UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) incidents have been reported to trading standards teams of and (b) prosecutions have taken place for packing and selling beef and poultry with an unknown origin in each of the last three years.

    Jane Ellison

    Monitoring food businesses to ensure compliance with legislation on food labelling and composition is the responsibility of county councils, unitary authorities, the London Boroughs and some but not all metropolitan borough councils. These local authorities are also responsible for taking enforcement action, including prosecutions, where non-compliance is found.

    Data are reported to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on the number of food and drink analyses undertaken in relation to compositional issues and labelling and presentation issues:

    23,599 analyses were undertaken in 2014/15, 16,899 for compositional issues and 6,700 for labelling and presentation issues.

    29,324 analyses were undertaken in 2013/14, 19,386 for compositional issues and 9,938 for labelling and presentation issues.

    26,940 analyses were undertaken in 2012/13, 16,982 for compositional issues and 9,958 for labelling and presentation issues.

    Data are also reported to the FSA on the total number of prosecutions concluded for food standards issues. This includes action in relation to composition, labelling and presentation but also for other issues such as chemical contamination. In 2014/15, 2013/14 and 2012/13 respectively, 75, 57 and 78 United Kingdom food establishments were subject to prosecution.

    The FSA has recently established a central register of successful food law prosecutions. Analysis of data collected for the first year of operation of the register is not yet complete, but in future it will provide more definitive data on prosecutions for offences of this nature.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government is ensuring that programmes involving the regeneration of public land require a proportion of the new homes delivered to be accessible for disabled people.

    Gavin Barwell

    The Government is committed to addressing the supply of new land for housing. The Public Land for Housing programme has set an ambition to dispose of surplus government-owned land in England with capacity for at least 160,000 homes by 2020. And at Budget 2016 the Chancellor announced a local government land ambition to release land with the capacity for a further 160,000 homes.

    Individual local planning authorities will decide the type and number of homes developed on the land released – including those for disabled people – in order to meet local need.

    We have put in place new, flexible Building Regulations which allow local authorities to apply appropriate access standards for new homes to meet the needs of their communities while ensuring that development can happen. Building regulations require minimum standards of accessibility for all new dwellings. Local authorities are able to set policies for a proportion of new development to be built to higher standards of accessibility in order to meet local needs in accordance with national planning policy and guidance.

    The Government is committed to helping older and disabled people to live independently and safely in their own homes for as a long as possible. The Disabled Facilities Grant funds the provision of home adaptations (including stair lifts, level access showers and in some instances home extensions) to help older and disabled people to live as comfortably, safely and independently as possible in their own homes for longer. Since 2010 we have invested over a billion pounds into the grant providing around 250,000 adaptations to older and disabled people’s homes in England.

    Government is also boosting the supply of specialised housing through the Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund, with 79 schemes receiving more than £84.2 million to develop up to 2,000 affordable homes over the next few years.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what forecast his Department has made of the change in international and EU investment in UK-based science research in the next five years.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Government is determined to ensure that the UK continues to play a leading role in European and international science, research and innovation. The strengths of UK science and research draw in significant international and EU funding as evidenced by the £5.4 billion of overseas investment in UK research and development in 2014.

    The Government’s commitment to supporting international collaborations is demonstrated by the introduction of the Global Challenges Research Fund which will provide £1.5 billion over the next five years to support research on global issues affecting developing countries. Our international partnerships are also supported by the Newton Fund linking UK researchers with researchers in 16 partner countries. The Government is committed to ensuring that UK remains open for business and continues to grow and thrive.

  • Karin Smyth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Karin Smyth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karin Smyth on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of how many small businesses have been started in (a) Bristol, (b) London and (c) England in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

    Anna Soubry

    There is no single data source that comprehensively measures all business start-ups within the UK.

    However, ONS publishes statistics showing the number of businesses newly registered for VAT or PAYE.

    These figures are available from the ONS Business Demography releases.

  • David Nuttall – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Nuttall – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Nuttall on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on the removal from the UK of a jobseeker who is a citizen of another EU country who has been in the UK for more than six months and can provide evidence that they (a) are looking for employment and (b) have a genuine chance of being engaged.

    James Brokenshire

    We have been clear that in future EU jobseekers will not be supported by UK taxpayers and can be removed if they are not in a job within six months.

    There is limited discretion to keep the status of jobseeker for longer than six months but an individual must provide compelling evidence to show they are continuing to seek employment and have a genuine chance of employment.

  • The Marquess of Lothian – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The Marquess of Lothian – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-12-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information to publish its report.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The Independent Commission on Freedom of Information will report as soon as possible after the oral evidence sessions it has announced for 20 and 25 January.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people of each age group and gender died from diabetes-related diseases in each of the last five years.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many former employees of British Rail were entitled to receive Safeguarded Travel benefits on the most recent date for which figures are available.

    Claire Perry

    This information is not held by the Department. This benefit is managed by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), and they may have this information; they can be contacted at rstl@atoc.org.

    “

  • Ben Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ben Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the decision making criteria is for the award of the contract for the supply of human papilloma virus vaccine.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department and Public Health England are currently undertaking a procurement exercise to secure vaccine to support the human papillomavirus vaccination programme for girls. As this is a competitive tender, it would not be appropriate to discuss the outcome of the procurement until a contract has been concluded with the successful bidder following the mandatory standstill period.

    The procurement will take account of the costs and benefits of all vaccines offered to establish which provides best value for money for the National Health Service. The award criteria are published on the government’s Contracts Finder website:

    https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/813bc859-8662-4c79-822b-f03cc84b8ceb

  • Eilidh Whiteford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Eilidh Whiteford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants have been awarded employment and support allowance (ESA) under regulation (a) 29 and (b) 35 of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008; and how many such claimants were originally in the ESA support group.

    Priti Patel

    Information on the outcomes of initial Employment and Support Allowance claims awarded under regulation 35 of the ESA Regulations 2008 can be found in Table 5 of the published statistics:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-claims-made-to-jun-2015-and-appeals-to-dec-2015.

    The rest of the information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    “