The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many civil servants in his Department are paid through limited companies.
Jane Ellison
All civil servants employed by the core Department are paid via its payroll system.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-05-25.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average hourly earnings were of 10 Downing Street’s (a) BME and (b) non-BME employees in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016.
Matthew Hancock
The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
Cabinet Office staff are paid an annual salary, not on the basis of an hourly rate.
The Department uses a grading structure to determine annual salary rates. This is underpinned by Job Evaluation and Grading Support (JEGS), an analytical job evaluation tool which meets all requirements of legislation and EHRC statutory codes of practice on Equal Pay. The use of JEGS and its application in determining the appropriate grade for a role enables us to determine where employees are doing equal work based on “work rated as equivalent.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugo Swire on 2016-07-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the progress against its targets of BT’s commercial roll-out of superfast broadband in the Connecting Devon and Somerset area.
Matt Hancock
Broadband Delivery UK works closely with the Connecting Devon and Somerset team and BT to keep progress on the BT commercial roll-out under review. Responsibility for the commercial roll-out lies with BT.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what comparative assessment he has made of the effect of the increase in business rates on (a) state and (b) privately funded schools with roof-top solar photovoltaic panels.
Mr Marcus Jones
Business rates are based on valuations from the Valuation Office Agency and we do not intervene in their independent assessments. We have proposed a £3.4 billion transitional relief scheme to ensure that no ratepayer is unfairly penalised by the 2017 revaluation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Crisp on 2015-11-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the potential contribution of British scientists and institutions to the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.
Baroness Verma
Effective disaster risk reduction management is critical to sustainable development.
Science has a key role to play in helping us to better understand disaster risks and developing more robust DRR approaches. It can help us to better predict and respond to a range of natural hazards such as floods and storms, droughts, extreme temperatures, health epidemics and pandemics.
The new framework will help encourage greater engagement from and with the scientific community in order to reduce disaster risk and build resilience. British scientists already play a significant role in helping the UK prepare for and respond to disasters. While we expect British scientists and institutions to play an important role, we are still assessing the full implications of the Sendai Framework.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2015-11-23.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment the Financial Conduct Authority has made of the regulatory implications of use of the financial services messaging system Symphony.
Harriett Baldwin
This is an operational matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who are operationally independent from Government.
The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the Rt Hon Joan Ryan by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-01-05.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average life expectancy was for (a) the total population, (b) women, (c) men in (i) the UK and (ii) each London borough in each year since 2010.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-01-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his Department plans to close the (a) Skills Funding Agency and (b) Insolvency Service in Sheffield.
Joseph Johnson
As part of the Department’s change programme, BIS2020, we anticipate reducing the number of our locations from more than 80 to approximately 7 centres plus a regional footprint. Beyond the announcement made about our Sheffield office at St Paul’s Place on 28 January, we do not yet know exactly which sites will be retained or closed over the course of the Parliament. By 2020 the majority of employees in BIS and its Partner Organisations will continue to be based outside London through a number of centres – such as in Birmingham, Glasgow, and Swindon – as well as a regional footprint for the provision of local services.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will ensure that all standards explicitly linked to the Renewable Heat Incentive are non-commercialised and publicly available to all relevant parties who may wish to offer services related to the implementation of that initiative.
Andrea Leadsom
The Department is currently working with industry to establish the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) as a legal entity. The accessibility of MCS standards referenced in the RHI regulations will be considered as part of that process to ensure that those standards which are mandatory for the purpose of the RHI remain publicly available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making the drug nabilone available on the NHS for people with multiple sclerosis.
George Freeman
We have made no such assessment. Nabilone is not licensed for use in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.