Nick Hurd

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills’ written Ministerial Statements of 25 June and 15 October make clear that the Government is moving UK Green Investment Bank plc (GIB) into private ownership and repealing the GIB legislation so that, following a sale, GIB can continue to operate as a going concern and be reclassified to the private sector with the freedom to borrow and raise a much greater volume of private capital without affecting public sector debt.

I refer my Hon. Friend to my Answer of 17 September 2015. Work is on-going on the possible application to the court for directions on the future of the National Fund, consistent with its object of extinguishing or reducing the national debt. I am also continuing to consider other options. I will update my Hon. Friend as soon as I can.

Options are being considered for the future of the Fund, consistent with its object of extinguishing or reducing the national debt. A proposal will be set out in due course.

Options are being considered for the future of the Fund, consistent with its object of extinguishing or reducing the national debt. A proposal will be set out in due course.

The Department is committed to implementing measures to support schools to build character, resilience and grit in their pupils. Participating in extracurricular activities is one aspect of building character in young people.

We are supporting head teachers to decide the activities they offer and how best to structure the school day in the best interests of their pupils. We are investing £5 million to expand character education, which includes funding projects that offer extracurricular activities that help prepare children for successful adult life. We have also made it easier for all schools to make changes to the length, structure and content of the school day so that they can expand the range of activities that they offer where it would benefit their pupils.

The Department for Education is investing £5 million to expand the capacity of schools and voluntary organisations in order to deliver character education. We are committed to ensuring that all young people develop a range of character attributes, such as resilience and grit, which underpin success in education and employment. We want to ensure all young people are prepared for life in modern Britain.

The government has made it easier for all schools to make changes to the length, structure and content of the school day so that every school in England has the flexibility to decide when their school day should start and finish. We trust headteachers to decide how best to structure their school day to support their pupils’ education.

The Government is currently developing the framework that will guide the development of the 25 year environment plan. This is being led by Defra and will have ongoing input from other Government Departments. There will also be engagement with those with an interest in the health of the natural environment.

The Government is currently developing the framework that will guide the development of the 25 year environment plan. This is being led by Defra and will have ongoing input from other Government Departments. There will also be engagement with those with an interest in the health of the natural environment.

The latest available evidence on the burden of disease is used in planning our work. Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that 285 million people are estimated to be visually impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 million have low vision. Data on levels and trends of the burden of diseases and injuries and the risk factors that cause them are an important input to health decision-making for national governments and development partners.When making investment decisions DFID considers many factors, including the burden of disease, to ensure that we deliver value for money and that we address the health needs of the countries we support.

In 2013, the World Health Assembly approved the Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Avoidable Blindness and Visual Impairment 2014-2019 - Towards Universal Eye Health. This is a roadmap for WHO Member States and international partners with the aim of achieving a measurable reduction of 25% of avoidable visual impairments by 2019. One of the three key objectives of the plan is the development and implementation of integrated national eye health policies, plans and programmes to enhance universal eye health. The UK has signed up to the plan and existing UK programmes on avoidable blindness are contributing to achieving its objectives.

There are a limited number of studies that estimate the lost productivity from all avoidable blindness. However, there have been some studies to assess the impact of specific causes of visual impairment and blindness. For example, it has been estimated that trachoma alone causes US$3-6 billion in lost productivity per year across affected countries. DFID is supporting the prevention and treatment of trachoma in a number of highly endemic countries.

DFID has a number of programmes that directly and indirectly support the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness. Since 2010 DFID has supported: the control of river blindness; programmes that contribute to the elimination of blinding trachoma; the work of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust to tackle trachoma, diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity across the Commonwealth; a Programme Partnership Arrangement with Sightsavers and several UK Aid Match schemes that provide a range of sight-restoring and sight-saving operations; and funding provided to UNICEF, the GAVI Alliance and the Measles and Rubella Initiative (MRI) that has helped provide, amongst other things, food fortification, Vitamin A supplementation and measles immunisation, which reduce the risk of blindness.

Prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness requires a strong health system. Through its health systems strengthening, DFID is helping to ensure that eye treatment is available for all. The UK is providing significant support to developing and maintaining robust health systems to enable developing countries to address their health priorities.

DFID uses evidence on the cost-effectiveness of health interventions to inform DFID investment decisions. This includes the World Health Organisation CHOICE (CHOosing Interventions that are Cost-Effective) project that provides detailed cost-effectiveness estimates of a large number of interventions to reduce risks to health, including many causes of blindness. DFID’s aim is to maximise health gains through targeted, cost-effective health interventions that are delivered through strengthened, more efficient and effective health systems.

Every DFID project is rigorously appraised before approval. During implementation each project is regularly monitored to examine whether the targeted results are on track, whether the project represents value for money and remains cost effective, and what, if any, corrective action needs to be undertaken. DFID considers alternative approaches and cost-effectiveness, amongst other factors, whenever we make an investment. The best value for money in a given country at a given time will depend on many factors, including the local context and what others are doing.