Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2016 to Question 39260, what factors determine the target allocations for primary care funding.

    Alistair Burt

    The factors that determine the target allocations for primary care announced in January 2016 for 2016-17 to 2020-21 are: the total size and age-sex profile of each clinical commissioning group’s general practitioner (GP) practices’ registered lists; the number of new registrations; the Index of Multiple Deprivation decile of the GP practice’s registered list; an adjustment for differences in unavoidable costs of non-medical staff employed by GP practices; an adjustment for unmet need and health inequalities based on the standardised mortality ratio for those aged under 75 years; and the national budget available.

    NHS England recently published a technical guide to allocations which sets out all the individual factors used in determining the allocation levels. The guide is available here:

    https://www.england.nhs.uk/2016/04/allocations-tech-guide-16-17/#

  • Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times his Department has used the services of (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) KPMG and (e) other consulting firms in the last three financial years; and what (i) work was undertaken and (ii) the cost to the public purse was on each such occasion.

    David Mowat

    The breakdown for the last three financial years 2013-14 to 2015-16 for both the Department’s cost and how many times it has used the services of Deloitte, KPMG, Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers are all contained in the attached table.

    Spend for all four firms is taken from cash receipted amounts against purchase orders in line with Crown Commercial Services definitions and is not comparable with consultancy costs data published annually by the Department, where all now reported as resource (accruals) based.

    Any further information would incur disproportionate cost to provide.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has received on a US neo-Nazi music band entering the UK to perform concerts.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Home Office has received representations from the Scottish Government, two MPs and a petition organised by Hope Not Hate. We have also received correspondence from members of the public.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what additional funding his Department is making available to local authorities to support implementation of interventions to reduce excess winter deaths.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government has invested an extra £400 million nationally to support health and care services over the winter period. This money will enable the NHS and local authorities to support people through the winter period. By making the money available from the start of the financial year, we have created certainty, enabling the health and care system to prepare more effectively than in previous years.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the government of Romania on (a) Central Media Enterprise, (b) Adrian Sârbu and (c) Ronald Lauder.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Department has had no recent discussions on these specific issues with the government of Romania.

  • Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Wolverhampton South West of 28 October 2015 on the dispersal of refugees.

    James Brokenshire

    I replied to the member for Wolverhampton South West on 18 January 2016.

  • Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2016-02-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of how many fixed-term local authority tenancies will be granted annually.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The provisions in the Housing and Planning Bill will ensure that in future all local authority tenancies granted to new tenants will be on a fixed-term basis. Local authorities will have a limited discretion to offer further lifetime tenancies to existing tenants who seek to transfer to another social home.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he made prior to his announcement in the Autumn Statement 2015 of the effect on VAT receipts of changes to personal injury law and procedure; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    It is too early to say what the impact will be since there is still work in progress. The Government will consult on the detail of the new reforms in due course. The consultation will be accompanied by an impact assessment.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the conclusion of the report from the charity Sense, Making the case for play, published in February 2016, that a misguided interpretation and approach to health and safety is creating a barrier to accessing play settings and activities for children with multiple needs.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The government recognises that play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning, and the Early Years Foundation Stage is clear that “practitioners must consider the individual needs, interests, and stage of development of each child in their care… to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child in all of the areas of learning and development.” Health and safety should not create a barrier to accessing play activities for children with multiple needs.

    The staff working in early years settings as Early Years Educators (level 3) and Early Years Teachers (graduates) are required to have an understanding of different pedagogical approaches, including the role of play in supporting early learning and development. The criteria for the Early Years Educator and standards for Early Years Teacher Status qualifications are set by the department. However, it is the responsibility of early years settings to provide play opportunities for their children and pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

    Ofsted conducts a regular cycle of inspection to ensure that provision meets the required quality and safety standards and assesses the extent to which the learning and care provided by the setting meets the needs of the range of children who attend, including the needs of any children who have SEND.

    The Childcare Act 2016 expands the free childcare entitlement from 15 to 30 hours for three- and four-year-olds of working parents. As part of the Early Implementer Package announced on 2 February 2016, local authorities involved will be using the opportunity to test and showcase how childcare can be delivered in a way that improves access for children with SEND. The department also launched a consultation on 3 April 2016 seeking views on key elements of the operation and delivery of the 30 hours and we welcome views on provision for children with SEND. The consultation is available on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/30-hour-free-childcare-entitlement

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral evidence given by the Minister of State to the Transport Committee on 25 April 2016, what further testing or retesting his officials are carrying out; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    Our initial testing programme, launched in the wake of the VW emissions scandal, is now complete and the results were published on 21 April. The Department for Transport will be establishing a new unit focused on checking that vehicles meet type approval requirements. The unit will have a budget of £1 million a year and will involve the department’s agencies, the Vehicle Certification Agency and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. It will initially focus on emissions testing and enforcement. The unit will be operational later this year.