The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people caring full-time for a relative; and if he will make a statement.
Alistair Burt
“Caring full-time for a relative” is not a term that is defined in data collections and so the data is not collected centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-01.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the Government’s policy is on the appropriate percentage rate of return on investment for (a) schools and community groups investing in on-site solar power and (b) foreign state owned companies investing in new nuclear power in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Greg Hands
We want to attract cost-effective investment in infrastructure. Investors rightly expect a market rate of return and value for money is achieved through competition and careful negotiation. Individual project rates of return will differ to reflect, among other things, the risk profiles involved.
The Feed-in-Tariff scheme, for which schools and community groups are eligible to apply, aims to offer rates of return for solar installations between 4% and 8%. Returns for each installation will vary according to their individual costs and the amount of electricity generated and used on site. The Government’s recently closed consultation on the scheme includes a review to ensure that tariffs are within this range, given the fall in costs of solar panels in recent years. It will detail its response to the consultation shortly.
We are unable to disclose the anticipated rate of return for new nuclear transactions as these are commercially sensitive.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-01-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on what local government services can be funded by the two per cent social care precept.
Mr Marcus Jones
The Chancellor’s Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 (Cm9162), presented to Parliament on 26 November 2015, makes clear that the two per cent social care precept must be spent entirely on adult social care.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Warner on 2016-02-01.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and British Humanist Association, An Unholy Mess, and in particular that report’s recommendations that guidance be produced for schools to help them to ensure that they comply fully with the School Admissions Code.
Lord Nash
Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, are required to comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code and other admissions law.
Where an objection is made to the Schools Adjudicator, if the arrangements are found to be unfair or fail to comply with the Code, the admission authority must make changes to ensure their arrangements are compliant without undue delay. Where an admission authority fails to implement decisions of the adjudicator, the Secretary of State may direct the admission authority to do so.
We continue to keep the Code under review, and, where we consider any changes are necessary to make the admissions system work more effectively for parents, these will be subject to a full public consultation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-02-25.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.122 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what estimate his Department has made of the average change in tax credit award as a result of reducing the income rise disregard for tax credits.
Damian Hinds
As announced in the combined Autumn Statement and Spending Review, the amount by which a tax credit claimant’s income can increase within the year before their tax credit award is adjusted (the income rise disregard), will be reduced from £5,000 to £2,500. The reduction to the income rise disregard will stop one family receiving a higher tax credit award over another family with precisely the same income and the same circumstances, which makes the system fairer. The household income of families before it rises will inform how they might be effected by a reduction in the income rise disregard.
The only people who will be affected are those who will see an income increase of more than £2,500 in-year.
Due to the way that tax credits are calculated, the amount an award will be adjusted by – because of an increase in income – will depend upon a claimant’s individual circumstances, such as the household’s income before it rises. No one will be a cash loser because their income will have increased. As an example, for an individual with a wage of £12,000, an income increase of £2,501 would lead to an adjustment in their tax credit award of just 41 pence. An increase of less than £2,500 would see no change at all.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of upgrading the M56 to a smart motorway between junctions 12 and 14.
Andrew Jones
No work has been done to estimate the costs of upgrading the M56 to a smart motorway between Junctions 12 and 14 as this scheme is not within the first Road Investment Strategy (RIS). Highways England is working hard to deliver the schemes set out in the RIS in the first Road Period 2015-20.
Future investment in the strategic road network is currently being developed through Highways England’s Route Strategies process, which will be used to plan new investments in the second Road Period 2020-25.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-04-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which organisations have received public grant funding from her Department in each of the last five years; how much grant funding each organisation received; and what the purpose of each such grant was.
George Eustice
A list of grants by organisation for the last five years (2011-16 inclusive) will be placed in the Library. It is not possible to identify the actual amount each organisation received related to each listed grant without incurring a disproportionate cost to the department, therefore an average value has been apportioned to each requested financial year from the total grant value.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-06-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the budget for NHS Protect was in each of the last eight years.
George Freeman
The information requested is in the following table:
|
Year |
NHS Protect Budget (£ million) |
NHS Protect staff |
NHS Protect investigators |
|
2008-09 |
13.379 |
218 |
83 |
|
2009-10 |
13.439 |
204 |
71 |
|
2010-11 |
12.121 |
217 |
68 |
|
2011-12 |
11.381 |
190 |
33 |
|
2012-13 |
11.381 |
173 |
32 |
|
2013-14 |
11.381 |
178 |
32 |
|
2014-15 |
11.154 |
186 |
34 |
|
2015-16 |
10.473 |
174 |
33 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by MiDavies on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans she has to ensure appropriate arrangements are made available to safeguard vulnerable women who participate in criminal justice proceedings.
Dr Phillip Lee
I am committed to making the process of going to court simpler, easier, and more sympathetic to victims. My department’s court reform programme will make sure victims and witnesses, both male and female, continue to be treated with respect throughout the process. For example, the digitisation of the courts services is having a positive impact on victims by providing the ability to give video evidence rather than facing the trauma of attending court.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-10-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with the Department for International Development on the UK’s commitment to weather-indexed insurance.
Jesse Norman
My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not had any discussions with my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development on weather-indexed insurance in the last six months.