Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of staff numbers and skills at HM Prison Ranby.

    Andrew Selous

    HMP Ranby is currently in the process of implementing its benchmark and expects to have fully achieved this in 2016.

    Nationally, we have recruited 2,340 new prison officers over the last year and this recruitment drive means we have 540 more full-time prison officers in our prisons than there were twelve months ago.

    All Prison Officers complete the national training course (POELT) before they are able to undertake full duties, all staff at Ranby have the same access and opportunity to avail themselves of relevant training and development as any staff member working within NOMS.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Nursing and Midwifery Council on extension of their remit to include root cause analysis of complaints and investigations.

    Ben Gummer

    In 2015-16, Health Ministers have not met the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) specifically to discuss extending its remit to include root cause analysis of complaints and investigations. However, Ministers do keep the issue of professional regulation under regular review and the Department has frequent discussions with professional regulators, including the NMC. Such discussions can cover a range of subjects including complaints handling and fitness to practise (FtP) processes.

    The NMC has a statutory duty to investigate if an allegation is made that a nurse or midwife does not meet its professional standards and, where necessary, to take action to safeguard the health and well-being of the public. Such investigations do not extend to investigating concerns, or their root cause, beyond determining the FtP of the individual registered nurse or midwife involved.

    The NMC reports that it works closely with other regulatory bodies, such as the Care Quality Commission and shares information that raises systemic concerns. As part of its 2015-20 strategy the NMC committed to sharing its data with other bodies responsible for quality and safety and to make anonymised data available to third parties where appropriate.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in which local authority areas applications can be made for naturalisation and a British passport at the same time.

    James Brokenshire

    Customers are able to book appointments in the following local authority areas:

    Brent, Barnet, Southwark, Gloucestershire, Kent, Lancashire, Hackney, Wandsworth, Enfield, Hertfordshire, Islington, Camden, Bracknell Forest, Leeds, Slough, Merton, Sutton, Poole, Luton, East Riding of Yorkshire, Tower Hamlets, Hammersmith & Fulham, Cambridgeshire, West Sussex, Oldham, Wolverhampton, Trafford, West Berks, Reading, Dudley, Hull, Norfolk, Worcestershire, Redbridge, Westminster, Bolton, Wokingham, Southampton, Warwickshire, Windsor & Maidenhead, York and Pembrokeshire.

    This service will be further rolled out within additional local authority areas over the coming months.

  • Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the current funding plans for dredging in Portland and Plymouth Harbours in order for them to accept larger cruise ships, and whether any state aids will be involved.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Funding plans for such developments are a matter for the ports concerned. It is also for the ports themselves, in the first instance, to ensure that their funding arrangements are compliant with State Aid rules and that any prospective Aid is notified to the European Commission as and when necessary through the appropriate channels.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what account she will take of the loss of playing fields in consideration of applications for the disposal for development of the former Two Trees High School site in Denton.

    Edward Timpson

    The Education Act 2011 requires that the Secretary of State must give consent prior to the disposal of land which has been used for any school or academy in the last eight years. A key consideration for the government is whether the land proposed for disposal could be suitable for use by a new academy or free school.

    School playing fields are also protected by Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. Schools and local authorities must obtain the Secretary of State’s approval before they can dispose of their land. Applications to dispose of school playing fields are first considered by the school playing fields advisory panel, who make a recommendation to the Secretary of State, before she then makes her final decision.

    At this time I am not aware of an application by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council to seek approval to dispose of the former Two Trees Sports College, including the playing fields.

    Should an application be submitted, the Secretary of State would take into account any groups or organisations with permission to use the playing fields and what suitable alternative provision they may have been offered. Local schools, which are deficient in playing field land, should also be offered the opportunity to use the playing field before any application is presented. She will also take into account local school place needs and any academy requirement.

  • Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the cost of implementing long-term flood defence systems in areas vulnerable to flooding in Ribble Valley.

    Rory Stewart

    A scheme to better protect the Preston and South Ribble area from fluvial and tidal flood risk is at an estimated cost of £32 million, with an allocation of £8 million Flood Defence Grant in Aid within the current six year capital investment programme. The difference is being sought through partnership contributions and through Flood Defence Grant in Aid allocations beyond the current six year capital investment programme.

    A scheme to protect Clitheroe from flooding from Mearley Brook would cost £4.8 million. This scheme is not in the six year investment programme and is subject to an ongoing bid for funding.

    A future scheme to protect Whalley from flooding from the River Calder would cost approximately £1.4 million. This scheme is not in the six year investment programme and the Environment Agency is currently evaluating the scheme prior to any funding bid.

    Lancashire County Council is currently bidding for £2 million in Grant in Aid to address surface water flooding in Whalley and Billington.

    Currently there is a review of flood risk in the Lower Calder catchment which will develop options and estimated costs to address the main river flooding. The Environment Agency aims to report at the end of the year. In 2017, a review of flood risk in Ribchester will commence, which will include an evaluation of future costs.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many overseas visits he has made for the purpose of negotiating trade deals since his appointment as Secretary of State.

    Greg Hands

    As we leave the EU, Britain will seek to become the global leader in free trade. Ministers and officials in the Department for International Trade are making overseas visits to a wide range of markets, in order to promote the UK as a great place to do business and with which to trade. Through these discussions, we are working to ensure we take advantage of all the opportunities available to us, including through our future trading relationships.

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice, CM 9141, what steps he is taking to implement the commitment to double the proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds entering higher education by 2020.

    Joseph Johnson

    We have already taken significant steps. In particular, from 2015/16, we have removed the cap on student numbers. Publicly funded institutions can now recruit as many students as they wish if they deem them to be suitable. We have also established a stronger framework with increased responsibility placed on providers to widen access. The Director of Fair Access has agreed 183 Access Agreements for 2016/17 containing an estimated £745m to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

    The Green Paper Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice, CM 9141 set out steps the Government plan to take to increase the proportion of students from disadvantaged background entering higher education. Further progress will come from the new guidance that we plan to issue to the Director of Fair Access, and through the social mobility taskforce being set up by Universities UK.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what processes are in place to ensure that all finances of both parties are disclosed when divorce proceedings are commenced.

    Caroline Dinenage

    In England and Wales, the division of property on divorce is governed by the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. A court will not make a financial order in a divorce case unless it is satisfied that each party has made a full and frank disclosure of their financial circumstances. Each party in a divorce is under a legal duty to make full and frank disclosure of all material facts to the other party and to the court and must sign a Statement of Truth to that effect.

    If the court is of the view that one party has deliberately failed or refused to make full and frank disclosure and has concealed his or her true financial circumstances from the other party, it can impose a costs penalty on the dishonest party. In more serious cases, individuals who fail to disclose the full extent of their assets could find themselves in contempt of court and be at risk of imprisonment. If, following a judgment, it is discovered that assets have not been properly disclosed and the judgment would have been different if there had been full disclosure it is possible to apply to the court to have the judgment set aside to be reconsidered.

    We recently reviewed Form E in light of an error being identified in the automatic calculations and we have amended the function of the form to ensure the calculation facility is now correct. The Ministry of Justice and the HM Courts and Tribunals Service have published advice regarding Form E at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/divorce-form-information

    “

  • Callum McCaig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Callum McCaig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the annual value is of exports from Scotland to the EU.

    David Mundell

    The latest annual National Statistics published by the Scottish Government on 26 January 2015 – Scotland’s Global Connection Survey (GCS) for 2013 – shows that Scotland exported a total of £27.9bn of international export in services and goods,of which £12.9bn went to the EU 28.