The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2016-04-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when his Department plans to review Building Regulations Approved Document B (Fire Safety).
James Wharton
My Department is considering a number of issues related to the Building Regulations and the building control system. We will make an announcement about our plans in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2016-01-13.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on classification of capacity payments as an environmental levy.
Damian Hinds
The classification of transactions for National Account purposes is a decision for the independent Office for National Statistics.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many diagnoses of (a) Lyme disease and (b) chronic Lyme disease have been made in each of the last five years.
Jane Ellison
The existing National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance supports primary care doctors in managing Lyme disease but to further strengthen the evidence base we have commissioned NICE to develop guidelines for the recognition and treatment of Lyme disease; this is expected in June 2018.
Public Health England (PHE) provides information on Lyme disease and tick awareness to the medical profession and the public, holds regular medical training days, and works with Lyme Disease Action to support the needs and interests of patients.
NHS Choices also publishes information on its website to raise awareness of Lyme disease and encourage timely medical consultation because early diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease is the best way of limiting complications from infection.
The number of human cases can be reduced by raising public awareness of how to avoid tick bites, and by environmental measures in public places to reduce the long grass and scrub which harbor ticks. PHE works with interested local authorities to raise tick awareness, and has produced joint public information with local authorities in areas such as the New Forest with a significant incidence of Lyme disease.
The number of laboratory confirmed cases of Lyme disease in England and Wales varies annually, in 2013 there were 878 and in 2014 there were 730, but the majority of diagnoses are made clinically by general practitioners and those figures are not recorded.
Patients with late or complicated Lyme disease may be diagnosed in a variety of specialist clinics, and the numbers are not recorded. Based on the clinical information supplied with the laboratory request, only a small proportion of the annual number of cases fall into this category.
There is no clear definition for chronic Lyme disease, and no general acceptance of what the term means, so no data is available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what level of financial return the Government expects from diesel generators who will benefit from payments through the capacity market.
Andrea Leadsom
The Government itself will not make any financial return from generators participating in the capacity market. As with all types of capacity, diesel generators that have been successful in the second capacity market will receive a payment of £18/kw in return for providing electricity at short notice when the system requires it; and may have other sources of revenue outside the capacity market. Diesel engines are a flexible form of capacity that run for short periods to meet peaks in demand, and can reduce the consumer bill impacts by lowering the cost of securing the necessary capacity.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of Lyme disease amongst medical professionals.
Jane Ellison
The existing National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance supports primary care doctors in managing Lyme disease but to further strengthen the evidence base we have commissioned NICE to develop guidelines for the recognition and treatment of Lyme disease; this is expected in June 2018.
Public Health England (PHE) provides information on Lyme disease and tick awareness to the medical profession and the public, holds regular medical training days, and works with Lyme Disease Action to support the needs and interests of patients.
NHS Choices also publishes information on its website to raise awareness of Lyme disease and encourage timely medical consultation because early diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease is the best way of limiting complications from infection.
The number of human cases can be reduced by raising public awareness of how to avoid tick bites, and by environmental measures in public places to reduce the long grass and scrub which harbor ticks. PHE works with interested local authorities to raise tick awareness, and has produced joint public information with local authorities in areas such as the New Forest with a significant incidence of Lyme disease.
The number of laboratory confirmed cases of Lyme disease in England and Wales varies annually, in 2013 there were 878 and in 2014 there were 730, but the majority of diagnoses are made clinically by general practitioners and those figures are not recorded.
Patients with late or complicated Lyme disease may be diagnosed in a variety of specialist clinics, and the numbers are not recorded. Based on the clinical information supplied with the laboratory request, only a small proportion of the annual number of cases fall into this category.
There is no clear definition for chronic Lyme disease, and no general acceptance of what the term means, so no data is available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2015-09-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether any prisoners in HM Prisons have been deprived of (a) water and (b) electricity by prison officials as a disciplinary measure in the last five years.
Andrew Selous
Neither deprivation of water nor of electricity is sanctioned as a disciplinary measure within prisons in England and Wales.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the Community Support Fund for former Remploy employees was only accessible through a third party and what estimate he has made of how many eligible former Remploy employees did not make a claim because they were unable to do so themselves.
Mike Penning
The Community Support Fund (CSF) was co-produced with disabled people and ex -Remploy employees to determine exactly what type of support or project they wanted to take part in. A key driver for the CSF was to ensure ex -employees could keep in touch with former work colleagues; to help negate feelings of isolation. This social activity can only be achieved by offering opportunities for ex-employees to take part in group activities.
Access to CSF was provided through Disabled People’s User Led and Voluntary Sector Organisations who have the necessary skills to support these projects, providing vital peer support, personalised local services and actively working to increase participation in local community activities.
The Community Support Fund (CSF) projects have provided opportunities for 1136 disabled ex-employees and 827 people have taken part in CSF activities at March 2014.
We are unable to provide an estimate of how many eligible former Remploy employees did not make a claim for CSF funding because they were unable to do so themselves.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the three year wage subsidy for former Remploy disabled employees transferring to a new employer was not available for new businesses set up for the purpose of employing disabled people formerly employed by Remploy.
Mike Penning
The Government agreed to a transitional time limited wage subsidy, for all disabled workers that TUPE to a new employer as part of Remploy’s commercial process, to support the ongoing employment of Remploy disabled workers.
For all disabled former Remploy workers made redundant as a result of factory closures, the Government agreed that the best support to help them find a job was to put in place the £8 million guaranteed People Help and Support Package (PHSP) providing help for up to 18 months. As at 21 March 2014, 1,513 disabled former Remploy workers are choosing to work with our Personal Case Workers to find another job and 716 are in work.
The PHSP includes one to one support from a Personal Case Worker to identify suitable help to find work including access to advice and support to set up a business. This includes the Community Support Fund, which has provided financial support for former disabled Remploy workers to help them use existing skills and expertise to set up three new small businesses in Aberdeen, Stoke and Worksop. In addition, three other Community Support Fund projects are being used to set up small businesses in Birkenhead, Leeds and Newcastle.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what funding his Department has agreed to provide in future years for former Remploy Employment Services; and until what year such funding will continue.
Esther McVey
The Department agrees Remploy funding and performance targets, including Work Choice job outcome targets on an annual basis. Remploy’s performance targets for 2013/14 were published in Hansard on 31 October 2013, column 60WS by Written Ministerial Statement confirming publication of Remploy Annual Report and Accounts 2013. Remploy performance targets and funding for 2014/15 will be published alongside the 2014 accounts later this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh West of 10 February 2014, Official Report, column 515W, on Remploy: Edinburgh, how many former Remploy employees from the Edinburgh site are working (a) less than 16 hours per week in paid employment, (b) less than 30 hours per week in paid employment and (c) in voluntary and unpaid positions.
Mike Penning
Of the 28 workers made redundant as a result of the closure of Remploy in South Gyle, Edinburgh we are able to provide information on the 24 disabled former employees who have engaged with a Personal Case Worker.
As at 21 March 2014 Jobcentre Plus records show that 7 people are in paid employment over 16 hours and 17 have accessed Work Choice support. We have no records of people working a) less than 16 hours, b) less than 30 hours per week paid employment or c) in voluntary and unpaid work