The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people (a) under and (b) over 18 received support from child and adolescent mental health services in each of the last three years.
Alistair Burt
We do not hold this information centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Buck on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Child Maintenance Service (CMS) cases groups paying (a) by direct pay and (b) via the CMS collection service have a payment schedule which contains an amount in respect of Child Support Agency child maintenance arrears in addition to their current liability.
Priti Patel
Information on payment schedules is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-03-24.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to consult with people in Cumbernauld on the proposed closure of HM Revenue and Customs Cumbernauld office.
Mr David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) plans to create two new Regional Centres in Scotland, in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2019-20, accommodating between 5,700 and 6,300 employees. HMRC’s new Regional Centres will give its staff all they need including a modern office environment, close to good travel and transport links. They will provide stable, high quality jobs and offer a wide range of opportunities for training and promotion and allow its staff to follow more varied career paths than have previously been possible.
HMRC will help all its staff work through their options. It will give everyone the opportunity to discuss their personal circumstances with their manager ahead of any office closures or moves, so they know about any issues that need to be taken into account when making decisions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance he plans to give to clinical commissioning groups on encouraging their move towards full implementation of NICE guidelines on fertility treatment.
Jane Ellison
The level of provision of infertility treatment, as for all health services they commission, is decided by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and will take into account the needs of the population overall. The CCG’s decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. As such, provision of services will vary in response to local needs.
CCGs have a legal duty to have regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. As such, NHS England expects that all those involved in commissioning infertility treatment services to be fully aware of the importance of having regard to the NICE fertility guidelines.
Following a meeting with Fertility Fairness in December 2015, officials from the Department and NHS England are considering options for addressing variation in the prices that CCGs are currently paying for in vitro fertilisation treatment.
Information about the costs of individual treatments is not collected centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-06-09.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to require regular audits of the accuracy of records held by credit ratings agencies on UK nationals’ credit history; and if he will make a statement.
Harriett Baldwin
When consumer credit regulation transferred from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on 1 April 2014, the Government decided that, given their central role in helping to inform responsible lending decisions, CRAs should be directly regulated by the FCA. As such, every credit reference agency’s fitness to trade is being assessed as part of the FCA’s robust authorisation process
Information on a credit report should be purely factual; for example, if arrears were incurred, those lenders who share data through the credit reference agencies will have recorded them.
A credit reference agency is able to correct factually inaccurate information. However, it is the original lender or organisation that supplies credit to a consumer that provides the agencies with the information held on a credit report. Where inaccurate information has been reported to a credit reference agency, a consumer must contact the lender in the first instance.
If a problem with inaccurate data is not resolved satisfactorily with a lender, consumers are able to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which is able to investigate and take action where necessary. The ICO is the UK’s independent body set up to uphold information rights, and it enforces the Data Protection Act.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 8 of the Government’s report entitled, Childhood Obesity: a Plan for Action, published in August 2016, how much the Government has invested in (a) walking to school and (b) cycling to school in each year since 2010.
Andrew Jones
The table attached shows investment in walking and cycling to school programmes in each year since 2010:
In 2010/11 Bikeability was one of a portfolio of programmes delivered by Cycling England, which received £63m government funding in 2010/11.
Between 2011/12 and 2015/16, the Local Sustainable Transport Fund was open to local authorities to bid for funding for projects to address local transport problems. For some areas, this included support for walking and cycling to school projects. The Department does not hold information on precise funding allocated to these projects.
Similarly, the Department has made £20.6m revenue funding available in 2016/17 through the Sustainable Transport Transition Year Fund, which is eligible for local authorities to bid for projects which support walking and cycling to school.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2016-10-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to sick pay and state benefits for women who suffer from severe endometriosis.
Penny Mordaunt
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) provides a measure of earnings replacement for employees unable to work because of short-term sickness if they satisfy the qualifying conditions, which are not related to specific medical conditions.
Those who are not entitled to SSP or are still unwell at the end of the maximum payment period (28 weeks) may, provided they satisfy the conditions of entitlement, be entitled to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
As two people with the same condition can be affected in different ways, there is no condition-based entitlement to ESA. The Work Capability Assessment recognises that conditions can vary in their severity and therefore people with the same condition could be placed in the Work Related Activity Group, the Support Group or found fit for work.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-11-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what process they are using to assess which parts of Network Rail and London and Continental Railways’ land estate are suitable for disposal, and what conditions will be set to ensure that noise and vibration issues are minimised.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Summer Budget stated “the government will introduce a new approach to station redevelopment and commercial land sales on the rail network, building on the experience of regenerating land around Kings Cross Station and Stratford in East London – the government will establish a dedicated body to focus on pursuing opportunities to realise value from public land and property assets in the rail network to both maximise the benefit to local communities and reduce the burden of public debt”. Discussions are taking place to develop an approach that maximises value for the taxpayer and supports the safe and efficient operation of the rail network.
The disposal of Network Rail’s assets must be in accordance with its network licence, which is regulated by the Office of Rail and Road. London and Continental Railways’ asset disposals are approved by the company’s board and the Department for Transport.
Sale contracts for land will not impose conditions on the seller in relation to noise and vibration. Proximity to the railway and related issues such as noise and vibration are generally considered as part of the planning process, which is regulated by the relevant planning authority in accordance with environmental legislation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2015-11-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are currently in receipt of disability benefits in (a) Burnley, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West.
Justin Tomlinson
The available information for Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance, by age and a range of geographical breakdowns, is available using the Department’s Tabulation Tool: http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/.
Similar information for Personal Independence Payment and Employment Support Allowance is available using Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/.
Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore is available here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-01-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many press and public relations staff are employed by his Department; how many of those employees are paid more than (a) £50,000 and (b) £100,000; and what the total expenditure was on press and public relations by his Department in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Justin Tomlinson
As of January 2016 there are 34 members of staff in the Press Office, this includes 11 members of the digital team. Seven are paid more than £50,000, and none are paid more than £100,000. In 2014/15 total Press Office staff costs were £1,316,780.