Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Tyler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Tyler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Tyler on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Home Office will publish records of external meetings held by special advisers to its ministers.

    Lord Bates

    The Government publishes an unprecedented amount of data; departments publish details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries’ meetings with external organisations, and Special Advisers’ meetings with senior media figures.

    The information requested is not held centrally and there are no plans to extend current arrangements.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2016 to Question 26467, what his policy is on the process by which local authorities should calculate the maximum local housing allowance for properties in their area.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Local Housing Allowance rates for each Broad Rental Market Area are calculated by the Rent Officer Services for England, Scotland and Wales.

    Rent Officers collect evidence of achieved rents in each area and use this to calculate the 30th percentile from a ‘list of rents’ for each property size.

    This is then used for setting the rates annually in accordance with current Government policy for uprating Local Housing Allowance.

    From April 2016, Local Housing Allowance rates will be frozen for 4 years. This means that rates will either remain at the April 2015 level or be set at the 30th percentile from the ‘list of rents’, whichever is the lower.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department issues to jobcentre staff on the delivery of the Armed Forces Covenant.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The department takes its ongoing responsibilities under the Armed Forces Covenant very seriously. Pete Searle, the Strategy Director for Working Age Benefits, is DWP’s Armed Forces Advocate responsible for ensuring that the needs of service personnel, their families and veterans are properly catered for by the Department. This means ensuring that these groups are not disadvantaged as a result of military service, and providing special treatment where appropriate.

    Every Jobcentre district has an “Armed Forces Champion” to provide a level of expertise for Jobcentres on Armed Forces matters. This is backed up by guidance covering the special rules that are in place, such as ex-service personnel having early access to the Work Programme, and information on any particular challenges they may face, such as the impact on employment prospects of frequent changes in locations.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of pupils in schools with academy status have (a) statements of special educational needs and (b) Education, Health and Care plans.

    Edward Timpson

    Information on the number and percentage of pupils with statements of special educational needs or Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan by type of institution in the January 2015 School Census is available on GOV.UK:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2015 (Table 1A and 1D.)

    “

  • Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received of delivery of arms by Russia to Fiji.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Republic of Fiji Military Forces received a shipment of small arms, ammunition and mobile repair workshops from Russia in January. The equipment is consistent with that required to support Fiji’s deployments to international peacekeeping operations in Golan, Lebanon, Sinai, and South Sudan.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on the effect of the vote to leave the EU on his policy to provide full seven-day NHS services.

    David Mowat

    None.

  • Lord Balfe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Balfe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Balfe on 2016-10-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they gave to proposals to regulate retail price promotions on unhealthy foods as part of their Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action and, if they were not considered appropriate, why not.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    In developing Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action we have been clear that we considered a number of different policies and have focused on the ones that are likely to have the biggest impact on childhood obesity.

    The policies in the plan are informed by the latest research and evidence, including from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition report Carbohydrates and Health, Public Health England’s evidence package Sugar reduction: the evidence for action, other Government departments, debates in the House of Commons and various reports from key stakeholders including the House of Commons Health Select Committee.

    Current restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food and drink in the United Kingdom are amongst the toughest in the world. Alongside this, we welcome the action taken by forward thinking retailers on promotions. These voluntary actions mean that business can move more quickly and go beyond what regulation would permit.

    We are confident that the measures we have announced will make a real difference and estimate that childhood obesity rates could be reduced by around a fifth (330,000) over the next ten years. Though we are clear in our goals and firm in the action we will take, this plan represents the start of a conversation, rather than the final word.

    Copies of Carbohydrates and Health and Sugar reduction: the evidence for action are attached.

  • Conor McGinn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Conor McGinn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Conor McGinn on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report by the National Audit Office, The economic regulation of the water sector, HC487; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that customers benefit from water companies’ unexpected financial gains.

    Rory Stewart

    We accept the recommendation that we should develop further our assessments of the affordability and cost-effectiveness of environmental improvements. The Environment Agency has recently published the most comprehensive cost-benefit appraisal ever conducted for improving the water environment in England.

    The remaining recommendations of the report are for Ofwat, the independent economic regulator of the water sector. Its independence is crucial to ensure stable economic regulation to keep investment costs down and customer bills low. The Government does not intervene in any regulatory decisions made by the regulator.

  • Martyn Day – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Martyn Day – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans the Government has to hold a consultation with the Scottish Government on the future of the NATS centre at Prestwick.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government is currently exploring the sale of its 49 per cent shareholding in NATS, and will ensure that the Scottish Government is consulted about any implications for Prestwick.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that the men who have sex with men population is aware of the availability of the HPV vaccination at sexual health clinics.

    Jane Ellison

    In November 2015, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the expert body that advises the Government on all immunisation matters, advised that a targeted human papilloma virus vaccination programme should be undertaken for men who have sex with men up to 45 years of age who attend genitourinary medicine and HIV clinics. They noted that this should be subject to procurement of the vaccine and delivery of the programme at a cost-effective price.

    The Department is considering the JCVI’s advice and will confirm its plans in due course.