Tag: Parliamentary Question

Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the coastguard search and rescue capability for the Firth of Forth is.

Mr Robert Goodwill

HM Coastguard search and rescue capability consists of the tasking and coordination of rescue resources, the volunteer Coastguard Rescue Service (CRS) and the provision of Search and Rescue Helicopters.

Tasking and Coordination of Rescue Assets

HM Coastguards ‘National Network’ enables the National Maritime Operations Centre (NMOC) and 9 Coastguard Operations Centres (CGOC) to coordinate any incident anywhere around the UK coast. Workload is therefore managed on a national basis enabling national capability and resource to be available to any incident, for example in the Firth of Forth, on the basis of the nature of the incident.

Volunteer Coastguard Rescue Service

There are 4 volunteer Coastguard Rescue Teams (CRT) covering the Firth of Forth with the following operational capabilities.

CRT	Water Safety and Rescue	Land Search	Mud Rescue	Rope Rescue	First Aid
Leven	✓	✓		✓	✓
Kinghorn	✓	✓		✓	✓
South Queensferry	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Fisherrow	✓	✓		✓	✓
North Berwick	✓	✓		✓	✓

Additionally there are 5 full time Maritime Coastguard Agency employees who are responsible for the management, training and oversight of these teams.

Search and Rescue Helicopters

The Search and Rescue Helicopters based at Inverness and Prestwick provide capability for the Firth of Forth. However, it should be noted that the speed and range of the aircraft located at the four HM Coastguard bases in Scotland means that HM Coastguard has the ability to surge up to five SAR helicopters to a single incident in Scotland, should it be necessary to do so.

January 1, 2023

Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with representatives of car manufacturers who have construction plants in the UK about expanding their operations in this country.

Mr Nick Hurd

The automotive sector is of vital importance to the UK. In 2015, car production hit a ten year high at almost 1.6 million units adding £14.6 billion of Gross Value Added to the UK economy. We are in regular dialogue with companies in the sector on a range of issues and work in partnership with the Automotive Council on an Automotive Industrial Strategy to deliver sustainable growth in the sector.

January 1, 2023
Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-10-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many pregnant women have been offered personal birth budgets since February 2016.

Mr Philip Dunne

Personal budgets for maternity services is one of the recommendations in Better Births, the report of the independent review of maternity services. Implementation of the review is being taken forward through the Maternity Transformation Board.

NHS England is working with seven Maternity Choice and Personalisation Pioneers, encompassing 36 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in total, to develop and test ways of improving choice in maternity services. The pioneer sites, each made up of clusters of CCGs, are working to widen choice across CCG boundaries and deepen choice by providing opportunities for new providers.

The first stage of this is the development of Personal Maternity Care Budgets (PMCBs) as mechanisms to empower women to take control in choosing who provides their care. Unlike Personal Health Budgets, PMCBs do not offer the option of direct payments to women. They are intended instead to provide a visible, transparent and active mechanism for women to choose where they wish to receive their antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care and will facilitate the flow of money between providers, depending on these choices.

NHS England is working with pioneers on the design of PMCBs and the pioneers are also developing local implementation plans, including support tools for women, general practitioners, midwives and other relevant healthcare professions, to help women make meaningful choices, with the aim of rolling them out progressively in the seven Pioneer areas from November 2016. Their impact will be evaluated to inform the promotion and adoption of PMCBs across the country.

January 1, 2023
Andy McDonald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy McDonald on 2015-11-17.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the document, Fixing the Foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation, Cm 9098, published in July 2015, if he will publish his Department’s analysis linking changes to tax credits with increased productivity.

Mr David Gauke

The Paper, “Fixing the Foundations: creating a more prosperous economy” focuses not on the link between welfare reforms and productivity but instead on how ‘a productive economy must make the most of its labour force and effectively mobilise people into jobs’.

This governments tax and welfare policies are supporting this end.

January 1, 2023
Jo Stevens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2015-12-15.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether employers that have offshored their company payroll will be required to pay the apprenticeship levy.

Greg Hands

Further details of how the Apprenticeship Levy will operate will be set out in the Finance Bill and draft clauses will be published early in 2016.

January 1, 2023
Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect on local authority budgets of people in supported housing not remaining in that housing as a result of a cap on housing benefit at the rate of local housing allowance.

Justin Tomlinson

The information requested is not available.

January 1, 2023
Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, further to the oral contribution of the Minister for Skills of 2 February 2016, Official Report, column 776, whether his Department intends to bring forward amendments relating to check-off and facilities time before the Trade Union Bill reaches Report Stage in the House of Lords.

Nick Boles

Government amendments to Clause 12 (Facility Time Reporting) and Clause 13 (Facility Time cap) of the Trade Union Bill were included in the Bill at Lords Committee.

The remaining stages in the Lords are amending stages and the Government will table amendments as necessary.

January 1, 2023
Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-03-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the number of disabled people who will lose their entitlement to the (a) standard rate of and (b) enhanced rate of personal independence payment as a result of changes to the assessment criteria regarding the use of aids and appliances for activities five and six.

Justin Tomlinson

It is not possible to forecast exact figures because it will depend on factors such as caseload, possible behavioural change, and the outcome of DLA reassessment outcomes.

We estimate that in 2020/21 there will be a total of 640,000 people who will be in some way affected by these changes.

However, a significant number will continue to qualify for an award, and for many the effects will be notional because they are not yet receiving the benefit. Claimants affected may also remain eligible for other forms of Government support. This includes, but is not limited to, the mobility component of PIP, ESA, local welfare provision, support through the NHS, adult social care and the Disabled Facilities Grant.

January 1, 2023
Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2016-04-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they propose to increase immigration and asylum chamber fees, and what assessment they have made of the likely impact of those increased fees on access to justice.

Lord Faulks

We’re protecting the most vulnerable from any fee increase, including those who receive asylum support and cases involving children being supported or housed by a local authority. But it is also right that the taxpayer does not subsidise those who choose to challenge a decision made by the Home Office before the Tribunal.

We have a duty to the public to reduce the deficit and ensure sustainable funding for Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service.

We have published a full impact assessment alongside the consultation document published on the Government website.

January 1, 2023
Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the annual saving which would be generated by the planned replacement of widowed parent’s allowance by bereavement allowance.

Priti Patel

Bereavement support payments will be introduced from April 2017 for new claimants only. Existing claimants of Widowed Parent’s Allowance and Bereavement Allowance will remain on those benefits for the lifetime of their awards therefore there will be no impact on them or their families.

Bereavement Support Payment is forecasted to cost the Department for Work and Pensions an extra £100m in the first three years. The full cost to the exchequer will be greater than this as, unlike its predecessors, Bereavement Support Payment will not be taxable.

Further information on forecast expenditure is provided via the link below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487612/outturn-and-forecast-autumn-statement-2015.xlsx

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January 1, 2023