Tag: Parliamentary Question

Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will review the affordability of public transport for people in full-time education; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones

The legislation which regulates the bus industry does not require bus operators to offer reduced fares to young people. However, bus operators in most areas do offer discounted travel tickets to various groups of young people on a commercial basis. Government recognises the importance of accessible transport to all young people and we are working with the sector to encourage operators to continue to improve their offers.

Whilst there is no requirement for local authorities to provide free transport for 16-19 year olds attending further education, some local authorities do also provide discretionary travel concession schemes for young people.

Current estimates indicate that around 50% of young people aged 16 to 19 receive at least a third off standard bus fares.

In terms of rail services, young rail passengers are able to purchase a 16 – 25 Railcard where they can save a third on most standard class rail fares.

01/01/2023
Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a final decision was made to close 15 HM Passport Office interview offices; and what discussions her Department has had with staff representatives on those closures.

Karen Bradley

The decision regarding the changes to the passport application interview estate was taken on 21 December 2015.

Affected staff, and their trade union representatives, were informed of this decision on 28 January 2016. This launched a formal period of consultation about the impact upon staff following the changes to the passport application interview estate. This consultation is ongoing.

01/01/2023
Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of his Department’s (a) Senior Civil Servants and (b) core policy civil servants are based in London.

Mr Robert Goodwill

89% of Senior Civil Servants in the Department for Transport are based in London.

Information on the profession of civil servants is not stored on the central system and therefore we are unable to confirm which civil servants who define themselves as a Policy professional are based in London.

01/01/2023
Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on the Thameslink programme; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry

London Bridge station works are progressing to schedule to enable the planned opening of part of the new concourse in late summer.

The new Class 700 trains are undergoing testing on the network and are due to enter passenger service on the Brighton to Bedford Thameslink route this spring.

01/01/2023
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 2016-05-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessments they have made of the value of creating a legal status for those participating in full-time, long-term volunteering programmes, such as those run by City Year UK, vInspired and Volunteering Matters, under the proposed National Citizen Service Bill.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The National Citizen Service Bill will place the NCS programme on permanent statutory footing. It is estimated that NCS participants have dedicated over 8 million hours of volunteering to their local communities to date. Other opportunities for young people to participate in social action, such as those run by City Year UK, vInspired and Volunteering Matters, have contributed to the success of NCS and made sure that young people have opportunities to develop new skills that extend and transform their life chances. The government is committed to increasing volunteering and social action, and to providing support for different opportunities and programmes that encourage volunteering.

01/01/2023
Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding is available for training care workers on supporting people with autism.

David Mowat

Revised statutory guidance for local authorities and National Health Service organisations to support implementation of the Adult Autism Strategy was issued in 2015 and reiterated requirements and expectations for staff including care workers who work with people who have autism. In 2016/17, the Department is providing approximately £23.3 million in funding to Skills for Care for the training and development of the adult social care workforce. Skills for Care has developed a comprehensive suite of standards and qualifications to help workers develop the skills and knowledge they need to support people who use services, including those with autism.

Support for people who are diagnosed with autism is provided and facilitated at a local level by local authorities, the NHS, and schools and colleges when the person is still in education. An adult diagnosed with autism has, under the Care Act 2014, a right to an assessment of needs and, where relevant, a carer’s assessment. Adults who subsequently do not qualify for social care support should receive information on what other support may be available. A child who is diagnosed with autism may be eligible for special educational support in school; where a child’s special educational needs require an Education, Health and Care plan, the local authority and clinical commissioning group must work together to commission services jointly across education, health and social care.

01/01/2023
Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his proposals to time-limit civil claims made in relation to military operations will apply to Operation Banner.

Mike Penning

We are not currently in a position to confirm our plans with regards to limitation. We will make an announcement in due course.

01/01/2023
Jim Dowd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Dowd on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many students have enrolled at further education establishments in (a) London, (b) the London Borough of Lewisham, (c) the London Borough of Southwark and (d) the London Borough of Bromley in each of the last five years.

Nick Boles

Adult skills funding allocations to further education providers are published on the Skills Funding Agency website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2015-to-2016

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2014-to-2015

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2005-to-2013

Funding to further education providers for learners aged 16-18 is provided by the Department for Education.

Information on the number of learners participating in English and maths courses by geography from 2005/06 onwards is published in a supplementary table (first link) to a Statistical First Release at the FE Data Library (second link). Information on the number of learners participating in further education and skills by geography from 2005/06 onwards is published in a second supplementary table (third link).

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/382085/englishandmaths-participation-by-geography-learner-demographics.xlsc

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fe-data-library

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/378262/feandskills-participation-by-geography-learner-demographics.xls

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01/01/2023
Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to reduce net migration from Europe, other than seeking reform of provision of welfare for non-British EU citizens.

James Brokenshire

Free movement is an important principle of the EU but it is not an unqualified right and it must be grounded in the freedom to take up work in another Member State, to contribute to the economy and to integrate into society.

We have taken firm steps to restrict access to out of work benefits by EU jobseekers and we can remove them if they are not in a job within six months. We have removed access to Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for jobseekers and introduced a new test to check whether EU nationals who claim in-work benefits really have meaningful and effective employment here.

We have toughened the Habitual Residence Test, the gateway test which all migrants have to satisfy to access benefits, and we have introduced tougher checks for the payment of child benefit and child tax credit to EU nationals. To tackle abuse, we have introduced new powers so that EU nationals who don’t meet the requirements for residence are removed and banned from coming back for 12 months, unless they have a valid reason to be here (for example an immediate job start).

The Prime Minister set out in his speech on 10 November and in his letter to the President of the European Council the issues we are seeking to tackle through the EU reform negotiations to restore a sense of fairness to our immigration system and to reduce the current very high level of population flows from within the EU into the UK.

01/01/2023

Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-01-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employees who were dismissed from employment by his Department or its executive agencies since 2010 were on long-term sickness absence at the time of their dismissal; and how many such employees had been diagnosed with a condition considered (a) incurable, and (b) terminal.

Justin Tomlinson

DWP has succeeded in reducing sickness absence from an annual average of 8.4 days per employee in December 2010 to 6.2 days per employee currently.

DWP’s Attendance Management policy is supportive of our people and we are committed to helping them maintain good health. We will support employees during periods of sickness absence as long as there is a realistic prospect they will return to work. However, where this is not the case, we need to take prompt action to manage the situation.

The following table provides a summary of number of employees dismissed while on long-term sickness absence.

Year	Headcount at end of year	Dismissals on Long Term Sick
2010	112,135	450
2011	101,331	439
2012	106,487	333
2013	99,343	423
2014	90,388	453
2015	84,429	421

DWP does not record whether an employee’s condition is diagnosed as incurable or terminal, so cannot provide this information.

01/01/2023