The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hepburn on 2016-01-06.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have been employed in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 2008.
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 on 2016-02-01.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 16 January 2013 (HL4464) describing the Childsmile programme as very encouraging”
Lord Prior of Brampton
There are a variety of community based oral health improvement programmes that have been shown to be effective in reducing dental decay. No single intervention is likely to provide a solution to oral health improvement priorities and many work together for maximum benefit, for example water fluoridation and fluoride toothpaste.
Public Health England recently reviewed such programmes and published an evidence informed toolkit entitled; Local authorities improving oral health: commissioning better oral health for children and young people, for local authorities to support their work on oral health improvement. Local authorities can therefore consider a range of oral health improvement programmes (including those which make up the Childsmile programme in Scotland and water fluoridation) and decide which or which combination is most appropriate to their local population’s needs. A copy of the toolkit is attached.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-02-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his proposals for the extension of Sunday trading hours has passed the family test.
Anna Soubry
The Government’s Family Test is not a pass or fail measure.
The Government has conscientiously considered the impact on families and the evidence on this presented during the consultation. The Government will publish the Impact Assessment, including the Family Test, shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Freer on 2016-03-21.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many properties valued at or over £1 million were sold in October to December (a) 2014 and (b) 2015; and how much was raised in stamp duty land tax in each of those periods.
Mr David Gauke
The table below summarises estimates for the number of and yield from property transactions between October and December 2014 and 2015. The estimates for 2014 include transactions in Scotland whereas estimates for 2015 do not because SDLT ceased to be applicable to Scottish transactions from 1 April 2015. The figures for the 2015-16 financial year are provisional.
|
October to December 2014 |
October to December 2015 |
|
|
Residential Transactions at or over £1m (Number) |
4,800 |
5,300 |
|
Residential Transactions at or over £1m (Stamp Duty Land Tax) |
£577 million |
£674 million |
|
Non-Residential Transactions at or over £1m (Number) |
3,800 |
3,600 |
|
Non-Residential Transactions at or over £1m (Stamp Duty Land Tax) |
£708 million |
£731 million |
|
Total Stamp Duty Land Tax |
£2.87 billion |
£2.91 billion |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the findings of the Annual Report 2015 of the Service Complaints Ombudsmen for the Armed Forces, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of the Service Complaints Commissioner among junior members of the armed forces.
Mark Lancaster
The Service Complaints Ombudsman’s annual report for 2015 was published on 25 April 2016. Whilst there are no recommendations in this year’s report, given the introduction of a reformed complaints system and a fundamentally new Ombudsman role, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is curently considering the report in detail to see what lessons there are for the complaints process or wider policies.
The aim of the reforms introduced on 1 January 2016 is to address long-standing concerns raised by the Service Complaints Commissioner that confidence in the system has been affected by complexity which has led to delay and by a lack of strong independent and effective oversight. Such a lack of confidence can in turn leave our personnel reluctant to raise issues and so have them resolved. The new process is streamlined, and Service personnel will now be able to approach the new Service Complaints Ombudsman if they are dissatisfied, which will make a real difference for individuals. The Ombudsman has significant new powers to hold the MOD to account for fair, effective and efficient complaints handllng. The Ombudsman comments in her report that she is hopeful that the new system will make a real impact on confidence levels. The MOD shares that view, and looks forward to the Ombudsman’s 2016 report for her assessment of whether the aims are being achieved.
It is important that all Service personnel know where to get information about how to make a service complaint, as well as about the role of the new Service Complaints Ombudsman and how to contact her. We will take further steps to communicate as widely as possible through appropriate channels the role of the new Ombudsman, particularly to junior personnel, which will supplement and support the visits undertaken and communication material produced by the Ombudsman.
Bullying, harassment and discrimination are not tolerated in the Armed Forces. Tackling such behaviour depends on our Service personnel having confidence that the complaints system will deal with their concerns appropriately and will treat them fairly. The Service Complaints Ombudsman will hold the MOD to account for how it handles complaints and how it treats its Service personnel under the complaints process. It is by raising complaints and approaching the Ombudsman if they are dissatisfied that complainants can ensure that the MOD is openly held to account. It is also through the Ombudsman’s recommendations that the MOD can identify where action needs to be taken to improve.
The finding by the Service Complaints Ombudsman that proportionately more women feel moved to make a Service complaint than their male colleagues is a concern. The Ombudsman goes on to commend the work that is being done by the Army in particular, where the issue is the most acute, to tackle this. The initiatives that she sets out in the report are continuing.
It is the responsibility of all those involved in the service complaints process to ensure complaints are handled effectively and efficiently. All complaints are to be dealt with promptly but fairly, regardless of the complainant’s rank or whether they are still serving. There have been no discussions with the Chief of the Defence Staff on the issues raised.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-06-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much notice her Department gave schools of the changes to primary school SATs tests in 2016.
Nick Gibb
The new primary national curriculum was published in final form in July 2013. It came into force in September 2014. The new national curriculum tests at Key Stages 1 and 2 were first announced in March 2014. Since then schools have been provided with further information to help them adapt to the assessment arrangements. In addition to sample questions published in summer 2014, complete sample tests were published in summer 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Efford on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of whether the award to Circle Holdings plc of the contract to provide musculoskeletal services in Greenwich will affect the Sustainability Transformation Plan for two elective orthopaedic centres in London; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Philip Dunne
The procurement of local health services by means of competitive tendering is a matter for the local National Health Service.
We are advised that NHS Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) undertook a review of the provision of musculoskeletal (MSK) services in the area in 2014, involving local general practitioners (GPs), secondary care clinicians, other MSK clinicians and patient groups. The CCG took account of this exercise in confirming its commissioning intentions for an integrated MSK service pathway. The CCG subsequently held a GP clinical commissioner-led provider engagement event on 2 March 2016 to seek feedback on the clinical service specification and the proposed contractual model.
We understand that, as part of the procurement process, the MSK Programme Board was fully apprised of the Our Healthier South East London initiative, the predecessor to the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) in respect of elective orthopaedic centres.
We are advised that the Invitation to Tender (ITT) developed as part of the procurement exercise explicitly stated the aspirations of these two initiatives, in addition to the proposed implementation timeline. When submitting their bids, all prospective providers were required to confirm their understanding and acceptance of the planned new model of in-patient care. Patient choice continues to apply with regard to both this local procurement and the South East London STP proposals on elective care centres.
We understand that the ITT issued to potential service providers, was divided into sections, with each section allocated a weighting. The financial weighting was designed to ensure that the selection of the preferred provider was driven by clinical quality scores whilst remaining within the CCG’s published financial envelope. The detailed clinical service specification will be used to hold the provider to account within the format of the NHS national standard contract.
Health Ministers have not received any representations from local health practitioners in Greenwich with regard to the provision of MSK services in the area.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2016-10-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has used the Tempro 7 system to make revised calculations of traffic flows on the proposed M4 relief road.
Mr John Hayes
The assessment of the M4 relief road around Newport is being considered by the Welsh Government.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-11-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2015 to Question 8364, (a) how many and (b) in which countries British military personnel were embedded in (i) each of the last five years and (ii) 2015 to date.
Penny Mordaunt
As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence said in response to your question 8364 on 7 September 2015: given the routine nature of embedding, this information has not been coordinated centrally. The Ministry of Defence is in the process of compiling data on UK personnel embedded with other nations’ armed forces, who are deployed on the operations together with those who work on operations in deployed coalition or single nation headquarters roles. I intend to update the House after this process is complete.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moonie on 2015-12-01.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK military personnel are currently forward deployed in support of operations in the Middle East.
Earl Howe
There are over 2,000 military personnel deployed to the Middle East supporting military operations and the UK military presence in the Gulf.