The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that bank dividends are properly taxed.
Harriett Baldwin
Banks are taxed on their dividend receipts according to the same rules as other companies. We have robust anti-avoidance legislation in place to ensure that these rules are not abused, including the General Anti-Abuse Rule which was legislated in Finance Act 2013.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans to repair the broken fuel storage tanks at Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area in Cyprus.
Mark Lancaster
A programme is currently in progress to repair or replace the three broken bulk fuel installations at RAF Akrotiri. It is anticipated that all installations will be back in use in summer 2016.
An interim solution is currently in place; the repair or replacement work has had no impact on the unit’s operational output.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that the six item cognitive impairment test is properly used to diagnose dementia.
Jane Ellison
The diagnosis of dementia is a clinical decision and one which needs to be made by suitably trained clinicians. The six item cognitive impairment test is one of a number of tools used to help and support clinicians when assessing individuals who are considered to have the early signs of dementia. Different tests and diagnosis tools are used by clinicians, dependent on the circumstances which are presented to them.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Cross Government Working Group on Drones will examine the feasibility of introducing a system of registration for drones, including an element of mandatory training and evaluation for the larger classes.
Mr Robert Goodwill
I refer the Honourable member to my answer give on 4 March, UIN 29244, http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=29244.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve the treatment on the NHS for people with Lyme disease.
Jane Ellison
The National Health Service already provides medical care following existing guidance but to strengthen the evidence base we have commissioned the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop guidelines for the recognition and treatment of Lyme disease; this is expected in June 2018.
New diagnostic tests for Lyme disease are regularly reviewed by Public Health England (PHE) who also participates in a Europe wide Quality Assurance programme to ensure that the most suitable tests available are used.
In addition, PHE provides information on Lyme disease and tick awareness to the medical profession and the public, hold regular medical training days, and work with Lyme Disease Action to support the needs and interests of patients.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-04-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment the Government has made of the current level of housing provisions; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the most vulnerable have access to suitable housing.
Brandon Lewis
There was an estimated 23.4 million dwellings in England as of 31 March 2014, an increase of 137,000 dwellings on the previous year. This includes 4 million social and affordable rented dwellings (Private Registered Providers plus local authority tenures) (1).
We are doubling the housing budget to deliver one million more homes, including spending £8 billion to build 400,000 new affordable housing starts by 2021, the biggest new affordable homes programme since the 1970s, and committing £2.3 billion towards delivering 200,000 new Starter Homes.
(1) Source: DCLG Dwelling Stock Estimate, 2014, England
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/423249/Dwelling_Stock_Estimates_2014_England.pdf
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-04-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the President of Indonesia on the protection of religious minorities in that country.
Mr Hugo Swire
We take freedom of religion or belief seriously. Our Ambassador in Jakarta has raised these issues with the Minister of Religious Affairs, Indonesian civil society, and religious leaders. He urged them to ensure the rights of all individuals to practise their religion or belief freely were fully respected and protected.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of rising school rolls on the number of school nurse training places required.
Jane Ellison
In April 2014, Public Health England and the Department published guidance to commissioners for services to school aged children, Maximising the school nursing team contribution to the public health of school-aged children.
Each year Health Education England (HEE) provide local and national forecasts of the supply that will arise over the next five years and use these forecasts to discuss with stakeholders whether this supply will match the system’s view of future demand including the extent to which any current shortages will be addressed. This analysis and discussion is then used to identify whether any changes are required to the volumes of training commissioned by HEE.
Consideration of the impact of rising school rolls will feed into HEE’s planning, though the final training settlement for 2017/18 is under negotiation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-05-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to maintain the level of funding for specialist nurses.
Ben Gummer
It is Health Education England’s (HEE) responsibility to ensure that there is sufficient future supply of staff, including those needed in specialist fields, to meet the workforce requirements of the English health system.
HEE publishes an annual Workforce Plan which is built upon the needs of local employers, providers, commissioners and other stakeholders who, as members of its Local Education Training Boards (LETBs), shape the 13 local plans.
The Workforce plan is predominately an aggregate of the local LETB plans, but the final national plan is only agreed with the advice and input of its clinical advisory groups and Patients’ Advisory Forum, as well as the Royal Colleges and other stakeholders.
Once staff are qualified, it is for individual employers to ensure their staff remain up to date with, or acquire, specialist skills to provide safe and effective patient care through Continuous Professional Development and provide sufficient funding locally to ensure this occurs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle increases in energy costs for manufacturing companies in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the rest of the UK.
Andrea Leadsom
The Government is ensuring the continued international competitiveness of energy intensive industries in Northern Ireland and across the United Kingdom by providing relief to mitigate the impact of energy and climate change policy on electricity bills. In addition to the £160 million of compensation already provided since 2013, Government began paying compensation to eligible companies for renewable energy policy costs earlier this year, following state aid clearance. Companies in Northern Ireland are eligible to apply for this compensation. A Great Britain-wide consultation on replacing this compensation with an exemption was launched on 1 April and the Northern Ireland Executive will consult separately on this in the future.
We are also acting to reduce electricity costs at the most fundamental levels through both short-term cost control measures and investment in new energy infrastructure.