The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-03-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the UK contributes towards the subsidisation of sugar production.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Sugar production is not directly subsidised in the UK. However, sugar beet growers in the UK are entitled to make a claim for support under the Basic Payment Scheme of the Common Agricultural Policy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-04-28.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 33531 and of 14 April 2016 to Question 33450, what further government activities are planned to promote the Government’s position on the EU Referendum prior to 23 June 2016.
John Penrose
The Government will comply fully with the statutory restrictions that will be in place from 27 May. The Government will continue to set out its position that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Young of Hornsey on 2016-06-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the impact the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) will have on care leavers’ full access to their care records.
Lord Nash
The Government is currently assessing the full impact that the General Data Protection Regulation will have on individual areas of data processing. Certain provisions of the Regulation will have direct effect in UK law, including a continuing right of access for data subjects to their personal data and other information. In certain areas, the regulation leaves the option for domestic legislation to restrict rights that arise under it in certain circumstances (article 23).
The Regulation will apply from 25 May 2018. Before then, the Department for Education will assess whether the current statutory guidance covering care leavers’ access to their case records needs to be revised.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making compulsory the accessibility standards outlined in the National Planning Policy Framework.
Gavin Barwell
National planning policy is clear that in developing their local plans, planning authorities should consider the needs of a wide range of households, including older and disabled households.
The role of higher accessibility standards for new housing was considered during the Housing Standards Review undertaken by the Coalition Government. As a result, Optional Requirements for higher levels of accessibility were introduced into the Building Regulations and came into force on 1 October 2015. It was decided at that time that the application of these standards should remain a matter for Local Planning Authorities taking into account local needs and viability.
Details of relevant consultations and impact assessments can be found at the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2010-to-2015-government-policy-building-regulation/2010-to-2015-government-policy-building-regulation#appendix-5-technical-housing-standards-review
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions his Department has had with Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd.
Mike Penning
Ministry of Defence officials have met Ms Meredith and other solicitors from her company from time to time to discuss a variety of legal and other issues of mutual concern, most recently on 13 October 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-05.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which regulations his Department introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations his Department expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.
Mr David Gauke
I refer the hon Member to the answer given by Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) (Business and Enterprise) the rt hon Anna Soubry on 11 November 2015
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Weir on 2015-12-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on travellers with bookings to (a) Sharm el Sheikh and (b) other destinations in the Middle East of the period within which the right to penalty-free cancellation can be ascertained being within 14 days of travel.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
On 4 November 2015, we amended our Travel Advice to advise against all but essential travel by air to Sharm el-Sheikh. We have not changed our Travel Advice for the resort itself.
The FCO Travel Advice, available at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, provides objective information and advice to help individuals make better-informed decisions about their travel. The Egypt page has been regularly updated to reflect developing events since the crash of the Russian airliner on 31 October. We regularly review our Travel Advice and all changes are made after careful analysis. Our only consideration is the safety of British Nationals.
The FCO is working with DfT and Egyptian counterparts to put in place permanent and sustainable measures to allow British flights to Sharm el-Sheikh to resume as soon as possible.
Refunds and cancellation penalties are a matter for the airlines. We are liaising closely with airlines to share information about the progress of our discussions with Egypt.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-01-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if the Government will issue issuing an apology to the indigenous people of Australia for British nuclear tests carried out on their land in the 1950s and 1960s.
Mark Lancaster
In 1968, Australia signed an agreement with the UK confirming that the clean-up of all test sites had been completed satisfactorily. As announced to the House on 10 December 1993,(Official Report, column 421), the Government agreed to make an ex gratia payment of £20 million to the Federal Government of Australia as a contribution to the cost of the further clean-up of the Maralinga site. A copy of the note giving effect to this agreement was placed in the Library of the House. The note also records that the Government of Australia indemnified the Government of the UK against claims from Australian nationals or residents. The Government now regards the matter as closed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harrison on 2016-02-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether an impact assessment was carried out regarding removing bursaries for students of podiatry; and if so, with what result.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The Department will run a consultation on how the funding reforms for nursing, midwifery and allied health education can be most successfully implemented. We currently expect to consult during March 2016. As part of this, an economic impact assessment and equality impact assessment will be published.
Health Education England (HEE) will continue to have a key leading role in the commissioning of nursing, midwifery and allied health courses. It will continue to provide sufficient clinical placement funding for those places needed to meet the workforce planning needs of the National Health Service.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2016-02-29.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they maintain statistics relating to (1) autism referrals, (2) initial assessments of autism, and (3) diagnosis of autism; and if so, how many of each there were during each of the past five years.
Lord Prior of Brampton
No formal statistics are collected of autism referrals, initial assessments or diagnoses. The Department does however commission Public Health England each year to carry out a self-assessment exercise with local authority areas on progress they are making in implementing the Autism Strategy for Adults in England. Local authorities work with their local partners including clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to informally answer a range of questions.
In the exercise based on 2013 data, all 152 local authority areas replied but some did not answer all the questions. Areas were asked how many adults have completed the diagnostic pathway in the preceding year and 111 reported a total of 4,677. They were also asked the length of the average wait for referral to diagnostic services and 117 answered this question. The average of these figures, weighted for the population in the responding areas, was 27.9 weeks.
The exercise based on 2014 data saw 149 areas respond. They were asked how many adults had received a diagnosis of an autistic spectrum condition in the preceding year and 128 reported a total of 5,109. Areas were also asked the length of the average wait between referral and assessment for all adults and 135 answered this question. The average of these figures, similarly weighted, was 19.6 weeks. Information on the waiting time between autism referrals and initial assessments, and between initial assessments and diagnosis, was not collected during these exercises. The next exercise will be launched later in the spring.
The number of children and young people diagnosed with autism by the National Health Service is not collected centrally. Latest figures from the School Census (2015) state that there were 90,775 pupils with an autistic spectrum condition at state funded schools and non-maintained special schools in England. This has increased from a total of 56,250 in 2010 who were recorded as having a primary need of autism, but it is not directly comparable to the 2015 figures because of a change in collection methodology.
New statutory guidance was issued in England in March 2015 to support implementation of the Adult Autism Strategy. This set out what people seeking an autism diagnosis can expect from local authorities and NHS bodies. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published three clinical guidelines on autism and a quality standard to assist health managers and practitioners in developing services. This includes a recommendation that an assessment is started within three months of the referral. NHS England has commenced a programme to visit CCGs to identify and share good practice in accessing autism diagnosis, and look at possible barriers. NHS England will complete a report on this by the end of April 2016.