Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the level of mental illness in (a) the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group area, (b) the Medway Clinical Commissioning Group area, (c) Kent and (d) England in each of the last five years.

    Norman Lamb

    Information on the levels of mental illness in the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group area, the Medway Clinical Commissioning Group area, Kent and England is not held centrally.

    All local authorities are required to develop and publish a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) – an analysis of the current and future health and care needs of the local population – and a Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JHWS) to address these needs.

    JSNAs and JHWSs form the basis of National Health Service and local authorities’ own commissioning plans, across health, social care, public health and children’s services. Local health and social care commissioners are expected to develop their commissioning plans in line with any relevant JSNA or JHWS, and must be able to justify any parts of their plans which are not consistent.

    The JSNA process therefore offers valuable opportunities to drive improvement in meeting the needs of local people with mental health needs. However, the Department has not highlighted any care group or area of need over another as this would risk undermining the purpose of JSNAs being an objective, comprehensive and most importantly – a locally-owned process.

  • Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department allocated in support to Malawi in each of the last five years; and what proportion of this funding was intended for use by (a) the Malawi government and (b) non-governmental organisations working in the country.

    Lynne Featherstone

    The UK Government has provided the following support (£m):

    DFID MALAWI Programme Spend

    CHANNEL

    2013/14

    2012/13

    2011/12

    2010/11

    2009/10

    TOTAL

    Malawi Government

    18.2

    76.3

    36.7

    59.5

    75.2

    265.9

    Non-Governmental Organisations

    17.7

    12.2

    9.5

    6.7

    3.7

    49.8

    Information regarding specific projects is available on the Development Tracker (www.dfid.gov.uk).

    “

  • Rosie Cooper – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Rosie Cooper – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to undertake a review of (a) the methods of any car park management company responsible for hospital car parks where there has been an significant increase in the number of car parking charge notices issued and the number of appeals since that company was awarded the contract and (b) in each such case, the reasons for those increases.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Parking in hospital car parks is the overall responsibility of the relevant National Health Service (NHS) Trust or landowner as is the case for all other private car parks. As such it is entirely a matter for the Trust or landowner to determine the levels of any parking charges. I have no plans to review or intervene in this matter as the Government promotes a system of industry self-regulation in the private parking sector.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support people with the rising cost of funerals.

    Steve Webb

    The Social Fund Funeral Payment scheme continues to provide help towards a simple, respectful, low-cost funeral. In 2012/13, over 35,000 awards were made worth £42.7 million, with an average award of £1,225.

    Social Fund Budgeting Loans are also available to those on income related benefits to cover costs relating to funeral expenses.

    In addition, any arrears of benefit which were due to the deceased at date of death are disregarded. This means that such arrears are no longer deducted from the funeral payment award.

  • Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will undertake a comparative assessment of Government spending on apprenticeships in the UK and Germany.

    Matthew Hancock

    A wide variety of public sources frequently make comparative assessment of international Apprenticeships systems.

  • Simon Danczuk – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Simon Danczuk – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Danczuk on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps he is taking in support of Action 12 of the EU Citizenship Report 2013, com (2013) 269.

    Greg Clark

    The issue of voting in domestic elections is a matter for national governments and we do not accept the Commission’s view of a European Public Space.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-04-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of men and women who make use of the non-earnings pension contribution limit; and if he will assess the potential effects of increasing that limit on couples saving together for retirement.

    Mr David Gauke

    As shown in HMRC’s published statistics (Table PEN3 available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/259967/pen3.pdf), in 2011-12 around 20,000 unemployed adults made or received contributions into their personal pensions. 6,000 of these individuals made use of the non-earnings pension contribution limit of £3,600 including basic rate tax relief.

    A further 10,000 children, 10,000 individuals in full time education and 10,000 carers made or received contributions into their personal pensions. Of these, around a quarter made use of the non-earnings pension contribution limit.

    Of the individuals mentioned above who made use of the non-earnings pension contribution limit in 2011-12, around two thirds were female.

    The Government has made no assessment of the effects of increasing the limit on couples saving together for retirement but keeps all tax policies under review.

  • Mark Menzies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Mark Menzies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to improve mobile internet connectivity in rural areas.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    One of the licences granted in the 2013 4G auction contains a demanding indoor coverage obligation. The owner of this licence, Telefonica O2 UK, is obliged to provide indoor coverage for 4G mobile services to at least 98 per cent of the UK population (and to at least 95 per cent of the population of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales respectively) by the end of 2017. Ofcom expects that this level of indoor coverage will result in approximately 99 per cent outdoor coverage. As a result of the competitive UK telecoms market, all four of the UK mobile network operators have publicly committed to provide this level of coverage by the end of 2015.

    There is also likely to be further improvement in 2G and 3G coverage as a result of increasing roll out of combined 2G/3G/4G equipment by the industry.

    However, sometimes it is not commercially viable for operators to install and operate base stations and associated infrastructure in areas of very low population. On 3 October 2011, the Government announced the Mobile Infrastructure Project (MIP) with up to £150 million funding to extend mobile phone coverage to remote and rural area across the country that currently receive no coverage from any network. The scheme sees Government provide the capital funding for Arqiva as contractors to build the new infrastructure. The four mobile network operators (EE, Telefonica, Three and Vodafone) will provide coverage from the sites and cover operating costs for the twenty year life of the project. The project is currently underway and is expected to deliver by 2015. It is focussed primarily on improving voice coverage but is also likely to improve data coverage. Details of this work can be found on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/making-it-easier-for-the-communications-and-telecoms-industries-to-grow-while-protecting-the-interests-of-citizens/supporting-pages/improving-mobile-coverage

    Ofcom has also published a plan to improve mobile coverage: http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/2013/11/five-point-plan-to-improving-mobile-coverage/

    “

  • Paul Blomfield – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Paul Blomfield – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many properties that were purchased or built with Sure Start Local Programme funding are now owned by NHS Properties.

    Elizabeth Truss

    Data on the ownership of assets funded by the Sure Start Local Programme is held by local authorities.

  • Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2014, Official Report, column 533W, on wind power, what proportion of the anticipated generating capacity of onshore wind projects at appeal stage in the planning system related to applications recovered by him in each month of 2013.

    Kris Hopkins

    As I have said in my earlier answer, my Department does not centrally hold details of the generation capacity of wind turbine appeals.

    As at the 1 October 2013, there were 255 onshore wind farm appeals, of which 32 were or have subsequently been recovered.

    I can confirm that 17 onshore wind farm appeals were recovered in 2013. This amounts to 6% of the number of onshore wind farm appeals received (280) during that period.

    2013

    Appeals Received

    Appeals Recovered

    Jan

    23

    4

    Feb

    37

    1

    Mar

    28

    2

    Apr

    19

    1

    May

    25

    1

    Jun

    27

    1

    Jul

    19

    2

    Aug

    26

    Sept

    24

    1

    Oct

    14

    3

    Nov

    17

    1

    Dec

    21

    Total

    280

    17

    I also refer the hon. Member to the written statement of 9 April 2014, Official Report, Column 12-13WS, which explains the background to the recovery of these planning appeals.