The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the (a) policy and (b) other responsibilities are of each special adviser in her Department.
Mr Desmond Swayne
The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers sets out the role of special advisers and describes the range of activities they may undertake. Copies of the Code of Conduct are available in the Libraries of the House and on-line at
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rupa Huq on 2016-03-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prosecutions conducted by local authorities resulted in convictions for benefit fraud between 2010 and 2014.
Dominic Raab
The information requested is not available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Cox on 2016-04-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps other than the social care precept the Government is taking to ensure that local authorities are able adequately to fund services for people with learning disabilities.
Alistair Burt
In addition to the social care precept, which gives local authorities access to up to £2 billion for adult social care by 2019/20; the Government has supported adult social care, which includes care for those with learning disabilities, by giving local authorities access to up to £1.5 billion of new support by 2019/20. This is based on the additional social care monies to be included in the Better Care Fund.
In the national service model and Building the Right Support published in October 2015, NHS England, the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services set out how areas would be supported to deliver lasting change to people with a learning disability and/or autism who display behaviour that challenges.
This includes service transformation – shifting money from some services, such as inpatient care, into others, such as community services.
To support this NHS England is making available up to £30 million of transformation funding over three years, to be matched by clinical commissioning groups, and £15 million in capital funding. This funding is in addition to the £10 million which was made available to six fast track areas in 2015/16.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much was spent on non-payroll staff in her Department in 2015-16.
Mrs Theresa Villiers
My Department has not incurred any expenditure on non-payroll staff during this period.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many officials of his Department of each grade banding have undergone more than 12 hours of training on universal credit; and how many such officials of each grade banding he forecasts will have undertaken such training on completion of the full rollout of universal credit to all eligible claimants.
Damian Hinds
The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) policy is to develop its staff in the skills and knowledge required to support a range of customers and deliver their services.
Universal Credit continues to be rolled out throughout the country and staff continue to be upskilled to support the implementation. I can confirm that to date the breakdown for DWP officials undergoing more than 12 hours of training on Universal Credit is as follows:
B/AO 5316
C/EO 6221
D/HEO 630
We are planning that all DWP staff who will be working with Universal Credit by the time of full roll out will have completed the required training. We plan on a flexible basis to meet customer demand and therefore forecasts vary.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the in-service dates are for the River-Class Offshore Patrol Vessels currently under construction on the Clyde.
Harriett Baldwin
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given in the House of Lords on 12 September 2016 by my noble Friend the Minister of State for Defence, the right hon. Earl Howe to the noble Lord, Lord West of Spithead to Question HL1533.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will designate airfields as greenfield sites.
Brandon Lewis
National planning policy already requires local planning authorities to take account of airfields’ growth and role in serving business, leisure, training and emergency needs. In March we issued guidance emphasising the need for local planning authorities to have regard to the extent to which an aerodrome contributes to connectivity outside the authority’s own boundaries.
Currently, all airfields, as land that has been previously developed, are regarded as brownfield land.
We will work with the aviation sector to ensure the current policy relating to development on airfields is better understood.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the Arab League on the situation in Syria before he published his response to the Second Report from the Foreign Affairs Committee, on the Extension of Offensive British Military Operations to Syria, HC 457.
Mr David Cameron
The Government are in regular contact with the Arab League who attended the International Syria Support Group in Vienna on 14 November. Nabil Al-Araby, Chair of the Arab League, participated in a discussion on Syria with UK representatives at the United Nations General Assembly on 30 September. We remain committed to engagement and coordination with regional partners in our efforts to degrade Daesh in Syria.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-01-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department spent on the outsourcing of its compliance review to Concentrix; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Gauke
The value of the contract was estimated at between £55m and £75m at contract award. Payments to Concentrix are based on the results they deliver, taking into account the quality and accuracy of their work.Concentrix are not paid for any cases where the decision they make is overturned.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) help limit increases in costs for (i) airport parking and (ii) train travel.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Department does not monitor costs for airport parking. Airports are private commercial enterprises operating in a competitive market. Any charges the airport wishes to pass on to passengers or visitors (including car parking) is solely a matter for the airport to manage and justify.
In terms of train travel, we recognise the pressure on hardworking families and have put a stop to above inflation (RPI) increases in regulated fares until 2020, extending the policy of a cap at RPI +0% for regulated rail fares we introduced in 2014. This will save the average season ticket holder £425 in this Parliament and means average earnings are outstripping rail fare increases for the first time in a decade.