UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: Jim Cunningham

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-03-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the effect on higher education providers of charging fees to international students for use of the NHS.

    Mr David Willetts

    The Home Office published an impact assessment on its website on the 11 October 2013 entitled ‘Regulating migrant access to health services in the UK’, in which it estimates the impact of implementing a health surcharge as outlined in the Immigration Bill. The Home Office predicts that implementing a health surcharge could cause Tier 4 visa grants to fall by approximately 830, which will have an impact on higher education providers of approximately £11 million per year. The surcharge is £200 per annum for most migrants however, to reflect their contribution to UK growth, a concession was factored into the Immigration Bill for students – they will pay £150 per annum rather than the full cost.

    BIS will continue to work closely with the Home Office and the higher education sector to monitor the effects of the surcharge on student numbers and to ensure that the impact is manageable.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 8W, on employee ownership, what estimate he has made of how many people will apply to be an employee shareholder under the Shares for Rights Scheme.

    Jenny Willott

    The employee shareholder status is a new employment status that is optional for companies and offer and for individuals to take up. There is no requirement for individuals to apply to Government to become an employee shareholder or for companies to register or apply to Government to use it.

    The Government has therefore made no assessment of levels of current or future take-up.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms are in place to allow families of patients in care homes to report concerns about standards of care.

    Norman Lamb

    Regulation 19 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 requires all care providers registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to “have an effective system in place for identifying, receiving, handling and responding appropriately to complaints and comments made by service users, or persons acting on their behalf”.

    Where a person’s care is provided or arranged by their local authority, complaints and concerns should be directed initially to the local authority, which remains responsible for the quality of care. If a person has arranged their own care, they should pursue the matter directly with the provider in the first instance.

    In both cases, should complainants not be satisfied with the response, they are entitled to ask the Local Government Ombudsman to investigate.

    People may also raise concerns with the CQC, as regulator of health and adult social care services. Under the 2008 Act, the CQC does not have the responsibility for investigating specific complaints about social care providers. However, where there are concerns about a provider which is registered with the CQC, such concerns should be brought to its attention. The CQC will use this information, together with local information from partners and the public, to help it decide when, where and what to inspect.

    The CQC is currently introducing a new system of inspection of social care providers. This new system of inspection will be structured around five key questions that matter most to people – are the services safe, caring, effective, well-led, and responsive to people’s needs. The new inspections will make more use of people’s views and will use expert inspection teams involving people who have personal experience of care. The CQC has been piloting this new approach in 252 of social care providers since April 2014.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of 16 to 24 year olds declared themselves self-employed in each year between 2008 and 2013.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-03-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the findings of the Oxford Economics report commissioned by the University of Sheffield entitled the Economic Costs and Benefits of International Students, January 2013.

    Mr David Willetts

    The Government welcomes the benefits that international students bring to the UK as highlighted in theOxford Economics report entitled Economic Costs and Benefits of International Students, January 2013.

    In July the same year, we published our International Education Strategy which estimated that in 2011/12 international higher education students contributed £10.2bn to the UK economy through tuition fees and living expenses. The Strategy also recognised the wider benefits that students bring in boosting the local economy where they study, as well as enhancing our cultural life, and broadening the educational experience of the UK students they study alongside. It is because we value this contribution that there is no cap on the number of genuine overseas students who can come to the UK, nor do we have plans to introduce one.

    After completion of study, all students who can secure a skilled job from a licensed sponsor and are paid at least £20,300 are welcome to stay and work in the UK. Those who complete a PhD have up to a year to find a graduate level job and move on to Tier 2 or move on to the graduate entrepreneur or exceptional talent schemes in Tier 1.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 8W, on employee ownership, how many companies have applied to participate in the Shares for Rights Scheme to date.

    Jenny Willott

    The employee shareholder status is a new employment status that is optional for companies and offer and for individuals to take up. There is no requirement for individuals to apply to Government to become an employee shareholder or for companies to register or apply to Government to use it.

    The Government has therefore made no assessment of levels of current or future take-up.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will assess the potential effects on (a) industrial relations, (b) rail passenger services and (c) rail franchising policy of London Midland’s staffing proposals.

    Stephen Hammond

    Staffing levels are a matter for the train operator, as long as they continue to deliver services that meet the requirements of the Franchise Agreement.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Answer of 3 March 2014, Official Report, column 599W, on apprenticeships; what steps he has taken to introduce grading into new apprenticeships; and whether such grading will be mandatory.

    Matthew Hancock

    Grading is being introduced into new Apprenticeships through the Trailblazer process. Groups of employers are coming together to design Apprenticeship standards and assessments. All new Apprenticeships must be graded, and we have made grading of the end-point assessment a minimum requirement of the new Apprenticeship programme.

    Having had their standards approved and published in March, the first phase of Trailblazer projects are now working on their assessment plans, including implementation of the grading requirement.

    Grading is important to ensure qualifications are aspirational for all – including those on track to pass who could benefit from being challenged to aim higher.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-03-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many social housing tenants who were liable to pay the under-occupancy penalty have moved house since 1 April 2013.

    Esther McVey

    The information is not readily available and has not previously been published as official statistics.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Venezuela.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I remain deeply concerned about the situation in Venezuela where protests have been ongoing since early February. I am saddened by the deaths that have occurred and condemn all acts of violence.

    I welcome the meetings that have now been held between the government and opposition which are an important step towards genuine dialogue. I support the work of the commission of Foreign Ministers from the Union of South American Nations, whose role is to support and advise on dialogue, as well as the involvement of the Vatican.

    In my statement of 26 March I called for all sides to take steps to avoid confrontation, reduce tensions and create the right conditions for genuine dialogue. I have written to the Venezuelan Government emphasising the importance of respecting peaceful protest and offered the UK’s assistance in the reconciliation process.