Author: admin

  • Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to using the purchasing power of the National Health Service as a major customer of AstraZeneca and Pfizer to ensure that Pfizer honours any undertakings given in the event of a successful takeover of AstraZeneca.

    Earl Howe

    Both companies supply the National Health Service with vital medicines that are used to treat millions of patients each year. It is for clinicians to make prescribing decisions based on their patient’s individual clinical circumstances and our priority is to ensure that patients continue to get the medicines they need.

  • Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they offer to local authorities on the outline and content of local letting agent and landlord accreditation schemes.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    Information on how many local authorities operate letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes is not centrally held. The decision on whether to establish letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes is best made by local authorities who can take account of local conditions and circumstances. The Department does not therefore produce any guidance on such schemes.

    We are improving standards in the sector. Later this year, we will bring regulations into force that will require the remaining 3,000 letting and property management agents to join one of the 3 approved redress schemes, thereby improving protection for both tenants and landlords. In addition, we have made over £4 million available to 23 local authorities to help them tackle acute and complex problems with rogue landlords in their area. This builds on the £2.6 million we have given nine local authorities to support enforcement against “Beds in Sheds”.

  • Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish copies of any guidance that they provide to local authorities on local accreditation schemes for letting agents and landlords.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    Information on how many local authorities operate letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes is not centrally held. The decision on whether to establish letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes is best made by local authorities who can take account of local conditions and circumstances. The Department does not therefore produce any guidance on such schemes.

    We are improving standards in the sector. Later this year, we will bring regulations into force that will require the remaining 3,000 letting and property management agents to join one of the 3 approved redress schemes, thereby improving protection for both tenants and landlords. In addition, we have made over £4 million available to 23 local authorities to help them tackle acute and complex problems with rogue landlords in their area. This builds on the £2.6 million we have given nine local authorities to support enforcement against “Beds in Sheds”.

  • Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many local authorities operate either letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    Information on how many local authorities operate letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes is not centrally held. The decision on whether to establish letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes is best made by local authorities who can take account of local conditions and circumstances. The Department does not therefore produce any guidance on such schemes.

    We are improving standards in the sector. Later this year, we will bring regulations into force that will require the remaining 3,000 letting and property management agents to join one of the 3 approved redress schemes, thereby improving protection for both tenants and landlords. In addition, we have made over £4 million available to 23 local authorities to help them tackle acute and complex problems with rogue landlords in their area. This builds on the £2.6 million we have given nine local authorities to support enforcement against “Beds in Sheds”.

  • whether they will introduce them.” – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    whether they will introduce them.” – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by whether they will introduce them.” on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 7 April (WA 238–9), which specific amounts of Public Duty Cost Allowance funding each former Prime Minister was allocated by way of reimbursement of (1) necessary office costs, (2) secretarial costs”

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    There is no allocation within the public duties allowance for different categories of spend. It is for the former Prime Minister to submit receipts for payment within the annual allowance. The allowance is subject to audit, both by Internal Audit and the National Audit Office. Relevant supporting documentation is provided in support of claims.

  • Baroness Seccombe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Baroness Seccombe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Seccombe on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 6 May (WA 368–70), what was the breakdown of departmental private office spending on Government Procurement Cards in the Department for Energy and Climate Change between 2008–09 and 2009–10.

    Baroness Verma

    GPC spend above £500 by the Department are published on the GOV.UK website. Details for May 2012 to March 2014 are available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/gpc-departmental-spend-over-500

    Details for April 2010 to April 2012 are archived at:

    http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121025080026/http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/expenditure/spend_over_500/spend_over_500.aspx

    The Department does not hold records of any details prior to April 2010. Those for 2008-09 and 2009-10 were held as a mixture of electronic and paper records by both BIS and Defra. Locating and retrieving these records would incur disproportionate costs.

    “

  • Baroness Seccombe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Seccombe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Seccombe on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 6 May (WA 368–70), how many individual transactions there were for each private office listed in each of those years.

    Lord Deighton

    The breakdown of the departmental private office Government Procurement Card number of individual transactions for 2005-06 to 2009-10 is in the table below. There are three types of spend within the definition of GPC procurement, lodge and corporate cards.

    2005-06

    2006-07

    2007-08

    2008-09

    2009-10

    Chancellor of the Exchequer

    486

    472

    340

    480

    501

    Chief Secretary

    191

    134

    100

    74

    199

    Exchequer Secretary

    116

    117

    137

    112

    130

    Economic Secretary

    112

    220

    155

    108

    36

    Financial Secretary

    266

    198

    166

    259

    213

    Financial Services Secretary

    N/A

    N/A

    N/A

    N/A

    152

    TOTAL

    1171

    1141

    898

    1033

    1231

  • Lord Jopling – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    Lord Jopling – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jopling on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Leader of the House, in the light of the answers on 6 May to written questions tabled by Lord Mendelsohn, what steps he will take to ensure that the replies to written questions answer the question which was put as fully as possible.

    Lord Hill of Oareford

    As Leader of the House, I have a particular responsibility to encourage departments to be punctual in answering written questions, but the content of each answer is a matter for the minister concerned. The Ministerial Code says that “Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament and the public, refusing to provide information only when disclosure would not be in the public interest”.

  • Lord Jopling – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Jopling – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jopling on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 6 May (WA 365), whether they will now answer the question which was put.

    Baroness Northover

    DFID’s Executive Management Committee review year-to-date and forecast expenditure against budgets each month through a monthly Management Information report.

    There is no formal cost overrun percentage threshold that triggers a review of specific budgets. The EMC does however examine potential material overspending each month that represents a significant risk to the DFID’s overall Resource and Capital budgets.

  • Lord Jopling – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Jopling – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jopling on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Newby on 6 May (WA 365), whether they will now answer the question which was put.

    Lord Faulks

    Further to the information given by my Noble Friend on 6 May (WA 365) I can add that the Ministry of Justice does not operate a strict percentage based escalation process for financial issues. The Departmental Board receive a routine update on the Ministry’s financial position at every meeting. This provides a summary of the overall position and, where necessary, highlights any significant variations from, or changes to, budget forecasts.