Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of dental treatment available to armed forces personnel.

    Mark Lancaster

    Delivering high quality dental care is fundamental to the health and deployability of the Armed Forces. Examinations and treatment provided by Defence Primary Healthcare are delivered against detailed standards that differentiate military dentistry from other oral healthcare systems. All care is subject to a comprehensive assurance regime, externally validated by the Care Quality Commission, and a system exists to centrally capture patient complaints, suggestions and compliments, all pursuant to quality improvement.

    We are committed to improving dental care further. A Strategic Oral Health Needs Assessment has recently been undertaken that will lead to an improved distribution of dental clinical capacity. It will also act as the precursor to a revised Armed Forces’ Oral Health Strategy. Other improvements we are making include a three year pilot to assess how dental therapists can contribute to the oral health outcomes required by Defence.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-11-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department’s press release, Infrastructure at heart of Spending Review as Chancellor launches National Infrastructure Commission, published on 30 October 2015, what transport projects are included in the £100 billion infrastructure spending; and what the projected spend on those projects is in each year to 2020-21.

    Greg Hands

    The £100 billion of infrastructure spending includes publically-funded infrastructure projects and programmes in the National Infrastructure Pipeline. The Pipeline is a strategic view of economic infrastructure investment.

    Transport projects and programmes include:

    • Network Rail’s Control Period 5 (2014-2019), currently being re-planned by the Chairman, Sir Peter Hendy
    • Highway England’s Road Investment Strategy (2015-2020)
    • High Speed 2
    • Transport for London’s centrally-funded investment programme
    • Centrally-funded Local Authority transport projects

      Details of the projected annual spend to 2020-21 can be found in the most recent refresh of the Pipeline, published in July 2015.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Funeral Payment provision for funeral expenses.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Social Fund Funeral Payment scheme continues to provide valuable help towards the cost of a funeral for people in receipt of a qualifying benefit. My department continually reviews the scheme to improve and streamline it.

    Funeral Expenses Payments are made to all applicants who satisfy the eligibility criteria. Awards cover the full necessary costs involved with either burial or cremation and up to £700 for other funeral expenses. In 2014/15 over 32,000 awards were made to people in Great Britain. These payments were worth £44 million, with an average award of £1,375. The average award has increased by 27% since 2006.

    Social Fund Budgeting Loans are also available to help with funeral expenses for people who have been in receipt of a qualifying benefit for at least 26 weeks.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many complaints about practical driving tests heard by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (a) were made by (i) men and (ii) women and (b) were found (i) in favour of and (ii) against the complainant; and how many such complaints were subsequently taken to the Independent Complaints Assessor in each year since 2009-10.

    Andrew Jones

    The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) does not record information about the sex of any complainant. Nor does it retain information about complaints made before 2011-12 about practical driving tests or cases referred to the ICA. Information it does hold is as follows:

    2011-12 1,080 complaints received – 42 upheld, 938 not upheld, 100 no outcome recorded

    2012-13 1,108 complaints received – 40 upheld, 1002 not upheld, 66 no outcome recorded

    2013-14 1,260 complaints received – 37 upheld, 1013 not upheld, 210 no outcome recorded

    2014-15 1,401 complaints received – 27 upheld, 1158 not upheld, 216 no outcome recorded

    2015- 16 1,351 complaints received – 37 upheld, 1174 not upheld, 140 no outcome recorded

    Complaints referred to the ICA

    2011-12 – 3 cases

    2012-13 – 9 cases

    2013-14 – 10 cases

    2015-16 – 4 cases

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-01-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the lack of creative subjects in the Ebac on the creative sector of the economy.

    Nick Gibb

    This Government’s aim is to have at least 90% of pupils taking GCSEs from the English Baccalaureate subjects of English, maths, science, humanities and languages.

    These subjects are part of a broad and balanced curriculum. The EBacc has been designed to be limited in its size in order to provide a rigorous academic core whilst leaving space in the curriculum for pupils to study other subjects of their choice, including creative subjects. A good foundation in the EBacc subjects will help students keep their options open for work and further study.

    On 3 November 2015 the Secretary of State for Education launched a public consultation seeking views on the government’s proposals for the implementation of the English Baccalaureate[1]. The consultation closed on 29 January 2016 and the government response will be published in the spring.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/implementing-the-english-baccalaureate

    “

  • Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what direct funding has been provided to local authorities in Greater Manchester to manage the community impact of asylum placements in those areas.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government has a legal obligation to provide support to asylum applicants who would otherwise be destitute. Support is provided in form of subsistence allowance and accommodation. The Government provides funding for Strategic Migration Partnerships which act as a focal point for all local authorities in the relevant region to consider and resolve any issues relating to dispersals and migration. The funding for the North West Strategic Migration Partnership for 2015/16 was £139,216.

    The Government also provides additional funding to local authorities to support Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children, those leaving care and asylum seekers who are turning 18. The total funding for this population in 2014/5 financial year for Manchester City Council was £441,113.

  • 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 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost of constructing a river crossing at Ipswich; and whether he plans that that cost will be wholly funded by his Department.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Suffolk County Council estimates a total cost of £96.6 million for the construction of the Wet Dock project at Ipswich. The Government will provide £77.5 million for the scheme which represents 80% of the estimated scheme cost, with Suffolk County Council taking responsibility for meeting the remaining 20% and any increases in costs beyond that.

  • Oliver Heald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Oliver Heald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Heald on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to maintain the ability of London taxi drivers exclusively to ply for hire.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government is responsible for the legislative structure within which local licensing authorities deliver the licensing regime for taxis and private hire vehicles. Enforcement of the licensing regime, including ensuring that private hire vehicles do not illegally ply for hire, is therefore a matter for local licensing authorities and the police.

  • Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations in the recent report The Digital Powerhouse: The innovation potential of tech clusters in the North.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    We are considering these recommendations and will respond in due course.

  • Peter Bottomley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Peter Bottomley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Bottomley on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the patient said to have been discharged unsafely by Mr Agrawal, who the responsible consultant was; and on what grounds did East Lancashire Hospitals Trust believe that Mr Agrawal had discharged that patient when he had himself been excluded from the hospital in question.

    Mr Jeremy Hunt

    This is an employer and employee matter between the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and Mr Aditya Agrawal respectively. The Department cannot comment on individual employment matters that are the responsibility of independent organisations, and that are subject to ongoing legal proceedings or on matters relating to individual clinical cases or other personal information. We understand that the cost to East Lancashire Trust of legal proceedings concerning Mr Agrawal is £296,848.42 to date, and that the Trust does not have insurance costs for legal awards in the event of the Trust or one of its employees being subject to legal action for defamation.