Tag: Craig Tracey

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Tracey on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will issue guidance on whether local authorities with significant student populations in their areas should identify the student population separately for the purpose of calculating the full objectively assessed need for housing in their areas in preparation of Local Plans and in estimating the five-year supply of land for housing.

Gavin Barwell

The National Planning Policy Framework asks local authorities to assess their full housing needs and identify the scale and mix of housing and the range of tenures that the local population is likely to need over the plan period. Our planning guidance sets out a clear methodology for assessing development needs for housing and is clear that local authorities should plan for sufficient student accommodation in their area, including through engaging with universities and other higher educational establishments. It is for local authorities to establish a robust housing evidence base to justify their proposed approach.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Tracey on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in relation to the sub-national population and household projections, if he will review with the Office of National Statistics, the methods of recording and counting of students as an element of the population in local authority areas having significant student populations.

Mr Marcus Jones

DCLG uses the Office of National Statistics (ONS) population projections to produce the household projections. Students are not counted as a separate population in the ONS mid-year population estimates or the ONS population projections. The ONS maintains responsibility for how these statistics are produced, and DCLG have no plans to review the methods used to produce these statistics.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Tracey on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will clarify in his planning policy guidance that (a) students aged over 18 years in higher education in any local authority area with significant higher education establishments should be regarded as transient and not permanent residents and (b) particular care in identifying the objectively assessed need for housing should be taken not to count such students as in-migrants who remain resident in the area, but rather as a special element of the population which continually replaces itself.

Gavin Barwell

The National Planning Policy Framework asks local authorities to assess their full housing needs and identify the scale and mix of housing and the range of tenures that the local population is likely to need over the plan period. Our planning guidance sets out a clear methodology for assessing development needs for housing and is clear that local authorities should plan for sufficient student accommodation in their area, including through engaging with universities and other higher educational establishments. It is for local authorities to establish a robust housing evidence base to justify their proposed approach.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Tracey on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she expects the decommissioning of Sparrowdale School to be completed.

Edward Timpson

School playing fields are protected by Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. Schools and local authorities must obtain the Secretary of State’s approval before they can dispose of their land. Applications to dispose of school playing fields are considered by the independent school playing fields advisory panel, and are approved only when it is demonstrated that the application meets published criteria.

The Department is aware of an application by Warwickshire County Council to seek approval to dispose of the former Sparrowdale Special School. The application is currently being processed by officials at the Education Funding Agency; a final decision should be expected in the summer. The application will only be considered when sufficient information is available to consider how the sale proceeds will be invested to benefit other local schools. The Secretary of State will consider the recommendation of the panel before making her final decision.

The Department has published a list of decisions since May 2010 on applications for consent to dispose of school playing field land: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-land-decisions-about-disposals

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Tracey on 2016-09-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps the Government is taking to support businesses in Scotland.

Jesse Norman

The British Business Bank currently facilitates around £300m of finance in Scotland. Around £10m of Start-Up Loans have been provided to over 2,000 Scottish businesses, and £290m is helping a further 2,000 businesses to grow through other Bank programmes. In 2015/16, Innovate UK committed to invest £58.3m in 291 innovation projects in Scotland.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Tracey on 2016-02-24.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to widen access to financial advice.

Harriett Baldwin

The Government has launched the Financial Advice Market Review (FAMR). This will explore what more can be done to ensure people can access high quality, affordable advice to help them make informed financial decisions. The Review will establish what sorts of financial advice consumers need and examine ways to make financial advice work better for consumers. It will report back around the time of Budget.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Tracey on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the article in The Lancet, Adjuvant bisphosonphate treatment in early breast cancer: meta-analyses of individual patient data from randomised trials, published in July 2015, what steps he has taken to ensure that bisphosphonates for the indication of preventing secondary breast cancer are routinely available to the patients who need them.

Nicola Blackwood

The Independent Cancer Taskforce report included a specific recommendation on the use of adjuvant bisphosphonates for treating people with breast cancer. We understand that NHS England is working to realise the ambitions set out in the report and will publish an update on progress made soon.

National prescribing arrangements already allow for bisphosphonates to be prescribed for the prevention of secondary breast cancer.

Updated guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the use of adjuvant bisphosphonates for the management of breast cancer treatment-induced bone loss, taking into account the latest available evidence, is expected in July 2018.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Tracey on 2016-02-24.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to widen access to financial advice.

Harriett Baldwin

The Government has launched the Financial Advice Market Review (FAMR). This will explore what more can be done to ensure people can access high quality, affordable advice to help them make informed financial decisions. The Review will establish what sorts of financial advice consumers need and examine ways to make financial advice work better for consumers. It will report back around the time of Budget.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Tracey on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to make available data which sets out the results achieved from the Careers and Enterprise Company investment for pupils in secondary schools and colleges.

Robert Halfon

The Careers & Enterprise Company is making excellent progress and is having a real impact across the country by linking schools and colleges with employers and providers of careers and enterprise activities. The Company is delivering lasting, powerful connections between local businesses and nearby schools and colleges through its Enterprise Adviser Network. The Company has already appointed 78 Enterprise Coordinators and almost 1,200 advisers. Over 900 schools and colleges (in 37 out of 38 Local Enterprise Partnership areas in England) have been helped to develop better careers and enterprise programmes for their pupils. In addition, the Company has launched its £5 million careers and enterprise fund to boost provision for nearly 250,000 young people across England in 75% of ‘cold spot’ areas. It has also launched a £12 million Mentoring Investment Fund to scale-up mentoring and tackle disengagement across England. Details of the Company’s achievements and progress are summarised in their first annual report published in June this year. The report can be found here: https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/posts/careers-enterprise-company-first-annual-review-published

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