The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-12.
To ask the Attorney General, whether he has had discussions with his Northern Ireland counterparts on the recent case of Pastor James McConnell.
Robert Buckland
The Attorney General and I have not had any discussions on Pastor McConnell’s case with the Attorney General for Northern Ireland or the Public Prosecution Service. The decision to prosecute was a matter for the Public Prosecution Service.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton on 2016-02-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the new revised list of treatments available via the Cancer Drugs Fund will ensure increased access for patients to effective treatment.
Lord Prior of Brampton
NHS England has advised that the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) is reprioritised on a regular basis so that the resources available are focussed on the drugs providing the greatest benefit to patients. All decisions on drugs to be maintained in the CDF are based on the best available evidence, the cost of the treatment and the advice of clinicians.
The Government remains committed to the CDF and in 2015/16 £340 million has been invested in the Fund. NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence are currently consulting on draft proposals on the future direction of the CDF. The consultation is open until 11 February 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has made to consult stakeholders in advance on the (a) designation of reception zones and (b) determination of the criteria to be included in any order designating such zones in the UK.
James Brokenshire
Home Office appointed COMPASS contractors as providers of housing for asylum seekers with the ability to procure and supply housing in a manner that meets UK housing law. The COMPASS suppliers are required to consult local government formally to ensure relevant housing licensing requirements are met. UKVI officials have engaged with local government, through Strategic Migration Partnerships to devise suitable consultation protocols so that both parties are able to consider the most suitable locations for initial accommodation. In the circumstance that contingency options are deployed, the COMPASS provider is required to inform local dispersal authorities of the intended short term use of properties in their area, as initial accommodation facilities for asylum seekers, including in hotels.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-19.
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many times she has attended public meetings of the Women and Equalities Committee since her appointment.
Caroline Dinenage
The Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities has attended two public meetings of the Women and Equalities Select Committee since its establishment in June 2015, giving evidence to the Committee’s enquiries on Transgender Equality and the Gender Pay Gap. In my role as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women, Equalities and Family Justice, I also attended and gave evidence at the first of these sessions. I remain informed of other public meetings via Parliament TV and meeting transcripts.
Attendance at Committee meetings is a matter of public record. Transcripts and videos of these appearances can be found on the Committee’s web pages, via the links below. There is also a transcript in Hansard.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Warner on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what Ofsted inspections of Birmingham City Council’s children’s social care services have been made since April 2014; whether Ofsted have indicated since then any major concerns about those services; and what information is available to the Department for Education Ministers to suggest that the City Council is not adhering to the three-year improvement plan approved by the City Council and the Department’s previous Commissioner in April 2015.
Lord Nash
The most recent Ofsted inspection of Birmingham City Council’s children’s services took place in March 2014. This inspection found services to be inadequate. Since then, Birmingham City Council has made some progress against its improvement plan, which ends in 2017. However, the current Commissioner for children’s services in Birmingham, Andrew Christie, and the council itself recognise that much more needs to be done. The Council is coming to the end of its current improvement plan and is exploring models for further improvement in future.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-07-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what standard his Department has set for the number of dental practices required per head of population.
David Mowat
NHS Dentistry is commissioned by NHS England following a local oral health needs assessment undertaken in partnership with Local authorities and other partner organisations. Local services are then commissioned to meet local needs, NHS England determines how best to use its resources to meet this need.
NHS dental services are commissioned by NHS England through contracts with independent providers. These contracts are set on the basis of the oral health needs assessment, which identifies the level of dental need for a particular community and pays particular attention to access to local dental services and the dental health of the local population. There is considerable variation in oral health across England and so there are no national standards for the number of dental practices per head of population.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Foster on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Legion d’Honneur applications are outstanding in his Department.
Harriett Baldwin
The Ministry of Defence has received approximately 5,300 applications from veterans for the French award of the Legion d’Honneur. We have passed the majority of these to the French in accordance with the maximum permitted rate of 100 per week. We now only have 85 remaining applications to pass to the French, which will be submitted next week, and 130 applications with missing information which, therefore, cannot be processed – the Department is working to resolve these.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to increase the number of early education places for children (a) under the age of three and (b) aged three and four; and if she will make a statement.
Mr Sam Gyimah
We have already made significant progress in ensuring that there are more childcare places available. There has been an increase of 230,000 places since 2009 and a significant increase in the take up of childcare provision in low- and middle-income areas.
This government has also supported providers by reducing bureaucracy and making it easier for providers such as childminders and schools to provide places. We continue to work with providers to increase the number of childcare places, for example by sharing good practice on working in partnership.
Subject to the will of Parliament, the Childcare Bill will introduce an entitlement to 30 hours of funded childcare for working parents of three- and four-year olds from 2017. New childcare places will be required for this age group, and the government wishes to encourage new providers to enter the childcare market and existing providers to expand. On top of the steps already being taken, such as the extension of the Childcare Business Grant Scheme, our planned Early Implementers will test provider capacity and market innovation and flexibility from 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to encourage coppicing of woodland.
Rory Stewart
By increasing awareness and demand for coppice products, woodland owners will be encouraged to reintroduce coppice management in their woods. For this reason, we are working with ‘Grown in Britain’, along with the Forestry Commission and the National Coppice Federation, to introduce a ‘Grown in Britain Coppice’ licence category. This will allow coppice owners and workers to benefit from the ‘Grown in Britain’ brand as it raises the profile of the home grown woodland industry.
Where significant biodiversity improvement can be achieved, the practice of coppicing can also be supported through Countryside Stewardship. Under the Priority Habitat (broadleaved woodland) or Priority Species objectives of Woodland Improvement (WD2) schemes, the payment of £100 per hectare per year will be paid for activities which improve the biodiversity of woodland or make it more resilient to climate change. Where coppicing forms part of the sustainable long term management of a woodland, it can be supported though this scheme under a multi-annual agreement.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2016-01-12.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what forecast he has made of the change in population in (a) Barnsley East constituency, (b) Barnsley, (c) South Yorkshire and (d) Yorkshire and the Humber up to 2030.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.