The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the use of pig organ transplants for humans.
Nicola Blackwood
The Department has no plans to make such an assessment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Greenwood on 2016-09-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the provisions in the Higher Education and Research Bill on part-time and adult students.
Joseph Johnson
In our assessment the Higher Education and Research Bill will benefit all students. The Bill will deliver greater competition and choice, promoting all forms of learning, including for part time and mature students. However, we are not waiting for the Bill to take action. We will introduce part time maintenance loans in 2018 and from next year allow many more part time students to take a second degree in any science subject.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many detainees held in Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre (a) claim that they are victims of human trafficking and (b) have been identified by the National Referral Mechanism as victims of human trafficking.
James Brokenshire
Individuals who have been identified as victims of trafficking by the competent authorities are normally considered suitable for detention in only very exceptional circumstances, which include cases where there is a risk of public harm. This data is not collected centrally and accurate figures are not available. Once a person is detained their continued detention remains under review by the Home Office at least at monthly intervals, and earlier in response to any change of circumstances that might have a material effect on their detention.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hay of Ballyore on 2015-12-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for a new round of talks with the political parties in Northern Ireland, in order to break the deadlock over legacy issues in Northern Ireland.
Lord Dunlop
The UK Government remains committed to establishing the legacy bodies. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has met a number of interested stakeholders in recent days, including the Victims Commissioner and the Victims and Survivors Forum. It is her intention to meet with the political parties early in the New Year, along with further engagement with victims groups.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the outcomes have been of the universal credit in-work conditionality pilots.
Priti Patel
National roll-out of the In-Work Progression Randomised Control Trial commenced in December 2015 and is likely to be completed in summer 2016. We are unable to provide the information requested at this early stage.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-02-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to ensure that every academy has its own governing body.
Lord Nash
Under the Academies Act 2010 an academy is a charitable company limited by guarantee and is therefore required under the Companies Act 2006 to have members and a board of trustees/ directors.
In a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT), individual academies do not have a separate legal identity and are all under the control of the trust board. Whether the board establishes local governing boards for each academy or local governing bodies to oversee groups of academies, and the range of functions delegated to any such boards, are both a matter for the board to determine – but in all cases the board remains accountable for all the academies in the MAT.
Fewer, higher quality and more highly skilled boards overseeing groups of schools is central to the Government’s strategy for improving the quality of governance. It is also the key to schools realising a wide range of other financial and educational benefits. While every academy may not therefore have its own governing body, our guidance in the Governance Handbook makes clear that boards should have meaningful and effective arrangements in place for engaging with and listening to the views and needs of parents, staff and the wider local community.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to encourage consumers to buy local produce.
George Eustice
The Great British Food Campaign celebrates the best of the UK’s food and drink, focusing particularly on our unique Protected Food Name products such as Traditionally Farmed Gloucestershire Old Spots Pork and Fenland Celery. Through Great British Food we aim to encourage consumers to think more carefully about the provenance of the food that they eat and to consider choosing innovative British produce as part of a balanced healthy diet.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-04-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the state of democracy and human rights in Bahrain.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We welcome the progress made by Bahrain on their reform programme particularly in the areas of youth justice, the establishment and increasing effectiveness of the Ombudsman’s office, the Prisoner and Detainees’ Rights Commission and the reformed National Institute of Human Rights. Some challenges remain and we regularly discuss human rights and reform with the Government of Bahrain. I did so most recently when I met the Bahraini Ambassador to the UK, Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, on 8 March 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ronnie Cowan on 2016-05-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many applications for feed-in tariffs under the renewables obligation order-feed-in tariff application process for larger systems managed by Ofgem are awaiting accreditation.
Andrea Leadsom
The total number of Renewables Obligation Order Feed-in Tariff (ROO-FIT) applications which are awaiting accreditation as of April 2016 is 1993. This includes 472 applications for preliminary accreditation, 1456 applications which have converted to full accreditation or applied for full accreditation, and 65 amendments to existing accredited installations. Ofgem aims to approve applications in under 12 weeks where all the necessary information has been provided.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2016-07-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to bring forward proposals for secondary legislation on identifying and supporting victims under section 50 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Mike Penning
We are committed to ensuring we have an effective system for identifying and supporting victims. We reviewed and are piloting changes to the National Referral Mechanism. We will consider the introduction of regulations once the proposed changes to the National Referral Mechanism have been tested.