The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Lumley on 2016-10-20.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many letters of complaint to HM Revenue and Customs have been responded to within 28 days in the latest period for which figures are available.
Jane Ellison
HM Revenue and Customs uses a 15 working day response target for complaints. As at the beginning of October, for the year to date the Department’s 15 day response performance stands at 75%.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville on 2015-10-27.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Leasehold Advisory Service about future demands on its services for free legal advice from leaseholders, landlords, professional advisers, managers and others as a result of expanding the right-to-buy scheme to Housing Association tenants.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
We are working collaboratively with the sector in implementing the Right to Buy extension; Ministers and senior officials continue to engage with partners.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential for the UK to be a world leader in (a) production of, (b) use of and (c) research into autonomous vehicle technology; and what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of practice developed in autonomous vehicle projects and research in Sweden.
Andrew Jones
We recognise the transformative potential that connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technologies have for mobility and our transport system, and the significant opportunities that exist for UK industry in their development and commercialisation.
That is why we are committed to the development of CAVs, maintaining and improving the UK’s world leading position. Together with industry, academia, and cities we are running trials of CAVs in four cities in England, and have plans for a connected corridor on a key route combining urban roads and motorways. We are also funding research into intelligent mobility focusing on connected and autonomous vehicles.
The Government has also announced:
– A £20 million collaborative R&D competition, match-funded by industry, to explore user behaviours, and how other road users will respond to these technologies.
– A world-leading, Code of Practice for driverless cars to help make UK best place for testing without placing additional regulatory burden on industry.
– A new joint policy team, the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), which will act as a single point of contact for industry and co-ordinate/enhance government activity.
There are a number of other countries, including Sweden that are trialling driverless vehicles. We will review outcomes of both the UK and international trials and take forward the valuable insights they will provide for policy development.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-01-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many new affordable homes to (a) rent and (b) buy will be built via section 106 Planning Obligations on the direct commissioning sites at (i) Old Oak Common, (ii) Northstowe, (iii) Lower Grayling Well, (iv) Connaught Barracks and (v) Daedelus Waterfront.
Brandon Lewis
The holding costs for the site relate to the entirety of the site and are consistent with the legal and health and safety obligations of the Homes and Communities Agency as land owner.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-02-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which vaping or e-cigarette products the NHS can prescribe to help smokers quit; and what the process was for selecting those products.
Jane Ellison
Only e-cigarettes that have been granted a marketing authorisation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) can be prescribed by the National Health Service.
By law, before a medicine can be placed on the market, it must be given a marketing authorisation (product licence) by a medicines regulator. The United Kingdom regulator is the MHRA. A specially trained panel of medicines assessors reviews all the available evidence arising out of the pre-clinical research and clinical trials. Manufacturers may also be asked to supply additional information. The MHRA also inspects the factory where the medicine is to be made, to make sure that supplies will be of a uniformly and consistently high standard.
To date one e-cigarette, e-Voke (10and 15mg electronic inhalers) has been granted a marketing authorisation by the MHRA. It is, however, not yet commercially available on the UK market to prescribe.
It is a commercial decision whether to apply to a medicines regulator for a marketing authorisation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much the Government expects to accrue to the public purse from the planned annual charge on Australian and New Zealand citizens for use of the NHS.
James Brokenshire
The Impact Assessment published on 4 February 2016, alongside the draft Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2016, estimates that a net additional £41 million could be raised for the NHS in present value, over 5 years, in 2016-17 prices, by applying the health charge to Australian and New Zealand nationals and reducing the annual health charge for Youth Mobility Scheme visa applicants from £200 to £150.
The Impact Assessment can be viewed at the link below and is also available in the Vote Office (Commons): http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2016/9780111143278/impacts
These changes are subject to affirmative resolution and will be debated in the House of Commons and House of Lords. If they are approved by Parliament, the Government plans to implement the changes from 6 April.
The Government think it only fair that Australian and New Zealand nationals contribute to the UK’s health service in the same way as other non-EEA nationals. The changes will only apply to Australian and New Zealand nationals who plan to enter the UK for a temporary period of more than six months; visitors will not need to pay the charge and Australians and New Zealanders will continue to benefit from our reciprocal healthcare agreements.
Further, the Government has in recognition of the close and important links between our countries, agreed during discussions with the Australian and New Zealand Governments, to reduce the health charge that applies to the Youth Mobility Scheme from £200 to £150 in line with students. This is the category used by more than half of Australian and New Zealand nationals granted visa’s to the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January to Question 22232, when he plans to publish the findings of the London and South Coast Rail Corridor Study.
Claire Perry
The Study is expected to be completed shortly, and the Government will subsequently consider the timeframe for releasing the study findings, including our response.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Flick Drummond on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote the participation of women in the Syrian peace negotiations.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The UK is committed to peace talks between the Syrian parties, under UN auspices in Geneva and continues to work closely with the International Syria Support Group. The UK encouraged the UN Special Envoy for Syria and the Syrian opposition to include women in the negotiations. The UN established a Women’s Advisory Board and the opposition’s negotiating team includes women.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to improve its ability to efficiently shift its involvement from providing short-term humanitarian assistance to long-term development projects in regions experiencing protracted crises.
Mr Desmond Swayne
We are increasing our capacity to deal with protracted and multiple crises. We have set up a new team to develop thinking on our overall approach to protracted crises, and are working across the department to share lessons and build on best practice.
We are also working with international partners to develop solutions for protracted crises – and more appropriate medium term financing. The UK co-hosted the “Supporting Syria and the Region” conference in London on 4 February 2016 which raised over $12bn in pledges, of which $6.1 billion has been committed for 2017-20 to enable partners to plan ahead. We are approaching the UN World Humanitarian Summit 2016 with an ambitious set of objectives to secure commitment to implementing a new approach to protracted displacement.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-06-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the take-up rate is of the HPV vaccine for girls in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) the UK.
Jane Ellison
Data for the Mansfield and Ashfield Clinical Commissioning Group are included within the Nottinghamshire Local Authority, which is within the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Area Team.
The uptake rates for the first dose of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine given to Year 8 girls (12-13 year olds) from 1 September 2014 to 31 August 2015 are:
Nottinghamshire local authority: 89.1%;
South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Area Team: 90.0%; and
United Kingdom: 89.5%.
The latest published figures for the HPV vaccination programme cover the 2014/15 academic year, and show the uptake rate for the first dose of this two dose programme. Vaccine uptake data covering the second dose will not be available until autumn 2016.