Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will meet with house builders to discuss increasing the provision of two-bedroom end bungalows in the housing market so that retirees can downsize from larger two-storey residential housing.

    Brandon Lewis

    I meet with housebuilders regularly and have had many meetings on the provision of older peoples’ housing. This Government is committed to provide older people with choice over the housing that best meets their needs.

    We have clear planning policy to support older peoples’ housing, and we strengthened guidance last year to reinforce our expectations – including to get local authorities to recognise the benefits of supporting applications to build homes for people wishing to downsize.

    We are clear that local councils and mainstream housing providers need to increase the quality, choice and provision of housing for older people. We hope this will enable many older people who wish to move to available properties that suit their needs to do so, while freeing up family sized homes.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Carolyn Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2016-02-22.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to consult on the transposition of the fourth anti-money-laundering directive.

    Harriett Baldwin

    In June 2015, the fourth EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive (‘the Directive) was formally adopted. Member States have up until June 2017 to transpose the Directives requirements, into national law.

    With regards to the Government’s plans to consult on the transposition of the Directive, it intends to do so by early spring, with consultation running for a full 12 weeks. The consultation will cover areas where the Directive has given us options or direction on how we transpose its provisions, as well as areas where we can improve the UK’s anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime.

    By undertaking this work, we are further ensuring that our anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism regime is robust and sufficiently responsive to emerging threats.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on how many called-in planning decisions he made a decision in three months or longer in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    The attached table below shows the number of called-in planning decisions issued by the Secretary of State during each of the last 10 years issued more than three months after the report was received.

    Year decision was issued

    Decisions issued more than 3 months after Inspector’s report was received

    1 April 2006 – 31 March 2007

    10

    1 April 2007 – 31 March 2008

    9

    1 April 2008 – 31 March 2009

    13

    1 April 2009 – 31 March 2010

    4

    1 April 2010 – 31 March 2011

    5

    1 April 2011 – 31 March 2012

    2

    1 April 2012– 31 March 2013

    3

    1 April 2013– 31 March 2014

    2

    1 April 2014– 31 March 2015

    9

    1 April 2015– 31 March 2016

    4

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has (a) sought and (b) received permission for the use of (i) Italian or (ii) US facilities at Sigonella by RAF aircraft for operations in Libyan airspace.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We have had a long-standing presence at Naval Air Station Sigonella, and have made frequent use of it. However, it is not normal practice to comment on the details of arrangements with host nations.

  • Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-05-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that the London Stock Exchange estimates that its acquisition by Deutsche Bourse will lead to a reduction of £7 billion in the margin capital available to protect the financial system from the consequences of counterparty failure, and of whether such a reduction in collateral represents an unacceptable increase in systemic risk.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Central Counterparties (CCPs) play a central role in modern financial markets. As the Prime Minster has made clear, the UK’s new settlement with the EU ensures UK firms, including CCPs, will never face any discrimination for being outside the Eurozone.

    I refer the noble Lord also to my written answer of 1 April (HL7153).

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-06-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2016 to Question 35252, how many staff within the scope of the HM Treasury guidance on senior off-payroll engagements were paid off-payroll in (a) NHS trusts in 2013-14 and (b) NHS foundation trusts in 2012-13.

    Alistair Burt

    Information collected by the NHS Trust Development Authority showed that as of 31 March 2014 there were 961 staff engaged by National Health Service trusts within the scope of the HM Treasury guidance. Information collected by the Health and Social Care Information Centre indicated that at 31 March 2013 there were 1,267 such staff engaged by NHS foundation trusts (FTs).

    The numbers of Board off-payroll staff have declined consistently since the introduction of the HM Treasury guidance in August 2012. In 2012/13 there was a total of 2,403 engagements in trusts and FTs of which 200 were Board members or senior officials with significant financial responsibility. In 2013/14, there was a total of 2,070 of which 118 were Board members or senior officials with significant financial responsibility. In 2014/15, there were 1,193 in NHS trusts of which 52 were senior officials with significant financial responsibility. Figures for FTs in 2014/15 are not yet available. The Department continues to work with NHS Improvement to ensure that all off-payroll engagements comply with tax law and HM Treasury guidance.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-09-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received from (a) Birmingham Airport and (b) other regional airports outside London on maintaining existing routes and increasing the number of long haul flights on offer; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr John Hayes

    Transport Ministers have regular discussions with airport operators across the country on aviation policy issues, including domestic and international air connectivity. The UK’s airports operate commercially, and it is a matter for them to work collaboratively with airlines to maintain existing air services and develop new ones.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of participants in (a) the Mandatory Intervention Regime, (b) Community Work Placements and (c) Daily Work Search Review under the Help to Work scheme have been sanctioned since April 2014.

    Priti Patel

    Information on how many participants in Mandatory Intervention Regime and Daily Work Search Review, who have been sanctioned since April 2014, is not available

    The number of Community Work Placements individuals with an adverse benefit sanction applied due to Failure to Participate in the Community Work Placement is 7,880 (between April 2014 and June 2015). This represents 15% of the total number of individuals referred to Community Work Placements in this time period.

  • Maria Caulfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Maria Caulfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Caulfield on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government plans to take to support whole person care across the cancer pathway over the next 15 years.

    Jane Ellison

    The independent Cancer Taskforce’s five-year strategy for cancer, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes, published in July 2015, recommends improvements across the cancer pathway with the aim of improving survival rates. NHS England has appointed Cally Palmer as NHS National Cancer Director. She will lead on the implementation of the strategy, as well as new cancer vanguards to redesign care and patient experience.

    She is currently setting up a new Cancer Transformation Board to lead the roll-out of the recommendations of the new strategy, and a Cancer Advisory Group, chaired by Dr Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, will oversee and scrutinise their work. Timeframes and phasing for implementation will be dependent on the final financial settlement reached as a result of the spending review.

    We announced in September 2015 that Health Education England (HEE) is developing a new national training programme for an additional 200 staff to get the skills and expertise to carry out endoscopies by 2018. The content of the next mandate from the Government to HEE is currently being determined.

    A commitment to whole-person care for patients, including those living with and beyond cancer, is embedded throughout the cancer taskforce report. In addition, the cancer vanguards have been established to explore new models of care, with a focus on delivering more person-centred care.

    Ensuring the National Health Service is able to support the availability and use of effective treatments and medicines for rare cancers is a key priority. Cancer 52, an organisation which specifically represents patients with rarer cancers, was represented on the independent Cancer Taskforce. The Taskforce’s report made many recommendations relevant to rarer cancers, focussing in particular on improving access to diagnostic testing, including fast, direct general practitioner access to key blood tests, and increasing patient access to the most advanced treatments.

  • Mrs Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mrs Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Sharon Hodgson on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to improve children’s character and resilience.

    Edward Timpson

    All schools should develop character traits like self-confidence, motivation and resilience in their students. These traits support academic attainment, are valued by employers, and encourage young people to make a positive contribution to British society.

    At the Character Symposium in January 2016[1], the Secretary of State for Education outlined her vision for character education. She announced that the Department intends to promote character education through the building and strengthening of our evidence base. We will facilitate this via an online digital platform which will share evidence, innovation, and examples of best practice in character education. We will also promote character education to schools and organisations through a new round of character awards.

    To support schools in this, we are already investing £5 million in character education. This figure includes £3.5m of grants for 14 projects and £1m to the Education Endowment Foundation to build research the most effective ways that character can be developed.

    Of course, many schools and organisations are already supporting children to develop their character, through programmes such as National Citizen Service. We will be investing over a billion pounds over the next four years to make NCS a rite of passage and to ensure that 60% of 16 year olds can take part by 2021.

    School sport can also help children and young people develop positive character traits such as fair play, leadership and resilience. It can teach them how to bounce back from defeat, how to respect others and how to work together in teams to achieve a goal. PE remains a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the new national curriculum which came into force in September 2014.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/nicky-morgan-opens-character-symposium-at-floreat-school

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