Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding for children and young people with special educational needs was allocated to East Sussex local authority area through the dedicated schools grant in each of the last three years.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Funding for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) is allocated to local authorities through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), which includes both funding to be delegated to mainstream schools, and funding for the additional costs associated with educating children and young people with high needs.

    The Department does not allocate specific amounts of funding for children and young people with SEN within the funding allocated to local authorities for their mainstream schools. Schools are funded through a formula set by their local authority, and local authorities are required to delegate funds to a level that enables schools to meet the additional costs of pupils with SEN, up to £6,000 per annum. For those pupils whose additional support costs more than £6,000 the local authority pays top-up funding to the schools from their high needs budget.

    East Sussex County Council’s high needs allocation, within the dedicated schools grant, in each of the last three years was as follows:

    2015-16: £44.06 million

    2014-15: £42.82 million

    2013-14: £40.94 million

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what activities have been undertaken by (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department at (i) Richmond House, London and (ii) Quarry House, Leeds to promote breastfeeding during World Breastfeeding Week 2016.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Government is committed to supporting breastfeeding through the Healthy Child Programme.

    No specific activities were undertaken in either Richmond House or Quarry House by Ministers or officials in relation to World Breastfeeding Week.

  • Lord Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the government of India’s recent refusal to allow access to representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to investigate possible human rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir, what representations they are making to the government of India to enable those investigations to be undertaken.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of reports of human rights abuses in Indian-administered Kashmir. Any allegation of human rights abuse in any country is a matter of concern and should be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has assessed the potential of liquid petroleum gas as a replacement for diesel in (a) passenger cars, (b) taxis, (c) HGVs, (d) vans and (e) public sector fleets.

    Andrew Jones

    As part of a consultation in 2014 on amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) the department considered the potential benefits of biopropane in delivering GHG savings. In recognition of this, the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation was subsequently amended to increase rewards for suppliers of that fuel from April 2015.

    The department, working with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, have evaluated a range of options for tackling poor air quality; this formed the basis of the Government’s draft air quality plans that recently went to public consultation. Switching to LPG can provide air quality benefits but may not be easily deployed in all vehicle types.

    As part of the department’s 2014 Clean Vehicle Technology Fund (CVTF) grant scheme, Birmingham City Council were awarded £500,000 to enable the conversion of 80 older black cabs from diesel to LPG which will help improve air quality on some of the most polluted roads. There is a possibility of funding through the current CVTF grant scheme being used to support further LPG conversions in other areas.

    We are considering many competing priorities across Government as part of the Spending Review, including measures to tackle air quality pollutants and reduce other harmful emissions. The outcome of the Spending Review will be announced later in the autumn.

    The department regularly meets with motor manufacturers and their representative body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Discussions on how manufacturers can act to tackle poor air quality cover a range of measures.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2015-12-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what incentives and performance targets exist to encourage HM Prison Service to improve rates of testing for hepatitis C among prisoners.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Improving the proactive detection, surveillance and management of infectious diseases in prisons is a shared priority for the National Offender Management Service, NHS England and Public Health England, as described in the Second National Partnership Agreement published earlier this year. A copy is attached.

    Included within this work programme is implementation of the blood-borne virus (BBV) opt-out testing programme for people in prisons, which includes testing for Hepatitis C virus infection as well as Hepatitis B virus and HIV.

    The ambition is to have BBV opt-out testing in all adult prisons in England by end of the financial year 2016-17.

    While there are currently no financial incentives or direct performance targets, performance in this activity is measured by NHS England through the collection of data via the Health & Justice Indicators of Performance. The data are used by NHS England commissioners to performance manage healthcare providers in prisons.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Leader of the House whether she will initiate discussions with the usual channels as to the desirability of establishing a general principle whereby items of business with a speakers list of more than 35 members should be tabled over two days, and not on one.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    Where the Speakers List for a debate is exceptionally long, it is open to the Usual Channels to consider special arrangements – including an early sitting of the House (as was arranged for the Second Reading of the European Union Referendum Bill) or adjourning the debate and resuming it on a subsequent day. However, in considering whether to make such arrangements, account must also be taken of members wishing to speak who may not be able to be present on a subsequent day, or for an earlier sitting, and would consequently not be able to participate if such an arrangement were made at short notice. For this reason, case-by-case consideration of the best way forward may serve the House better than a general principle, and so I do not propose to initiate discussions along the lines suggested at this time.

  • Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sue Hayman on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department plans to begin a procurement process for a technology to reuse plutonium stored at Sellafield before 2020.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Safely and securely managing plutonium remains a government priority. My Department is working across government, with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and industry to develop a solution.

    NDA submitted advice to support DECC in its considerations on the policy options for separated plutonium held in the UK, in December 2015. The report gives a view on the balance of attractiveness and risk of each reuse option (reuse as MOX and assessment of the credible alternatives PRISM and Candu); as well as immobilisation and continued storage. This, together with other sources of information and evidence, is informing DECC’s consideration of the options for the way forward.

    Only when Government is confident that an option could be implemented safely and securely, in way that is affordable, deliverable, and offers value for money, will it be in a position to proceed.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of Public Health England’s social marketing budget for 2015-16 has been allocated to mental health.

    Jane Ellison

    Mental health and wellbeing is integrated into many Public Health England campaigns.

    In 2015-16 an estimated £380,000 has been allocated to the development and promotion of mental health content for 11-16 year olds via the Rise Above campaign.

    In addition, the Information Service for Parents (ISP) programme delivers information on mental and physical health topics to support parents and parents-to-be. There are a wide range of topics relating to mental health covered including ante-natal and post-natal depression, and the importance of seeking professional help to address mental health issues in both parents and young children. The annual cost of delivering the ISP is £250,000, but we cannot ascribe a precise value to mental health given the breadth of issues it covers.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many care leavers as identified through the self-identified marker used by his Department between the ages of 18 and 25 had their (a) jobseeker’s allowance and (b) employment and support allowance sanctioned in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested in respect of care leavers is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of converting schools into academies in (a) Coventry and (b) the West Midlands.

    Edward Timpson

    In light of the new money announced in the Budget to support our plans, we are currently considering how best to consolidate and improve the support available to schools as they convert to become academies. New guidance will be available soon which will ensure that the available funding has maximum impact to build capacity and help schools make the most of the opportunities of becoming an academy.

    There will be a range of help available to support schools to become academies and secure the associated benefits. Pre-opening support grants are available to all schools, which contribute towards the costs of conversion incurred by schools in establishing the academy. In addition, other grants support a range of different models and phases of academy development, including the sponsor capacity fund and grants which are targeted to help groups of primary schools to either come together in new trusts or join existing ones.