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  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what additional training provision and schemes his Department plans to put in place to support job losses arising as a consequence of the national living wage.

    Nick Boles

    The 2015 spending review made provision for a major expansion of adult further education, to increase employment and productivity levels.

    The Government has maintained funding for the core adult skills participation budgets in cash terms at £1.5bn and is also increasing opportunities in technical and professional education by doubling the level of spending on apprenticeships by 2019-20 in 2010-11 cash terms, including income from the new apprenticeship levy. It will be almost £900 million higher in 2019-20 than in 2015-16. By 2019-20, spending on apprenticeships in England will be £2.5 billion.

    The combination of the levy, the protection of the AEB, the extension of advanced learner loans, and the introduction of the youth obligation means that by the end of the Parliament, the cash value of core adult FE funding to support participation will be at its highest ever. The total spending power of the FE sector to support participation will be £3.41bn by 2019-20, which is a cash terms increase of 40% compared with 2015-16 (real terms 30%).

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of his Department’s (a) Senior Civil Servants and (b) core policy civil servants are based in London.

    Harriett Baldwin

    100% of HM Treasury Senior Civil Servants and 99.9% core policy civil servants are based in London.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what effect recent reductions in fuel duty have had on economic growth.

    Damian Hinds

    The government recognises the link between low fuel prices and economic growth, which is why we have frozen fuel duty for the sixth year in a row.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what bids his Department received for funding from the tampon tax fund by the deadline of 22 February 2016; and how such bids are being assessed.

    Mr David Gauke

    As the Chancellor set out at the Autumn Statement, further donations and recipients will be announced at Budget 2016

  • Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the personal and professional connections of the directors of UK-listed banks with domestic and overseas politicians on the potential risk of money laundering; and if he will make a statement.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government is taking concerns about the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) requirements regarding Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) seriously. While addressing corrupt PEPs is an important aspect of global efforts to tackle corruption and money laundering, it is essential that this be done proportionately. The current AML regime is governed by the Money Laundering Regulations 2007, which implement the EU’s Third Money Laundering Directive and are based on the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards. We intend to seek views on the transposition of the EU’s Fourth Money Laundering Directive, which addresses domestic PEPs, in our consultation which will be published in the spring.

    It is for individual financial institutions to apply a risk-based approach when considering Enhanced Due Diligence measures with regards to PEPs, in accordance with the Regulations and with FATF standards. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the Treasury-appointed supervisor which oversees financial institutions’ implementation of the Regulations.

  • Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to consider the board members of UK banks as politically exposed persons for the purposes of the Fourth Money Laundering Directive; and if he will make a statement.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government is taking concerns about the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) requirements regarding Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) seriously. While addressing corrupt PEPs is an important aspect of global efforts to tackle corruption and money laundering, it is essential that this be done proportionately. The current AML regime is governed by the Money Laundering Regulations 2007, which implement the EU’s Third Money Laundering Directive and are based on the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards. We intend to seek views on the transposition of the EU’s Fourth Money Laundering Directive, which addresses domestic PEPs, in our consultation which will be published in the spring.

    It is for individual financial institutions to apply a risk-based approach when considering Enhanced Due Diligence measures with regards to PEPs, in accordance with the Regulations and with FATF standards. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the Treasury-appointed supervisor which oversees financial institutions’ implementation of the Regulations.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department’s weekly collection support scheme; whether that scheme is still in use; and how many local authorities were awarded funding through that scheme.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Department’s Weekly Collection Support Scheme has been a success. It has protected weekly collections of residual waste for 6 million households and demonstrated how councils with weekly collections can deliver cost-effective, convenient waste services for residents while seeing their recycling rates increase. Light-touch monitoring of the scheme has ensured councils are spending money on the projects set out in their bids, and has captured good practice. The 81 local authorities awarded funding through the scheme are expected to monitor and evaluate the performance of their projects and to volunteer to make that data publicly available.

    While the scheme’s funding was allocated over the course of three years (2012-15), the scheme runs for five years and comes to an end in November 2017.

    This Government continues to encourage councils to support the wishes of local people about regularity of bin collections and champions frequent and convenient waste collections which protect the environment and public health.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the potential size of any gap in adult social care funding in 2020.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The latest Spending Review sets out a sustainable basis for local authorities to discharge their functions. The Government outlined a £3.5 billion package of support to ensure councils are able to support some of their older and most vulnerable residents.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department spent on promotional material and publicity for (a) Community Clear Up Day in 2015 and (b) Clean for the Queen in 2016.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    In March 2015, communities across the country rolled up their sleeves and got behind a nationwide spring clean in order to spruce up our favourite public places. The Department for Communities and Local Government spearheaded this initiative and it was a success with several hundred clear-ups arranged by grassroots activists including community and faith groups, councils and parishes, and schools and sports teams.

    The Department spent £5,000 on solid, consistent branding for Community Clear Up Day which was clearly government backed, making the campaign recognisable for key stakeholders and the public alike.

    It also spent £5,000 on promoting Community Clear Up Day through Facebook. Having ownership of social media ensured the Department was able to engage with the public effectively, and be proactive and responsive when necessary in its social communications.

    In March 2016, the Clean for the Queen campaign, spearheaded by Keep Britain Tidy and backed by organisations including the Women’s Institute, the National Trust and the Campaign to Protect Rural England, was the biggest community-led clean-up the country has ever seen. Following the success of utilising Facebook for Community Clear Up Day, the Department for Communities and Local Government, in order to support the initiative, again spent £5,000 on this method of engaging with stakeholders and local communities.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the announcement of 8 July 2013 on introducing a reward scheme for civil servants in his Department, what estimate he has made of the total value of rewards awarded to date.

    Brandon Lewis

    Of the 40 ideas submitted only 4 were rewarded with vouchers amounting to a total cost of £150.