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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Young of Cookham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Young of Cookham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Young of Cookham on 2016-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Secretary of State will commence making grants to private registered providers under section 64 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Section 64 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 enables the Secretary of State to pay grant to private registered providers to cover the cost of the voluntary Right to Buy discount. Grant will only be paid out once a tenant has purchased their home and the provider has submitted a claim. Systems are in place with the five housing associations that are taking part in the voluntary Right to Buy pilot so that the Government can compensate them for the discount that their tenants get when they purchase their home.

    We are currently working with the National Housing Federation and the housing association sector on the implementation of the main scheme and will announce more details in due course.

  • Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what requirements are in place to ensure that the mental health of a defendant is fully considered before sentencing.

    Dr Phillip Lee

    Under the Criminal Justice Act 2003, before passing sentence, the Court must obtain a pre-sentence report unless it considers it unnecessary to do so in any individual case. The pre-sentence report covers all circumstances which are relevant to the offender and highlights any links to his offending behaviour, including mental health problems.

    Under the same Act, the Court is required to obtain and consider a medical report on a defendant who is or appears to be mentally disordered, before passing a custodial sentence.

  • Baroness Goudie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Baroness Goudie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Goudie on 2016-10-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many roles within the Department for Exiting the EU are currently unfilled; and how many job applications have been received for those roles.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The Department for Exiting the European Union now has over 250 staff and the expertise of 120 officials in Brussels, and is continuing to grow.

    We are not in a position to give a total number of job applications as recruitment is ongoing and we will not be giving a running commentary. Our aim is to have a streamlined Department, while ensuring the right skills and experience to get the best outcome for the UK.

  • Natalie McGarry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Natalie McGarry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Natalie McGarry on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) Glasgow and (d) Glasgow East constituency who had claimed carer’s allowance immediately prior to attaining state pension age have ceased to be eligible to claim that allowance upon their receipt of the state pension since (i) January 2015, (ii) January 2014, (iii) January 2013, (iv) January 2012, (v) January 2011, (vi) May 2010 and (vii) January 2010.

    Justin Tomlinson

    There is no upper age limit to claiming Carer’s Allowance, so reaching State Pension age does not automatically remove eligibility to Carer’s Allowance.

    However, both Carer’s Allowance and State Pension serve to help replace income forgone, so social security rules operate to prevent them being paid together as that would be a duplicate provision for the same need. But, if a carer’s State Pension is less than Carer’s Allowance, State Pension is paid and topped up with Carer’s Allowance to the basic weekly rate of Carer’s Allowance, which is currently £62.10.

    Where Carer’s Allowance cannot be paid, the person will keep underlying entitlement to the benefit. This gives access to the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit, currently worth up to £34.60 a week, and even if a pensioner’s income is above the limit for Pension Credit, he or she may still be able to receive Housing Benefit.

  • The Countess of Mar – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The Countess of Mar – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Countess of Mar on 2015-12-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 16 July (HL1538), whether, in preparing that answer, they took into account that a component of tri-cresyl phosphate (TCP) used in some engine oils is tri-xylyl phosphate (TXP), which is currently listed as a Substance of Very High Concern under Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 and as a hazardous substance under Regulation (EC) 1272/2008 because of its classification as toxic for reproduction, and that both TCP and TXP are listed as being suspected of causing harm to the unborn child or fertility.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Trixylyl phosphate (TXP) has been identified as reproductive hazard with effects on fertility based on the oral combined repeated dose and reproductive/developmental study submitted by the company Supresta Netherlands BV. The evidence in the study is derived from oral dosing of rats with various amounts of pure compound during time period of 33 to 48 days. Some effects to fertility were found in mid and high dose groups, however there was no evidence of the substance harming the development of the foetus.

    Based on the study, it is not plausible that the occupants of an aircraft would be exposed to sufficient quantities of TXP to have an impact on fertility.

  • Yasmin Qureshi – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Yasmin Qureshi – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many £500 grants were provided to help households affected by flooding in each local authority in the Greater Manchester area between 1 December 2015 and 13 January 2016; and how much funding has been received by each of those councils to provide such grants up to 13 January 2016.

    James Wharton

    The Department is supporting local authorities affected by Storm Desmond and Storm Eva with community recovery, business support and property resilience through the Communities and Business Recovery Scheme. It is for local authorities to determine how to use this money to best meet local need and ensure value for money.

    To date the Department has paid out over £47 million under the Communities and Business Recovery Scheme, including the amounts below to local authorities in the Greater Manchester area.

    Local authority

    Funding received (£)

    Bolton

    384,377

    Bury

    1,495,514

    City of Manchester

    129,290

    Oldham

    29,910

    Rochdale

    1,403,164

    Salford

    1,981,754

    Trafford

    3,694

    Wigan

    178,009

  • Ben Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ben Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on patient care of reductions in funding of HIV support services from April 2016.

    Jane Ellison

    Decisions on funding and access to social care support services for people with HIV are made by local authorities. The Care Act 2014 sets out the legal framework for social care in England, and this applies to all adults with support needs including those living with HIV.

    Diagnosed early most people with access to HIV treatment can expect a near normal life expectancy. Public Health England monitors the results of individuals receiving NHS HIV treatment. In 2014, 91% of people attending for care were receiving antiretroviral (ARV) treatment of which 95% were virally suppressed and very unlikely to be infectious to others. The United Kingdom is already ahead in meeting two of the three ambitious UNAIDS 90/90/90 global goals of 90% of people with HIV being diagnosed, 90% on ARV treatment and 90% viral suppression for those on ARV treatment by 2020.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many applications for consent determined by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have required appropriate assessment of their effect on European wildlife sites since 2010.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Since 2010, when the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has determined applications for consent, three Oil Transfer Licence applications have required appropriate assessments to be undertaken in relation to European Sites.

  • Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-03-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to hold a public consultation on the proposed closures of HM Revenue and Customs offices in Scotland.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) plans to create two new Regional Centres in Scotland, in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2019-20, accommodating between 5,700 and 6,300 employees. HMRC’s new Regional Centres will give its staff all they need including a modern office environment, close to good travel and transport links. They will provide stable, high quality jobs and offer a wide range of opportunities for training and promotion and allow its staff to follow more varied career paths than have previously been possible.

    HMRC will help all its staff work through their options. It will give everyone the opportunity to discuss their personal circumstances with their manager ahead of any office closures or moves, so they know about any issues that need to be taken into account when making decisions.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the progress that clinical commissioning groups have made on implementing NICE guidelines on fertility treatment; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    The level of provision of infertility treatment, as for all health services they commission, is decided by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and will take into account the needs of the population overall. The CCG’s decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. As such, provision of services will vary in response to local needs.

    CCGs have a legal duty to have regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. As such, NHS England expects that all those involved in commissioning infertility treatment services to be fully aware of the importance of having regard to the NICE fertility guidelines.

    Following a meeting with Fertility Fairness in December 2015, officials from the Department and NHS England are considering options for addressing variation in the prices that CCGs are currently paying for in vitro fertilisation treatment.

    Information about the costs of individual treatments is not collected centrally.