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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children in England are educated at home; whether those children undertake the national tests that children in schools undertake; and whether checks are made on their parents’ qualifications to be home tutors.

    Edward Timpson

    No data is collected nationally on the number of children educated at home. If a child is educated at home, they can only be entered for National Curriculum Assessments if also registered on the roll of a school in advance.

    It is not necessary to hold any particular qualification to educate a child at home. Parents have a duty under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 to ensure that a child educated at home receives a full-time education suitable for their age, ability and aptitudes. Although local authorities have no power to monitor the suitability of education provided at home, they have a duty to identify children who are not receiving a suitable education. Authorities may make informal enquiries about the provision made in the home and the attainment of the child. If an authority is not satisfied that the education provided is suitable, it can initiate a school attendance process.

    We are taking steps to ensure the system is as robust as it can be when it comes to protecting young people while at the same time safeguarding the right of parents to determine how and when to education their children.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect on the number of people employed by police services who are from non-EU countries of the salary threshold increase for Tier 2 visa applications to £35,000.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government announced in 2012 that from 6 April 2016 Tier 2 visa holders who apply for settlement in the UK will be required to meet a minimum annual salary requirement of £35,000. PhD level roles and those in recognised shortage will be exempt from the £35,000 threshold.

    Data of the number of people employed in specific regions of the United Kingdom is not available. The Home Office holds individual records showing the working location of Tier 2 (General) migrants, but centralised records show the registered address of the Tier 2 Sponsor, which is normally that organisation’s Head Office.

    The Home Office published a full impact assessment on the changes to Tier 2 settlement rules when they were laid before Parliament on 15 March 2012. This includes the impact on the top ten occupations and is available on the gov.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/117957/impact-assessment-tier2.pdf

  • Liz Kendall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Liz Kendall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Kendall on 2016-04-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) average and (b) longest length of time was that patients with a diagnosis of autism who were (i) adults and (ii) children were held on mental health wards in each of the last three years because they could not get a suitable living placement.

    Alistair Burt

    The total number of adults with a diagnosis of autism who have been held on mental health wards was five in 2014 and 10 in 2015.

    The table below provides average and longest length for adults with a diagnosis of autism who were held on mental health wards in each of the last two years because they could not get a suitable living placement.

    Longest length of stay (days)

    Average length of stay (days)

    2014 Adults (aged 18 and over)

    435

    236

    2015 Adults (aged 18 and over)

    249

    71

    Data for children for this same period cannot be provided as the total is fewer than five in each given year and cannot be made available in order to minimise disclosure risks associated with small numbers.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the timetable is for implementing HPV vaccinations at sexual health clinics for men who have sex with men.

    Jane Ellison

    The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the expert body that advises the Government on all immunisation matters, advised that a targeted human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme should be undertaken for men who have sex with men (MSM) up to 45 years of age who attend genitourinary medicine and HIV clinics. They noted that this should be subject to procurement of the vaccine and delivery of the programme at a cost-effective price. JCVI acknowledged that finding a way to implement its advice would be challenging and made clear that work was needed by the Department and others to consider commissioning and delivery routes for this programme.

    The Department announced on 26 May 2016 that an HPV vaccination pilot for MSM would start in June.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-07-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what instructions they have given to all ministers of the Crown and senior civil servants to work to facilitate an early and effective withdrawal from the EU.

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

    A new Department for Exiting the European Union has been established by the Prime Minister. The Department will lead the UK’s negotiations to leave the European Union and establish the future relationship between the EU and the UK, working closely with the UK’s devolved administrations, Parliament, and a wide range of other interested parties on this approach. Officials and ministers will work closely with other departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Trade and others, to ensure the British public and business interests get the best possible deal when the UK leave the EU.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to address the issue of non-British citizens tricking British citizens into marriage to obtain a UK visa or citizenship.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    We take abuse of the spouse immigration route very seriously. In July 2012 the minimum probationary period before a non-European Economic Area (non-EEA) national spouse of a British citizen can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK was increased from two years to five years. This is a better test of the genuineness of the relationship before it can be relied upon as a basis for seeking to settle permanently in the UK.

    In March 2015, a new scheme to tackle sham marriages was introduced under the Immigration Act 2014. All proposed marriages where one or both parties could gain an immigration advantage from it are now referred by registration officials to the Home Office. This gives us a much stronger platform to identify, disrupt and deter sham marriages.

    If the marriage breaks down permanently before or once the non-EEA national spouse has obtained Indefinite Leave to Remain, the British citizen spouse can provide the Home Office with any relevant information and we may cancel or revoke their former spouse’s leave if it can be established that this was obtained by deception.

  • Heidi Alexander – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Heidi Alexander – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the total amount that will be spent on pay for junior doctors in 2015-16; and how many junior doctors will be employed in that year.

    Ben Gummer

    Data on the junior doctor paybill for 2015/2016 and those that will be employed over this financial year is not yet available.

    The latest data available relates to the financial year 2014/2015. For that year the substantive junior doctor paybill was £3.1 billion; and there were an average of around 53,000 full-time-equivalent junior doctors employed over the year.

  • Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what timetable he has set for tax credit claimants in Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency to migrate to universal credit.

    Priti Patel

    We are rolling out Universal Credit (UC) in a careful and controlled manner – an approach that was endorsed by the Major Projects Authority. UC is now available to single claimants, couples and families in Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency.

    Our plan is that existing benefit and tax credit claimants will be migrated to UC by 2020/21. Further details will be made available in due course.

  • Gavin Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Gavin Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Robinson on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the Armed Forces Covenant applies to Northern Ireland.

    Mark Lancaster

    Since the launch of the Armed Forces Covenant in 2011 the Ministry of Defence has worked closely with Northern Ireland Government Departments, Service charities and other groups to build on existing measures to support the Armed Forces Community. In 2013, the Select Committee on Northern Ireland Affairs reported that, less some specific areas, Covenant measures were being applied in Northern Ireland.

    I acknowledge that the Armed Forces Covenant does not enjoy the same level of awareness or appreciation in Northern Ireland as in other parts of the UK. However, I am clear that every effort is being made to implement the Covenant against the particular nuances of the Northern Irish political and legal environment. The Ministry of Defence and other parties work tirelessly to ensure good relationships help develop improved understanding of specific needs and I have been impressed by the way in which solutions to these needs are generated in a focussed and professional manner. Such provision is fully commensurate with the aims and objectives of the Covenant, whether it is branded as such or not.

    Service personnel in Northern Ireland are well-catered for under the auspices of the Covenant and are at no particular disadvantage, although more work is needed to identify the needs of those within the veterans community. This work is ongoing, well-resourced, and fully recognised as activity provided within the scope of the Armed Forces Covenant.

  • Antoinette Sandbach – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Antoinette Sandbach – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps the Secretary of State is taking to ensure supermarkets are not breaching the industry code of practice by delaying payments to suppliers and demanding extra fees.

    Anna Soubry

    The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is responsible for enforcing the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (the Code). The GCA is independent from Government. The current Adjudicator is Christine Tacon.

    The Government fully supports the GCA. We were very pleased to see the recent report of her investigation into Tesco. The GCA found Tesco had breached the Code by delaying payments to its suppliers and she made recommendations to ensure future compliance with the Code.

    The GCA’s investigation and report sent a clear message to all supermarkets subject to the Code that she will accept no less than the principle of fair dealing demanded by the Code. It put the industry on notice that any breach of the Code is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.