The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Nandy on 2015-12-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times her Department has met Wigan Council in 2015 to date.
James Brokenshire
The Home Office meets regularly with local councils throughout the year on a number of different matters. A central record of all the meetings that are held is not maintained.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to ensure that local authorities which find a dog dead or injured scan the dog’s microchip and contact its owners.
George Eustice
Following a debate in the Westminster Hall on 2 March 2015, the then Minister of State, for the Department of Transport undertook to instruct the Highways Agency to make it their policy to ensure that it collects and identifies every animal that is killed on the strategic road network and to contact the owners by whatever practicable means. The Minister also wrote to all local highway authorities and Transport for London to draw attention to the Government’s policy and reflect on their own policy. It is established good practice for all authorities, including local authorities and dog rescue centres that come into contact with a stray, injured or deceased dog to scan it for a microchip so that the dog’s keeper can be traced. To assist this process, the Kennel Club has donated microchip scanners to every local authority in England and Wales. The compulsory microchipping of all dogs in Great Britain comes into force on 6 April 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of (a) the school a pupil attends and (b) access to transport on participation in after-school sport.
Nick Gibb
Local authorities are responsible for making sure that local travel arrangements enable children to attend school. The responsibility covers transport from home to school at the start and finish of the school day. Local authorities can use their discretionary powers to provide transport to meet local needs. They should engage both with parents and schools in deciding what support can be expected from the local authority.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make it her Department’s policy to replace the Green Deal with a scheme to improve energy efficiency in able-to-pay households, in addition to the post-2017 Energy Company Obligation and extension to the Warm Home Discount announced as part of the Spending Review.
Andrea Leadsom
We intend to focus our efforts through ECO and the Warm Home Discount more effectively on the fuel poor and continue to deliver on our commitment to insulate 1 million more homes this Parliament.
We are also looking at a range of policy levers for driving take up of low carbon heat and energy efficiency in non-fuel poor households.
We have commissioned The Bonfield Review to ensure that the current quality and standards framework properly supports and protects consumers; a report will be published in Spring 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many nationals from other EU member states have been in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance for (a) less than one month, (b) more than one month, (c) between one and three months, (d) between three and six months, (e) between six and 12 months and (f) more than 12 months.
Mr Shailesh Vara
The information requested is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-04-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department issues on the (a) role of health visitors operating in designated children’s centres and (b) ratio of health visitors to children under five years old.
Jane Ellison
Local authorities and commissioners of local health services have statutory duties to consider providing services through children’s centres. The ‘Sure Start children’s centres statutory guidance’*, provides guidance on what local authorities and commissioners of local health services should do when fulfilling their statutory responsibilities and includes guidance on the role of health visitors. In particular it states that, “Local authorities should consider how they can use their network of children’s centres to greatest effect through links with other services, including: through links to midwifery, general practitioners and, health visitors. As a minimum, it is expected that every children’s centre should have access to a named health visitor….” Neither the Department for Education nor the Department of Health has issued guidance relating to the ratio of health visitors to children under five years old.
* published by Department for Education, April 2013:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sure-start-childrens-centres
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2016-06-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy not to recognise any future Dalai Lama where that person has been selected by the Chinese government.
Mr Hugo Swire
I refer the Hon. Member to my answer to his question of 26 April (35532). The Government does not have a policy on the reincarnation of Tibetan Lamas, which includes the Dalai Lama.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-09-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many additional practice-based mental health therapists have been appointed to GP practices in Mid Sussex constituency since 2015-16.
David Mowat
NHS England advises that its south east regional team has not yet commissioned any additional practice-based mental health therapists in the Mid Sussex area.
NHS England’s General Practice Forward View, published in April 2016, sets out a commitment to invest in an extra 3,000 mental health therapists to work in primary care by 2020-21, which is an average of a full-time therapist for every two to three typical sized general practitioner practice.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2016-10-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government who they recognise as the legitimate government of Syria.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK Government recognises states and not governments. We take the position that the Asad regime has lost legitimacy through having murdered, tortured, gassed and bombed the Syrian people.
The UK Government supports the Syrian moderate opposition including the National Coalition of Syrian Opposition and Revolutionary Forces and the High Negotiations Committee, the umbrella body representing the opposition in negotiations on Syria’s future, of which the National Coalition is a part. The High Negotiations Committee brings together the broadest based opposition in Syria, striving to represent all Syrians who want to build a democratic and pluralistic future for the country.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-11-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the closure of the Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme on businesses planning to make an application ahead of the original closure date of March 2016; what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on securing the funding required to re-open and extend that scheme; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Broadband ConnectVoucherSchemewas hugelysuccessful, and has benefitted 55,000 small and medium businesses across the UK. BDUK issued regular updates to encourage firms to act quickly given the increasingly high demand for vouchers. All broadband connectionsvouchersissued to SMEs before theschemeclosed on 12 October that comply with thescheme’s terms and conditions will be funded. All further funding is subject to the forthcoming Spending Review.