Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Stephen Doughty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Doughty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the letter dated 5 March 2014 from the Minister of State for Pensions to the hon. Member for Cardiff South and Penarth, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to make national insurance credits available for past periods for service spouses; and if he will make a statement.

    Steve Webb

    Subject to Royal Assent of the Pensions Bill a duty will be placed on the Secretary of State to make regulations to allow service spouses and civil partners, due to reach State Pension age from 6 April 2016, to apply for National Insurance credits for periods during which they accompanied their husband, wife or civil partner on a posting outside the UK. The regulations will make provision to allow credits for periods between 1975/76 and 2010.

    We are working with the Ministry of Defence on the finer details of the scheme including the manner in which applications will need to be made and the precise date when the administrative arrangements will be in place.

    We estimate that up to 20,000 individuals could have a higher single-tier pension from these credits as some individuals may, at state pension age, already have sufficient qualifying years to gain a full single-tier pension.

  • Pete Wishart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Pete Wishart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pete Wishart on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will place in the Library a copy of all guidance and benchmarking criteria used by her Department, its contractors and agents when assessing the adequacy and suitability of placement accommodation allocated to pregnant women and nursing mothers in receipt of section 4 support under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

    James Brokenshire

    The guidance and procedures on providing accommodation to pregnant women in the
    asylum support system is contained in the policy document "Healthcare needs and
    Pregnancy Dispersal guidance", which can be found at:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/healthcare-needs-and-pregnancy-disper
    sal-instruction

    The Home Office is currently considering some changes to the document following
    consultation with the Refugee Council and Maternity Action.

    Pregnant women are already recognised as a vulnerable group in the asylum
    support system. Regulation 4 of the Asylum Seekers (Reception conditions)
    Regulations 2005 provides that their special needs must be taken into
    consideration.

  • Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many journeys in the UK using (a) domestic helicopter services and (b) military helicopters were made by (i) the Chief of Defence Materiel and (ii) Ministers in his Department in each of the last four years; and what the annual cost has been of such journeys.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The attached table reflects the number of journeys in the UK using (a) domestic helicopter services and (b) military helicopters which were made by (i) the Chief of Defence Materiel and (ii) Ministers in the Ministry of Defence in each of the last four years. No costs are included as there is no charge internally for the use of military helicopters and the domestic flights were provided at no charge.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure the retention of (a) rural post offices and (b) jobs in rural post offices.

    Jenny Willott

    Since 2010 the Government has committed nearly £2 billion to maintain, modernise and protect a Post Office network of at least 11,500 branches that meets strict access criteria that ensure fair and reasonable access to Post Office services, including in rural communities. For example, the access criteria require 99% of the population nationally to live within three miles of a post office outlet. The Post Office is the only retailer in the UK that meets these criteria. Furthermore, the Government has been consistently clear that there will be no programme of branch closures, and under this Government the Post Office network is at its most stable for a generation.

    The overwhelming majority of rural branches are owned and operated by private businesspeople known as subpostmasters who provide access to Post Office services under contractual arrangements. Subpostmasters are responsible for employing the staff required to deliver Post Office services.

  • 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 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the running costs are for each of the academic health science networks.

    Norman Lamb

    The information requested is not available.

    NHS England advise us that individual funding levels and programme costs vary between Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs). NHS England budget allocations are not their sole source of income and AHSNs are seeking to supplement this funding through participation in strategic investment programmes and match-funding initiatives. Core running cost are for AHSNs to determine independently and may also be subject to change through the year.

    Further information on AHSN work programmes and business plans can be found on their websites:

    AHSN

    Website

    East Midlands

    www.emahsn.ac.uk

    Eastern

    www.eahsn.org.uk

    Imperial College Health Partners

    www.imperialcollegehealthpartners.com

    Greater Manchester

    www.gmahsn.org

    Kent, Surrey and Sussex

    www.kssahsn.net

    North East and North Cumbria

    www.ahsn-nenc.org.uk

    North West Coast

    www.nwcahsn.nhs.uk

    Oxford

    www.oxfordahsn.org

    South London

    www.kingshealthpartners.org/info/southlondonahsn

    South West Peninsula

    www.swahsn.com

    UCL Partners

    www.uclpartners.com

    Wessex

    www.wessexahsn.org

    West Midlands

    www.wmahsn.org

    West of England

    www.weahsn.net

    Yorkshire and Humber

    www.yhahsn.org.uk
  • Gloria De Piero – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gloria De Piero – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of levels of self-harm in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) the East Midlands in each of the last five years.

    Norman Lamb

    The Department has made no estimate of the levels of self-harm in the above named areas.

    Information on the numbers of finished admission episodes (FAEs) with a cause code of self-harm and numbers of accident and emergency (A&E) attendances (excluding planned attendances) with a patient group of deliberate self-harm for Ashfield constituency for 2009-10 to 2012-13, Nottinghamshire County or Nottingham City Primary Care Trust (PCT) and East Midlands Strategic Health Authority (SHA) for 2008-09 to 2012-13 where available, is shown in the attached tables.

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

    Jim Dobbin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Dobbin on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on allowing doctors and nurses who have a conscientious objection to supplying contraceptive drugs or devices which act after fertilisation to receive diplomas in sexual and reproductive health.

    Jane Ellison

    The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare are responsible for decisions on the syllabus of their Diploma, the requirements for entry to the Diploma course, and the award of a Diploma qualification.

    The Department understands that their guidelines on the syllabus and on possible conscientious objection have not changed.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 37W, on rural areas: broadband, what the latest figures are for how much funding is for projects (a) granted, (b) under pre-contract approval and (c) still under consideration for funding.

    Dan Rogerson

    The current breakdown of funding to date that has arisen from the Rural Community Broadband Fund is as follows:

    a) Projects granted (contracted and in delivery) total: £0.459 million;

    b) Projects with pre-contract approval total: £0.634 million; and

    c) Projects under consideration total: £14.0 million.

    Until contracted, all costs are estimated and subject to revision.

  • Mary Macleod – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mary Macleod – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Macleod on 2014-04-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many families in (a) London, (b) Hounslow Borough and (c) Brentford and Isleworth constituency, will benefit from the Government’s tax free childcare policy.

    Nicky Morgan

    The information requested is not available.

  • Mark Tami – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mark Tami – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Tami on 2014-05-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what procedures his Department has put in place to ensure that mail received by recorded delivery at jobcentres is logged and dealt with immediately; and what assessment he has made of whether such procedures are carried out across all jobcentres.

    Mike Penning

    All DWP mail, whether recorded delivery or otherwise, is opened and distributed to the appropriate office for action from one of the 2 Mail Opening Units. The only exceptions being items identified “OFFICIAL–SENSITIVE”, “SECRET”, or “TOP SECRET” and providing a named individual is included.