Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children under the age of 16 in Plymouth who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum condition or have been identified as having autism-related needs are not in education.

    Edward Timpson

    Our reformed system for meeting the needs of children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Disabilities is designed to ensure that their needs are identified at an early stage, that the right support is in place, and that problems do not escalate.

    All early years providers are required to have arrangements in place to identify and support children with SEN or disabilities and to promote equality of opportunity for children in their care. All schools should have a clear approach to identifying and responding to SEN and must use their best endeavours to ensure that children with SEN, including those with autism, get the support they need.

    As part of their Initial Teacher Training, all teachers are expected to learn to identify and address various types of SEN, including autism. The Government is also funding the Autism Education Trust in 2015-16, providing £650,000 to provide tiered training at universal, enhanced and specialist levels for early years, school and post-16 staff to help them understand how best to recognise and support children and young people with autism.

    The Department does not hold data on the numbers of autistic children who are home educated nor the numbers of children who are not in school. The Alternative Provision Census does collect data about children who are not in school or in a pupil referral unit. However, it covers as a single ‘Not in School’ category only those who are educated otherwise than at school under arrangements made and funded by local authorities. The information does not reflect types of special educational need.

    The data may be available from Plymouth City Council, since it has a duty under Section 22 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to carry out its functions with a view to identifying all the children and young people in its area who have or may have special educational needs or a disability, and also a duty to provide children of compulsory school age with an education.

  • Chris Law – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Chris Law – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the property lease contract on the HM Passport Office site in Dundee ends; and if she will extend the proposed timeframe for closure of this site.

    James Brokenshire

    Her Majesty’s Passport Office holds a serviced office arrangement with Scottish Enterprise at Enterprise House, Dundee which allows access to facilities and interview rooms for three days each week.

    Interviews will cease in Dundee on 18 March 2016. HM Passport Office is currently in discussion with Scottish Enterprise to end the arrangement a short time after the interviews cease. There are no plans to extend the proposed timeframe.

  • Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the farming industry of the potential impact on rural businesses of the proposed changes to the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010.

    Rory Stewart

    The changes referred to do not amend the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010. The changes made are to the ‘Environmental Guidance On Waste Incineration’, which now clarifies that small waste oil burners used to burn waste oil must meet the requirements of Chapter IV of the Industrial Emissions Directive or switch to non-waste fuels. This guidance can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-permitting-guidance-the-waste-incineration-directive/environmental-permitting-guidance-waste-incineration.

    A consultation on the changes to the guidance was undertaken between 14 September and 26 October last year. A summary of responses can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487892/waste-incineration-consult-sum-resp.pdf.

    The impact assessment for the changes to this guidance considered some sensitivities on the price of crude oil with regard to collection fees only. The impact assessment can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487895/waste-incineration-consult-ep-ia.pdf.

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  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much funding was (a) allocated and (b) spent by his Department’s Democratic Engagement Team in each of the last six years; and what assessment has been made of the efficiency and effectiveness of that team.

    John Penrose

    The Democratic Engagement Team, which was created in 2013, has enabled a number of civil society organisations to make an important contribution during the transition to Individual Electoral Registration. Overall, this support has contributed to over 15 million applications to register to vote since June 2014. An overview of the maximising registration funding by year can be found below:

    2012/2013 – £56,545

    2013/2014 – £4.2m

    2014/2015 – £9.8m

  • Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will direct the Health and Safety Executive to increase transparency by publishing details of applications for emergency authorisation of neonicotinoid pesticides before a decision is taken on such applications.

    George Eustice

    Significant or technically complex applications for authorisation are considered by the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides. Their agendas and minutes are published and provide public information about the expert assessment, including details of the applications considered.

  • Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take in response to the announcement by Health Education England that it will not allow postgraduate training to continue in North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust’s emergency department because of concerns about support and supervision of trainee doctors at that hospital.

    Ben Gummer

    We understand that no announcement has been made by Health Education England (HEE) about ceasing postgraduate training in North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust’s emergency department.

    We are determined to make the National Health Service the safest and most transparent healthcare system in the world, transforming patient safety and changing the culture of the NHS to support patients and doctors alike.

    Patient safety is the key concern of the Government. HEE’s role is to ensure that trainees have access to safe, high quality learning. Excellence in healthcare education leads to safe, high quality care for patients in both the short term and the long term.

    HEE continues to work with the Trust, NHS Improvement, NHS England and the General Medical Council (GMC) to support the Trust and ensure it has an achievable action plan for trainees to meet GMC standards.

    HEE has required the Trust to have sufficient middle grade and senior cover so that junior doctors are appropriately supported. The Trust has appointed a Clinical Director to lead the improvement work required. Enhanced oversight arrangements imposed by NHS Improvement and NHS England will ensure that rotas are safely staffed. Additional support has been provided to the Trust by other NHS organisations.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will hold discussions with Greek Orthodox leaders in (a) Iraq and (b) Kurdistan on (i) support for internally displaced people from and (ii) returning internally displaced people to (A) Mosul and (b) Nineveh.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are working with partners to ensure stabilisation efforts in liberated areas allow internally displaced persons to return to their homes safely. On 21 July, the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), announced £10.5 million in additional UK funding for stabilisation in Iraq, this includes £1.75 million to support planning associated with the Mosul campaign. This announcement brings the UK’s Iraq contributions on immediate stabilisation to £9.25 million, and on explosive hazards to £7.75 million.

    Since summer 2014, the UK has pledged £129.5 million of humanitarian support. This includes £50 million of additional assistance announced on 20 July 2016. To date, we have provided cash assistance, access to clean water, food, medicines and other life-saving assistance for the most vulnerable – irrespective of race, religion or ethnicity.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of the UK leaving the EU for quarantine measures for pests and diseases of plant material.

    George Eustice

    We recognise that the UK’s exit from the EU may have implications for the way in which current UK plant health services operate, including phytosanitary certification on imports, quarantine measures to mitigate the highest risk pests and diseases, and plant passporting.

    We are considering the implications and possible options as part of our planning for, and negotiations on, the UK’s exit.

    Continuing to deliver a risk-based, proportionate plant health regime that effectively protects the UK from plant pests and diseases, whilst maximising the free movement of goods, remains of the highest priority.

  • Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-11-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many reports his Department has received of HM Revenue and Customs’ online renewal system failing to record and register information and supporting documentation submitted by claimants wishing to renew their claim for (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit in each of the last two years.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) did not receive any reports of the online renewal system failing to record and register information submitted by claimants renewing their 2013-14 claim.

    HMRC received one report of the online renewal system failing to record and register information submitted by claimants renewing their 2014-15 claim.

    HMRC do not hold the requested data broken down by Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the evidential basis is for the reference in his oral contribution of 25 November 2015, Official Report, column 1358, to the north having grown faster than the south; and if he will make a statement.

    Greg Hands

    This was based on data available from the Office for National Statistics December 2014 release regarding Regional Gross Value Added.