The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-10-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether any grant monitoring forms in relation to funds awarded by his Department to Action on Smoking and Health were submitted late.
Jane Ellison
Action on Smoking and Health provided grant Monitoring Reports on completion of each project. The timing of the submission of these reports was agreed with the Tobacco Control policy team.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barbara Keeley on 2015-10-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish a new national strategy for carers.
Alistair Burt
On 1 July 2015 my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State (Mr Jeremy Hunt) announced that I will develop a new carers’ strategy.
The cross-government strategy, led by the Department, will examine what more we can do to support existing carers and new carers.
Our intention is to publish the new strategy towards the close of 2016. Development of the strategy will include consideration of the evidence about the economic impact of caring and its relationship with the health and care sectors and wider society as whole. It will also include consideration of both international and national good practice about support for carers. Work to develop the strategy will include seeking views from carers and stakeholders.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to reduce the time taken to process asylum applications.
James Brokenshire
We have an ongoing recruitment campaign to ensure we maintain our levels of decision makers and have also began work to further improve on the efficiency of our interview and decision-making process across case work teams. We have significantly improved our suite of guidance on considering asylum claims, including key instructions on asylum interviews and assessing credibility. We have also streamlined processes by reducing the volume of paperwork required and cutting duplication in the asylum process, including improvements to the way in which decisions are explained to applicants in correspondence to make it easier to understand. These changes are designed to support caseworkers to improve decision quality and efficiency to ensure we grant protection where it is needed whilst refusing unfounded claims more quickly, whilst also ensuring a more customer focused approach. We aim to decide straightforward asylum claims within six months.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2015-10-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what groups of people will be prioritised by the new Health System Strengthening Framework.
Grant Shapps
DFID’s health systems strengthening framework will set out how the UK should support countries to build strong, resilient health systems in future, both through its own resources and through its partner organisations. This will help countries to make sustainable progress towards the global goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. A strong health system recognises the links between different health issues and provides integrated services to address them. Sustained financing is essential to good quality service provision and the framework will include support for greater domestic resource mobilisation and better public financial management. It will prioritise those who would otherwise be left behind, including the poorest, the most marginalised and those who are hardest to reach.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-10-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for (a) Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and (b) Defence on supporting international efforts to protect UK ships against pirates.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Secretary of State for Transport has not had direct discussions recently with either the Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or the Secretary of State for Defence on the subject of piracy.
The UK’s response to piracy involves many Government departments and the different teams working within them. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for Business Innovation & Skills, Home Office, Department for Transport and Ministry of Defence work closely together in supporting international efforts to protect UK ships against pirates.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office lead the UK’s policy on piracy whilst my Department is responsible for the UK’s policy on maritime armed security guards.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-10-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what effect the introduction of Universal Credit will have on funding for care available to older people with a disability whose principal carer is engaged in education for more than 21 hours per week.
Justin Tomlinson
People in full-time education, including those with caring responsibilities, are not normally entitled to benefits. Rather they are supported through the educational maintenance system, via its range of loans and grants. Support may also be available through local councils and health services.
Students undertaking a part-time course have access to carer related benefits in the usual way.
People with a disability can claim benefits in their own right in order to meet their needs. Depending on individual circumstances, such financial support can be through universal, extra costs benefits and/or means-tested benefits. Means-tested benefits, such as Pension Credit, include an additional amount for people with a severe disability (currently £61.85 a week for a single person) which can be paid to a disabled person to help meet the costs of caring if their carer is not receiving Carer’s Allowance.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-10-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people claiming income support work between one and 16 hours per week.
Priti Patel
The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Derby on 2015-10-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to introduce a requirement for the Gangmasters Licensing Authority to ensure that gangmasters have a Disclosure and Barring Service check as part of the licence application process.
Lord Bates
The Government has no current plans to introduce a requirement for a Disclosure and Barring Service check in the Gangmasters Licensing Authority licence application. A public consultation on the role of the GLA in labour market enforcement was published on 13 October and invites views on operation of the licensing regime.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Leigh on 2015-10-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they estimate is the cost to the NHS of bed-blocking by patients who have received all their medical treatment; and what steps they are taking to reduce this.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The Department has made no formal estimate of the costs of delayed discharge to the National Health Service. It is recognised that such delayed discharges do use resource which could be deployed elsewhere, and all parts of the NHS and those with responsibility outside it, are continually looking for ways in which to reduce the number of delays.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Young of Old Scone on 2015-10-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of graduates entering the rural economy.
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
The Government requires the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to consider the changing patterns of demand and supply in relation to all subjects. Through the Strategically Important and Vulnerable Subjects advisory group, HEFCE seeks to identify where action might be necessary to ensure that the supply of graduates meets the needs of the economy and society. The advisory group includes representatives of agriculture, tourism and other related subjects that affect the rural economy.
The Government supports Universities offering subjects that benefit the rural economy. Subjects such as agriculture and forestry attract high cost ‘band B’ funding. The Government has also provided funding to projects that enhance the impact of higher education in agriculture and related industries including the ‘National Centre for Precision Farming’ at Harper Adams University, the ‘Biovale’ programme at the University of York and the ‘Agri-Food Resilience Programme’ led by the N8 Research Partnership.