Tag: Stewart Jackson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the performance of the Small and Medium Enterprise builders fund; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis

The Builders Finance Fund was launched in April 2014. We have already signed 8 contracts worth over £11 million, with a further 33 contracts worth £70 million in the process of being signed. In addition, we are considering 83 bids for funding worth nearly £280 million. The remaining funding is available to support house builders between now and 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce barriers preventing tenants in shared ownership properties from staircasing up to increase the share of the property they own; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis

This Government is determined to extend home ownership to anyone who aspires to own their own home.

Shared ownership has proven to be extremely popular and has played an important role in helping families who are otherwise priced out of the market. This is why between April 2010 and March 2015 we have delivered 41,000 new shared ownership homes through the Affordable Homes Programme.

The Government is committed to ensuring that shared ownership continues to be effective at helping hard working families meet their aspiration to own their own home. This is why earlier this year we consulted on a range of possible proposals to streamline the process for selling on shared ownership properties.

As a result we have simplified the process for resale of shared ownership properties by removing the pre-emption right, or right of first refusal for housing providers, from those former shared ownership homes where the owner has ‘staircased’ to 100% ownership.

But there is more that can be done and the Government is currently looking at how we can make shared ownership even more accessible as a route to full home ownership.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to assist local authorities to safeguard the residential amenity of urban residential locales with high numbers of private sector lettings; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis

A local housing authority can, through licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation and other privately rented properties (selective licensing), impose conditions relating to the management of the premises so its use does not adversely impact upon its vicinity. Since 27 March 2015 an authority can make a selective licensing scheme in an area where (a) it has recently, or is experiencing, a high level of migration into the private rented sector and (b) the scheme will help preserve or improve the social or economic well-being of that area.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with armed forces charities on the payment of lump sum compensation payments to veterans with mesothelioma; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster

The Government has continuously made compensation available under the War Pensions Scheme (WPS) for injuries, illness or disease caused by service before 6 April 2005, including mesothelioma. The scheme provides veterans who have mesothelioma with the maximum income stream and additional supplementary allowances, and, where appropriate, entitlement to dependent’s benefits.

During the last Central Advisory Committee on Compensation (CAC) Meeting on 17 June ex-Service organisations were updated on our consideration of whether any flexibility could be provided for future mesothelioma claimants under the WPS. Detailed consideration has continued, including discussion with other Government Departments, and we expect to update the charities at the forthcoming CAC Meeting in December.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made towards full disregard of military compensation payments for veterans in respect of their care costs; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt

Armed forces veterans receive payments either through the War Disablement Pension (WDP) or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). The AFCS applies to veterans injured from April 2005. It has always been the case that personal injury compensation payments have been disregarded in when assessing how much a person can contribute towards the cost of local authority arranged care and support. Since October 2012 Guaranteed Income Payments made under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme have also been disregarded. The Department of Health has been in discussion with the Royal British Legion about how WDP payments are currently treated.

The Government is in the process of considering the future funding of social care as part of the current spending review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2014-06-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce premature mortality from respiratory disease in Peterborough constituency.

Jane Ellison

The NHS Outcomes Framework 2014/15 sets out the Department’s priority areas for the National Health Service. It includes reducing deaths from respiratory disease as a key indicator and highlights the need to reduce unplanned hospital admissions due to asthma.

The Mandate for NHS England, set by the Government, requires NHS England to improve outcomes, including the prevention of premature deaths from respiratory disease and to support people with long term conditions.

Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) plan, develop and improve local NHS services for their population, taking into account local priorities. We are advised by NHS England that reducing premature mortality from respiratory disease is included in one of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG’s key priorities – reducing coronary heart disease. Activity is concentrated in the more deprived areas of Cambridgeshire, including Peterborough.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2014-06-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to continue to fund a regular national audit of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison

NHS England intends to continue to fund the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) audit as part of the NCAPOP (National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme).

The COPD and asthma outcomes strategy was published by the Department around the time of the National Health Service transition to the current structures. It was designed to help NHS commissioners understand the key evidence based and cost effective interventions which would improve the quality of care for patients with COPD. As such, it was not intended to be supported by an implementation plan.

In May 2012, the Department published the NHS Companion Document to the Outcomes Strategy, setting out how the NHS can implement changes at a local level.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2014-06-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to encourage prisons in the (a) public and (b) private estate to enable offenders to take part in meaningful paid work and training; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright

We want to see more prisoners engaged in meaningful work and training and, since this Government came to power, the number of hours worked in public sector prisons workshops has risen from 10.6 million to 13.1 million, with a further 1.5 million hours delivered in private prisons.

We are committed to delivering still more, including through commercial contracts, and we expect prisoners to engage in purposeful activity if they want to earn their privileges.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2014-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to issue further guidance on ecological focus areas; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Owen Paterson, made a Statement to the House on 10 June covering a range of Common Agricultural Policy Reform implementation decisions. A number of subsequent decisions have to be made in relation to the greening Ecological Focus Area requirements, and we plan to issue further guidance to claimants within the next two months.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2014-06-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to improve skill levels in the construction industry.

Michael Fallon

Under the auspices of the Construction Leadership Council, the house building industry is developing an action plan to address three immediate priorities: improving the image of house building; attracting back experienced workers who left during the recession; and attracting other workers with relevant skills.

More widely, the Government is making a number of reforms to the skills system to improve skills supply; putting employers in the driving seat and making providers more responsive to their needs.

The Government is also currently undertaking a triennial review of the way the Construction Industry Training Board operates and challenging it on the service it delivers to the sector.

In addition, the Government believes that a more robust and more visible government construction procurement pipeline is key to improving investment decisions in construction. We are working to enhance the pipeline to give construction businesses the confidence to upskill staff, to recruit, and to commit to apprenticeships.