Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his officials last updated the Blue Badge Scheme local authority guidance; whether he plans to update that guidance; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    The extent to which a specific condition affects people will vary. If we were to provide automatic eligibility without further assessment by virtue of having dementia it may not reflect genuine need.

    However, the ‘subject to further assessment’ criteria do not preclude the issue of badges to people with mental/cognitive disabilities. Any permanent and substantial disability may qualify for a badge if it causes “very considerable difficulty in walking”. It is for the local authority to assess the degree of challenge on a case-by-case basis.

    The guidance was last updated in October 2014. There are no plans to update it at this time.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications for medicine courses were (a) received and (b) accepted at higher education institutions in England in each of the last five years.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) publishes data on applications and acceptances to full-time undergraduate courses. The table below shows the number of main scheme applications (applications submitted by 30 June each year) and the number of acceptances for ‘pre-clinical medicine’ for applicants domiciled in England.

    Table: applications and acceptances to pre-clinical medicine1

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    Number of acceptances

    5,525

    5,705

    5,510

    5,630

    5,515

    Number of main scheme applications

    55,280

    53,740

    54,710

    55,065

    48,525

    Notes:

    1. Pre-clinical medicine is based on Joint Academic Coding System (JACS) code A1

    The figures were extracted from the UCAS 2015 end of cycle data resources (tables DR3_017_01 and DR3_017_03) available via the following weblink:

    https://www.ucas.com/corporate/data-and-analysis/ucas-undergraduate-releases/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-data-resource-5

  • Peter Grant – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Peter Grant – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Grant on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on how many occasions in each of the last five years officials of his Department have contacted representatives of a foreign government to ask for an account of private meetings or discussions held between representatives of that government and Scottish Government ministers.

    Matthew Hancock

    Details of discussions with foreign governments are not usually disclosed.

  • Lord Palmer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Palmer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2015-11-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which contracts awarded by the Department of Health have conditions within them relating to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and in each case, whether legal advice was taken before the issuing of that tender.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government takes its obligations as a Party to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) very seriously, including the obligation to protect public health policy from the vested interests of the tobacco industry.

    The Department considers the detail of Invitation to Tender (ITT) and contract documentation, including the legal aspects, on a case by case basis. The standard documentation includes a requirement to declare actual or potential conflicts of interest and some ITTs make specific reference to FCTC obligations.

    This issue is considered as part of the evaluation process and through the contract monitoring process as appropriate.

  • John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many fixed location pumps the Environment Agency uses to control water flows in England.

    Rory Stewart

    The Environment Agency operates and maintains 347 fixed pumping stations in England.

  • Jo Stevens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jo Stevens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) assaults and (b) serious assaults by prisoners on other prisoners were recorded at HMP Swansea during each of the last three years.

    Andrew Selous

    Statistics for assaults on prisoner on prisoner are published on an annual basis by calendar year in the Safety in Custody statistics bulletin annual assaults tables (see table 3.15 at the link below). https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/495430/safety-in-custody-assaults-dec-2014.xls.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many staff leaving employment at her Department in the last three years have subsequently been rehired within 12 months by the (a) Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (b) Ministry of Defence, (c) Department for Energy and Climate Change, (d) Department for Culture, Media and Sport, (e) Cabinet Office and (f) HM Treasury.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    DFID would not record or have access to details of former employees who have been rehired by other government departments.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which is the first year in which he expects welfare spending to be contained within the welfare cap.

    Priti Patel

    The Government believes it is right to monitor welfare spending carefully. We will review the level of the Welfare Cap at the Autumn Statement, which is when the Office for Budget Responsibility will formally assess spending against the Welfare Cap.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authority educational psychology services are trading their services.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department does not collect information on how many local authority educational psychology services are trading their services.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will request that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation undertakes an assessment of the recommendation from the Britain Against Cancer conference held in December 2015 to report its review on extending HPV vaccination to boys in 2016.

    Jane Ellison

    The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI) advice needs to be based on a robust cost-effectiveness analysis. This is underway and Public Health England is due to report by early 2017. The JCVI has agreed that shortcuts could undermine the validity of the results and will begin its deliberations on extending vaccination to adolescent boys once all the necessary evidence is available. It is important that we follow a proper process and that the JCVI has a full understanding of the cost-effectiveness of vaccination programmes.