Tag: Tim Farron

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 2 February 2015 to Question 222253, what estimate he has made of the number of service personnel who have suffered mental illness in the current year.

Mark Lancaster

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) compiles records of UK Armed Forces personnel who have been assessed as having a mental health condition at either of the military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs) or one of the facilities contracted by the MOD to provide in-patient treatment.

During the period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015, the most recent full year for which verified records are available, 4,858 personnel were assessed as having a mental health disorder.

Verified figures are also available for the period of 7 April to 30 September 2015. During this six month period, 2,576 personnel were assessed as having a mental health disorder.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which bodies are responsible for maintaining food hygiene standards in state funded primary and secondary schools; and what steps he is taking to support those schools which are found to be in need of improvement in that area.

Jane Ellison

Local authorities are responsible for food hygiene inspections of schools. Food hygiene legislation requires these premises to be registered as food businesses. The Food Standards Agency, which sets policy for and monitors enforcement of food safety legislation by local authorities, has advised that approximately 99% of educational establishments have satisfactory or better food hygiene standards.

Local authorities work with food businesses to make improvements in any premises that fail to meet satisfactory standards during inspections and may take a range of enforcement actions as considered appropriate in the circumstances of each case. The hon. Member or members of his constituency may contact the relevant local authority or the Food Standards Agency for detailed information about specific premises that may be of concern to him.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents in the Cumbria Constabulary area were responded to by a single officer in each year since 2012.

Mike Penning

The Home Office does not collect this information. The manner in which police officers are deployed is an operational decision for chief officers, in line with local priorities and held to account by police and crime commissioners.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-07-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that local authorities provide adequate support to single people who are at risk of homelessness.

Mr Marcus Jones

One person without a home is one too many, that is why the Government is clear that prevention must be at the heart of everything we do to tackle homelessness. We have protected homelessness prevention funding for local authorities, which will amount to £315 million by 2020, to help them provide quality advice and assistance to everyone who approaches them for help. We are also exploring options, including legislation, to prevent more people from becoming homeless in the first place.

And we have also increased central investment to tackle homelessness over the next four years to £139 million, including to fund a £10 million Social Impact Bond to support rough sleepers with the most complex needs. We also announced at Budget £100 million of funding for low-cost move-on accommodation, including for rough sleepers leaving hostels.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress his Department has made on finalising the Government’s application to the EU Solidarity Fund for flood relief funding after the storms of the 2015-16 winter.

Andrew Percy

The Government has been working with a wide range of partners, including the devolved administrations, local authorities and government departments. We have made considerable progress towards securing a full and reliable estimate of the cost of flood damage to the UK and will update Parliament in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) monitor the welfare of unaccompanied refugee children who arrive in the UK and are in the care of the relevant authorities and (b) locate those refugee children who have gone missing in the UK in the last five years.

Mr Robert Goodwill

All local authorities have statutory duties to safeguard children as part of their local responsibilities regardless of nationality or immigration status. Once an unaccompanied asylum seeking child (UASC) becomes a looked after child the main responsibility for that child’s welfare lies with the respective local authority.

Home Office staff dealing with UASC receive specialist training and are required to follow published guidance on processing asylum claims from children, which requires the child’s welfare to be taken into account throughout the asylum claim.

The government takes the issue of missing children extremely seriously and has published a cross government strategy on missing children and vulnerable adults.

Migrant children over the age of 5, including asylum seeking children will have their biometrics captured by the Home Office. If a child goes missing, the local police and UK Missing Persons Bureau will be notified and the child’s details will be circulated on the Police National Computer. Home Office guidance requires staff to maintain contact with the local authority and the police until the child is found.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much imported steel will be used in the manufacture of the new Type 26 frigates in (a) market value and (b) weight in tonnes.

Mr Philip Dunne

Steel is sourced by our contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers, reflecting the need to ensure a competitive price and delivery at the required time and quality. UK suppliers have provided significant quantities of steel for major defence equipment procurement programmes, whenever they have been able to meet specified standards. Our new Government guidelines, published in November 2015, will help UK steel suppliers to compete effectively with international suppliers for major projects, including those in defence.

No steel suppliers have been selected or any orders placed for the Type 26 Global Combat Ships. It is therefore too early to say how much steel will be used in this programme or from where it will be sourced.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects the A591 in Cumbria to be fully accessible.

Andrew Jones

Highways England is leading on the full and permanent reinstatement of the A591 and has committed to have the road fully reopened to the public by the end of May 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many cases of sexual assault have been recorded in schools in Cumbria in the last five years.

Edward Timpson

The Department for Education does not collect information on the number of sexual assaults taking place on school sites. The Government expects schools to take immediate and robust action if violent incidents occur. Schools should report criminal offences to the police.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has carried out an impact assessment on the effect of removing housing benefit from people aged under 25 on (a) disabled people and (b) care leavers.

Justin Tomlinson

The Department is committed to supporting young people so those who need support with housing costs will continue to receive it. The Department is currently consulting with stakeholders in order to identify those groups of young people and develop suitable protections. Once this work is complete we will bring forward detailed proposals and an impact assessment in line with standard procedures.