Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of vacancies on Universal Jobsmatch classified as employer confidential; and what checks are in place to ensure that such vacancies are not bogus, fraudulent or otherwise inappropriate.

    Esther McVey

    Universal Jobmatch revolutionises the way jobseekers look for work and it has already helped many jobseekers find the jobs they want through the millions of vacancies posted since 2012. It is part of the government’s plan for providing easy online access to government services for all.

    There are various circumstances where an employer may wish to keep their details confidential – for example, if they are employing a Personal Carer or another role where they are using their home address. We estimate that there are 42,544 employer confidential vacancies currently on Universal Jobmatch. This equates to 7.1% of the total live vacancies as at 5 June 2014.

    The security of a user’s data is of the utmost importance to us and built into the service are monitoring tools and vacancy checks, which help to detect, deter and remedy inappropriate use of the site. Checks are made to identify inappropriate, fraudulent and bogus jobs and employers in order to block them from being posted.

    There are also warnings to users of the service advising them they should not be asked to reveal personal information i.e. bank details, as this information is not relevant to the application process.

    Additionally, a ‘Contact Us’ facility is provided so users can quickly highlight any employers that users may have concerns about. DWP then investigate such concerns.

    These checks are in place for all vacancies, including employer confidential vacancies.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many unfilled posts of each grade there were in the Surrey and Sussex Probation Trust in each month since January 2012.

    Jeremy Wright

    The information requested is not held centrally.

    Vacancies were managed locally by probation trusts which have now ceased to exist.

  • Roger Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Roger Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Williams on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend the Help to Buy Scheme to housing built with local affordable conditions attached.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme offers lenders the option to purchase a guarantee on mortgages where the borrower has a deposit of between 5 per cent and 20 per cent of the value of the property. A mortgage supported by the mortgage guarantee scheme works in exactly the same way as any other mortgage, but has to comply with the requirements set out in the scheme rules. In particular, the scheme rules exclude the use of the mortgage guarantee alongside other government schemes or shared ownership schemes.

    The Help to Buy: equity loan scheme is managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government and is available to all those who aspire to own a new build home, but struggle to access or afford the repayments on a low deposit mortgage. The scheme is open to first time buyers and to those looking to move up the housing ladder.

    Whilst the Government keeps all schemes, including Help to Buy, under review, the Government currently has no plans to extend the Help to Buy scheme.

    Further information about both parts of the Help to Buy scheme can be found at: http://www.helptobuy.org.uk/home.

    “

  • Jamie Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jamie Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what average number of GP visits was required prior to diagnosis of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013.

    Norman Lamb

    Information concerning the number of patients diagnosed with either rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis on an annual basis is not collected.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Margaret Ritchie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what his policy is on allowing internet service providers to restructure charging arrangements for faster network access.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government supports an open internet, and believes that self-regulation is the best approach to achieve this. We expect ISPs to be transparent with their customers regarding their terms and conditions at the point of sale, including any traffic management practices, in order to allow consumers to make an informed choice and consider any alternative providers.

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to improve access to free to use cash machines.

    Andrea Leadsom

    95 per cent of communities in the lowest quartile of the government deprivation index now have free-to-use ATMs within their area or less than two thirds of a mile from the area’s centre. This has brought access to free-to-use ATMs to over 1.5 million people and progress towards covering even more communities continues.

    LINK has established a Financial Inclusion Programme to provide free-to-use ATMs where they are needed, by installing ATMs that are subsidised to make their operation commercially viable for operators. The cost of this subsidy is shared out among LINK member banks. 1,400 target areas now have access to an industry subsidised ATM through the programme.

    I am aware Toynbee Hall is due to complete research on this issue shortly.

  • Michael McCann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Michael McCann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael McCann on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases funded by legal aid against his Department where public interest lawyers have represented clients were won by his Department in each of the last 10 years.

    Mike Penning

    The Department does not centrally record information about the identity of claimants’ representatives or information relating to claimants’ funding arrangements. This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people with motor neurone disease have been treated by the NHS with iGaze technology in each of the last five years.

    Norman Lamb

    Data on the number of people diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) is not collected. However, it is estimated that there are about 5,000 people living with MND in the United Kingdom.

    Information regarding the number of people with MND who are using ‘eye gaze’ technology, a type of specialised augmentative and assistive communication aid, is not held centrally.

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which mental health services he and each Minister in his Department have visited since they were appointed; and what the date of each such visit was.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The following list provides details of the visits undertaken by my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and his ministerial team to mental health services in an official capacity, since their appointment.

    Secretary of State for Health (Mr Jeremy Hunt):

    06 February 2014
    Redwoods Centre, South Staffordshire and Shropshire NHS Foundation Trust

    13 March 2014
    Springfield Hospital, South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust

    1 May 2014
    East London NHS Foundation Trust

    Minister of State for Care and Support (Norman Lamb):

    13 November 2012
    Raid Birmingham Heartlands Hospital

    19 December 2012
    South London and Maudsley NHS Mental Health Trust

    7 February 2013
    The Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme and Child and Adolescent, Mental Health services project, Oxford

    4 July 2013
    Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust

    19 August 2013
    Leicester Mental Health Triage Care Project

    5 September 2013
    Gnosall Surgery, Stafford

    12 September 2013
    Yeovil Hospital

    12 September 2013
    Royal United Hospital, Bath

    31October 2013
    Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust

    19 December 2013
    Broadmoor Hospital

    3 January 2014
    Bethnal Green Police Station (Bi-lateral visit with Damian Green MP Home Office), London (A Liaison and Diversion scheme, this scheme brings together three large mental health trusts)

    17 February 2014
    Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, Crisis Resolution Service

    12 March 2014
    Humphrey Booth Resource Centre, Manchester

    Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health (Dr Daniel Poulter):

    11 July 2013
    Disraeli School and Children’s Centre, High Wycombe

    17 October 2013
    Parkview Clinic, Birmingham Children’s Hospital

    8 May 2014
    Bethlem Royal Hospital- Channi Kumar Mother and Baby Unit (Perinatal mental health)

    Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health (Earl Howe):

    18 April 2012
    BuddyApp – Mental health innovation product launch – Maudsley Hospital

    Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health (Jane Ellison):

    15 April 2014
    Roshni Ghar Mental Health Charity, Keighley

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much of the Farming Recovery Fund to cover the cost of restoration of agricultural land following the recent floods has been received by farmers and businesses to date.

    Dan Rogerson

    As of 10 June 2014 a total of 131 applications have been received with a total grant request of £1,173,310.

    Of these, 62 applications have been approved with a total grant request of £403,617.

    In view of the continued level of interest in the Farming Recovery Fund we are exploring with officials the possibility of extending the closing date beyond 27 June 2014.

    You will also wish to be aware that the Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme (FFIS) which supports investments targeting farming competitiveness closed on 4 April having received more than 2,700 applications and a national grant request of over £27m.