels are within expectations. The number of cases in progress in Scotland as at the dates below were:

30 April 2015 6,100

31 July 2015 6,800

31 October 2015 8,900

31 January 2016 13,000

Source: Data taken from the PIP computer system management information

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are in place to ensure that the appropriate health services, mental health services and sexual health services are available to asylum seekers dispersed to (a) current dispersal areas, (b) new dispersal areas and (c) Scotland.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office maintains an active partnership with local governments 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.

Free access to NHS healthcare is provided to asylum seekers. Asylum Health Teams are commissioned by NHS England and Scotland to provide healthcare and screening. Strategic Migration Partnerships work with Care Commissioning Groups to plan for the health care needs of asylum seekers in their regions.

All children are entitled to free primary and secondary education. To enable access to education, internal checks are in place to triage applications involving children of school age for priority dispersal into permanent accommodation. Strategic Migration Partnerships discuss education provision as part of their local authority engagement. Asylum seekers are able to access legal advice via the Legal Aid system and are provided details of local solicitors as part of their induction into their dispersal region.

Local authorities are consulted before asylum seekers are placed in their area, so that the potential impact on communities and local services is fully considered. During discussions on widening dispersal in Scotland we are and will continue to ensure that Local Authority leads and partners on health and education, as well as the Scottish Government and the Scottish Law Society, are involved to address any concerns and to ensure the close and successful partnership working in Glasgow is replicated elsewhere.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-06-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the number of job outcomes in Scotland for the Work Choice programme in each of the last three financial years for which such information is available.

Priti Patel

For all Work Choice providers excluding Remploy, there have been 1,350 job outcomes in Scotland in the financial year 2013/14, 1,290 in 2014/15, and 700 in 2015/16.

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.

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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.