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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in a case where an applicant has been refused employment and support allowance (ESA), the disallowance has been confirmed following mandatory reconsideration and an appeal against the refusal has been submitted, in what circumstances ESA is payable pending the outcome of the appeal.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Employment and Support Allowance can be paid at the assessment phase rate pending the appeal hearing as long as the conditions of entitlement are satisfied. Employment and Support Allowance is not payable pending an appeal where a claimant has previously been found fit for work following a Work Capability Assessment and makes a repeat claim for benefit and is found to be fit for work again.

  • Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department has given to micro-businesses in adapting to new automatic enrolment pension schemes.

    Justin Tomlinson

    We are committed to supporting small and micro-businesses to adapt to their new automatic enrolment duties. Together with The Pensions Regulator, we have launched a new broadcast-led communications campaign to raise awareness of automatic enrolment amongst small employers.

    The Pensions Regulator has also recently launched a new interactive and simplified online step by step guide to automatic enrolment, designed to meet the specific needs of employers who may not have pensions experience, including those with just one or two staff. Employers using the website can access tailored information relevant to their circumstances. The Pensions Regulator also provides online content for business advisers who play an important role in supporting smaller employers to meet their legal duties. To raise awareness and understanding, the Regulator has had over 500 meetings with intermediary firms and spoken at over 300 events around the UK during the last year

    The Regulator sends a series of letters to every employer starting at least 12 months before their staging date, which is the date that the law applies to them. These letters set out what an employer needs to do and by when to comply with the law and signposts to the relevant information on the Regulator’s website.

    To help employers adjust to the costs of automatic enrolment the minimum employer contribution level starts at 1% and increases gradually to 3% by October 2018. In addition, to ensure that all firms have access to quality, low-cost pension provision, The National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) was established by the Government and has a public service obligation to accept any employer that chooses NEST for automatic enrolment.

  • Clive Betts – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Clive Betts – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Betts on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many new social rented homes he plans will be funded by the resources identified for housing in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

    Brandon Lewis

    Through the Spending Review the Government has committed to investing £8 billion to deliver over 400,000 affordable housing starts, doubling our investment from 2018-19.

    This funding includes £1.7 billion for around 100,000 homes for affordable or intermediate rent, which will be delivered between 2015 and 2021.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the implications for the Government’s policy on the Low Commission’s reports, Tackling of the findings of the Advice Deficit, published in 2014, and Getting it Right in Social Welfare Law, published in 2015.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    Government is supporting, free, independent and social welfare advice, including through the Advice Services Transition Fund (ASTF).

    The ASTF is supporting the sector to be able to respond with confidence to the challenges presented by the changing funding environment. The ASTF is a transformational fund and, rather than providing running costs, it is designed to support more collaborative and sustainable ways of working.

    We are working with the Big Lottery Fund to ensure that learning from the fund is identified and shared across the advice services sector.

  • 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 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the budget (a) allocated from central Government to and (b) awarded by the Small Business Research Initiative for healthcare was in each financial year since its inception.

    George Freeman

    The Department has run a number of competitions under the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) and has had a budget as follows: fiscal year 2012-13 £2 million; fiscal 2013-14 £5 million; fiscal 2014-15 £2 million and fiscal 2015-16 £6 million. The Department has awarded contracts valued as follows:

    2012-13: £1.07 million, the Department also contributed £1 million to other health related SBRI competitions.

    2013-14: £5.59 million

    2014-15: £10.15 million

    It should be noted that SBRI is now firmly embedded within NHS England’s Small Business Research Initiative for Healthcare (SBRI Healthcare). Hence, the Department has not launched any new competitions since 2013.

    SBRI Healthcare was established in 2013 by NHS England. As such, NHS England is responsible for setting this programme’s budget, which it has done as follows: fiscal year 2013-14 £10 million; fiscal 2014-15 £20 million; fiscal 2015-16 £20 million. The budget, once allocated to SBRI Healthcare, is then delegated to the Academic Health Science Networks to manage the implementation of the programme.

    NHS England has awarded contracts valued as follows:

    2013-14: £13.49 million

    2014-15: £22.29 million

    2015-16: £15.94 million to-date.

    Further assessments are due to take place this month which could result in additional awards of around £1.6 million.

    The level of investment in SBRI Healthcare reflects NHS England’s ongoing commitment to promoting innovation in the National Health Service and United Kingdom economic growth.

  • Melanie Onn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Melanie Onn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-02-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of whether a five per cent VAT rate could continue to apply to solar PV and solar thermal within the terms of the EU’s VAT directive and the judgment of the European Court of Justice on that matter.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government has recently consulted on this matter, the results of which will be announced shortly.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of deploying ocean-going drones to help catch illegal trawlers in Marine Conservation Zones in place of staffed patrol vessels.

    George Eustice

    The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the ten Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities are responsible for enforcing fisheries legislation in UK waters off England. The MMO is considering carefully the potential for new technology to aid enforcement operations, and will continue to keep such technology under review.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with (a) the Nursing and Midwifery Council, (b) the Royal College of Midwives, (c) the Royal College of Nursing and (d) Independent Midwives UK on changes to midwifery regulation.

    Ben Gummer

    The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and Independent Midwives UK (IMUK) have all been involved in discussions concerning the proposed changes to midwifery regulation.

    On 22 January 2016 the Department, on behalf of the four United Kingdom Chief Nursing Officers and their external partners, published plans for a new non-statutory system of midwifery supervision that will meet the need for clinical supervision of midwives in clinical practice, and peer review for those not in clinical practice. The NMC, RCM and IMUK were consulted on and contributed to the published proposals.

    The Royal College of Nursing has not been involved in the above discussions, as midwifery regulations do not affect nurses.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many of his Department’s staff based at St Paul’s Place, Sheffield, have a length of tenure of (a) under one year, (b) between one and five years, (c) between five and 10 years and (d) over 10 years.

    Joseph Johnson

    The length of service, within the Civil Service, of employees of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) based at St Paul’s Place Sheffield, is shown in the table below.

    Employees

    Less than 1 year

    6

    1-5 years

    16

    5-10 years

    30

    Over 10 Years

    187

    This data is based on all people based in Sheffield as at 31 May 2016 and includes BIS employees and those currently on loan to BIS from other government departments.

  • Geraint Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Geraint Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geraint Davies on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons Best Interest Assessor training applications are restricted to (a) approved mental health professionals, (b) social workers, (c) nurses, (d) occupational therapists and (e) chartered psychologists.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Department worked closely with stakeholders including representatives in Wales, primary care trusts, local authorities, hospitals and care homes, voluntary organisations and interested individuals whilst drafting the regulations that specify who can be trained as a Best Interest Assessor. Following consultation, it was decided that the professional training of these groups coupled with their Post-Qualifying experience made them best suited to undertake the training for Best Interest Assessors.