The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many outstanding cases the Child Support Agency have relating to the tracing of a non-resident parent.
Priti Patel
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans the Child Support Agency has to work more closely with the police in order to pursue the debt of non-resident parents.
Priti Patel
There are no plans to work with the police in order to try and pursue the debt of non-resident parents.
We have at our disposal a range of strong enforcement powers, intended to ensure all parents fulfil their financial responsibilities towards their children. We are using all of the powers available to us where it is appropriate to do so. These powers include deducting maintenance directly from earnings, sharing information about non-compliance with credit reference agencies, instructing bailiffs to collect arrears or seize goods, forcing the sale of property, commitment to prison and disqualification from driving.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral statement of 6 March 2014, Official Report, column 1077, on nuclear submarines, how much his Department set aside for financial risk provision within the submarine programme budget in each of the last six years.
Penny Mordaunt
At the programme level it is approximately 10% of the budget with a further contingency fund being available centrally. Risk management is an on-going process which is forward-looking by its very nature. Financial risk provision is a dynamic element of the overall programme budget; as risks are identified, managed, mitigated and retired the associated risk provision at various levels in the Department changes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Attorney General, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect on the promotion of human rights of the UK leaving the EU.
Jeremy Wright
At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Attorney General, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the application and implementation of the European Arrest Warrant.
Jeremy Wright
At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on how many occasions the Clean Growth Committee has met to discuss air quality to date; and who attended each such meeting.
Rory Stewart
The inter-ministerial group on Clean Growth meets as and when required and its members include ministers and officials from the relevant departments, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department for Transport and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the conditions in which Kamal Foroughi is being held in Evin Prison, Iran.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We have not been able to obtain access to Mr Foroughi since his detention in May 2011. The Iranian Government does not recognise dual nationality for Iranian citizens. Our requests for consular access to detainees have been rejected on these grounds. We regularly express our concerns about all of our consular cases at high level with the Iranian Government.
Prime Minister David Cameron raised these issues in a letter to President Rouhani on 19 October and again in a telephone call on 19 January. Most recently this was raised by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) during Foreign Minister Zarif’s visit to London on 5 February. I am also keeping a close interest in Mr Foroughi’s case, having recently met with his son in London on 1 December and 14 January.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the prevalence of slavery in Mauritania.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We remain concerned about continued reports of slavery in Mauritania, and about the modest sentences handed down in the few successful prosecutions for slavery offences. We welcome the establishment of three courts with specific responsibility for slavery cases. We continue to monitor this topic closely. We regularly raise our concerns with the Mauritanian authorities in the UK and in Nouakchott, and meet human rights and anti-slavery campaigners to discuss the subject.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how his Department has applied the family test to its proposals for draft legislation to devolve Sunday trading regulations; and what the outcome of the application of that test was.
Anna Soubry
The Government plans to publish the Impact Assessment, including results of the family test, shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the effects of its proposals to devolve Sunday trading regulations on the displacement of trade from small to large stores.
Anna Soubry
My Department has carried out an assessment of the impacts of devolving the power to extend Sunday trading hours and this will be published.