Author: admin

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the event that Scottish voters opt for an independent Scotland, what plans they have in relation to the status of Scottish constituencies at the 2015 general election.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    If the people of Scotland vote to leave the UK, the UK would continue in its current form and with its existing Parliament, laws, institutions and responsibilities for governing Scotland up to the point that independence were given legal effect, unless the UK Parliament were to pass legislation to change existing arrangements. It would be for the UK Parliament to determine, in the event of a ‘yes’ vote, what, if any changes should be made to existing arrangements.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 13 May (WA 467), whether the annual gross income of charities included contributions from central government; and, if so, what was their total contribution.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    Central government does contribute to the total income of registered charities, but the Charity Commission does not keep figures on this. According to the 2014 UK Voluntary Sector Almanac, published by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, in 2011/12 voluntary sector organisations received over £5.9 billion of central government and NHS funding.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to bring their proposals to give HM Revenue and Customs power to remove money from bank accounts without prior judicial process for consideration or agreement by the House of Lords; and, if so, how.

    Lord Deighton

    The Government is consulting on the Direct Recovery of Debts until 29th July. This policy will modernise and strengthen HMRC’s ability to recover tax and tax credit debts from those who are refusing to pay what they owe but have sufficient funds in their accounts.

    The Government intends to publish a response document and draft legislation later this year. This draft legislation will be consulted on before it is included in next year’s Finance Bill, where it will be subject to the usual Parliamentary scrutiny.

  • Lord Rooker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Rooker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rooker on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any department, executive agency or non-departmental public body has a banking arrangement with the Co-operative Bank.

    Lord Deighton

    Treasury policy is to hold Exchequer funds safe and secure at the Bank of England and to minimise balances held with commercial banks. The Treasury has been working with departments in recent years to minimise balances held in commercial accounts.

    Government Departments and most public bodies bank with the Government Banking Service, which is a directorate within HM Revenue and Customs. GBS is a shared service which manages contracts and supports banking services to Government departments using cost-efficient and modern commercial banking platforms. The balances held by the Government Banking Service are utilised to reduce the Government’s daily borrowing requirement and in turn its financing costs.

    In the rare circumstance where banking is required outside of the contract then the Department concerned must seek Treasury approval to open separate commercial accounts. This will normally be when third party-funds are being managed or the banking service requirement is complex. The Treasury provides an annual update to the Public Accounts Committee on monies held outside the Exchequer / Government Banking Service. The most recent update was published on 13th January 2014 and can be found at

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/270747/36048_Cm_8774.pdf

    From the information provided by departments we can confirm that the Forestry Commission and National Forest Company have a banking relationship with the Co-operative Bank.

    “

  • Lord Rooker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Rooker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rooker on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to move responsibility for planning policy to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    No.

  • Lord Rooker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Rooker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rooker on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to deregulate the planning system.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    I refer the noble Lord to my Written Ministerial Statement of 10 June 2014, Official Report, Column WS40, which outlines the planning reforms that we have undertaken to date on housing, and the further reforms we are proposing.

    In this session, we will also be implementing recommendations from the Red Tape Challenge and consult on some further technical changes on planning administration.

    I also refer him to my Written Ministerial Statement of 16 June 2014, Official Report, Column WS79, on our proposals on brownfield land.

  • Lord Rooker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Rooker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rooker on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what evidence they have on the impact on the housing supply of taking planning decisions at the most local level.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    I refer the noble Lord to my Written Ministerial Statement of 10 June 2014, Official Report, Column WS40, which comprehensively explains how our planning reforms, including the abolition of the last Administration’s top-down Regional Strategies, have increased housing starts to their highest level since 2007 and resulted in 216,000 homes being given planning permission in England in 2013-14.

  • Lord Steel of Aikwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Steel of Aikwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Steel of Aikwood on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the cost to public funds of the evacuation of tourists from Mombasa in May.

    Baroness Warsi

    The British Government did not evacuate British nationals from Mombasa in May and there was no cost to public funds.

  • Lord Steel of Aikwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Steel of Aikwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Steel of Aikwood on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their current travel advice for visits to Kenya.

    Baroness Warsi

    We keep our travel advice under constant review. As of 12 June, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advised against all but essential travel to:

    – areas within 60km of the Kenya-Somali border

    – Kiwayu and coastal areas north of Pate Island

    – Garissa District

    – the Eastleigh area of Nairobi

    – low income areas of Nairobi, including all township or slum areas

    – Mombasa island and within 5km of the coast from Mtwapa creek in the north down to and including Tiwi in the south (this area does not include Diani or Moi international airport).

  • Lord Lexden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Lexden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Wallace of Tankerness on 26 February (HL Deb, col 921), whether they are now in a position to implement the Succession to the Crown Act 2013.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    All Realms have concluded the necessary processes before implementation apart from Australia. The Council of Australian Governments agreed that States would legislate first, before legislation was brought forward by the Canberra Government.

    Four states have now enacted legislation; the remaining two have introduced legislation which is due to be enacted shortly. All State Premiers have expressed support for the proposed changes and the Government understands that the Australian Government stands ready to legislate when all the State legislation has been enacted