Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Hugo Swire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Hugo Swire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugo Swire on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to prohibit the use of hands-free kits by drivers of commercial coaches.

    Andrew Jones

    The Highway Code makes it clear that drivers need to be in control of their vehicles at all times. That means that drivers need to ensure that they use any device in their vehicles in a safe way when driving.

    Driving while using a hands-free kit is legal and previously published research estimated that whilst a hands-free kit is distracting, it is safer than using a hand-held device.

    Many cars now have built in hands-free kits and we are working with the industry to ensure that safety and legislation keeps pace with new technology as it develops.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of changes to his Department’s policies on (a) the provision of secure colleges, (b) prohibiting prisoners from receiving books, (c) the sale of HM Courts and Tribunal Service, (d) Saudi prison contracts and (e) the timetable for the tender for criminal defence work.

    Andrew Selous

    I refer the honourable member to the answer given to PQ 13074 on 7th December 2015. There was never any plan to sell HM Courts and Tribunals Service. There is no cost to the public purse from the delay to implementation of new criminal legal aid contracts.

  • Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what programmes there are for companies who will not be covered by the Apprenticeship Levy to assist with the creation of apprenticeship positions; and if he will make a statement.

    Nick Boles

    All employers in England will be able to access funding for apprenticeships after the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in 2017. We will set out further details about how this will operate in due course, including any programmes available for employers who will not pay the levy.

    We will also continue to offer employers an apprenticeship recruitment service through Find an Apprenticeship on gov.uk. We are continuing the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE) to support more small firms to take on 16-24 year old apprentices.

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make support available to trainee nurses unable to complete their courses because of delays in the processing of their applications for Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

    Karen Bradley

    The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) aims to process all applications within the shortest time possible. The vast majority of applicants do receive their certificates in a timely manner and in December the average processing time for DBS applications was 15.3 days.

    It is important that checks undertaken are thorough and sometimes the DBS needs to refer an application to one or more local police forces as part of the enhanced certificate checking process. Unfortunately, a small number of forces have been experiencing difficulties in completing their checks within expected timescales.

    Where delays occur in the processing of DBS certificates, prospective employers of trainee nurses and other healthcare employees who will be working with adults only are able to use a service known as Adult First. Adult First is an online facility provided for healthcare workers by the DBS that can be used in cases where, exceptionally, and in accordance with the terms of Department of Health guidance, a person is permitted to start work with adults before a DBS Certificate has been obtained.

  • Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress the Government has made on reforming the EU Emissions Trading Scheme as a result of discussions with her EU counterparts and the recent COP21 climate conference.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government strongly supports reform to strengthen the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). Ministers and officials have discussed this recently with counterparts in other Member States, as well as with members of the European Parliament, the European Commission and industry representatives. At the recent COP21 climate conference in Paris in December 2015 Ministers also participated in a session to promote the EU ETS and strengthen links to other national and international ETS. Whilst the Commission has not indicated an intention to change its proposals for the next phase of the EU ETS in light of Paris, the global climate deal means robust reforms of the EU ETS are now even more important.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of clinical commissioning groups that commission mental health services specifically for older adults.

    Alistair Burt

    No estimate has been made of the number and proportion of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) that commission mental health services specifically for older adults. All CCGs will have a cohort of older adults for whom there is mental health services provision. In recent years there has been a trend towards ageless mental health services.

    However, one of the recommendations in the Mental Health Taskforce report The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health published by NHS England in February this year is that bespoke older adult services should be the preferred model until such time that general adult mental health services can be shown to provide age-appropriate care.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether Parliamentary authority is required for UK ratification of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.

    Anna Soubry

    We expect the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement will be a mixed agreement covering areas of both EU and Member State competence. In that case, it will be subject to agreement by each EU Member State, the EU Council and the European Parliament. As part of this process the agreement will be laid before Parliament for scrutiny before it is ratified by the UK. We will confirm the procedures for Parliamentary approval when it is presented for signature.

  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools founded since 2015 are compliant with section 5 of the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010.

    Nick Gibb

    The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010 were replaced by the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, which came into force on 5 January 2015.

    58 fee paying independent schools have been registered since 1 January 2015. Not all of these have been inspected since registration. The normal procedure is for an independent school to be inspected in their first year of operation.

    14 schools have had a standard inspection since registration, and two schools have had material change inspections. Three of the standard inspections do not yet have a report available due to them having taken place very recently.

    Of the 11 inspection reports available, only one shows a failure to meet standard 5.

    All schools will have been inspected prior to registration and judged likely to meet all of the standards. Schools are not permitted to register unless the Secretary of State is satisfied that the school is likely to meet all of the standards on registration.

  • Heidi Alexander – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Heidi Alexander – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average period of time was between an Academy Order being issued and a sponsor being named for schools in each year since 2010.

    Edward Timpson

    Since the Education and Adoption Act came into force in April 2016, the Secretary of State has been under a duty to make an Academy Order in respect of any maintained school that has been judged by Ofsted to be inadequate. Regional Schools Commissioners, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, ensure that the maintained school becomes a sponsored academy as swiftly as possible, after considering the circumstances in the school, and then identifying the most suitable sponsor.

    No Academy Orders have been revoked to date.

    143 Academy Orders have been made since the new duty came into force. It is too soon to give an annual average of how long it has taken to match a school to a sponsor under these new arrangements.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to monitor the effect on housing rent arrears of the length of time taken for initial payment of universal credit.

    Damian Hinds

    DWP are undertaking work to investigate the issue of rent arrears in Universal Credit, it aims to understand the true level of rent arrears and what is causing them. We expect to know a lot more about this issue as the work progresses and following the analysis of the next Universal Credit Gateway Survey which we will be publishing later this year.