The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2015-12-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether governors of maintained schools are allowed to agree a budget deficit.
Lord Nash
Governors are responsible for agreeing the budget of a school under the arrangements set out in their Local Authority’s Scheme for Financing Schools, which may preclude any planning for deficits; or it may allow schools to plan for deficits only in certain approved circumstances.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-01-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what responsibilities Ofcom has for (a) data protection, (b) consumer rights relating to data and (c) data markets; and what plans he has to review those responsibilities.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the primary regulator in relation to the protection of personal data – its powers are set out in the Data Protection Act (1998) and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (2003). Ofcom has responsibilities in relation to network security under Sections 105A to 105D of the Communications Act (2003), which place an obligation on providers of telecoms networks and services to take appropriate measures to protect their security and resilience. Ofcom and the ICO have agreed that the ICO will lead on any personal data protection issues which may also fall within the scope of s105A. As with all matters of responsibility for regulation, these arrangements are kept under review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-02-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations he has received on the timescale for the completion of the area review process in further education.
Nick Boles
Government will produce an evaluation of the area review programme and its potential to impact on groups protected by the Equality Act 2010. The reviews do not however, mandate action, and colleges are independent corporations, so it will be for each college’s governing body to assess the potential impact on groups protected by the Act, as part of its decision to accept or reject any recommendation requiring a change to their provision.
Each area review steering group will consider relevant data relating to current courses delivered within their area, assess the relevance of these courses to local learner and employer needs and determine how current and future demand can be best met through the recommendations of the area review.
Individual area reviews are expected to take about four months, the timescale being dependent on the number of colleges and complexity of the local issues involved in each area. The overall review process has been divided into five waves of area reviews and is scheduled to be completed by March 2017
We expect the costs of completing an area review to be met within existing budgets, with minimal additional costs to the colleges, local authorities or LEPs involved. The Departments and their agencies will undertake this work with no additional staffing. Additional costs will be minimal.
The costs arising from the recommendations of each review will be explored as part of the process. We expect the colleges, alongside local authorities and LEPs with devolved skills budgets, to consider how these costs can be met locally. Where there are costs that cannot be met, but which are essential to the successful implementation of the review, we have announced a facility for transitional funding to support this. We will provide more detail in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-03-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department spent on promotional material and publicity for (a) Community Clear Up Day in 2015 and (b) Clean for the Queen in 2016.
Mr Marcus Jones
In March 2015, communities across the country rolled up their sleeves and got behind a nationwide spring clean in order to spruce up our favourite public places. The Department for Communities and Local Government spearheaded this initiative and it was a success with several hundred clear-ups arranged by grassroots activists including community and faith groups, councils and parishes, and schools and sports teams.
The Department spent £5,000 on solid, consistent branding for Community Clear Up Day which was clearly government backed, making the campaign recognisable for key stakeholders and the public alike.
It also spent £5,000 on promoting Community Clear Up Day through Facebook. Having ownership of social media ensured the Department was able to engage with the public effectively, and be proactive and responsive when necessary in its social communications.
In March 2016, the Clean for the Queen campaign, spearheaded by Keep Britain Tidy and backed by organisations including the Women’s Institute, the National Trust and the Campaign to Protect Rural England, was the biggest community-led clean-up the country has ever seen. Following the success of utilising Facebook for Community Clear Up Day, the Department for Communities and Local Government, in order to support the initiative, again spent £5,000 on this method of engaging with stakeholders and local communities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive on applying lessons learned from statistics on low energy bill debts.
Andrea Leadsom
DECC officials have meetings with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive on a regular basis to discuss market issues.
I welcome the use of smart technology, such as the introduction of keypad electricity prepayment meters in North Ireland, to help consumers manage their bills and reduce energy debt. The rollout of smart meters across Great Britain has the potential to transform customers’ experience in a similar way.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Williams on 2016-05-18.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what dates in 2017 tax-free childcare is planned to be made available to children aged (a) 0-2, (b) 3-4, (c) 5-6, (d) 7-8, (e) 9-10 and (f) 11-12 years.
Damian Hinds
Tax-Free Childcare will be launched from early 2017. To roll out the scheme in a safe and managed way, we will be gradually opening up the scheme to all eligible parents within 12 months.
We will provide further details of the exact plans for this rollout in due course and in good time for parents and childcare providers to prepare for the introduction of Tax-Free Childcare.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2016-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people on removal flights from the UK in the last 12 months had (a) lived in the UK for over 20 years and (b) still had family in the UK when they were removed.
James Brokenshire
This information is not captured in our standard reports. To obtain this would require a manual search of the Home Office Case Information Database. The Information requested could therefore only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2015 to Question 43633, what the terms are of his Department’s emergency loan agreement for British nationals overseas who require assistance from public funds to pay for repatriation; and what provision his Department makes for people who cannot afford the repayment conditions.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
When a British national (BN) enters into an emergency loan agreement with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) they sign a form to declare that they have exhausted all other methods of helping themselves, and accept the sum of the debt in its entirety. By signing the form, the BN is acknowledging that if they do not repay the loan within 6 months, the remaining balance will be subject to a surcharge of 10%; and that the total amount loaned to them must be repaid within five years. Failure to repay the debt may result in legal proceedings to recover monies owed.
In most cases, people are also required to agree to give up their passport. In all cases they must acknowledge that Her Majesty’s Passport Office will not process an application for a new passport until the debt is paid in full. They must also consent for the Department for Work and Pensions to release to the FCO such information as may be relevant in respect of any non-payment.
We know that some individuals face difficulties in repaying their loan. When agreeing to the terms of the loan agreement we advise people to contact the FCO upon their return to the UK to discuss the options for loan repayment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what representations she has made to energy companies to ensure they pass on reductions in the wholesale price of gas and electricity to the consumer.
Andrea Leadsom
DECC ministers and officials meet with energy companies on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues.
The government expects suppliers to make sure any reductions in the costs of supplying energy are passed to consumers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-12-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of concerns about the increase in antibiotic resistance, what assessment they have made of the recent study by researchers at King’s College London, published in the British Journal of General Practice, reporting a link between patient satisfaction and the prescription of antibiotics, in particular given that patient satisfaction is a contributory factor to GPs’ performance-related pay.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The Government is aware of the research from King’s College, which shows the pressures that general practitioners face to prescribe antibiotics, even when they are not clinically appropriate.
We have already taken steps to address this issue, in particular, through measures to educate the public on the value of antibiotics and when the use of these drugs is inappropriate. For example, the Public Health England (PHE) is undertaking work to reduce antibiotic prescribing in general practice through low cost and scalable interventions designed by behavioural scientists. In addition, PHE has developed the Antibiotic Guardian campaign to improve prescribing behaviours amongst healthcare professionals and to encourage the public to use antibiotics responsibly. Furthermore, all prescribers are encouraged to support antimicrobial stewardship by following guidance from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence on antimicrobial stewardship, published in August 2015.