Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will estimate the number of schools which have received funds from EU sources for improvements or maintenance in the last 10 years.

    Edward Timpson

    The department does not hold information on the number of schools which have been built using EU funds, nor does it hold information on the number of schools which have received funds from EU sources for improvements or maintenance.

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 29 June 2015 to Question 4049, when he expects the review of the Autism Awareness project to be published.

    Alistair Burt

    Following an interim evaluation, the Department’s commissioned Autism Awareness project, has now entered its second and final phase. Once this Autism Alliance UK project has been completed, it will be reviewed and a report will be published. This is expected in approximately six months’ time.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many stroke survivors are in (a) receipt of employment and support allowance and (b) the work-related activity group.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will instruct exam boards to offer GCSE and A-Level examinations in Persian after 2018; and if she will make a statement.

    Nick Gibb

    Examination boards are independent organisations and the Secretary of State cannot instruct them to offer any particular qualifications. On 22 April we announced the successful preservation of community language qualifications following negotiation with the examination boards. This fulfilled the commitment made by the Government in 2015. The announcement can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/future-of-community-language-qualifications-secured.

    It remains open to the exam boards to decide to offer qualifications in Persian in future.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding for children and young people with special educational needs was allocated to East Sussex local authority area through the dedicated schools grant in each of the last three years.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Funding for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) is allocated to local authorities through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), which includes both funding to be delegated to mainstream schools, and funding for the additional costs associated with educating children and young people with high needs.

    The Department does not allocate specific amounts of funding for children and young people with SEN within the funding allocated to local authorities for their mainstream schools. Schools are funded through a formula set by their local authority, and local authorities are required to delegate funds to a level that enables schools to meet the additional costs of pupils with SEN, up to £6,000 per annum. For those pupils whose additional support costs more than £6,000 the local authority pays top-up funding to the schools from their high needs budget.

    East Sussex County Council’s high needs allocation, within the dedicated schools grant, in each of the last three years was as follows:

    2015-16: £44.06 million

    2014-15: £42.82 million

    2013-14: £40.94 million

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what activities have been undertaken by (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department at (i) Richmond House, London and (ii) Quarry House, Leeds to promote breastfeeding during World Breastfeeding Week 2016.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Government is committed to supporting breastfeeding through the Healthy Child Programme.

    No specific activities were undertaken in either Richmond House or Quarry House by Ministers or officials in relation to World Breastfeeding Week.

  • Lord Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hussain on 2016-10-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the government of India’s recent refusal to allow access to representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to investigate possible human rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir, what representations they are making to the government of India to enable those investigations to be undertaken.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of reports of human rights abuses in Indian-administered Kashmir. Any allegation of human rights abuse in any country is a matter of concern and should be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has assessed the potential of liquid petroleum gas as a replacement for diesel in (a) passenger cars, (b) taxis, (c) HGVs, (d) vans and (e) public sector fleets.

    Andrew Jones

    As part of a consultation in 2014 on amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) the department considered the potential benefits of biopropane in delivering GHG savings. In recognition of this, the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation was subsequently amended to increase rewards for suppliers of that fuel from April 2015.

    The department, working with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, have evaluated a range of options for tackling poor air quality; this formed the basis of the Government’s draft air quality plans that recently went to public consultation. Switching to LPG can provide air quality benefits but may not be easily deployed in all vehicle types.

    As part of the department’s 2014 Clean Vehicle Technology Fund (CVTF) grant scheme, Birmingham City Council were awarded £500,000 to enable the conversion of 80 older black cabs from diesel to LPG which will help improve air quality on some of the most polluted roads. There is a possibility of funding through the current CVTF grant scheme being used to support further LPG conversions in other areas.

    We are considering many competing priorities across Government as part of the Spending Review, including measures to tackle air quality pollutants and reduce other harmful emissions. The outcome of the Spending Review will be announced later in the autumn.

    The department regularly meets with motor manufacturers and their representative body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Discussions on how manufacturers can act to tackle poor air quality cover a range of measures.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2015-12-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what incentives and performance targets exist to encourage HM Prison Service to improve rates of testing for hepatitis C among prisoners.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Improving the proactive detection, surveillance and management of infectious diseases in prisons is a shared priority for the National Offender Management Service, NHS England and Public Health England, as described in the Second National Partnership Agreement published earlier this year. A copy is attached.

    Included within this work programme is implementation of the blood-borne virus (BBV) opt-out testing programme for people in prisons, which includes testing for Hepatitis C virus infection as well as Hepatitis B virus and HIV.

    The ambition is to have BBV opt-out testing in all adult prisons in England by end of the financial year 2016-17.

    While there are currently no financial incentives or direct performance targets, performance in this activity is measured by NHS England through the collection of data via the Health & Justice Indicators of Performance. The data are used by NHS England commissioners to performance manage healthcare providers in prisons.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Leader of the House whether she will initiate discussions with the usual channels as to the desirability of establishing a general principle whereby items of business with a speakers list of more than 35 members should be tabled over two days, and not on one.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    Where the Speakers List for a debate is exceptionally long, it is open to the Usual Channels to consider special arrangements – including an early sitting of the House (as was arranged for the Second Reading of the European Union Referendum Bill) or adjourning the debate and resuming it on a subsequent day. However, in considering whether to make such arrangements, account must also be taken of members wishing to speak who may not be able to be present on a subsequent day, or for an earlier sitting, and would consequently not be able to participate if such an arrangement were made at short notice. For this reason, case-by-case consideration of the best way forward may serve the House better than a general principle, and so I do not propose to initiate discussions along the lines suggested at this time.