Tag: Steve McCabe

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35765, whether officials of his Department discussed the findings of the report by Fertility Fairness, 2015 Audit of Specialist Fertility Services in England, during their meeting with that organisation in December 2015.

Jane Ellison

The meeting that I and Departmental officials had with Fertility Fairness on 14 December was arranged in the light of the publication of `2015 Audit of Specialist Fertility Services in England’ and issues highlighted in the report were discussed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35935, when he plans to publish the report of the review into the supported housing sector.

Justin Tomlinson

We expect to publish the review report shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-06-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of Gingerbread’s report, Missing Maintenance, published in June 2016; what plans he has to implement the recommendations of that report; and if he will make a statement.

Priti Patel

We are currently considering the recommendations contained in the Gingerbread report, Missing Maintenance. In relation to the recommendation on deductions from joint bank accounts, we have already started taking steps to implement this power and will be launching a public consultation soon on our proposed process to enable deductions from joint bank accounts.

We remain committed to pursuing those parents who do not willingly meet their financial responsibilities to their children. The Child Maintenance Service has a range of effective enforcement powers intended to help ensure all parents fulfil their financial responsibilities towards their children including taking deductions directly from earnings and bank accounts.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39643, what plans the Government has to discuss the EU Nature Directive as part of the negotiations on the UK leaving the EU; what the EU Nature Directive’s status will be during those negotiations; and whether her Department plans to retain the implemented measures that relate to the EU Nature Directive after the UK’s negotiated exit from the EU.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

Whilst we are still a part of the EU, the EU framework for our environment remains in place. Defra will continue to ensure the right policies are in place for a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone.

The Government is considering the impacts of the decision to leave the EU, including future arrangements for existing legislation. We have a manifesto commitment to produce a 25 Year Plan for the Environment.

We all now have an opportunity to consider our long-term vision for the environment following the referendum vote.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reasons the proposals in Early Day Motion 278, on Office of Electoral Integrity, are not incorporated into the roles and responsibilities of the Electoral Commission; and if he will take steps to incorporate such proposals in the Electoral Commission’s remit.

Chris Skidmore

The accuracy of arguments advanced in the course of referendum and election campaigns is not subject to regulation.

The Government will consider this and other issues relating to the regulation of political campaigning, following the publication of the Electoral Commission’s report on the administration of the referendum on the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union which is expected shortly.

Creating a new body to regulate what candidates and political campaigners could say would have an effect on freedom of speech within the law. Moreover, the proposed regime would be likely to fuel malicious and partisan complaints (and counter-complaints), which would undermine, rather than strengthen, confidence in the democratic process.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the findings of the NSPCC’s report, Transforming mental health services for children who have experienced abuse: A review of Local Transformation Plans, published in June 2016.

Nicola Blackwood

We appreciate the work done by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) in preparing their report in advance of NHS England’s own qualitative analysis published on 22 August 2016. NHS England also produced a quantitative review in January 2016.

We have an ongoing dialogue with key stakeholders such as the NSPCC to discuss areas of shared interest such as how best we can ensure an effective response to those children and young people who have been abused, including those who have been sexually abused.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of Government-standard qualifying apprenticeship schemes available when the Apprenticeship Levy comes into force in spring 2017.

Robert Halfon

Employer-led reforms to apprenticeships are replacing existing complex frameworks with short, simple, accessible apprenticeship standards designed by employers according to their skills needs. The existing apprenticeship frameworks will close as the new standards are developed and become widely used, and in March 2016 we began the phased withdrawal of SASE frameworks.

We envisage a migration from apprenticeship frameworks to standards over the course of the Parliament, with as much of this as possible to take place by 2017/18.

So far, 246 new apprenticeships standards have been published. A further 176 new standards are in development, and we expect more to come forward before the Apprenticeship Levy is implemented in spring 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-15.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will postpone the proposed implementation date of the secondary market for annuities in April 2017 until an appropriate tax code for pensioners is finalised.

Simon Kirby

To date, the Government has published the following consultation documents in relation to the secondary market in annuities policy:

Creating a secondary annuity market – March 2015

Creating a secondary annuity market: response to the call for evidence – December 2015

Creating a secondary annuity market: tax framework – April 2016

Creating a secondary market for annuities – secondary legislation – April 2016

These consultations have now closed. The Government will respond shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2016 to Question 44396, for what reason there has been a decrease in the number of HC3 certificates issued between 2008 and 2016.

David Mowat

The direct costs of administering the NHS Low Income Scheme in England in the last three financial years are set out in the table. The figures do not include overheads associated with the wider infrastructure of the NHS Business Services Authority.

Year	Direct costs (England only) (£ million)
2015/16	£1,327
2014/15	£1,397
2013/14	£1,414

Source: provided by the NHS Business Services Authority

There is no apparent reason for the decrease in the numbers of HC3 certificates issued between 2008 and 2016. There has been no significant change to the scheme criteria nor the rules for calculation during this period. However, as the application numbers have decreased, there has been a corresponding decrease in the certificates issued.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Attorney General, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of staff employed by the Law Officers’ Departments are non-UK nationals.

Robert Buckland

All Government Departments are bound by legal requirements concerning the right to work in the UK and, in addition, the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Civil Service as part of wider pre-employment checks, but there is no requirement on departments to retain this information beyond the point at which it has served its purpose.

More broadly, the Government will be consulting in due course on how we work with business to ensure that workers in this country have the skills that they need to get a job. There are no proposals to publish lists of the number or proportion of foreign workers.