Tag: Steve McCabe

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2016 to Question 29818, what assessment he has made of the effect of a four-year freeze in local housing allowance (LHA) rates on people that rely on LHA if the cost of renting in the private rented sector continues to rise; and whether the four-year freeze will disproportionally affect those living in houses with more than four bedrooms.

Justin Tomlinson

The information requested is not available. However there will be Targeted Affordability Funding available to support areas where higher rent increases are causing a shortage of affordable accommodation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 30649, when she plans to publish the outcomes of the review of the process of dealing with family reunion applications.

Mike Penning

Following consultation with partners, we are currently in the process of finalising revised guidance on dealing with family reunion applications. We intend to publish updated guidance in April 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much each local authority received from the Planning Enforcement Fund in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16.

Brandon Lewis

The Department received six applications for enforcement grants before the deadline for submitting applications and all were successful.

Two grants were made in the financial year 2014-15 to Staffordshire County Council (£8,010) and Stratford-on-Avon District Council (£3,200).

Four grants were made in the financial year 2015-16 to Bath and North East Somerset Council (£7,993.75), London Borough of Camden (£8,184.50), Chelmsford City Council (£2,755) and South Gloucestershire Council (£3,291.66).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much Child Support Agency schemes arrears as at 31 March 2016 are being handled by the Child Maintenance Service; and how many cases those arrears relate to.

Priti Patel

Figures for 31 March 2016 are not yet available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the proportion of children in the UK who were conceived using IVF relative to (a) Belgium, (b) the Nordic Countries and (c) other EU countries.

Jane Ellison

Information about clinical commissioning groups’ approach to commissioning fertility services is not collected centrally.

The Department has not made any estimate of the proportion of children conceived in the United Kingdom using in-vitro fertilisation relative to those countries mentioned.

The Department has no plans to instruct NHS England to commission fertility treatment centrally. Fertility services do not meet the criteria set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to be nationally commissioned by NHS England.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of variations in levels of provision of fertility treatment on (a) adoption uptake and (b) fostering services; and whether such variations are being considered by the Child Protection Taskforce.

Edward Timpson

Information on the provision of fertility treatment is not collected centrally. We do not hold information on this issue.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 25 April 2016 to Question 34913, on planning, if he will publish the analysis of the responses on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework aimed at increasing housing supply in sustainable locations.

Brandon Lewis

A consultation on specific changes to the Framework, aimed at increasing housing supply in sustainable locations, closed on 22 February. We are currently analysing the responses.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 May 2016 to Question 37615, on academies: admissions, how many times local authorities asked her to intervene in each year from 2012 to 2015.

Nick Gibb

Local authorities have contacted the Education Funding Agency 88 times asking it to intervene on the Secretary of State’s behalf in academy admissions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2016 to Question 38191 on fertility: medical treatments, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the issues highlighted in the report in that Answer; and if he will write to clinical commissioning groups in England to highlight the findings of that report and the importance of delivering IVF services consistent with the NICE guidelines.

Jane Ellison

It is for clinical commission groups (CCGs) to decide locally the extent to which fertility treatment is offered. CCGs’ decisions should be underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. As such, provision of services may vary in response to local needs. NHS England has general intervention powers in relation to CCGs, should it be satisfied that a CCG is failing or has failed to discharge any of its functions, or there is a significant risk that it will fail to do so. It is also NHS England’s role to provide support and guidance to CCGs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39897, how many full-time equivalent officials of her Department are responsible for identifying, verifying and processing all asylum cases.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Asylum Operations in UK Visas and Immigration currently have 73 full time equivalent (FTE) staff who are responsible for screening asylum claims. Staff in Border Force and Immigration Enforcement will also encounter new asylum claimants in the course of their duties.

Asylum Operations have 271 (FTE) decision makers responsible for interviewing and deciding asylum

claims. Over 100 additional decision makers are currently being recruited and trained, and we continually review our staffing levels to ensure that we can deal with levels of intake. The figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols