The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-02-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training is provided to new Ingeus advisers in advising clients with mental health issues; and what plans are in place to ensure all Ingeus advisers are given such training.
Priti Patel
The Department does not prescribe how providers delivering welfare to work provision train their staff.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to HS2 Ltd’s Information Paper, G3: Construction Commissioner, published on 16 December 2015, what annual salary he expects to pay to the HS2 Construction Commissioner; to what body the Construction Commissioner will report; what steps he will take to safeguard the Commissioner’s independence from his Department and HS2 Ltd; for what reasons the Commissioner will not be able to consider claims for losses of over £10,000; and what the exemption from the role of matters considered by Parliament in approving the project is planned cover.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The HS2 Construction Commissioner will report to a steering group that will be entirely independent of HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport. The independent steering group will be responsible for agreeing the Commissioner’s terms of reference. It is envisaged that the steering group will include members who represent community interests and the construction industry. The Construction Commissioner and independent steering group will be appointed in time for when HS2 construction begins.
The salary of the HS2 Construction Commissioner is expected to be £575 per day, based on working eight days per month, and is in line with other comparable roles. This will be subject to review by the independent steering group.
The Commissioner will be responsible for investigating complaints relating to the construction of HS2 Phase One that cannot be resolved through HS2 Ltd’s corporate complaints procedure. In addition, it is anticipated that one of the roles of the HS2 Construction Commissioner will be to act as an arbitrator for the HS2 Small Claims Scheme in the event that a dispute cannot be resolved through the normal process. The Small Claims Scheme is expected to have an initial maximum claim value of £10,000. This figure is provisional, based on other infrastructure projects, and will be subject to review by the steering group.
Further information regarding the HS2 Small Claims Scheme is available in HS2 Information Paper C10, which can be accessed via the following weblink:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/high-speed-rail-london-west-midlands-bill
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much funding her Department received from the European Social Fund (a) between 2007 and 2014 and (b) from 2014 to the last month for which data is available.
Andrea Leadsom
The Department for Energy and Climate Change received no funding from the European Social Fund between 2007 and 2014, nor subsequently.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-03-23.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.228 of Budget 2016, what the timetable is for the restructuring of the Money Advice Service, the Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise.
Harriett Baldwin
At Budget 2016, the government published its response to the Public Financial Guidance Review and launched a consultation seeking views on the government’s plans to restructure the statutory financial guidance providers – the Money Advice Service, The Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise. This paper, which closes on 8 June 2016, sets out a new delivery model for public financial guidance and seeks views on how, within this model, the proposed services could best be offered. The new delivery model is designed to better complement the financial guidance provided by the third sector and the industry and provide more targeted support for consumers.
The government will consider the responses to this consultation over the summer, and in parallel, work closely with the affected organisations to finalise the delivery structure. A detailed timetable will be set out with the final response, which will be published in the autumn. The government has been clear that the three affected organisations will continue to provide guidance to consumers until at least 2018.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Falkner of Margravine on 2016-05-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have been informed of any plans by the BBC to move the Russian Service to Moscow.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We have not been informed by the BBC of any plans to move the Russian Service to Moscow. Operational decisions of this nature are for the BBC to take independently of Government.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2016-06-20.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 8 April (HL7348), when they will announce the membership of the steering group promised in their response, published on 18 February, to the independent review of UK consumer product recall by Lynn Faulds Wood, following the invitation to potential candidates of 6 April; and when they intend to report on the progress being made on implementing the report.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
A statement on the membership of the steering group has been issued and is attached. It can also be seen on the Gov.uk website.
The first meeting of the steering group took place on 4 May and the group will report on its progress in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-09-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the Government’s policy is on the maximum threshold for council tax increases in England in (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21 and (c) 2021-22.
Mr Marcus Jones
The Government is committed to maintaining the right of local electorates to approve or veto excessive council tax rises in a local referendum. Decisions on the threshold are made annually as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-10-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what monitoring his Department undertakes of clinical commissioning groups’ safeguarding of access to medical nutrition for patients for whom it is recommended in NICE guidelines.
Nicola Blackwood
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guidelines represent best practice and we expect National Health Service organisations to take them fully into account as they design services for their local populations.
NICE clinical guidelines are not mandatory but the expectation is that NHS organisations will implement them over time drawing upon clinical judgement, and commissioners will take them into account when making commissioning decisions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to routinely test camelids for bovine tuberculosis before they are moved around the UK.
George Eustice
Defra has worked with the British Alpaca and Llama Societies on the design and promotion of a TB testing regime that includes voluntary routine surveillance, pre-movement testing and pre-export testing. A call for views on control of bovine TB in non-bovine farmed animals, including camelids, is currently in progress and will run until 20 November.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Warner on 2015-11-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 23 November (HL3565), in discharging their oversight function, about which care homes the Care Quality Commission has alerted local authorities during 2015 that a provider was likely to fail financially and their services cease.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England. The CQC has advised that it has not issued any notifications to local authorities under the Market Oversight Scheme to date.