The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-02-09.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with which local authorities and combined authorities his Department is in discussions on retention of Stamp Duty income by local bodies.
Greg Hands
Proposals are developed by and belong to local areas, therefore publication of proposals is a matter for individual places. Agreed devolution deal documents are published on the gov.uk website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who had been classified as unfit to work because of a mental health problem were issued with a benefit sanction in each year since 2010.
Priti Patel
The information requested for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) sanctions is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Please note that the medical condition recorded on the claim form does not itself confer entitlement to ESA so, for example, a decision on entitlement for a customer claiming ESA on the basis of a mental health condition is based on the claimant’s ability to carry out the range of activities related to physical and mental function, assessed by the Work Capability Assessment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-04-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether a property management company will be created for land held as a result of the proposals to transfer land owned by local authorities to the Secretary of State as part of the policy of converting all schools to academies.
Edward Timpson
We have no plans to create a property management company to hold land transferred to the Secretary of State as a result of the proposals outlined in our White Paper for converting community schools. Our expectation is that any such land would be held by the Secretary of State to ensure the land is safeguarded for educational use.
We are separately developing proposals for a new body of property specialists to help meet our commitment to deliver 500 more free schools by 2020. Their focus will be on acquiring sites for free schools; rather than the management of existing school land. Finding sites quickly is often the biggest obstacle to opening new schools, and this proposal will help ensure we have the right people working for us to secure best value for the taxpayer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy McDonald on 2016-05-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he, Ministers or officials of his Department have had with Govia Thameslink Railway on indemnifying Govia Thameslink Railway from losses incurred as a result of industrial action; and what the dates and outcomes of those discussions were.
Claire Perry
The Franchise Agreement does not provide any indemnity to Govia Thameslink Railway for any such losses incurred as a result of Industrial Action, and no discussions have taken place.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Carmichael on 2016-07-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children with refugee status in the UK have been granted permission to sponsor family members to join them under the refugee family reunion rules in each of the last three years.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Under the Family Reunion Rules, children cannot sponsor family members. Any grant of leave in such cases would be on an exceptional basis outside the Immigration Rules. To obtain the information would involve examining individual case records and would incur a disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Lord on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of savings to businesses in (a) Woking constituency, (b) Surrey, (c) the South East and (d) the UK as a result of the Red Tape Challenge.
Margot James
The Red Tape Challenge programme ran until 2015. In the Statement of New Regulation published in December 2014, the previous Government identified over 3,000 regulations to scrap or improve, delivering estimated savings to UK businesses of over £850m per year as a result of the programme. Analysis of the impact of the deregulatory reforms on a geographical basis was not developed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much was spent on returning people from (a) other countries and (b) non-EU countries who were deemed homeless to their home countries in each year since 2010.
Mr Marcus Jones
The Department does not hold data centrally on the number of voluntary reconnections of non-UK rough sleepers. It is for local authorities to determine what homelessness services are required to best meet the needs of their local area. The Home Officeis responsible for administrative removal operations.
We expect people who come to this country to be able to support themselves, and if they cannot find work or accommodation then they should return home. For vulnerable individuals who are sleeping rough on the streets, there are locally funded reconnection services available to help them return to their home countries voluntarily and connect into support services there. In London, the Greater London Authority commission the London Reconnection Team, which is targeted at non-UK nationals with support needs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many full-time equivalent Environment Agency staff were employed on maintenance of flood defences on 1 April (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014 and (f) 2015.
Elizabeth Truss
The Government has committed to protect flood maintenance funding in real terms over the course of this Parliament.
The Environment Agency does not record the number of personnel working solely on maintaining flood defences, as the relevant staff undertake a number of activities, including both operating and maintaining defences. Maintenance may also be performed by third parties.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mc Nally on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to tackle part payment in the construction industry; and if he will make a statement.
Nick Boles
Late payment remains an important issue. The Government is taking significant steps to assist small businesses to recover late payment debts.
The Government promotes fair payment practices in construction through legislation (the “Construction Act”), the use of public procurement (promoting prompt payment to Tier 3 and the use of Project Bank Accounts), and by working with the industry through voluntary measures (such as the Prompt Payment Code and the Construction Leadership Council’s Payment Charter).
The Government has legislated for new transparency measures in the public and private sectors. This will allow full public scrutiny of payment performance.
The Payment Charter includes a commitment of zero retentions by 2025. To support this work, the Government recently announced a review of the practice of cash retentions under construction contracts in England.
Tackling late payment is about creating a responsible payment culture where larger companies recognise the benefit of having a sustainable and robust supply chain, and smaller businesses feel able to challenge poor behaviour.
The Government believes that taken together these measures will lead to significant changes in the UK’s payment culture.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Robinson on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential role of cranberries can play in reducing the frequency of prescribing antibiotics for simple infections such as urinary tract infections.
Jane Ellison
The research database, Cochrane, published a study in 2012 which assessed the effectiveness of cranberry products in preventing urinary tract infections in susceptible populations. Researchers found that there is no objective evidence for the benefit of cranberry juice in preventing urinary tract infections. Therefore the Department has not taken steps to promote the consumption of cranberry products.
The UK five year Antimicrobial Resistance strategy set out the need to stimulate the development of new antibiotics, rapid diagnostics and novel therapies. The DH commissioned the Wellcome Trust to undertake a review of alternative treatments in 2014. The review concluded that while many approaches have potential, there is a continued need for conventional antibiotics to treat the majority of infections for the foreseeable future.
A paper, summarising the review “alternatives to antibiotics – a pipeline portfolio review” was published in the Lancet in January 2016. This is available at the following link:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(15)00466-1