We are appalled by Russia's drone attacks across Ukraine. Intentionally targeting civilians and civilian objects constitute war crimes. Those responsible will be held to account. On 16 November, the Foreign Secretary travelled to Kyiv for his first overseas visit to underline the UK's steadfast support for Ukraine against Russia's aggression. Alongside our allies we are providing Ukraine with critical air defence systems to protect civilians from Putin's barbaric bombing campaign, including the MSI-DS Terrahawk Paladin, a platform which can track and destroy drones and protect critical national infrastructure.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4600", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Leo Docherty"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Aldershot"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Leo Docherty"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-11-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-11-27T16:50:26.487Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "208"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Russia: Ukraine"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department\u2019s policies of the Russian drone attacks against Ukraine on 17 and 18 November 2023.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"} ], "uin" : "2594"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1463095", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1463095/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The government is committed to supporting medical students. Students attending years one to four of a standard medical degree course qualify for a fee loan to meet the full costs of their tuition, and a partially means-tested loan for living costs from Student Finance England. Students with adult or child dependants can apply for fully means-tested grants, and students who are obliged to incur additional costs while studying as a result of a disability can apply for disabled students\u2019 allowances.<\/p>
Maximum grants and loans for living costs were increased by 3.1% this academic year, and we have announced that they will increase by a further 2.3% next year. In addition, we are freezing maximum tuition fees for the 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. By the 2024/25 academic year, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven years, meaning reduced debt for students in real terms.<\/p>
We are also reforming student loans so that new borrowers starting from the 2023/24 academic year onwards will not, under the new terms, be required to repay more than they have borrowed when adjusted for inflation.<\/p>
For the fifth year of a standard medical degree course, and years two to four of accelerated medical programmes, the Government pays students\u2019 tuition fees via a non-repayable Bursary, funded by Health Education England via the NHS Business Services Authority. Every eligible student receives an NHS Bursary at a minimum of £1,000 plus a means-tested bursary of up to £3,191.<\/p>
The NHS Bursary provides additional allowances including for childcare, travel and accommodation, and to help students manage shortfalls between their income and expenditure. Students eligible for bursary support for an academic year of their course can also apply for a reduced rate non-means tested loans for living costs from Student Finance England.<\/p>
Where a student is struggling financially and is eligible for the NHS Bursary, the Exceptional Support Fund is available where they may be able to claim for any sum between £100 and £3,000, depending on current financial circumstances. Additionally, Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses provides reimbursement towards travel and accommodation costs that may be incurred whilst undertaking a practice placement.<\/p>
In our guidance to the Office for Students (OfS) on funding for the 2021/22 financial year, we made clear that the OfS should protect the £256 million allocation for the student premiums to support disadvantaged students and those that need additional help. The 2022/23 financial year guidance to the OfS confirms universities will continue to be able to support students in hardship through the student premium. Ministers\u2019 Strategic Priorities Grant guidance letter to the OfS asks that the OfS looks to protect the student premium in cash terms for 2022/23.<\/p>
Alongside this, the government is also making available discretionary funding of £144 million to support vulnerable people and individuals on low incomes, including students, to support those ineligible for council tax. The government recognises many households will need support to deal with rising energy costs, and has therefore announced a package of support to help households with rising energy bills, worth £9.1 billion in the 2022/23 financial year. This includes a £200 discount on energy bills this autumn for domestic electricity customers in Great Britain, which will be paid back automatically over the next five years.<\/p>
The department has secured up to £75 million to deliver a National Scholarship Scheme that will support high achieving disadvantaged students to reach their full potential whilst studying in higher education. This scholarship aims to address the ongoing financial barriers that can restrict high achieving, disadvantaged students from achieving their full academic potential whilst studying in higher education and is in addition to the significant sector interventions already in place.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4423", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Will Quince"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Colchester"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Will Quince"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-05-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-05-23T10:42:46.813Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-05-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Students: Loans"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing immediate access to full maintenance loans for medical students in line with other healthcare professional courses for the duration of their degree programme.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4511", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Rupa Huq"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ealing Central and Acton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dr Rupa Huq"} ], "uin" : "2594"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1170283", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1170283/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Out of the 74 private residential buildings which are being funded by the building owner, 64 are by the developer and 10 by the freeholder.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4084", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Esther McVey"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Tatton"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Esther McVey"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-01-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-01-16T17:47:52.043Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-01-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Buildings: Safety"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to figure five in his Department's publication entitled Data update 30, Building Safety Programme: monthly data release, November 2019, how many and which of the 74 private residential buildings had remediation work funded by the (a) developer and (b) freeholder.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4631", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sarah Jones"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Croydon Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sarah Jones"} ], "uin" : "2594"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/747692", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/747692/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Digital Transformation Programme is targeting the redevelopment and improvement of key Defra services to make them easier for customers to interact with the department, and to make cost efficiencies through the use of more modern and flexible technology that is better able to support Defra's services through changing requirements. Different areas of work within the Programme are looking at different services provided by Defra, most of which are already online. However, there are a number of projects and work streams which will deliver reductions of the amount of manual processing on paper. These include:<\/p>
<\/p>
- Farm Services Management: through the roll-out of a new scheduling and data capture tool which, in conjunction with new mobile devices, will reduce the amount of paper-recording by APHA inspectors.<\/p>
- Animal Disease Testing Service: which provides a digital alternative to written requests from Vets for disease tests for animals.<\/p>
- Fishing Rod Licenses: by providing an easier digital application process, so reducing the proportions of requests through telephone or over-the-counter channels.<\/p>
<\/p>
These are important benefits of the Digital Transformation Programme. But the main focus of the Programme is to replace old systems with newer ones that are more cost effective and easier for customers to use.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3934", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for George Eustice"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Camborne and Redruth"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "George Eustice"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-11T11:50:09.453Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: ICT"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the amount of manual processing on paper that it carries out and to make such processing digital.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4488", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Martyn Day"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Linlithgow and East Falkirk"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Martyn Day"} ], "uin" : "2594"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 4, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }