Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Jessica Morden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jessica Morden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2016-09-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department has (a) spent on its contract with Concentrix and (b) received in revenue as a result of reviews of (i) tax credit and (ii) child tax credit claims carried out by Concentrix since that contract was signed.

    Mr David Gauke

    The estimate of commission paid for the HM Revenue and Customs contract with SYNNEX-Concentrix relating to error and fraud is 15.8m since the start of the contract.

    The total savings to date in annually managed expenditure is £284.1m. We have no way to break down this figure any further and can only provide a combined CTC and WTC figure.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what waiting time targets are in place for access to (a) mental health treatment and (b) talking therapies for children experiencing mental health problems; and how many times any such targets have been missed in each of the last 12 months.

    Nicola Blackwood

    Access and waiting times standards for people aged from 14 to 65 years old experiencing a first episode of psychosis came into effect in April 2016. The target is that more than 50% of all people experiencing a first episode of psychosis should receive National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-concordant treatment within two weeks of referral.

    There is also a waiting time standards for improving access to psychological therapies for all ages (six weeks for 75% of people referred to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme, with 95% of people being treated within 18 weeks).

    There is no waiting time target for access to mental health treatment or talking therapies specifically for children experiencing mental health problems.

    Experimental data to monitor the waiting time target for people experiencing a first episode of psychosis has been collected by NHS England since December 2015 and is available at:

    https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/eip-waiting-times/

    Some experimental data from the Mental Health Services Data Set relevant to waiting times standards is also published by NHS Digital.

    The most recent figures are at:

    http://content.digital.nhs.uk/searchcatalogue?productid=23263&returnid=1741

    Information about Improving Access to Psychological Therapies is available at:

    http://content.digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB21575

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  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what value of projects received guarantees through the UK Guarantees Scheme (a) in 2015 and (b) since that scheme’s launch.

    Greg Hands

    Since its launch in 2012 the UK Guarantees Scheme has approved £3.7bn of guarantees for projects, enabling £23bn of projects to commence. In 2015 the UK Guarantees Scheme has, to date, approved £2bn of guarantees.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the UK’s current CPI and RPI inflation rates.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    CPI inflation was 0.1 per cent in November 2015 and RPI inflation was 1.1 per cent. Low inflation is being driven by falling food and energy prices, and we continue to see a combination of low prices, rising pay packets and record high employment.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress his Department is making on encouraging buy-to-let mortgage lenders to allow longer tenancies in their terms and conditions.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Government supports longer tenancies, and promotes them through its Model Tenancy Agreement. We have continued to encourage mortgage lenders to permit family friendly tenancies, and the majority have now changed their policies, and permit tenancies of up to two to three years.

    A letter was sent to the Council for Mortgage Lenders on this subject in January 2016, urging them to encourage those lenders who have not changed their policies to do so, and to encourage lenders to promote the benefits of the Model Tenancy Agreement to their landlord customers.

  • Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations were received from (a) USDAW, (b) other trade unions, (c) ACS and (d) other trade and workers’ associations in response to the government’s consultation, Devolving Sunday trading rules, published on 5 August 2015; and what (i) number and (ii) proportion of those respondents answered (A) yes, (B) no and (C) otherwise to Question 1 in that consultation.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government received 7,171 responses to the consultation, though a significantly smaller number used the standard online consultation form and addressed the questions directly.

    USDAW responded to the consultation and its representatives met with officials during the course of the consultation. USDAW answered no to Question 1 in the consultation.

    TUC and the National Union of General and Municipal Workers (GMB) also responded to the consultation and their representatives met with officials during the course of the consultation. UNISON responded to the consultation but did not meet with officials. All three (100%) responded no to Question 1 in the consultation.

    ACS responded to the consultation and its representatives met with officials during the course of the consultation answered no to Question 1 in the consultation.

    The department does not hold full data from this consultation broken down by respondent type as a large portion of respondents chose to respond in their own words rather than addressing the consultation questions directly, and/or did not indicate the type of organisation they represented.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to lower the blood alcohol limit for drivers from 80mg to 50mg of alcohol per 100ml.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government has no plans to lower the drink drive limit. We believe that rigorous enforcement and serious penalties for drink drivers are a more effective deterrent than changing the drink driving limit.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he has plans to regulate the sale of black spot carbon monoxide detectors.

    Anna Soubry

    We have no plans to further regulate the sale of black spot carbon monoxide detectors.

    Carbon monoxide detectors fall under the General Product Safety Regulations (GPSR) 2005 which states any product placed on the market must be safe. Trading Standards will remove products that do not meet the requirements of the GPSR.

    These types of carbon monoxide detectors are obsolete and no longer generally available.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Poulter on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if his Department will make funding available for discounted or complimentary travel for apprentices.

    Nick Boles

    Apprenticeships are full time paid jobs which include substantial and sustained training, lasting a minimum of 12 months.

    There is no central public funded support available towards travel costs for apprentices, but some Local Authorities do offer discounts or concessions for young people on apprenticeships, as they do for those in other forms of learning.

  • Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Efford on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to review safety arrangements on English beaches; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Safety at public beaches is generally the responsibility of the local authority, who carry out risk assessments to determine appropriate safety measures. Generic guidance for the safe use of beaches is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-safe-at-the-coast-beach-safety-advice

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