Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Baroness Kennedy of Cradley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Kennedy of Cradley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the rates of flu vaccination so far this winter, and how that compares to previous years.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Flu vaccine uptake rates for groups recommended to be immunised as part of the national flu immunisation programme as at 26 November are shown in the table below for this season and the two previous years. The figures for 2015/16 are provisional and from a sample of about three-quarters of participating general practitioner practices in England.

    Flu vaccine uptake rates

    Eligible groups

    2015/16 (%)

    2014/15 (%)

    2013/14 (%)

    Adults aged 65 years or older

    64.6

    66.7

    67.0

    At risk groups aged six months to under 65 years (excluding pregnant women without other risk factors)

    36.4

    42.4

    43.6

    Pregnant women (including those in risk groups)

    35.6

    36.6

    34.0

    Children aged two years old (including those in risk groups)

    25.9

    28.5

    34.1

    Children aged three years old (including those in risk groups)

    26.9

    30.5

    30.6

    Children aged four years old (including those in risk groups)

    21.9

    23.9

    N/A

    Data source: PHE ImmForm weekly sentinel influenza vaccine uptake data collection.

    For two to four year olds, vaccine was available about one week later than last year and this seems to be the main explanation for the apparent lower uptake. Communications activity to promote flu immunisation continues – this includes Stay Well This Winter roadshows visiting 67 locations across the country providing advice on flu vaccinations.

  • Karl Turner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Karl Turner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the total cost to the public purse has been of legislating for and implementing the criminal courts change to date.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The Ministry of Justice does not collect data relating to the cost of legislating for specific provisions in this way.

    The costs of the criminal courts charge implementation project were £534,760.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to ensure that UK citizens can take up apprenticeships in other EU states.

    Nick Boles

    There are many differences between apprenticeships systems across EU Member States. In some countries, like England, apprenticeships are jobs, whilst in others they are training courses without employment status.

    Under the principle of free movement, UK citizens, like all nationals of an EU Member State, have a right to work in another, subject to all relevant employment laws.

    Where apprenticeships are training programmes, it is up to each member state to set the parameters for their specific programme, including offering opportunities for resident citizens of other countries.

  • Philip Hollobone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Philip Hollobone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Hollobone on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps have been taken during the Government’s negotiations on the UK’s membership of the EU to restore the UK’s rebate to its full previous value.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), has been clear that the four priorities of our renegotiations are: economic governance; competitiveness; sovereignty; and benefits to EU migrants.

    The EU budget financing system was agreed in 2013, when we secured an historic real-terms cut and protected the rebate. Parliament ratified that deal last year.

  • Baroness Jowell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Jowell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jowell on 2016-03-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what have been the most common three grounds for refusing a take charge request since Dublin III came into force.

    Lord Bates

    The Dublin III Regulation came into force on 1 January 2014. The 3 most common reasons for the refusal of take charge requests by the UK have been Articles 6.5 and 8 (both of which relate to the legal presence of a qualified relative of the minor in another Member State) and Article12.4 (which requires the Member State to take charge following the expiry of certain residence and entry visas).

  • Bernard Jenkin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Bernard Jenkin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bernard Jenkin on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the Government’s (a) gross and (b) net contribution to EU institutions in 2014; and what the UK’s balance of payments with those institutions was in that year.

    Mr David Gauke

    Complete outturn figures, including receipts administered by public sector bodies and those received directly by beneficiaries, for the UK’s gross and net contribution to the EU Budget in 2014 can be found in Table 3B, page 16, of HM Treasury’s European Union Finances 2015 publication (Cm 9167) which is available from the House library and on gov.uk. No estimates are provided, as outturns for 2014 are available. The Government does not produce an estimate of the UK’s balance of payments with EU institutions.

    The UK’s contributions fluctuate between years. Over the years 2010 to 2014, the UK’s contributions averaged around £7.1bn. This means that for every pound paid in tax, a little over 1p goes to the EU. An explanation of these figures can be found in Annex B of HM Treasury’s analysis of the long-term economic impact of EU membership and the alternatives.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what funding his Department has provided for (a) scientific excellence, (b) renewable energy in the Humber, (c) food production in North Yorkshire, (d) advanced manufacturing in South Yorkshire and (e) finance and tech in West Yorkshire since the publication of the Long-Term Economic Plan for Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire in February 2015.

    Anna Soubry

    This Government is committed to supporting scientific excellence. That is why in Spending Review 2015 we protected science resource funding from its current level of £4.7 billion per year in real terms for the remainder of the Parliament, and why we are investing in new scientific infrastructure on a record scale, delivering on the £6.9 billion science capital commitment in our manifesto.

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is working with universities, cities, local enterprise partnerships, and businesses to map research and innovation strengths through a series of science and innovation audits. As part of this, Sheffield University and the Sheffield City Region have been selected, as part of a wider consortium to take part in the first wave of these audits. Linked to other Northern Powerhouse groups Sheffield will be exploring the potential to develop the global competitiveness of advanced manufacturing in the north of England.

    We are committed to supporting long term economic growth across Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. My department is contributing to the cross-government local growth fund which, over a period of 6 years commencing from April 2015, has awarded £1.202 billion to local enterprise partnerships covering Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire. This funding is helping deliver long term economic growth priorities including renewable energy in the Humber, food and agri-tech in York North Yorkshire and East Riding, and advanced manufacturing in Sheffield City Region. The government is also investing in finance and tech in Leeds City Region, including £3.7m to Leeds in March 2016 for a new city centre digital business incubator facility, and providing £50m for two new agricultural technology centres in North Yorkshire.

  • Mark Menzies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Mark Menzies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, for what reasons the Committee of Climate Change report on the compatibility of UK onshore petroleum with meeting UK carbon budgets has not yet been laid before Parliament; and when she plans to publish the Government’s response to that report.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government has received the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) report. We are carefully considering the report to ensure it is given the proper consideration it is due.

    Under the Infrastructure Act 2015, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change is required to lay the CCC report and our response before Parliament together. They will be published as soon as practicable once our response is complete.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the combined effect of the Apprenticeship Levy, the National Living Wage and the increase in auto-enrolment charges on FTSE 250 companies’ employment spend.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government is taking action to build an economy that works for everyone. We have committed to improve the technical and professional skills of the workforce by putting control of apprenticeship funding in the hands of employers, to boost the wages of the lowest paid, and, through Automatic Enrolment and pensions tax reliefs, to support people in saving for retirement. At the same time, we are supporting business with a competitive and fair tax system, including the reduction of the corporation tax main rate from 28% to 20%. Finance Act 2016 cut the rate further, to 17% in 2020, ensuring the lowest rate in the G20.

    The Government has not produced a combined assessment of the effect of these specific policies on employment spend for this group of companies. The costs and benefits to business of regulatory measures such as the National Living Wage and Automatic Enrolment are set out in impact assessments (available at legislation.gov.uk and gov.uk respectively), and the independent Office for Budget Responsibility takes the impact of government policies on the economy into account in producing its forecasts.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support initiatives to increase hedgehog numbers.

    Rory Stewart

    Defra is working with partners to identify actions that will help the conservation of hedgehogs though the Terrestrial Biodiversity Group, chaired by Natural England.

    In addition, the Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package element of the new Countryside Stewardship scheme will deliver specific management focused on improving farmland biodiversity across most farming systems. The package supports management options, including the conservation and enhancement of hedgerow systems and the creation and maintenance of field margins, which will help to provide suitable habitat for a range of species, including hedgehogs.

    We also welcome the work being undertaken by a number of non-government organisations in helping to establish the facts behind the decline of the hedgehog and raise public awareness.