The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-02-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2016 to Question 24637, how many Band 3 and above prison officers took severance or redundancy packages in each month since May 2010.
Andrew Selous
It has not been possible to answer this question within the time available. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hamilton of Epsom on 2016-02-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy with regard to the payment of child benefits to EU migrants (1) who have been resident in the UK for fewer than four years, and (2) whose children are also resident in the UK.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
I refer the honourable member to the recent UK White Paper ‘The Best of Both Worlds: the United Kingdom’s special status in a reformed European Union’, available on the gov.uk website.
The UK’s settlement will mean that Child Benefit paid to EU nationals living here, but whose children live outside the UK, will no longer be paid at UK rates but be paid at a rate that reflects conditions – including the standard of living and Child Benefit paid – of the country where the children live.
Eligibility rules for Child Benefit for individuals moving to the UK can be found on the gov.uk website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the average value of unused food thrown away by households in the last 12 months.
Rory Stewart
Through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the Government continues to work with the grocery sector to reduce household food waste. The Love Food Hate Waste programme helps UK households to reduce food waste and save money through awareness raising and consumer advice. There has been a 15% (1.3 million tonnes) reduction in household food waste between 2007 and 2012.
WRAP launched Courtauld 2025 on 15 March, which builds on the progress we have already made. This new agreement includes a target to reduce food and drink waste arising in the UK by 20% by 2025 (calculated as a relative reduction per head of population).
For the average household, the price of avoidable food and drink waste is £470 per year. For the average household with children, the cost of avoidable food and drink waste is £700 per year.
The total amount of food thrown away by the average household is 260 kg per year. 160 kg of this is avoidable waste. For the average household with children, this figure rises to 390 kg per year, including 240 kg of avoidable food waste.
These are the latest available figures, applying to 2012. WRAP aims to publish updated figures for household food waste later this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many organisations received funding from the science budget to conduct research into the use of laser treatment for cancers in the most recent period for which figures are available.
Joseph Johnson
Research into cancer involving proton therapy and laser treatment falls within the remit of the Research Councils.
I have asked the Chair of the Research Councils UK Strategic Executive to write to the hon. Member and I will place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-06-03.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many migrants from (a) the EU, (b) the EEA and (c) countries outside the EU have settled in the UK since 1 January 2004 in each (i) region and (ii) local authority area where they have settled.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hannah Bardell on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the proposed Universal Service Obligation for broadband will apply in Scotland.
Matt Hancock
Telecoms, including the Broadband Univeral Service Obligation (USO) is a reserved matter and applies throughout the UK. We have regular discussions with the Scottish Government on a wide range of issues, and I am grateful for their responses to the Government’s USO consultation and more recently to Ofcom’s Call for Inputs on the design of the USO.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-10-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether police forces in Wales are required to contribute to the UK’s Apprenticeship Levy.
Brandon Lewis
The apprenticeship levy will be introduced on 6 April 2017. The levy will be paid by an employer, in any sector, with a pay bill more than £3 million each year. This includes police forces in England and Wales.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen McPartland on 2015-11-04.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of reductions in the level of the Bus Service Operators Grant that were made in 2012; and if he will make a statement.
Greg Hands
The Treasury has not assessed the effect of reductions in the level of the Bus Service Operator Grant on the economy.
The Treasury do however recognise the important role buses play in supporting both our economy and society and as such ensured no further cut to the Bus Service Operator Grant was implemented through the 2013 Spending Round. The Government are also taking action though the upcoming Buses Bill to provide local areas with the powers they have requested to help them to deliver better local bus services.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to improve integrated working between health visitors and children’s centres.
Mr Sam Gyimah
Children’s centres provide access to health services – either by providing the services or by providing advice and assistance on gaining access to services. Local authorities and local health commissioners have statutory duties to consider providing services through children’s centres to ensure that families get access to the services they need. The transfer of responsibility for public health services to local authorities in October this year provides new opportunities for local areas to configure health services to best effect.
The Department of Health has been working with local authorities in order to ensure sharing regular and timely updates of live birth data between NHS trusts and children’s centres and have mapped out a process for putting in place appropriate arrangements to support a national solution.
Children’s centres can also have a key role in delivering integrated reviews, which check a child’s health and educational progress at age two.
Future policy on children’s centres will be informed by the planned consultation on the future of children’s centre services, which is due to be launched shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-01-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance has been issued to police forces on monitoring and recording Gypsy and Traveller status as separate ethnic categories.
Mike Penning
The use of Census categories for ethnicity is assessed each year as part of the Home Office’s process of agreeing each year’s Annual Data Requirement (ADR) of mandatory collections of statistical data from the police. This process includes consideration of the need, use, burden and data quality issues for each data collection. The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) have previously advised against the transition to the new Census categories due to the significant burden that this would place on forces to change IT systems and processes.
The ADR collections currently use the Census 2001 ethnicity framework, and there are no plans at present to move to the Census 2011 framework, which would add a separate category of ‘Gypsy or Irish Traveller’.
The guidance given to police forces on providing data to the Home Office is based on the Census 2001 ethnicity framework. It is, however, a decision for individual forces as to how they monitor and record ethnicity data for their own purposes.