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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Helen Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Helen Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate the number of homes in (a) Warrington and (b) Warrington North constituency which were sold under Right to Buy legislation and which have subsequently become privately rented properties.

    Brandon Lewis

    No estimate has been made as to how many homes sold under the Right to Buy have become private rented properties.

    What a Right to Buy owner chooses to do with their property after they’ve bought it is up to them, just as it is for other home buyers on the open market. Mortgage providers and landlords may place restrictions on letting in the terms of the sale.

    Under Right to Buy there are financial restrictions in place for re-sale within 5 years, and councils have the right of first refusal to buy back the property for up to 10 years at market value.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which military units are based at Baker Barracks on Thorney Island.

    Mark Lancaster

    12 Regiment Royal Artillery, 16 Regiment Royal Artillery and 49 Battery Royal Artillery (an independent sub-unit of the Joint Ground Based Air Defence Regiment) are based at Baker Barracks.

  • Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the estimated cost to the public purse of developing the reception baseline assessment policy implemented in September 2015 (a) was in 2014-15 and (b) is expected to be in 2015-16.

    Nick Gibb

    The expenditure in 2014/15 was£82,507.81.

    Costs for 2015/16 cannot be released until finalised.

  • Charles Walker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Charles Walker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the level is of public subsidy per megawatt of energy generated sought by the developers and operators of the proposed Swansea Bay tidal lagoon; and how this subsidy compares to similar subsidies sought by the nuclear industry.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The negotiations between the UK Government and Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay PLC are commercially sensitive and it is not appropriate for us to comment on matters such as the potential strike price.

    The negotiations must be kept confidential in order to allow the Government to secure the best possible deal for consumers.

    Any decision to offer a contract for difference (CFD) would be subject to strict value for money considerations, the funds available within the Levy Control Framework at the time of a decision and be subject to State aid approval.

    If issued, any CFD would be published once completed, including the strike price, having redacted commercially sensitive information.

  • Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the whereabouts of Sombath Somphone who disappeared in Laos in December 2012; and what representations his Department has made to the Laos government on Mr Somphone.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We remain very concerned as to the whereabouts of Mr Sombath Somphone. We regularly raise his disappearance with the Lao government. Laos underwent its second UN Universal Periodic Review under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Council, earlier this year. The United Kingdom’s recommendation calling on the Lao government to conduct a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation into Mr Somphone’s disappearance was formally accepted by the Lao government. On 11 September, 1000 days since Mr Somphone’s disappearance, I wrote to the Lao Ambassador to the United Kingdom, to urge the Lao government to rapidly proceed with conducting an investigation. Next month, at the EU-Laos Human Rights Dialogue in Vientiane, the United Kingdom, along with our EU partners, will highlight the lack of progress in the investigation into Mr Somphone’s disappearance.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with Indian authorities on the abuse of young girls in rural areas.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We have been following recent reports of violence against women and girls in India and share the honourable gentleman’s concerns. The United Kingdom discusses a range of human rights matters with India, including women’s rights, both bilaterally and through the EU. We are committed to tackling violence against women and girls round the world, including in India.

    Through the Department for International Development, we are currently helping to implement India’s Domestic Violence Act and supporting initiatives to reduce violence against women, both in homes and in public spaces. Our High Commission also works closely with Indian civil society and non-governmental organisations, including through providing advice to lawyers and grassroots organisations who are directly supporting survivors of sexual violence, through the Indian criminal justice system.

    Although this is ultimately a matter for India’s police and courts, we are working productively with the Indian government and international partners on this important issue.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress he has made in establishing a smaller number of specialist children’s heart units, as recommended by the Safe and sustainable review of children’s congenital heart services, published by the NHS in February 2011.

    Jane Ellison

    On 12 June 2013 my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in Parliament that the Safe and Sustainable review’s proposals for children’s congenital heart services could not go ahead in their current form. In July 2013, after discussions with key stakeholders, NHS England established a new congenital heart disease review, encompassing services for adults as well as children.

    The new review has now been completed and the board of NHS England has agreed its proposals. NHS England is now working on implementation of the proposals and commissioning services against the new requirements. This is being done in collaboration with provider trusts.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the ability of homeless people to access mental health services; and if he will make a statement.

    Alistair Burt

    The Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness report Addressing complex needs – improving services for vulnerable people (2015) highlighted the strong link between homelessness and poor mental health, and the high rates of mental health problems and substance misuse among the homeless population. Homeless people often have multiple health needs and the report showed how vulnerable people can become trapped in a cycle of homelessness because of their overlapping and complex problems.

    Fairer access to all health services – including for vulnerable groups like homeless people – is at the heart of the health inequalities duties in the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

    Improving access to primary care services for homeless people and providing services in non-clinical environments can also help to enable homeless people to receive the services they need. This includes self-referral to Improving Access to Psychological Therapies, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, for the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders.

    We are sponsoring schemes that help local areas address these complex mental and physical health needs faced by homeless people and improve service access. These include the £8 million Help for Single Homeless programme, which includes projects to prevent rough sleeping, and help homeless young people with mental health issues, as well as the Department’s Homeless Hospital Discharge Fund and Homelessness Change/Platform for Life programmes. Public Health England is working with local authorities to help them understand better the mental health needs of homeless people.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies renewal applications for the 2015-16 academic year took longer than 18 weeks for a final decision to be made by the UK Visa and Immigration Service.

    James Brokenshire

    The proportion of Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) renewal applications received between 1 September 2014 and 20 October 2015, where CAS may have been assigned for study during the academic year 2015-2016, which exceeded the service standard of 18 weeks was 60 out of a total of 2259 requests.

    The average time to process Confirmations of Acceptance for Studies renewal applications received between 1 September 2014 and 20 October 2015, where CAS may have been assigned for study during the academic year 2015-2016, was 32 days.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Nicholas Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what role the North East Combined Authority has in relation to the Northern Rail franchise.

    Andrew Jones

    When known as Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive (PTE) (trading as NEXUS), the North East Combined Authority were one of five PTEs who are co-signatories of the current Northern Interim Franchise Agreement that commenced in 2014.

    The North East Combined Authority is one of the 29 authorities that make up Rail North Ltd. As part of the new franchise competition ‎they were involved in helping develop the Invitation To Tender for the next Northern Franchise, which is expected to begin in April 2016.

    Going forward the Secretary of State will sign the franchise agreement, but the management of the next Northern Franchise is being devolved to the Department for Transport and Rail North partnership.