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100004

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Unpaid Work
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the recent proposal by the Child Poverty and Social Justice Commission that unpaid internships should be illegal.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Berridge
	uin	HL2219
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>This Government is absolutely clear: exploitation of interns is unacceptable and we don’t hesitate to act where we find that employment law has been broken and someone who is entitled to the minimum wage hasn’t been paid it.</p><p> </p><p>Complaints from interns about non-payment of the minimum wage are prioritised by HMRC for investigation and HMRC will investigate every complaint made to the Pay and Work Rights Helpline.</p><p> </p><p>Research shows that internships and work experience programmes can be valuable opportunities for young people taking their first steps in the labour market. Our work on interns and the National Minimum Wage aims to achieve the right balance between ensuring that opportunities for young people are not cut off and minimising the risk of exploitation.</p><p> </p><p>Our concern, if we were to prohibit unpaid internships, is that this may lead to employers recruiting interns through informal and privileged networks with adverse effects on social mobility or have adverse consequences on the number of available opportunities.</p><p> </p><p>There is no definition of an internship in minimum wage legislation and interns are considered in the same way as everyone else with regards to whether the minimum wage is due. The key issue is whether or not they are workers as defined by minimum wage legislation. If they are, then they are eligible for the minimum wage unless a specific exemption applies. Volunteers are not workers and are not eligible for the minimum wage.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 29/10/2014 16:15:22 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge

100299

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Tata Steel
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Urgent Question on 16 October 2014, Official Report, column 445, on Tata Steel, what meetings and discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with the Scottish Government to discuss the selling of the Long Products Division.
	tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
	tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
	uin	211567
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>Tata have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Klesch Group about a possible sale of their Long Products Division. Both companies have made clear that there are some months of commercial negotiation ahead including consultations with the workforce.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government and the Scottish Government have ongoing discussions on these and other matters all the time.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 29/10/2014 16:53:12 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright

100310

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Electronic Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress his Department has made in tackling copycat websites which charge extra for government services.
	tabling member constituency	Islwyn
	tabling member printed	Chris Evans
	uin	211552
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>My Rt Hon Friend the Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy updated the House on the work the government is undertaking to address the issue of misleading websites during a Westminster Hall Debate on 28 October 2014.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Horsham answering member printed Mr Francis Maude grouped question UIN 212074 212075 212076 212077 212078 212079 212080 212081 212082 212083 question first answered 29/10/2014 17:02:14 answering member 115 label Biography information for Lord Maude of Horsham
	tabling member	4040 label Biography information for Chris Evans

100317

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Carer's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to link an increase of the earnings threshold for carer's allowance to the rise in the National Minimum Wage.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211436
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>The earnings threshold in Carer’s Allowance is regularly reviewed. It is designed to enable carers to maintain a link with the labour market and achieve greater financial independence. It is increased periodically, most recently from £100 to £102 on 20 May 2014.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper question first answered 29/10/2014 17:42:37 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100321

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Social Rented Housing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many homes in (a) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency, (b) the borough of Tower Hamlets, (c) London and (d) England failed to meet the decent homes standard in each year since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
	tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
	uin	211624
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>I refer the Hon. Member to my written answer of 21 October 2014, PQ 206256.</p><p> </p><p>Figures are held by local authority area, not parliamentary constituency.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 29/10/2014 16:35:05 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis previous answer version 24450 answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali

100359

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Further Education: North West
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students who completed further education in (a) Pendle, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West went on to (i) university, (ii) a full-time job and (iii) an apprenticeship in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Pendle
	tabling member printed	Andrew Stephenson
	uin	211558
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>Destination measures were produced for students who entered an A level or other Level 3 qualification in June 2014 for the 2010/11 cohort, showing their destinations in 2011/12. This was the first time that the data had been compiled separately for Further Education (FE) students – those in FE Colleges, Sixth Form Colleges and FE providers – and those in school sixth forms</p><p>The table below shows data for Pendle, Lancashire and the North West for FE students (students in FE Colleges, Sixth Form Colleges and FE providers). Separate figures for full-time employment are not available.</p><p>The published tables, which include comparable data for school sixth forms, are published online at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/destinations-of-key-stage-4-and-key-stage-5-pupils-2011-to-2012" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/statistics/destinations-of-key-stage-4-and-key-stage-5-pupils-2011-to-2012</a></p><p>The figures for 2011/12 are:</p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="8"><p>Destination Measures for key stage 5: 2010/11 cohort<sup>1</sup> from further education going into a 2011/12 destination.</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"> </td><td colspan="4"><p>Percentage going into a sustained<sup>2</sup> destination</p></td><td colspan="2"> </td></tr><tr><td><p>Area</p></td><td><p>Number<sup>3</sup> <br>of further <br>education<sup>4</sup> <br>students</p></td><td><p>Higher<sup>5</sup> <br>Education</p></td><td><p>Employment <br>and/or Training<sup>6</sup></p></td><td><p>Apprenticeships</p></td><td><p>Other<sup>7</sup> <br>sustained<sup>2</sup> <br>destinations</p></td><td><p>Destination <br>not sustained<sup>2</sup>/NEET</p></td><td><p>Activity not captured <br>in the data<sup>8</sup></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North West</p></td><td><p>31,820</p></td><td><p>51%</p></td><td><p>6%</p></td><td><p>5%</p></td><td><p>10%</p></td><td><p>13%</p></td><td><p>15%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Lancashire</p></td><td><p>5,390</p></td><td><p>54%</p></td><td><p>6%</p></td><td><p>5%</p></td><td><p>8%</p></td><td><p>14%</p></td><td><p>13%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pendle</p></td><td><p>380</p></td><td><p>52%</p></td><td><p>3%</p></td><td><p>5%</p></td><td><p>11%</p></td><td><p>13%</p></td><td><p>16%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><em>Source: National pupil database</em></p><p>Notes:</p><ol><li>All students who entered an A Level or other Level 3 qualification. This includes all level 3 qualifications i.e. general or applied A levels, AS examinations or other level 3 qualifications. These students are mostly academic age 17. There are also a number of students of academic age 16 and 18 in the cohort.</li><li>Sustained participation for the first two terms, October to March.</li><li>Number of students rounded to the nearest 10.</li><li>Further Education includes students from Further Education Colleges, Sixth Form Colleges and other Further Education providers; it excludes school sixth forms.</li><li>Higher Education includes students at Higher Education institutions or undertaking Higher Education provision at a Further Education college.</li><li>This includes all young people who were recorded as having been in employment and/or training for at least 5 months for the sustained period, October to March.</li><li>Other sustained destinations include school sixth forms, sixth form colleges, further education colleges, other further education providers, independent schools and specialist providers.</li><li>‘Activity not captured in data' means the young person was not found in an education, employment or a recorded NEET destination. Possible reasons for this could be that the young person was attending an independent college or school that was not captured in the awarding body data, a Scottish or Welsh college or school, they have left the country, are in custody or their whereabouts are not known.</li></ol><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 29/10/2014 17:43:33 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson

100373

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Biofuels
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the total subsidy was to (a) power generation by biomass and (b) domestic combustion of biomass in the UK in the last three years for which figures are available.
	tabling member constituency	Monmouth
	tabling member printed	David T. C. Davies
	uin	211441
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>The main mechanism of support for biomass1 power generation is the Renewables Obligation (RO). An estimate of support can be made by applying the share of RO certificates (ROCs) redeemed by suppliers, originating from biomass generation, to overall RO expenditure. This is given in the table below for 2011/12 to 2013/14.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p><em>RO total expenditure (£m nominal)</em></p></td><td><p><em>Biomass share of ROCs redeemed (%)</em></p></td><td><p><em>Estimated biomass support under the RO (£m nominal)</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong><em>2011/12</em></strong></p></td><td><p>1,458</p></td><td><p>33.5</p></td><td><p>488.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong><em>2012/13</em></strong></p></td><td><p>1,991</p></td><td><p>31.9</p></td><td><p>635.1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong><em>2013/14 (P)</em></strong></p></td><td><p>2,599</p></td><td><p>27.9</p></td><td><p>725.1</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>2013/14 data are provisional, Ofgem’s annual report will be published in February 2015.</p><p> </p><p>RO expenditure published in Ofgem’s RO annual reports, available at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/renewables-obligation-ro" target="_blank">https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/renewables-obligation-ro</a></p><p> </p><p>ROCs redeemed by technology available at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.renewablesandchp.ofgem.gov.uk/Public/ReportManager.aspx?ReportVisibility=1&amp;ReportCategory=0" target="_blank">https://www.renewablesandchp.ofgem.gov.uk/Public/ReportManager.aspx?ReportVisibility=1&amp;ReportCategory=0</a> <em>(Compliance certificates report)</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Domestic combustion of biomass in the UK is currently supported by the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), but was previously covered by the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) until April 2014. The table below gives figures for the amount of subsidy biomass boilers received in the last 3 years:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total Spend on Biomass Boilers (Nominal Prices)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>£1.9m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>£1.5m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>£0.9m</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em><strong>[1]</strong></em><em> There is no single category for “biomass” under the RO. In this answer, we have defined biomass as the following generation types: Anaerobic Digestion, ACT, bioliquids, dedicated biomass, biomass conversions, EfW, landfill and sewage gas and CHP technologies. </em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hastings and Rye answering member printed Amber Rudd question first answered 29/10/2014 17:23:05 answering member 3983 label Biography information for Amber Rudd
	tabling member	1545 label Biography information for David T C Davies

100397

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	hansard heading	Hepatitis
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answers of 30 March 2011, Official Report, column 399W, to the hon. Member for Colne Valley, and of 28 March 2011, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA217, to Lord Morris of Manchester, whether, when the dependents and widows of those who contracted hepatitis C following treatment with NHS blood products, but who died before 29 August 2003, were given the opportunity to apply for Skipton Fund lump sum payments during a two month period in January to March 2011 the fact that (a) registrations made after the 31 March 2011 deadline could be accepted on a case-by-case basis where there was a valid reason for the applicant to have missed the registration deadline and (b) applicants needed only to register with the fund by the deadline and could compile the necessary medical evidence later were communicated through the channels listed in Deposited Paper DEP2011-0543.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	211655
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>The decision that claims to the Skipton Fund in respect of people who died before 29 August 2003 could be registered after 31 March 2011 on a case-by-case basis, where there was a valid reason for the applicant to have missed the registration deadline, was communicated by the Skipton Fund on its website. It was not communicated through the other channels listed in Deposited Paper DEP2011-0543.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>The Skipton Fund website still states that it is possible to apply for payments on behalf of the estate of someone who died prior to 29 August 2003, but claimants are asked to contact the Skipton Fund to discuss whether the claimant has a valid reason for missing the original deadline for registering claims of 31 March 2011. <br> <br></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 29/10/2014 17:38:11 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

100400

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	hansard heading	Pancreatic Cancer
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that the NHS improves the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	211514
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>Achieving earlier diagnosis of cancer is key to our ambition to save an additional 5,000 lives per year by 2014-15. We are investing £450 million to achieve early diagnosis of cancer through better public awareness, better screening and better access to key diagnostic tests. However we know that early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer can be very difficult as the symptoms are shared with a wide range of benign conditions.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer (2005) are available to help general practitioners assess when it is appropriate to refer patients for suspected cancer, including pancreatic cancer. NICE is in the process of updating the guidelines to ensure that these reflect latest evidence and can continue to support general practitioners (GPs) to identify patients with suspected cancer symptoms and urgently refer them as appropriate. NICE’s anticipated publication date for the revised guidelines is May 2015.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We understand that NHS England has asked NICE to develop a clinical guideline and quality standard on pancreatic cancer.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>At a local level, it is for individual clinical commissioning groups to promote and enhance the diagnostic capability to deliver better outcomes. Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments that may be used for pancreatic cancer are commissioned at the moment by NHS England. NHS England’s pancreatic cancer service specification clearly defines what it expects to be in place for providers to offer evidence-based, safe and effective pancreatic cancer services. This service specification has been developed by specialised clinicians, commissioners, expert patients and public health representatives to describe core and developmental service standards.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>NHS England has also committed to make up to £6 million available over the next three years to support six trials by Cancer Research UK into the use of Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR), an innovative radiotherapy treatment. This will allow patients to receive SABR treatment now, where clinicians think they could benefit. At the same time doctors can fully assess the effectiveness of these treatments so that in future, if it proves to be effective, they will be available for all relevant patients on the NHS. One of these six trials will be on pancreatic cancer.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>The Department published Improving Outcomes for Upper Gastro-Intestinal Cancers in 2001, which describes best practice in the delivery of services for patients with all types of upper gastro-intestinal cancer, including pancreatic cancer.<br> <br> NICE has recommended gemcitabine as a treatment option for pancreatic cancer in technology appraisal guidance published in May 2001, subject to certain clinical criteria and is currently appraising a number of other pancreatic cancer drugs. Patients have the right to drugs and treatments that have been recommended by NICE technology appraisal guidance for use in the National Health Service, where their doctor believes they are clinically appropriate. <br> <br> A number of drugs to treat pancreatic cancers are also available through the Cancer Drugs Fund.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 29/10/2014 16:58:52 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

100401

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	hansard heading	Motor Neurone Disease
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that the NHS is meeting the communication needs of people with motor neurone disease.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	211515
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>Since 1 April 2013 NHS England has been responsible for commissioning Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) aids for patients with complex disability whose needs require specialised assessment, including for patients with motor neurone disease. Commissioning of non-specialised AAC aids is the responsibility of local clinical commissioning groups.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>NHS England has published a service specification for specialised AAC aids that sets out what should be in place for providers to offer evidence-based, safe and effective services. The specification can be found at:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/d01-com-dis-equ-alt-aug-comm-aids.pdf" target="_blank">www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/d01-com-dis-equ-alt-aug-comm-aids.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>NHS England has identified an additional £22.5 million funding for AAC and Environmental Controls in 2014-15. They have been working closely with the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) to ensure this funding is equitably distributed across England in a fair and consistent manner. The MNDA are representing all patients on the panel which is reviewing this funding allocation.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Norfolk answering member printed Norman Lamb question first answered 29/10/2014 17:16:16 answering member 1439 label Biography information for Norman Lamb
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead