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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Blencathra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Blencathra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2015-10-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received from Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace since 1995 in relation to the promotion of diesel engine cars.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    There have been numerous contacts between government departments and both Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth since 1995. The information on representations made is not readily available and it would be disproportionate to fully retrieve it.

    I can however confirm that in the last month representations to more than one government department have been made by the organisations raising concerns regarding the possible promotion of diesel engine cars.

  • Liz Saville Roberts – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Liz Saville Roberts – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Saville Roberts on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department will make available the first draft of the Cabinet Office’s Welsh Language Scheme as required by the Welsh Language Act 1993.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Welsh Language Act does not require government departments to prepare Welsh Language Schemes.

    The Government Digital Service works closely with the Wales Office to ensure that that the Welsh language content on GOV.UK is underpinned by high quality user research that provides a simpler, clearer and faster service for users. It also gives government departments and other organisations which publish material on GOV.UK the ability to publish Welsh-language content in line with the requirements of their individual Welsh Language Schemes.

  • Stephen Hammond – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Hammond – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hammond on 2015-10-20.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support his Department is providing to the UK spirits industry.

    Damian Hinds

    The government is committed to supporting the UK spirits industry. The duty on spirits was cut by 2% at March Budget 2015, building on the duty freeze at Budget 2014.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2015 to Question 11946, if his Department will provide additional funding for local authorities to assist them in building new homes; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Government provides an annual settlement to local authorities in England to fund delivery of key local services. Since 2013/14 authorities have retained any council tax raised on new homes built. In addition, the Coalition Government introduced the New Homes Bonus, which has to date allocated some £3.4 billion of funding to local authorities to recognise delivery of over 700,000 homes and over 100,000 long term empty properties returned to use.

    The 2012 Housing Revenue Account self-financing settlement gave local authorities the freedom to plan their housing businesses in the long term. In the 3 years between 2012/13 and 2014/15 councils built 3,630 local authority dwellings. 2014 saw the highest number of council housing starts for 23 years (2,630 dwellings). In 2015/16 and 2016/17 we are also providing 36 local authorities with almost £222 million of additional borrowing headroom to develop over 3,000 additional homes.

    Future spending priorities will be determined through the Spending Review process currently underway.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of crowded airspace on British military assets operating in Syria; and if he will make a statement.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Coalition has implemented safe separation measures for aircraft operating in Syria and keeps the issue under constant review. In addition, we welcome the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on the prevention of flight safety incidents between the US, acting on behalf of the global coalition, and Russia. UK aircraft operating over Syria as part of the coalition campaign against ISIL are following these safe separation measures and the procedures in the Memorandum of Understanding.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of Key Stage 2 results in West Sussex.

    Nick Gibb

    Provisional information on the latest Key Stage 2 results in West Sussex and other local authorities is published as part of the “National curriculum assessments: key stage 2, 2015 (provisional)” release[1].

    These indicate that 77% of pupils in West Sussex local authority achieved level 4 or above in reading, writing and mathematics, below the national average of 80%. This is down from 78% in 2013/14.

    In the same year, 21% of pupils in West Sussex local authority achieved level 5 or above in reading, writing and mathematics, below the national average of 24%. This is down from 22% in 2013/14.

    Since the phonics check was introduced in West Sussex, the proportion of children who achieve the expected standard has risen each year to 73% in 2015. This remains, however, below the national average of 77%.

    Standards in some West Sussex schools are currently too low. I have therefore written to West Sussex County Council, asking them to set out their plans to improve results, so that more children in West Sussex receive the standard of education to which they are entitled.

    This is part of our national plan to raise standards, by setting higher expectations in our curriculum and qualifications; creating a self-improving school system; and promoting strong school governance through academies and free schools. We are also committed to making sure schools are funded fairly so all pupils have access to a good education – a key part of our core mission ensure every child reaches their full potential.

    [1] 2014/15 provisional local authority level tables can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/456135/SFR30_2015_KS2_LA_Tables.xls

    “

  • Roger Mullin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Roger Mullin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Mullin on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether the efficiency of the smart metering system being rolled-out under her Department’s initiative meets the requirements of the 2010 Coalition Agreement to establish a smart grid that would reduce network losses.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government is committed to rolling out smart meters to every home and small business in the country by the end of 2020. Smart meters are a core component of establishing a smart grid and our transition to a smarter energy system. The roll-out is expected to deliver benefits in its own right from reduced network losses worth £496 million in the period to 2030, ahead of the wider benefits of a smart grid.

  • Harriet Harman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Harriet Harman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when and with whom he last raised the issue of the detention of British journalist Rebecca Prosser by the Indonesian authorities.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    In consultation with Ms Prosser’s legal team and advisors, the case has been raised at senior level on ten separate occasions. I personally raised it with the Indonesian Foreign Minister in September at the UN General Assembly and it was last raised on 9 October by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Director General Economic & Consular with the Indonesian Director General of Protocol and Consular Affairs. We plan to raise the case again on 29 October during a meeting in London with the representatives of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

  • Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS hospital trusts are not placed in special measures.

    Ben Gummer

    The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) rigorous inspection regime means that the full picture of services at a particular provider is known and published, and if required, the provider knows what it must do to improve.

    Importantly, if the Chief Inspector finds serious failures in quality of care and where there are concerns that existing leadership cannot make the necessary improvements without support, he can recommend that the trust be placed into Special Measures.

    Poor care should not be tolerated and Special Measures ensures trusts receive a tailored package of support to enable them to improve.

    The CQC uses a risk-assessment approach to inform the order in which providers are inspected. This means where there are concerns about a particular provider they are inspected as a priority, allowing action to be taken earlier.

    Early intervention is important and these inspections allow the CQC to get a much more detailed picture in hospitals. If the Chief Inspector concludes that the care needs to improve, he can recommend Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority take action.

    The NHS Trust Development Authority and Monitor oversee, manage performance and, in Monitor’s case for foundation trusts, regulate hospital trusts. Both organisations have a number of options at their disposal to support trusts if they have concerns about their performance before they reach the stage where Special Measures may be required.

    In establishing NHS Improvement, we are bringing these two organisations together meaning all NHS providers will be able to access the same support and be subject to the same types of intervention. NHS Improvement will foster, nurture and share best practice. It will help to drive and support both urgent operational improvement at the frontline and the long term sustainability of the healthcare system.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many perinatal mental health specialist (a) doctors and (b) nurses were in place in each year since 2009-10.

    Ben Gummer

    The information is not collected.

    Perinatal mental health specialist midwives, doctors and nurses are not identified separately in the Health and Social Care Information Centre’s workforce statistics. Mental health specialists work predominantly in psychiatric services but also across a range of settings and the independent sector.