The power for a Secretary of State to require the Care Quality Commission to undertake a special inspection of local authority commissioning of care services has already been commenced.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Coalition Government has a strong record of reducing top-down inspections of local government, reflecting commitments made in the Coalition Agreement. Intervention in the activities of locally accountable councils should only be considered where a last resort.<\/p>
<\/p>
I am not aware of any evidence that would constitute the kinds of exceptional circumstances that would warrant deployment of this power. Indeed it is arguable that local councils have been very effective in procuring care services and local taxpayers will thank them for having kept care costs under control.<\/p>
<\/p>
Even where there is evidence of poor commissioning practice by particular councils, the Government expects councils collectively, through the Local Government Association, to take the lead in improving poor performance. The Association has developed a programme of peer support available to councils, which includes mentoring and peer challenges.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4043", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kris Hopkins"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Keighley"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kris Hopkins"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-02-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "221243"} , {"_value" : "222632"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-02-09T17:30:28.973Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Care Quality Commission"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if his Department will take steps with the Department of Health to progress the commencement of powers for the Care Quality Commission to undertake inspections of how local authorities commission their care services where no specific complaints have been made.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "221242"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174367", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174367/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The power for a Secretary of State to require the Care Quality Commission to undertake a special inspection of local authority commissioning of care services has already been commenced.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Coalition Government has a strong record of reducing top-down inspections of local government, reflecting commitments made in the Coalition Agreement. Intervention in the activities of locally accountable councils should only be considered where a last resort.<\/p>
<\/p>
I am not aware of any evidence that would constitute the kinds of exceptional circumstances that would warrant deployment of this power. Indeed it is arguable that local councils have been very effective in procuring care services and local taxpayers will thank them for having kept care costs under control.<\/p>
<\/p>
Even where there is evidence of poor commissioning practice by particular councils, the Government expects councils collectively, through the Local Government Association, to take the lead in improving poor performance. The Association has developed a programme of peer support available to councils, which includes mentoring and peer challenges.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4043", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kris Hopkins"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Keighley"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kris Hopkins"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-02-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "221242"} , {"_value" : "222632"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-02-09T17:30:29.337Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Care Quality Commission"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the commencement of wider powers for the Care Quality Commission to undertake inspections into local authorities' commissioning of care services.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "221243"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174378", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Defence"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174378/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The number of early service leavers from the Infantry is shown in the following table:<\/p>
<\/p>
| <\/td> | Calendar Year<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||
Age on Entry<\/p><\/td> | 2010<\/p><\/td> | 2011<\/p><\/td> | 2012<\/p><\/td> | 2013<\/p><\/td> | 1st Jan 14 to 30th Nov 14<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
Under 18<\/p><\/td> | 670<\/p><\/td> | 620<\/p><\/td> | 560<\/p><\/td> | 360<\/p><\/td> | 320<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
18 and Over<\/p><\/td> | 1,110<\/p><\/td> | 1,410<\/p><\/td> | 1,160<\/p><\/td> | 920<\/p><\/td> | 700<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> Notes:<\/strong><\/p> The figures are for Trained and Untrained Regular Army Other Ranks and Officers and therefore excludes all Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service, Mobilised Reserves, Army Reserve and all other Reserves.<\/p> <\/p> The figures are for those individuals who left the Army with an Infantry Arm/Service recorded on the Joint Personnel Administration System (JPA) at the point they left. It is possible that a small number of those contained within the figures above were assigned to a non-Infantry Arm/Service when joining the Army, and then subsequently at some point in their Army career transferred to the Infantry.<\/p> <\/p> Figures have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3938", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anna Soubry"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Broxtowe"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Anna Soubry"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-01-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-01-26T17:03:37.49Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "11"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Army: Discharges"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many early service leavers from the Infantry enlisted (a) under and (b) over the age of 18 in each of the last five years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"}
], "uin" : "221203"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174380", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Defence"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174380/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Yes, it is still our policy to detain minors at the Military Corrective Training Centre. The Centre has a safeguarding and child protection policy and is inspected by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons.<\/p> Due regard is given to all the circumstances of the offence and, where detention is warranted, it must be for the shortest term commensurate with the seriousness of the offence or offences for which the offender is being sentenced.<\/p> In the last three years a total of five Service personnel under the age of 18 have been sentenced to detention in the Military Corrective Training Centre.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3938", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anna Soubry"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Broxtowe"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Anna Soubry"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-01-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-01-26T17:04:02.423Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "11"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Military Corrective Training Centre Colchester"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it remains his policy to detain minors at the Military Correctional Training Centre (Colchester).", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"}
], "uin" : "221271"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174391", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174391/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The information requested is not held by the Department for Education. Each Awarding Organisation publishes details of their fees for re-sits [1].<\/p> In addition to Awarding Organisations fees, exam centres can apply their own administration costs to sit the exam at their centre. These costs can vary from centre to centre.<\/p> [1]<\/p> http://www.aqa.org.uk/exams-administration/entries/entry-fees<\/a><\/p> http://ocr.org.uk/Images/166033-fees-list-2014-15.pdf<\/a><\/p> |