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428054

registered interest
date	13/11/2015
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	Sleeping Rough
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to take to provide further guidance to local authorities on preventing people who apply to those authorities for accommodation from continuing to sleep rough.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	16178
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2015 answer text <p>This Government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable in society. One person without a home is one too many. That is why since 2010 we have invested more than £500 million to prevent and tackle homelessness in England. This investment has helped local authorities prevent almost one million households from becoming homeless since 2010.</p><p>We already require all authorities to ensure that advice and information about homelessness, and the prevention of homelessness, is available to everyone in their district free of charge. The Homelessness Code of Guidance for local authorities, available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-code-of-guidance-for-councils-july-2006" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-code-of-guidance-for-councils-july-2006</a>, provides statutory guidance on how local authorities should exercise this function.</p><p><br></p> answering member constituency Nuneaton answering member printed Mr Marcus Jones question first answered 25/11/2015 14:31:37 answering member 4024 label Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

428175

registered interest
date	13/11/2015
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Home Care Services: Standards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce variations in the quality of at-home care given by carers' agencies across the UK.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	16177
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2015 answer text <p>The Government is committed to improving the quality of adult social care. We have taken a number of recent steps to do so.</p><p>In October 2014, we introduced a tougher inspection system by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Following inspections, CQC now also awards each service a single quality rating, with providers rated as “Outstanding”, “Good”, “Requires Improvement” or “Inadequate”. Services rated “Inadequate” are being placed into Special Measures. They will have access to a range of resources to help them to improve, but if they fail to do so, they could face closure.</p><p>These new ratings and other information about the type and quality of care at every care home and homecare service in the country are now available on NHS Choices and the MyNHS Transparency website, making it much easier for people to compare the quality of services.</p><p>This year we introduced a <em>Certificate of Fundamental Care</em>, now known as the Care Certificate. This will help ensure that care workers can deliver a consistently high quality standard of care.</p><p>The Department is funding and working with a number of organisations including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Skills for Care, the Social Care Institute for Excellence, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Local Government Association on a range of projects to help adult social care organisations and staff improve the quality of care. These resources include new NICE Quality Standards and Guidelines which bring clarity to what excellence looks like in care and Commissioning for Better Outcomes – A Route Map<sup>*</sup> that sets out a series of commissioning standards that will</p><p>be used as part of local government sector-led improvement to drive best practices in local authority commissioning under their new duties in the Care Act 2015.</p><br /><p><sup>*</sup>Available at <a href="http://www.local.gov.uk/documents/10180/5756320/Commissioning+for+Better+Outcomes+A+route+map/8f18c36f-805c-4d5e-b1f5-d3755394cfab" target="_blank">http://www.local.gov.uk/documents/10180/5756320/Commissioning+for+Better+Outcomes+A+route+map/8f18c36f-805c-4d5e-b1f5-d3755394cfab</a></p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 18/11/2015 16:50:21 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

428225

registered interest
date	13/11/2015
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Transport: Industrial Disputes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the value of economic output lost as a result of industrial action in the transport sector in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	16180
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2015 answer text <p>Industrial action in the transport sector has significant and serious disruptive impacts to the country. Indicative analysis undertaken by the Department for Transport to understand the potential immediate costs to the wider economy from a one-off 24 hour National Rail Strike estimated those costs to be around £80million.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 23/11/2015 14:03:24 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

428228

registered interest
date	13/11/2015
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	Workplace Pensions: LGBT+ People
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 take steps to extend occupational pensions to include widows from same sex married couples in the same way as widows from other married couples are currently included.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	16179
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2015 answer text <p>The Government is considering the findings of the statutory review into survivor benefits in occupational pension schemes that was required by section 16 of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013. The Review provided important information on the benefits, costs and other effects of eliminating or reducing differences in survivor benefit provision.</p><br /><p>The Government will respond to the Review in due course.</p><br /> <br /> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/11/2015 11:59:57 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

428232

registered interest
date	13/11/2015
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	Welfare Reform and Work Bill
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department will provide a definition of the term vulnerable group for the purposes of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill; and with whom his Department will consult on that definition.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	16181
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2015 answer text <p>Our reforms aim to ensure that work always pays more than a life on benefits; that the system is fair to those who pay for it, as well as those who benefit from it; and that support is focused on the most vulnerable which is why we are protecting pensioner benefits and payments for the additional costs of care and disability.</p> answering member constituency Witham answering member printed Priti Patel question first answered 23/11/2015 14:47:39 answering member 4066 label Biography information for Priti Patel
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

428947

registered interest
date	10/11/2015
answering body	Wales Office
answering dept id	28
answering dept short name	Wales
answering dept sort name	Wales
hansard heading	Tourism: Wales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Government support for the tourism sector in Wales.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	902192
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2015 answer text <p>In July, the Government published its 5-point plan to ensure the benefits of tourism extend beyond London and across the UK. The Welsh economy continues to benefit from a thriving tourist industry, with recent figures showing the amount spent by overseas visitors increased by £34 million over the last year.<strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Vale of Glamorgan answering member printed Alun Cairns grouped question UIN 902195 question first answered 18/11/2015 17:10:46 answering member 4086 label Biography information for Alun Cairns
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

423922

registered interest
date	26/10/2015
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Local Press: Non-domestic Rates
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many responses have been received to his Department's consultation on business rate relief for local newspapers; and if he will extend that relief to local magazine publishers.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	13271
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2015 answer text <p>We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation with the Department forCommunities and Local Government.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 05/11/2015 16:56:12 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

423923

registered interest
date	26/10/2015
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	Electronic Publishing: EU Action
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the potential effect of the European Commission's Digital Single Market proposals on UK publishers; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	13272
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2015 answer text <p>The Digital Single Market is a stated priority for the Juncker Commission, which could deliver significant gains for both consumers and businesses. As such, Ministers across Government regularly hold discussions in Europe and the UK with our European counterparts on the Digital Single Market including its potential effects on UK’s creative industries and publishers in particular.</p><p>Currently there are no Digital Single Market legislative proposals on the table, but we are encouraging the Commission to ensure that future proposals are carefully assessed to ensure that they do not damage incentives to invest in the production of creative content.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 28/10/2015 17:50:26 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

421721

registered interest
date	15/10/2015
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Respiratory System: Diseases
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will roll out a national breathlessness campaign to follow the pilots in the North and East of England.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	12166
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2015 answer text <p>The regional pilot of the breathlessness campaign was carried out in the East of England 2 February – 1 March 2015. The evaluation of the campaign is ongoing.</p><br /> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 23/10/2015 13:05:37 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

421722

registered interest
date	15/10/2015
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Home Care Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that carers are able to give each patient an appropriate amount of time on visits.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	12117
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2015 answer text <p>In most cases, very short visits from care workers are incompatible with high quality care. However, short visits may be appropriate in certain circumstances. For instance, checking medication has been taken.</p><br /><p>Local authorities are responsible for the commissioning of services, not the Government but both Government and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) agree that inappropriately short home care visits are unacceptable.The Care Act sends a clear message that commissioning services without properly considering the impact on people’s wellbeing is unacceptable.</p><br /><p>In September 2015, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidelines on homecare which state that homecare visits should not normally be less than 30 minutes long. The Department published statutory guidance to the Care Act which directs local authorities when commissioning to consider national standards including NICE guidelines.</p><br /><p>Further, the Department worked with ADASS and the Local Government Association (LGA) to produce a framework of standards, ‘Commissioning for Better Outcomes’ which explicitly states that inappropriate use of short visits is not compatible with best practice. The framework is designed to support local authorities to improve their commissioning practices using self-assessment and peer challenge through the LGA’s programme of sector-led improvement.</p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 23/10/2015 13:23:58 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett