Asked by: Robin Walker (Conservative - Worcester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the health benefits of (a) regular supported activity for people with long-term neurological conditions and (b) the commissioning of services to support such activity.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The Department has made no such specific assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends the involvement of physiotherapists in the management of a range of neurological conditions including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease. The commissioning of services to provide supported physical activity, such as that provided by physiotherapists, is a local matter, as are the vast majority of services for neurological conditions.
Asked by: Robin Walker (Conservative - Worcester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to better connect cycling and rail infrastructure to support more active travel.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Department is funding £14.3 in 16/17 to improve integration between cycle and rail through the provision of new cycle facilities at railway stations. This includes new high quality cycle parking, cycle hire and improved access to stations and will support more active travel.
In conjunction with this, a revised version of the Cycle Rail Toolkit was published on 19 May 2016 which will help those implementing cycle-rail facilities to ensure that high-quality infrastructure is in place to encourage new users and to ensure that cycling to stations becomes easy and convenient and the natural choice for short trips to the station.
Asked by: Robin Walker (Conservative - Worcester)
Question
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, how many credit unions have approached churches or church organisations as a result of the Archbishop of Canterbury's #TOYOURCREDIT initiative.
Answered by Caroline Spelman
Churches across England have responded to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s call to support credit unions and other forms of responsible credit and savings. At least 31 out of 40 dioceses have been actively involved in supporting over 50 credit unions in various ways, such as:
Through the Church Credit Champions Network, one of the core initiatives of the Archbishop’s Task Group on Responsible Credit and Savings, the pilot scheme has engaged over 350 churches in London and Liverpool alone and trained more than 260 Credit Champions to date. Other creative diocesan responses include the Murston Community Bank in Canterbury diocese, Lichfield’s Funeral Project, Southwell & Nottingham’s 100x100 scheme are all designed to raise local awareness of credit unions.
The other core initiative, the LifeSavers programme, is working with eight credit unions across the country to set up savings clubs in primary schools, alongside an integrated programme of financial education. Following a successful pilot, the programme is being rolled out to 120 church and non-church primary schools over the next three academic years with financial support from Virgin Money. Additional funding from Government will help extend the coverage to many more primary schools through a dedicated LifeSavers website.
Asked by: Robin Walker (Conservative - Worcester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of the introduction of Flood Re on people seeking to access affordable flood insurance in areas of high flood risk.
Answered by Rory Stewart
Flood Re launched last month, and will ensure people will have access to affordable flood insurance. Flood Re will achieve this by providing reinsurance, with high risk customers having their policies ceded to Flood Re by their insurer. Flood insurance policies ceded to Flood Re have premiums and excesses within set limits based on Council Tax band.
As of today, 29 insurers are using Flood Re and it remains important that consumers shop around to obtain the best price. A review of the Flood Re scheme will take place in 2019.
Asked by: Robin Walker (Conservative - Worcester)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, what criteria the Government uses to decide whether to carry out targeted strikes against individuals in Syria.
Answered by Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton - Foreign Secretary
Following the House of Commons vote on 2 December 2015, the UK joined a global coalition taking military action to tackle the threat posed by Daesh in Syria, as well as Iraq. The action in which the UK is participating includes targeted strikes against members of Daesh in Syria and Iraq, as well as targeting Daesh’s infrastructure, deployed forces and sources of revenue. The Coalition’s ongoing action, including the role of the UK, is lawful in Syria under Article 51 of the UN Charter, and in Iraq with the consent of the Iraqi Government. Coalition action has the support of the international community as reflected in UN Security Council resolution 2249(2015), and the support of the House of Commons.
My comments to the then right hon. Member for Neath (Mr Hain) on 26 September 2014, Official Report, column 1265, and the Oral Statement I gave on 7 September 2015, Official Report, column 26, about taking lawful action in response to an identified, direct and imminent threat to the UK would still apply, of course, to individuals in Syria and Iraq who are not members of Daesh. The Government reserves the right to take lawful action to address an identified, direct and imminent threat to the UK and report to Parliament after it has done so.
Asked by: Robin Walker (Conservative - Worcester)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with the Irish government on cross-border efforts to stop organised crime.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
In accordance with the Fresh Start Agreement, in December I attended a trilateral cross-border ministerial meeting with the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government.
We agreed new measures to enhance law enforcement cooperation on organised crime and a Joint Agency Taskforce has been established.
Asked by: Robin Walker (Conservative - Worcester)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress his Department has made on developing social finance.
Answered by Rob Wilson
The UK is recognised as the world leader in social investment.
Across the country, social investment is helping social enterprises tackle issues and transform lives. It has an important role in building a more sustainable, resilient social sector.
We have created funds and programmes, which support these organisations to access investment and increase their impact.
I want this leadership to continue, and this Government is absolutely committed to growing this essential marketplace.
Asked by: Robin Walker (Conservative - Worcester)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment has the Minister made of the progress of the National Citizenship Service.
Answered by Rob Wilson
By the end of this year, we expect that over 200,000 young people will have benefited from NCS. Independent evaluations are showing that NCS is helping it deliver more confident, capable and engaged young people. That is why government has pledged to guarantee a place for every young person who wants one.
Asked by: Robin Walker (Conservative - Worcester)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of households in Worcester eligible to purchase their homes under (a) the right to buy, (b) the retained right to buy, (c) the right to purchase and (d) the new voluntary right to buy agreement with registered social landlords.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The total numbers of local authority and private registered provider (housing association) dwellings by local authority district can be found in Live Table 100 which is available to download at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants This shows the numbers as at 1 April 2014, a proportion of which may have the Right to Buy, Preserved Right to Buy, the Right to Acquire or may become eligible with the voluntary agreement with housing associations depending on exemptions and eligibility of tenants.
Data on the numbers of right to buy sales by district up to June 2015 can be found in Live Table 691 which is available to download at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-social-housing-sales
Asked by: Robin Walker (Conservative - Worcester)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Government's credit union expansion programme; and what assessment he has made of the feasibility of extending that programme.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DWP’s contract with the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd to deliver the Credit Union Expansion Project began in May 2013. It is due to end in April 2016 but we are currently considering a request for an extension. The Department has plans to review effectiveness at the end of the Project.