Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures are being taken to ensure that (a) the outcomes of NHS England’s proposals for a new Cancer Drugs Fund are aligned with the Accelerated Access Review (AAR), (b) the consultation outcomes are compatible with any forthcoming AAR recommendations relating to reform of NICE and (c) those programmes deliver consistent guidance on the medicines appraisal process; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence are working together to develop future arrangements for the Cancer Drugs Fund, while the Accelerated Access Review (AAR) is being independently led by Sir Hugh Taylor with Office for Life Sciences’ support. The review’s final report is due to be published in the spring.

    Active steps are being taken to ensure that the future arrangements for the Fund and the final recommendations from the AAR are aligned.

  • William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of immigrants from other EU and EEA member states who will (a) enter and (b) settle in the UK in each of the next five years.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assurances he has received from Vauxhall that all owners of Zafira B models were informed about the changes to the vehicle safety recall relating to those cars.

    Andrew Jones

    To address the latest reported fires, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency told Vauxhall that a secondary safety recall (R/2016/104) was needed on Vauxhall Zafira B models equipped with manual control heating and ventilation systems. Under the requirements of the Code of Practice on vehicle safety defects and the General Product Safety Regulations, manufacturers are required to inform owners/keepers of vehicles that are affected by a vehicle safety recall of the risk and what action they are conducting to address the issue.

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage professionals from the private sector to train as teachers.

    Nick Gibb

    Professionals are an important source of new teachers and bring relevant knowledge and skills from their previous employment. In 2015/16, 45% of new entrants to initial teacher training (ITT) courses were aged 25 or over. To attract more potential career changers, our marketing campaign, Your Future | Their Future, uses a range of media including television advertising, national newspaper advertising and targeted digital and print communications.

    We provide support specifically for career changers to make the transition to teaching, especially in the subjects where they are needed most, including:

    • The School Direct (salaried) route which is specifically targeted at career changers with three years’ work experience and allows them to earn a salary whilst they train to teach. We provide grant funding to schools to subsidise the costs of salary and training for trainees on this route.

    • Our new flexible routes pilot from September 2016, which will allow career changers to train as maths and physics teachers. The pilot, which is delivered by 18 School Direct lead schools, will test whether schools can attract more career changers by offering flexible training routes which meet the needs of different individuals.

    In addition, career changers can access extensive support that is available for all ITT candidates. This includes bursaries or scholarships of up to £30,000 tax-free; advice and guidance from the expert advisers on the Get Into Teaching Line; help with arranging school experience to assist with their ITT application; and access to our free Train to Teach events.

    Those who wish to teach secondary biology, geography, mathematics, physics, chemistry, languages or computing are also eligible for our enhanced Premier Plus service. This includes tailored advice from a dedicated adviser, including the practicalities that often affect career changers, such as childcare funding. Applicants who wish to teach these subjects can also access funded Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses, through which they can boost or refresh their subject knowledge.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what loans have been issued for what purposes to Business Improvement Districts in each (a) region of the UK and (b) local authority area in each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Percy

    The Government is committed to Business Improvement Districts and the impact they have on their local areas.

    We are keen to see the setting up of more Business Improvement Districts and we recognise that their development requires up front expenditure. In October 2013 we launched a £500,000 recyclable loan fund and have supported 20 areas with loans totalling £658,555. In the last two years the following loans have been issued to areas requesting support in setting up a Business Improvement District:

    Area

    Amount

    Region

    Local Authority

    Cheltenham

    £35,000

    South West

    Cheltenham Borough Council

    Eastbourne

    £41,000

    South East

    Eastbourne Borough Council

    Hastings

    £31,400

    South East

    Hastings Borough Council

    Hexham

    £40,000

    North East

    Northumberland County Council

    Leicester

    £50,000

    East Midlands

    Leicester City Cuncil

    Lichfield

    £20,000

    West Midlands

    Lichfield District Council

    Milton Keynes

    £35,000

    South East

    Milton Keynes Council

    Oxted

    £30,000

    South East

    Tandridge District Council

    Poole

    £42,000

    South West

    Poole Borough Council

    Purley

    £10,000

    Greater London

    London Borough of Croydon

    Runcorn

    £27,000

    North West

    Halton Borough Council

    Watford

    £49,822

    East of England

    Hertfordshire Borough Council

    York

    £30,000

    Yorkshire and Humber

    York City Council
  • The Countess of Mar – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The Countess of Mar – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Countess of Mar on 2015-11-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 23 July (HL1538), whether workplace exposure limits apply legally to passengers as well as crew; and what evidence they have that damage to a foetus cannot occur from a single exposure at those limits.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Air passengers, and by extrapolation an unborn child, are within the scope of workplace exposure limits, which take into account susceptible groups and therefore would protect pregnant women.

    No specific evidence was collected during the studies regarding damage occurring to a foetus from a single exposure at workplace exposure limits.

  • Yvonne Fovargue – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Yvonne Fovargue – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yvonne Fovargue on 2015-11-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many rent-to-own firms have applied to the Financial Conduct Authority for authorisation; and how many such firms have been so authorised.

    Harriett Baldwin

    This question has been passed on to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA will reply to directly to the Honourable member by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) requests were made for and (b) individuals passed Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) adult first checks in each year since 2012; what the average time taken was for that check to be carried out; and how many of those passed subsequently failed their DBS check, and were therefore not issued with a DBS certificate.

    Karen Bradley

    The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Adult First is a service provided by the Disclosure and Barring Service that can be used in cases where, exceptionally, and in accordance with the terms of Department of Health guidance, a person is permitted to start work with adults before a DBS Certificate has been obtained.

    An individual neither passes nor fails an Adult First check and a certificate is not withheld if a person is on the Adults barred list. If a person is on the list, that fact will be disclosed on the completed DBS certificate.

    There are two outcomes to an Adult First check and the Registered Body is either advised that no match exists for this person on the current Adults barred list, or they must wait for the full disclosure as a match against the Adults barred list cannot be ruled out at this stage. Further investigation is then carried out through the normal disclosure checking process and if a match against the Adults barred list is confirmed, it will be disclosed on the certificate.

    The table below shows the number of requests that were made for DBS Adult First checks, the average time taken to complete Adult First checks and the number of times the Registered Body received a ‘wait for the full disclosure’ or ‘no match found’ response between December 2012 and November 2015.

    Period

    Number of Adult First Requests

    Average Number of Days to Conduct Adult First Check

    Number of “No Match Found” responses

    Number of “wait for full Disclosure” responses

    Dec-12 to Mar-13

    50,175

    1.07

    39,200

    10,975

    Apr-13 to Mar-14

    166,287

    1.08

    130,333

    35,954

    Apr-14 to Mar-15

    173,503

    1.19

    135,792

    37,711

    Apr-15 to Nov-15

    116,602

    1.06

    91,782

    24,820
  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-01-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to put in place a five per cent rate of VAT to golf participants at proprietary golf facilities.

    Mr David Gauke

    Fees paid for participation in golf at proprietary facilities are subject to the standard rate of VAT.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the agreement reached at the February European Council is not amended by the European Parliament after the date of the EU referendum.

    Mr David Lidington

    The central element of the agreement is an International Law Decision agreed by the Heads of State or Government of the Member States of the EU and is a binding international treaty. The European Commission has committed to bring forward new legislation where it is needed to implement the UK’s new settlement. These European Commission proposals will be subject to the normal legislative procedures set out in the Treaties. The President and representatives of the major political groups in the European Parliament were consulted on the UK’s new settlement and both Ministers and officials plan furhter contact with MEPs.