Tag: Roger Godsiff

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if his Department will examine the effect of the revaluation of business rates for self-owned rooftop solar power on the solar industry taking account of the draft list of rateable values, published by the Valuation Office Agency.

Mr Marcus Jones

Business rates are based on valuations from the Valuation Office Agency and we do not intervene in their independent assessments. We have proposed a £3.4 billion transitional relief scheme to ensure that no ratepayer is unfairly penalised by the 2017 revaluation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what arrangements he plans to put in place to ensure that medicines for rare cancers can be appropriately evaluated after the Cancer Drugs Fund ends in March 2016.

George Freeman

The Government remains committed to the Cancer Drugs Fund and is working with NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the future arrangements for the Fund.

NHS England has advised that its plans for a public consultation on its proposals for the Fund are being finalised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-11-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had discussions with the car insurance sector regarding (a) the cost of premiums and (b) the variations in that cost around the UK.

Andrew Jones

The Department has held a number of meetings with the motor insurance industry on a range of topics. The cost of motor insurance is the responsibility of insurers based on the applicant’s risk. This includes factors such as the driver’s age, driving record, type of vehicle and where they live. Data from the ABI’s quarterly average private comprehensive tracker shows that the average premium in Quarter 3 2015 is 6.7% lower than in Quarter 3 2012.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will provide funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit beyond March 2016.

Rory Stewart

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, Gerald Jones, on 19 November 2015, PQ UIN16385.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when the Government plans to publish the outcome of its consultation on the review of the BBC’s Royal Charter which closed on 8 October 2015.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The government published a Summary of Responses to the BBC Charter Review consultation on 1 March 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve the back-to-work support which is available for people with mental health problems.

Alistair Burt

We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions and other government departments through the Work and Health Unit. Over the next three years the Work and Health Unit are investing over £43 million in a range of voluntary mental health and employment trials to test what works in improving both the employment and health outcomes for people with common mental health problems. The Work and Health Unit will also invest around £115 million in testing wider support to improve health and employment outcomes. Additionally, The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme has already helped over 100,000 people to move off sick pay and benefits, with nearly 25,000 moving off in 2014/15.

In each of the last five years the Department of Health has not provided specific central programme funding for back-to-work support for people with mental health problems.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will set out a timetable for identifying a long-term secure funding model for the supported housing sector.

Brandon Lewis

The supported housing sector provides vital support for some of our country’s most vulnerable people. The Government is currently conducting a review of supported housing to ensure we have accurate and up to date information about services being provided. We are committed to ensuring the supported housing sector is on secure financail footing and will continue to keep this under review to provide certainity for the sector.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2016 to Question 23428, how many claimants of employment and support allowance who had a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease were removed from the work-related activity group because they had died.

Priti Patel

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason her Department did not give one year’s notice of the new system for assessment of pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.

Nick Gibb

The new national curriculum tests at Key Stages 1 and 2 were first announced in March 2014, and since then we have provided schools 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 to give primary schools nearly a year of lead-in time to ensure their pupils are adequately prepared.

The new interim teacher assessment frameworks ay Key Stages 1 and 2 were published in September 2015 and were therefore provided at the start of the academic year in time for use this summer. Our public consultation on the frameworks received a large volume of diverse feedback, which we wanted to give proper consideration before introducing the important change for schools. Recent publications in January and February 2016 did not announce any change to assessment arrangements, but provided example materials to support teachers in making teacher assessment judgements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 27077, on arms trade: Saudi Arabia, what representations he has received on that legal advice.

Anna Soubry

No representations have been received on the legal advice commissioned by Amnesty International and Saferworld.