The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have been employed in Dundee by the Government and its agencies in each year since 1990.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what early intervention and education support is available for children who are on the autism spectrum to prevent them developing mental health difficulties later in their school career.
Edward Timpson
Our reformed system for meeting the needs of children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Disabilities is designed to ensure that their needs are identified at an early stage, that the right support is in place, and that problems do not escalate.
All early years providers are required to have arrangements in place to identify and support children with SEN or disabilities and to promote equality of opportunity for children in their care. All schools should have a clear approach to identifying and responding to SEN and must use their best endeavours to ensure that children with SEN, including those with autism, get the support they need.
As part of their Initial Teacher Training, all teachers are expected to learn to identify and address various types of SEN, including autism. The Government is also funding the Autism Education Trust in 2015-16, providing £650,000 to provide tiered training at universal, enhanced and specialist levels for early years, school and post-16 staff to help them understand how best to recognise and support children and young people with autism.
The Department does not hold data on the numbers of autistic children who are home educated nor the numbers of children who are not in school. The Alternative Provision Census does collect data about children who are not in school or in a pupil referral unit. However, it covers as a single ‘Not in School’ category only those who are educated otherwise than at school under arrangements made and funded by local authorities. The information does not reflect types of special educational need.
The data may be available from Plymouth City Council, since it has a duty under Section 22 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to carry out its functions with a view to identifying all the children and young people in its area who have or may have special educational needs or a disability, and also a duty to provide children of compulsory school age with an education.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what safeguards his Department plans to put in place to ensure that people who leave their council homes as a result of the proposed pay to stay scheme are able to afford private rented property in the same area.
Brandon Lewis
It is only fair that social tenants who can pay more should pay more. There are more than 40,000 tenants in social housing who benefit from subsidised rents but where the annual household income is over £50,000. We have however consulted on a proposal for a taper to ensure that work incentives are protected. If adopted, this would mean that households towards the lower end of the proposed income thresholds would see a low rise in their rent below market rental values in areas where market rent is higher than social rent. Of course, if tenants on incomes well above the proposed threshold wish to take up a rental opportunity in the private sector then this should be encouraged to free up social housing for those most in need.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Hollinrake on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress her Department has made on bringing about an EU suspension of the Minimum Import Price of solar Chinese solar modules pending the European Commission review of EU trade measures on Chinese solar manufacturea.
Andrea Leadsom
The EU launched an Expiry Review in December 2015 into the Minimum Import Price on solar panels entering the EU from China. We expect the investigation is expected to run until at least December 2016.
My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change wrote to Commissioner Malmström in November 2015 to argue that the wider costs of the Minimum Import Price should be fully taken into account in the Expiry Review of the anti-dumping measures, given the benefits to the UK and EU of lower solar panel prices.
The Government will continue to engage with the Commission and do whatever we can to promote UK interests.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-04-08.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to produce an online tool to allow parents to compare the benefits of tax-free childcare with other childcare support schemes.
Damian Hinds
The Government will publicise the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme in good time ahead of its introduction through a range of digital and print channels. HMRC will also work with the childcare industry and representative groups who interact regularly with parents to raise awareness of the scheme.
HM Revenue and Customs is developing an online childcare calculator to help parents understand their eligibility for government childcare support. From early 2017, parents of the youngest children will be able to enter the scheme first, with all eligible parents brought in by the end of 2017. Parents will not be able to open childcare accounts prior to the launch of the scheme.
TFC will be straightforward and quick to apply online for the vast majority of parents. We estimate that up to 9% of the families eligible for the scheme of that population may have issues with either accessing or using the internet. HM Revenue and Customs will ensure that assistance is provided, usually by telephone, so these families do not miss out on the support available.
Tax-Free Childcare is part of the wider government childcare offer which will be worth over £6Bn per annum and together provide generous support to families on all levels of income.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-05-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2016 to Question 35252, what the total amount paid to off-payroll staff was by (a) NHS trusts in 2014-15 and (b) NHS foundation trusts in 2013-14.
Alistair Burt
This information is not held centrally. Amounts paid to Board members engaged off-payroll are disclosed in individual annual reports of National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts but amounts paid to other off-payroll workers within the scope of the HM Treasury guidance cannot be separately identified.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-06-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the annual cost to NHS services is of purchasing products used in the management of continence care.
George Freeman
National Health Service trusts are responsible for managing procurement of goods or products on an individual basis. Records associated with spend collectively across the NHS are not held centrally by the Department.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with NHS Improvement on Katrina Percy since 7 June 2016.
Mr Jeremy Hunt
NHS Improvement (NHSI) regularly updates me on the performance of both the organisations for which it has responsibility and those which it regulates using agreed frameworks. I meet regularly with the Chief Executive of NHSI as well as with a number of the organisation’s other senior leaders. Our discussions cover a number of issues falling under NHSI’s remit, including, where appropriate, the senior personnel in organisations for which it is responsible.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce the rates of premature mortality as a result of (a) suicide and (b) epilepsy experienced by people with autism.
David Mowat
NHS England is due to publish data from the Clinical Commissioning Group Improvement and Assessment Framework. These data, include indicators on mental health and learning disabilities that relate to the objectives set out in the mandate to NHS England. My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health will publish his Annual Assessment of NHS England, including progress against the mandate objectives, at the end of this financial year. The 2017-18 mandate to NHS England, including agreed future objectives for NHS England, will be published in due course.
The ‘Think Autism’ Adult Autism Strategy for England set out a clear, cross-Government programme of action, developed with people with autism to improve lives, reduce premature mortality and reduce the health gap for people with autism. This would be achieved through better access to healthcare for people with autism and by making improvements to services. In January 2016, a cross-Government Report on progress on implementation of the Think Autism Strategy was published which set out new recommendations for going forward.
The Department is represented on the Study Steering Committee for the SHAPE (Supporting adults with High-functioning Autism and Asperger syndrome) project. This is a national study led by the Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York. Stage 1 of the project aims to describe and map provision of autism services in England which fulfil the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s description of a Specialist Autism Team. A report will be published shortly including information about the service models and care pathways which different localities have implemented.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-11-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which Diwali celebrations he, his predecessor or Ministers in his Department attended in 2014 and 2015.
Mr Marcus Jones
DCLG Ministers attended the following Diwali functions:
2014:
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for British Hindus at the House of Commons (15 October 2014) – Rt. Hon. Eric Pickles MP
Deputy Prime Minister’s Diwali function at Admiralty House (22 October 2014) – Stephen Williams MP
Conservative Party event to celebrate Diwali at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (27 October 2014) – Rt. Hon. Eric Pickles MP
2015:
Prime Minister’s Diwali reception at No10 Downing Street (10 November 2015) – Rt. Hon. Greg Clark MP and Baroness Williams of Trafford