The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-01-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the size is of the area of land available for the direct commissioning site for housing at Connaught Barracks.
Brandon Lewis
The planning process is ongoing for these sites. This will be completed in due course working closely with the local communities and local authorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-02-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the risk to the UK and Europe of the spread of the Zika virus.
Jane Ellison
Public Health England (PHE) continue to monitor the situation closely and have provided revised travel advice and updated guidance to healthcare professionals on the management of patients returning from affected countries who present with symptoms. There is no evidence to suggest that the mosquitos that are known to carry Zika are established in the United Kingdom or could survive in our climate and therefore the risk to the UK population from Zika is very low. PHE is in regular contact with specialists in other European countries, as well as internationally, to make sure all necessary steps are being taken to protect the UK travelling public.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many grants of what value were made by his Department for meningitis research programmes in each of the last five years.
George Freeman
Since 2011, the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has made the following awards through its research programmes and fellowship schemes for research relating to meningitis:
– Impact of conjugate vaccination on population immunity to pneumococcal and meningococcal disease in England: immunosero-epidemiological analysis (£605,843; 2013-15); and
– Improving the diagnosis of meningitis in adults in the United Kingdom (£415,242; 2013-16).
In addition, the NIHR funds research relating to meningitis through:
– the NIHR Clinical Research Network;
– NIHR Biomedical Research Centres;
– NIHR Clinical Research Facilities for Experimental Medicine; and
– Health Protection Research Units.
Since 2011, the Department’s Policy Research Programme has made the following award for research relating to meningitis:
– Characterisation of meningococcal carriage isolates from UK MenCar4 study (£199,990; 2016-17).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many reparation orders have been made by HM Courts and Tribunals Service against people convicted of modern slavery offences under section 10 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015; and how much compensation has been awarded to victims of modern slavery related to such reparation orders.
Mike Penning
The information requested can be found in the CJS Outcomes by Offence data tool at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014
Data for 2015 and 2016 will be published in due course.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-04-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the claim by the FSB and Administrative Burdens Advisory Board that the proposed HM Revenue and Customs plans for quarterly tax returns would create a significant administrative and financial burden for small businesses.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has consulted informally to understand how the Making Tax Digital changes will affect businesses. This initial assessment shows a reduction in on-going administrative burdens over the longer-term, contributing to HMRC’s overall target to reduce tax administration by £400m by 2020.
HMRC will publish its initial assessment as part of the formal consultation process, working with stakeholders throughout 2016 to develop understanding, ensuring the final design is focused on reducing burdens.
As with any other tax measure, a detailed assessment of the impact on administrative burdens will be published alongside draft legislation, expected to be in December 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-05-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department issues on housing renewal in former industrial areas and the replacement of dilapidated housing when it no longer meets the needs of the local community.
Brandon Lewis
The current government is committed to increasing the supply of new housing, including through £8 billion announced at the spending review to support the delivery of 400,000 affordable homes and the £140 million to kick start estate regeneration.
We announced at Spending Review that £2 billion in loans will be made available to invest in infrastructure needed for major housing developments. We would expect at least 50% of this funding to support housing on brownfield sites. Full bidding guidance will be available when the fund is launched.
In addition, the National Planning Policy Framework sets out the expectation that local planning authorities should identify and bring back into residential use empty housing and buildings in line with local housing and empty homes strategies. Planning applications for change to residential use from commercial buildings in areas where there is an identified need for additional housing should be approved provided that there are not strong economic reasons why such development would be inappropriate.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-07-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied refugee children in Europe have been accommodated in the UK in each month of 2016 to date.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Since January 2016 the UK has transferred over 60 Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) from Europe to the UK under the family reunion provisions of the Dublin Regulation.
The UK made a commitment to bring vulnerable unaccompanied refugee children from Europe to the UK under the Immigration Act 2016. Over 20 children who meet the criteria in the Act have been accepted for transfer from Europe since Royal Assent in May, the majority of whom have already arrived in the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to differentiate between the roles of her Department and the Institute for Apprenticeships on the (a) quality of apprenticeships training and (b) collection and analysis of data.
Robert Halfon
From April 2017, the Institute for Apprenticeships will take on a number of functions relating to the quality of apprenticeship standards. The Institute’s key responsibilities will be: to set quality criteria for the development of apprenticeship standards and assessment plans; to review, approve or reject them; to advise on the maximum level of Government funding available for standards; and to quality assure some end point assessments. The Institute will have analytical capability to support its function, advising on funding caps and on other issues where appropriate. Responsibility for monitoring the quality of apprenticeship training will not transfer to the Institute.
The Department for Education will retain responsibility for the quality framework. Primary responsibility for the collection and analysis of data and metrics for apprenticeships, and the success of the apprenticeship programme, will remain with the Department, particularly through the work of the Skills Funding Agency.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2015-10-27.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the October publication of a revised Ministerial Code, whether the omission in section 1.2 of a commitment to international law and treaty obligations represents a reduction in the role that the United Kingdom’s international obligations play in domestic decision-making, and whether the duty of ministers to comply with the law continues to include international law and treaties.
Lord Bridges of Headley
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given to the Noble Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 5 November 2015 to HL3046,HL3047,HL3048, which I attach for ease of reference.
The Ministerial Code is normally updated and reissued after a General Election. The updated Code makes clear that Ministers must abide by the law. The obligations of Ministers under the law including international law remain unchanged.
Information relating to internal discussions and advice is not disclosed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2015 to Question 13392, if he will make an estimate of the number of people with cancer who will be affected by the proposals to remove the work-related activity element of employment and support allowance.
Priti Patel
No current claimants will be affected by these proposals. We do not hold estimates on the number of future claimants of the work-related element of ESA with specific conditions.
The impact assessment can be found here: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/IA15-006B.pdf.
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