Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much of his Department’s budget has been allocated to addressing overcrowding in housing in each of the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Government believes that increasing supply of housing is the best way to tackle overcrowding.

    Last year, net additions to supply of housing increased by 25% on the previous year, the highest increase for 28 years.

    In the recent Spending Review, and in the Prime Minister’s announcement of 4 January this year, we have announced the biggest affordable housing programme since the 1970’s, aimed at bringing land into the system, increasing rates of build out, increasing opportunities for home ownership, and delivering a step change in housing supply.

    We have also provided £6.7 million to a number of local authorities to help them tackle acute and complex problems associated with rogue landlords, many of whom rent out overcrowded properties.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many clinical commissioning groups and local authorities are jointly commissioning children’s palliative care.

    Ben Gummer

    Clinical commissioning groups have responsibility for ensuring that they are meeting the needs of those requiring children’s palliative care services. We do not collect information on how clinical commissioning groups commission children’s palliative care.

  • Brendan O’Hara – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Brendan O’Hara – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brendan O’Hara on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how soon after publication of the requirements for the second round of consideration of locations for a UK spaceport the Government expects to be able to announce the selected location.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The 2014 Government Spaceplane Review provided the groundwork for enabling spaceplane operations from the UK, including identifying key criteria for locating a UK spaceport, and identifying potential locations based on these. The Government tested the conclusions of this review through consultation and published its response in March 2015. This confirmed Campbeltown, Glasgow Prestwick and Stornoway in Scotland, Llanbedr Airfield in Wales and Newquay in England as potential spaceport locations.

    Further information on the Spaceplane review and the Government consultation can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/spaceport-locations-and-criteria

    Commercial spaceflight is a complex, international, and evolving market. The Government is considering a range of options on next steps that would best deliver our ambition of a spaceport, and the supporting regulatory environment for spaceflight, within this Parliament.

    The Government is in discussion with the US Government on ITAR-related issues. However, ITAR applications are not a factor at this stage for potential spaceport locations but may become so if a US spaceplane operator seeks to operate from the UK.

  • Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-03-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to consult with local businesses in Cumbernauld on the proposed closure of HM Revenue and Customs Cumbernauld office.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) plans to create two new Regional Centres in Scotland, in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2019-20, accommodating between 5,700 and 6,300 employees. HMRC’s new Regional Centres will give its staff all they need including a modern office environment, close to good travel and transport links. They will provide stable, high quality jobs and offer a wide range of opportunities for training and promotion and allow its staff to follow more varied career paths than have previously been possible.

    HMRC will help all its staff work through their options. It will give everyone the opportunity to discuss their personal circumstances with their manager ahead of any office closures or moves, so they know about any issues that need to be taken into account when making decisions.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to include in the Government’s public health and obesity strategies the recent proposal from the Local Government Association, announced in its press release, Restaurants should offer tap water to help fight child obesity, of 23 April 2016, on the free and proactive provision of tap water by restaurants.

    Jane Ellison

    Our Childhood Obesity Strategy, which will be launched in the summer, will look at everything that contributes to a child becoming overweight and obese. It will set out what more can be done by all.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2016 to Question 39272, what proportion of the cohort of Civil Service Fast Streamers who joined in April 2013 have already undertaken a regional placement.

    Matthew Hancock

    The 2013 cohort for the Fast Stream joined over the course of 6 months between May and October with a final single joiner in December. At April 2016 there were 185 fast streamers on the first cohort of the Corporate Fast Stream Programme, 120 (65% of total) have completed a posting outside of London ‎to date. The Corporate Fast Stream programme lasts 4 years so full data for this cohort will not be available until the end of 2017 when all participants have completed the programme.

    The Fast Stream aspiration is to have 100% of corporately managed Fast Streamers experience at least one posting outside of London during the 4 year scheme.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will assess the merits of establishing a working group on future planning of Crossrail 2 which includes representatives from Transport for London and affected local authorities.

    Paul Maynard

    The government is working jointly with Transport for London (TfL) on Crossrail 2 development. TfL meets regularly with a range of senior stakeholders including local authorities to feed their views into the development of the scheme, and has structures and processes in place to continue this good engagement.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will assess whether (a) Govia Thameslink Railway and (b) his Department have met their public sector equality duty in relation to the extension of Driver Only Operation.

    Paul Maynard

    The Government is determined for everyone to have the same access to public transport and all train companies must comply with their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and their Disabled People’s Protection Policy (which is a Passenger Operator Licence Condition) in respect of all aspects of their operation, including where Driver Only Operation is in effect. The Disabled People’s Protection Policy is approved and monitored by the ORR.

  • Natalie McGarry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Natalie McGarry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Natalie McGarry on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what plans she has to improve the representation of women among (a) hon. Members and (b) local councillors.

    Caroline Dinenage

    This is the most gender diverseParliamentin British history – we now have more female MPs than ever before and one third of those attending cabinet are women. However, we know there is more that can be done to increase women’s political representation. Getting more women into public life is vital to effectively represent and govern our country.

    The Equality Act 2010 enables political parties to use positive action, should they wish, to increase participation by under-represented groups.

    We also know that women are under-represented on local councils, making up only 31.7% of members. This is why schemes such as the ‘Be a Councillor Campaign’ run by the Local Government Association to encourage new candidates from all walks of life to come forward and represent their local community, are so important.

  • Lord Sharkey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Sharkey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Sharkey on 2015-12-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for the poor performance of Isle of Wight secondary schools, and in particular the level of fixed-term exclusions, as reported in the latest Ofsted Annual Report; and what measures are being taken to increase the rate of improvement in those schools.

    Lord Nash

    Secondary schools on the Isle of Wight face a range of complex and longstanding challenges similar to those faced by schools in other coastal areas. For example, they face difficulties in recruiting high quality teachers, particularly at senior levels. Inadequate school improvement support provided by the local authority in the past compounded further the difficulties faced by schools on the island.

    The Department for Education’s latest data (2013/14) shows that the main specific reasons for fixed term exclusions in secondary schools on the Isle of Wight are: persistent disruptive behaviour; verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against an adult; and physical assault against a pupil.

    This government has acted decisively to improve educational performance on the island. In July 2013 the Department for Education directed the Isle of Wight Council to enter into a five year strategic partnership with Hampshire County Council which has a sound track record of educational performance. Under this arrangement the proportion of pupils achieving five A*-C GCSEs including English and mathematics has increased at two maintained secondary schools since 2014.

    To help bring talented new teachers onto the island, Teach First has commenced a pilot in three secondary schools on the Isle of Wight which they intend to expand next year.

    The Regional Schools Commissioner for the South East and South London is working to support and challenge the island’s academies and academy sponsors, particularly the Academies Enterprise Trust, to ensure improvements in their performance continue, and that recent changes in school leadership lead to sustained progress.

    Fixed-term exclusions in Isle of Wight secondary schools have fallen faster than the national average, from 1,136 (14.1% of the school population) in 2012/13 to 898 (11.8%of the school population) in 2013/14.