Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Oliver Heald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Oliver Heald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Heald on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department’s work in South Sudan.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    In 2016 DFID support in South Sudan has contributed to 2.3 million people receiving life-saving humanitarian assistance. Our education programmes have enabled 120,000 girls to complete primary education and provided 9.2 million textbooks. DFID’s Health Pooled Fund has provided primary care treatment to 8.7 million people.

  • David T. C. Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    David T. C. Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the memorandum of understanding signed between the Regeneration Investment Organisation and Aventa Capital.

    Greg Hands

    A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is a high-level arrangement, which is not legally binding, and enables the participants to work together toward a desired outcome. Between the period April 2014 to October 2015, the Regeneration Investment Organisation (RIO) negotiated MoUs with seven companies. Only one of those MoUs remains in place.

    Aventa is a regeneration investor and comprises a regulated asset management company and a vehicle for managing early stage development and construction risk. The Regeneration Investment Organisation and Aventa Capital MoU was developed in October 2014 to support Aventa’s work in seeking to develop a regeneration fund and thereby encourage institutional investment into UK regeneration projects. The Department felt the proposal covered by the MoU was viable given Aventa’s sector and management experience.

    There was no commitment on the part of RIO to provide any capital or resource in connection with the agreement. In addition, any recommendation from Aventa would have been reviewed and subjected to due diligence by the developer as a commercial partner. The MoU was concluded, by mutual agreement, following meetings with officials during December 2014.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of modern Class 170 diesel trains that would be released for re-deployment if the route from Hurst Green to Uckfield were electrified.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    We have not done an assessment but electrification of the route is expected to be considered as part of the Network Rail led Electrification Route Study.

  • Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to exempt people with long-term serious conditions from prescription charges for repeated renewals of their medication.

    Alistair Burt

    A person is entitled to apply for a medical exemption certificate exempting them from the prescription charge if they suffer from:

    – a permanent fistula (including caecostomy, colostomy, laryngostomy, or ileostomy) requiring continuous surgical dressing or requires an appliance

    – forms of hypoadrenalism (including Addison’s disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential

    – diabetes insipidus or other forms of hypopituitarism

    – diabetes mellitus (except where treatment of the diabetes is by diet alone)

    – hypoparathyroidism

    – myasthenia gravis

    – myxoedema

    – epilepsy requiring continuous anti-convulsive therapy

    – continuing physical disability which prevents the patient from leaving their residence without the help of another person

    – they are undergoing treatment for cancer, the effects of cancer or the effects of cancer treatment.

    There are no plans to change this list.

    Other extensive exemption arrangements are in place, in England, including those based on income, which support those who cannot afford to pay for their prescriptions. For those who need multiple prescriptions and do not qualify for exemption, Prescription Prepayment Certificates (PPC) can be purchased, which allow someone to claim as many prescriptions as needed. A 12 month PPC costs £104 and benefits anyone who needs 13 or more prescriptions a year.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of pension freedoms policy on the cost to local authorities of residential care.

    Alistair Burt

    The pension freedom reforms are a fundamental change to how people can access their pension savings. The Government believes it is important to monitor these changes to understand their effects on the market and consumers. The impact of people’s pension choice can affect the extent to which they have to contribute to their social care costs.

    The Department of Health, working with other Government Departments, assessed the potential effect of the policy on the cost to local authorities of residential care to be small compared to overall expenditure on residential care.

  • Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress is being made on introducing data sharing arrangements between the Valuation Office Agency and the Department for Work and Pensions that would allow the up-front identification of fuel poor households; and whether she plans that those arrangements will be introduced in 2017 in time to support the new energy efficiency obligation announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We intend to consult this year on the future design of the Energy Company Obligation, including the use of Government data to help identify fuel poor households in greatest need of support. The Government is considering how access to data, including that held by the Valuation Office Agency, could be improved for the purposes of providing assistance to fuel poor households.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent estimate he has made of the level of inward investment to Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

    David Mundell

    On 29 February 2016, UK Trade & Investment published the number of Foreign Direct Investment projects by UK Region for the period 2010/11 to 2014/15. These figures show that Scotland attracted 531 projects during this period. These projects led to 26,184 new jobs, which is equal to 8.6 per cent of the total job creation for the UK as a whole.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many vacancies were identified in free schools in the school census in (a) 2012, (b) 2013, (c) 2014, (d) 2015 and (e) 2016.

    Edward Timpson

    The school census does not collect information on vacancies in schools.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many students in (a) the UK, (b) the North West and (c) Lancashire are studying for a clinical pharmacy diploma.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department does not hold this information centrally.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the maximum duration should be for a degree apprenticeship.

    Nick Boles

    There is no maximum duration for Degree Apprenticeships. The pattern of delivery of the degree will be a key component in the length of a Degree Apprenticeship, both employers and Higher Education providers will want to ensure the apprenticeship standard is achieved in full.