The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Smeeth on 2016-04-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 April 2016 to Question 32350, how many compliance visits per employer that have taken place on Tier 2 ICT visa workers in the last 12 months.
James Brokenshire
In 2015 227 compliance visits were undertaken to Tier 2 sponsors who have the ability to sponsor individuals under the Tier 2 ICT route.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-05-23.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) number, (b) current responsibilities and (c) current locations are of the roles which National Savings and Investment plans to move to Chennai.
Harriett Baldwin
NS&I has no current plans to move roles it has in the UK to Chennai.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-07-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children in West Lancashire have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in each of the last five years.
David Mowat
This data is not collected centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy McDonald on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether bidders for the next West Midlands regional rail franchise will be able to remove seats from rolling stock in order to increase passenger carrying capacity; and if he will make a statement.
Paul Maynard
The Invitation to Tender for the West Midlands franchise allows bidders to propose alternative layouts which could include fewer seats and more standing space for services which operate on the ‘Cross-City’ line in Birmingham. This option is included in response to the West Midlands franchise consultation, where there was a particularly strong response from respondents that use this line about changing the current 3+2 seating arrangement to provide wider aisles and more spacious and comfortable standing areas. However, if bidders do propose changes to the seating layouts, they would need to meet certain criteria for this to be permissible.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Harris on 2015-11-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to encourage the take-up of liquid petroleum gas conversions by taxis and vans.
Andrew Jones
The Department for Transport (DfT), working with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, have evaluated a range of options for tackling poor air quality; this formed the basis of the Government’s draft air quality plans that recently went to public consultation. Switching to liquid petroleum gas (LPG) can provide air quality benefits but may not be easily deployed in all vehicle types.
As part of DfT’s 2014 Clean Vehicle Technology Fund (CVTF) grant scheme, Birmingham City Council were awarded £500,000 to enable the conversion of 80 older black cabs from diesel to LPG which will help improve air quality on some of the most polluted roads.
There may be the opportunity to support further conversions if government launches further retrofit programmes in future years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Warner on 2015-12-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the latest assessment available to the Department of Health or NHS England of the annual loss of bed days to the NHS owing to the inability to discharge people from acute hospitals who do not need clinically to be occupying a bed in those hospitals; what is the estimated cost of such occupancy; and what assessment has been made of the cost-effectiveness of the NHS purchasing accommodation directly in nursing or residential care homes for such patients when a local authority is unable to do so.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The latest figures show that between April and October 2015, there were 1,041,587 delayed transfer of care. The Department has made no formal estimate of the costs of delayed discharge to the National Health Service or of the cost-effectiveness of the NHS purchasing accommodation directly in nursing or residential care homes for such patients when a local authority is unable to do so.
It is recognised that such delayed discharges do use resource which could be deployed elsewhere, and all parts of the NHS and those with responsibility outside it, are continually looking for ways in which to reduce the number of delays.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-01-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department has taken to develop agriculture education links with countries that would benefit from UK expertise.
Mr Desmond Swayne
The Department for International Development has supported Partnership Projects covering agriculture and veterinary sciences, across 17 developing countries linking UK Universities and developing country institutions. We have funded research programmes for collaborative projects between UK researchers and partners in Africa and Asia at postgraduate level.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to data table BUS0842, published in Department for Transport Statistics, what guidance his Department gives to travel concession authorities for reporting purposes on the definition of commercial youth concessions.
Andrew Jones
The Department for Transport’s annual Concessionary Travel Survey asks the following question in relation to commercial concessions available to young people, of which there is specific guidance repeated below:
Question 19: Do the main bus operators in your authority / scheme offer commercial concessions to young people in 2015/16?
This question concerns commercial concessions only i.e. those controlled/managed/funded by a bus operator. We are aware that you may not know of all the youth schemes offered in your area, but any information you can supply here does offer us a useful starting point for gathering further information from operator websites.
If possible please specify the name of the operator, the age group (e.g. 16-18) covered, the fare charged (free, half, flat), time period (term-time only/all year, 8.30-10.30) and any other relevant information. You will have an opportunity in Q21 to tell us about any youth schemes that your Travel Concession Authority (TCA) controls/manages/funds.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-03-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what checks are in place to ensure that foreign-registered vehicles entering the UK are insured.
Andrew Jones
All drivers using roads in the UK have to be in possession of third party insurance covering the use of that vehicle in this country.
Under the sixth Motor Insurance Directive (2009/103/EC) an insurance policy issued in any EU Member State must cover the use of that vehicle for third party risks in all other EU Member States.
Drivers entering the EU from non-member states have to produce evidence that they have the necessary insurance cover in place when they enter the EU.
Checks on insurance by the police for any vehicle using UK roads can be carried out as they determine is necessary at any time.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2016-04-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government takes to provide drug harm reduction information for young people and parents.
Jane Ellison
FRANK provides impartial, reliable and confidential information and advice about drug use. Public Health England (PHE) updates FRANK to reflect new and emerging patterns of drug use and is currently considering how best to enhance the service to remain in line with young people’s media habits and strengthen situational advice to reduce risks to young people.
Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol education prevention and treatment services to young people and parents. PHE supports local authorities in this work by providing a range of supportive guidance and materials, as well as bespoke data, value for money tools, topical briefings, and advice on good practice.
PHE is supporting a range of prevention and information programmes for young people and parents, including jointly funding Mentor UK’s Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Information Service which is a web-based platform for sharing information and resources aimed at schools and practitioners working in drug and alcohol prevention.
PHE also provides Rise Above, an online social marketing programme that aims to reduce the uptake of risky behaviours, including drug taking, by young people aged 11-16. It aims to give them the skills required to make better decisions in ‘risky’ situations to delay and prevent them from engaging in exploratory behaviours.