Asked by: Peter Heaton-Jones (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on Alpha insurance customers of the decision by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme to award only premium insurance refunds to those people following the bankruptcy of that company.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protects customers when a financial services firm fails, and is independent from government and industry. It is accountable to both the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority for the effective operation of the scheme.
Her Majesty’s Treasury has conducted no formal assessment of the effect on the customers of Alpha insurance of the decision taken by the FSCS to award return of premium refunds following its insolvency. The rules setting out the operation of the scheme allow for premium refund compensation, where a suitable replacement provider cannot be found to take on the policies of an insolvent firm.
Asked by: Peter Heaton-Jones (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum-seekers crossed the Channel between November 2018 and January 2019 inclusive; and of those how many (a) were returned to France for processing of their asylum applications, (b) have been granted asylum in the UK and (c) have applications being processed in the UK.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The Home Office has published data on the number of migrants who crossed the Channel between November 2018 and January 2019.This information can be found at the link below:
https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/home-affairs/Correspondence-17-19/19-03-05-Letter-from-Sir-Philip-Rutnam-KCB-Permanent-Secretary-Home-Office-Migrant-boats-in-the-channel.pdf
The department does not routinely publish breakdowns of asylum claims by method of arrival or type of claim. This information is recorded but not in a format that can easily be retrieved and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.
The Home Office does publish data on the number of applications for asylum in the UK, in its quarterly Immigration Statistics release, the latest release published 24th May 2019. The number of asylum applications for main applicants by country of nationality, made since January 2019 can be found in table as_01_q for main applicants:
Latest edition available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2019/list-of-tables#asylum
Since January, more than 50 people who arrived illegally in the UK in small boats have been returned to Europe.
Asked by: Peter Heaton-Jones (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) discussions he has had with representatives of the Health and Care Professions Council and (b) representations his Department has received on the potential effects on health professionals of that organisation's decision to increase registration fees.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has many discussions with stakeholders across the health and care sector. I have written to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) asking it to consider the impact of its proposed fee rise on part-time workers, which was raised by hon. Members at a Westminster Hall Debate held on 14 March 2019. The HCPC responded to this letter on 1 May, explaining the practical difficulties and potential perverse incentives of introducing differential fees for part-time workers.
A search of the Department’s Ministerial correspondence database has identified 79 items of correspondence received since 24 September 2018 about the HCPC’s decision to increase registration fees. This figure represents correspondence received by the Department’s Ministerial correspondence unit only. In addition to this, the Department has received nine Written Parliamentary Questions on this matter, and engaged with hon. Members at a Westminster Hall Debate on the proposed HCPC fee rise on 14 March 2019. The HCPC is independent of Government and funded by registrants’ fees on a cost recovery basis.
Asked by: Peter Heaton-Jones (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether (a) Marcus Hutchins who is a constituent of the hon. Member for North Devon and awaiting trial in the US is receiving adequate consular assistance and (b) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is providing support for his family in Ilfracombe.
Answered by Alan Duncan
Consular staff in the US have been providing consular assistance to Marcus Hutchins since his arrest in August 2017, in line with what the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) can offer British nationals overseas which is set out in our public guide ‘Support for British nationals abroad: A guide’. Consular staff will continue to offer support to Mr Hutchins and liaise with US local authorities to gain regular updates on his case. Consular staff have also provided assistance to Mr Hutchins’ mother since his arrest.
Asked by: Peter Heaton-Jones (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
What discussions he has had with Devon County Council on improvements to the North Devon link road.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Department and Council officials have met to discuss the arrangements for taking forward the scheme to improve the North Devon Link Road between South Molton and Bideford which was announced in May. The meeting was constructive and we will continue to work closely with the Council leading up to their submission of a final business case in 2020. The Department has given provisional approval to investing £82.1m towards the £93.1m scheme.
Asked by: Peter Heaton-Jones (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure continued funding for the South West Coastal Path national trail.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Business planning and financial allocations have not yet been completed and Natural England is not yet in a position to announce the level of funding for the South West Coast Path national trail for 2018/19.
Natural England wrote to each of the national trail partnerships last December making an interim offer of 50% of the funding made to each of the national trails in 2017/18. The offer was an advance contribution towards the costs the partnerships would incur in 2018/19 in the absence of Natural England being able to confirm its overall funding position for 2018/19.
Asked by: Peter Heaton-Jones (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with NHS England on ensuring that the Northern Devon Healthcare Trust has adequate resources to deliver acute services at North Devon District Hospital.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Government believes that local areas are best placed to assess local need and distribute resources accordingly. This year, Devon CCG received over £20m extra funding, as part of our commitment to invest an additional £8bn in the NHS by 2020-21.
Devon STP has developed plans to deliver high-quality healthcare on a sustainable footing. An additional bespoke support package has been developed by NHS England to address local challenges.
Asked by: Peter Heaton-Jones (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for bids for the next round of the coastal communities fund.
Answered by Jake Berry
Details of how to apply to Coastal Communities Fund Round 5 and the timetable for bids will be available in early 2018.
We are advising prospective applicants that they should not wait until then before developing their plans for revitalising their coastal communities.
Asked by: Peter Heaton-Jones (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that coastal areas in North Devon receive an equitable proportion of funding for projects which benefit coastal communities.
Answered by Jake Berry
I announced on 4 September that Coastal Communities Fund Round 5 will open for applications in early 2018 with £40 million of funding available.
Hon Members with coastal constituencies should encourage prospective applicants to make an early start in developing their plans for revitalising their local communities.
Asked by: Peter Heaton-Jones (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with NHS England on potential reductions to services at North Devon District Hospital under the emerging Sustainability and Transformation Plan.
Answered by Philip Dunne
Ministers have regular meetings with NHS England and the North, East and West Devon Success Regime to discuss their plans in this area. This work has now been incorporated into the work on the local Sustainability and Transformation Plan.
The Success Regime’s consultation commenced on 7 October regarding community services in East Devon. The consultation sets out options which will ensure there is consistency in the way community services are provided across the county. The aim is to provide the right care first time for people closer to home to avoid being admitted to hospital.
The formal consultation concluded on 6 January 2017 and the next phase of the Success Regime will look at how services are provided in acute hospitals.
The redesign and delivery of frontline health services is a matter for the local National Health Service – clinically led by frontline NHS organisations and clinicians who are closest to the needs of communities and therefore best placed to make decisions in the interests of their patients.
All substantial service reconfiguration proposals must be consulted on, and assured by NHS England taking into account the four reconfiguration tests as mandated by the Government in 2010.