The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department spent from the public purse on industrial tribunals in the last 12 months.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The cost of Employment Tribunals can be found within the HMCTS annual accounts published at:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-04-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has conducted any research into the number of NHS organisations complying with guidance for the seven contract documents contained in the Guidance for NHS Terms and Conditions for the Supply of Goods and the Provision of Services, published in March 2015.
George Freeman
The Department has developed standard National Health Service terms and conditions for use by NHS bodies procuring goods and services from commercial suppliers. The documents were first published in August 2013.
The Department has details of all activity on the gov.uk website which shows extensive use and downloads of the documents and has also invited regular feedback and online surveys that demonstrate the extensive use of the suite of documents.
In June 2015, the Department and the Cabinet Office Mystery Shopper scheme carried out spot checks with a number of trusts to find out the level of take up of the NHS terms and conditions. The results showed 90% of the trusts contacted confirmed they were using (or intended to use) the NHS terms and conditions.
The suite of documents has been endorsed by the Association of British Healthcare Industries (ABHI), the industry association for the medical technology sector, and the Health Care Supply Association, the representative and network organisation for NHS buyers. Both organisations inform the Department of any activity they are aware of that NHS bodies or suppliers are deviating from the stated terms and conditions. There have only limited examples to date.
The Department of Health has been made aware of a couple of examples of where NHS bodies were extending their payment terms beyond 30 days. The examples came both via the Cabinet Office mystery shopper scheme and ABHI. To support their members ABHI undertook more extensive research but has found these are isolated cases and the practice is not widespread.
The Department understands the concern and together with NHS Provider Regulators are working very closely with NHS providers to ensure that they have sufficient cash to support the safe delivery of their essential services. Although the NHS financial position is tight, the Department has not endorsed, and do not support, formal extensions of credit terms, particularly with Small and Medium size Enterprises, beyond the 30 days in statute.
The Department will also ask NHS Improvement to communicate with all NHS providers through its official monthly bulletin to raise awareness of the Better Practice Payment Code.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 32639, how she ensures that those most in need benefit from the Energy Company Obligation and Warm Home Discount; and whether she plans to change how households in fuel poverty are identified.
Andrea Leadsom
Currently, the Warm Home Discount and the Affordable Warmth Group under the Energy Company Obligation are targeted at low income households, using means-tested benefits as the basis for eligibility.
In April this year, Government consulted on plans to enable data sharing between government departments, specified public authorities and energy suppliers with the specific purpose of identifying and targeting assistance at fuel poor households. If successful, these proposals would allow DECC to use government-held data to identify more accurately low income households with high energy costs. This capability could then be used under a future Warm Home Discount.
There will be a reformed domestic supplier obligation (Energy Company Obligation) from April 2017, which will run for 5 years. It will upgrade the energy efficiency of homes and tackle the root cause of fuel poverty. Government will be consulting shortly on proposals for the 2017/18 scheme, including how households in fuel poverty would be identified.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-07-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Policing Board about the implementation of the Fresh Start Agreement.
Mrs Theresa Villiers
I have regular discussions on implementation of the Fresh Start Agreement with the Minister of Justice for Northern Ireland and the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. I attended a review meeting on implementation of the Fresh Start Agreement on 29 June 2016 with the Northern Ireland Executive and the Government of Ireland. I have not had any recent discussions with the Northern Ireland Policing Board on implementation of the agreement.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-09-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the Government has to provide additional funding to cultural and heritage projects previously funded by EU programmes when that EU funding ends.
Matt Hancock
The Chancellor has guaranteed structural and investment fund projects in the UK that are signed even after the Autumn Statement. In addition, projects where UK organisations bid directly and competitively for EU funding will be guaranteed by the UK Government if the bids are won before our departure from the EU, regardless of whether or not the projects continue after departure. Funding for other projects will be honoured by the government if they are good value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities.
Leaving the EU means we will want to take our own decisions about how to deliver the policy objectives previously targeted by EU funding. Over the coming months, we will consult closely with stakeholders to review all EU funding schemes in the round, to ensure that any ongoing funding commitments best serve the UK‘s national interest, while ensuring appropriate investor certainty.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-11-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions between 1 June 2013 and 31 May 2014 Plaistow Jobcentre paid from the Flexible Support Fund for a jobseeker’s two month Zone 1-4 Transport for London Travelcard.
Priti Patel
The information is not collated centrally as to specific purchases on Flexible Support Fund and would require detailed analysis of transaction reports within London and Greater London. To provide this information could only be done so at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-11-30.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when construction of the first new SSBN ballistic missile submarine will start at Barrow.
Earl Howe
Whole Boat construction of the first Successor submarine is expected to begin in 2016 subject to the programme’s investment decision
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bruce of Bennachie on 2016-01-12.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes, if any, they are seeking to the OECD Development Assistance Committee guidelines on official development assistance.
Earl of Courtown
As one of just a few donors to have met the 0.7% commitment, the credibility of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) system is of significant importance to the UK. The government is working closely with other countries to modernise the definition of ODA at the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), to ensure it reflects the breadth of the new international development agenda set by the new Global Goals for Sustainable Development, and fully incentivises other countries to meet these goals.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Overseas Security and Justice Assessment assessments carried out by the Government in relation to UK aid and security assistance programmes to Saudi Arabia in the last two years have (a) required and (b) not required mitigating measures.
Penny Mordaunt
In the past two years the MOD has conducted three Overseas Security and Justice Assessments in relation to security assistance programmes with Saudi Arabia. Such engagement encompasses Defence Exercises, Defence Training in Saudi Arabia, Defence training in the UK (or a third party country), High Level International Engagement, UK personnel conducting long-term capacity building (Loan Service Teams/British Military Mission) and Working level International Engagement.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-02-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many six-month notice letters of CSA case closure have been issued in each month since July 2014 for cases in (a) segment 1, (b) segment 2, (c) segment 3 and (d) segment 4.
Priti Patel
We do not currently collate this data on a monthly basis.