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  • Lord Turnberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Turnberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Turnberg on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the death of an American tourist and the wounding of several citizens by a Palestinian in Tel Aviv on 7 March, whether they will press the leadership of the Palestinian Authority to condemn that, and other similar incidents, and to reduce incitement to violence.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We regularly urge the Palestinian leadership to do more to condemn violence. Most recently our Consul General in Jerusalem had a meeting on 9 March with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Hamdallah where we raised our concerns on incitement.

    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), issued a press statement on 9 March following the recent increase in violence, condemning the attacks on civilians in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    We regularly raise incitement with the Palestinian Authority, and have urged key figures to encourage calm and condemn violence. We continue to support the reinstatement of the Tripartite Committee on Incitement as the appropriate channel to deal with allegations of incitement from either side.

  • Lord Wasserman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Wasserman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wasserman on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the terms of reference of the Police Reform Group; when it was established; what is its composition; and whether it is in receipt of public funds.

    Lord Bates

    The Police Reform and Transformation Board is a non-statutory governance board which first met on 23 February 2016. It has been established and supported by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) and National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to provide strategic oversight and impetus to police transformation.

    Funding of the Board is a matter for the NPCC and APCC. Further information is available from the APCC and NPCC http://news.npcc.police.uk/releases/new-board-set-up-to-oversee-further-police-reform

  • Lord Wasserman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Wasserman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wasserman on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by the Minister of State for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice, Mr Mike Penning, on 17 December 2015 (HCWS426), when they will be able to provide further details on the allocation of the £38 million of New Transformation Funding to incentivise and facilitate transformation in policing, to invest in cross-force specialist capabilities, to exploit new technology and to improve how the UK responds to changing threats.

    Lord Bates

    The 2016/17 police funding settlement includes new transformation funding to incentivise and facilitate transformation in policing.

    As set out in the Minister for Policing, Fire, Criminal Justice and Victims’ Written Ministerial Statement of 4 February which accompanied the 2016/17 Final Police Grant Report, the indicative size of New Transformation Funding in 2016/17 is £37.8 million.

    Detailed plans are being developed and more information will be provided in due course.

  • Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 10 March (HL6471), when they were informed of the NHS England plan to introduce a sugar tax on its premises by 2020.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We have a range of conversations about key issues at Ministerial and official level with NHS England. NHS England is independent and the decision on a sugar levy on the National Health Service estate is a matter for them operationally. We are interested to see the results of their consultation on a sugar levy.

    The Childhood Obesity Strategy will be published in the summer.

  • Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 10 March (HL6471), what specific advice they were asked for before NHS England announced its plan to introduce a sugar tax on its premises by 2020.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We have a range of conversations about key issues at Ministerial and official level with NHS England. NHS England is independent and the decision on a sugar levy on the National Health Service estate is a matter for them operationally. We are interested to see the results of their consultation on a sugar levy.

    The Childhood Obesity Strategy will be published in the summer.

  • Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 10 March (HL6471), whether the Secretary of State for Health or any other Minister was made aware of NHS England’s plan to introduce a sugar tax on its premises by 2020 before it was made public; if so, which Ministers were made aware; when they were made aware; and what was the reasoning for the Secretary of State or Minister being informed.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We have a range of conversations about key issues at Ministerial and official level with NHS England. NHS England is independent and the decision on a sugar levy on the National Health Service estate is a matter for them operationally. We are interested to see the results of their consultation on a sugar levy.

    The Childhood Obesity Strategy will be published in the summer.

  • Chris Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Chris Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Leslie on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of the changes to the Disabled Students’ Allowance on the number of university applications in the forthcoming academic year.

    Joseph Johnson

    The reform of Disabled Students’ Allowances is intended to ensure higher education institutions are consistently meeting their duties to disabled students under the Equality Act, and is not expected to impact on application rates.

    The Government carried out an Equality Analysis as part of the recent consultation on reforms to Disabled Students’ Allowances. This is available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/481527/bis-15-658-disabled-students-allowances-equality-analysis.pdf

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  • Chris Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Chris Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Leslie on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he plans to conduct an equality impact assessment on the effect of changes to the Disabled Students’ Allowance.

    Joseph Johnson

    An Equality Analysis was undertaken as part of the consultation exercise on reforms to Disabled Students’ Allowances. This was published on 2 December 2015.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2016 to Question 26318, what the reasons are for the differences between the total amount of arrears owed by the 92 employers named and shamed by his Department on 5 February 2016 for non-compliance with the national minimum wage and the total amount of the financial penalties imposed on those employers; and if he will make a statement.

    Nick Boles

    Penalties are calculated based on the value of arrears on the Notice of Underpayment issued by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) but vary according to the penalty regime in place at the time underpayments took place and how quickly the employer pays back arrears to the worker.

    The rate at which penalties are calculated has increased twice since the beginning of the naming scheme, demonstrating our continued commitment to the enforcement of minimum wage law:

    • For underpayments which occurred before 7 March 2014, the penalty rate was set at 50% of arrears owed;
    • For underpayments which occurred on or after 7 March 2014, the rate was set at 100% of arrears owed;
    • From April 2016, underpayments will result in penalties set at 200% of arrears owed.

    The amount at which penalties are capped has also increased. Before 7 March 2014 penalties were capped at £5,000 per employer. The Government increased the cap to £20,000, and began to apply it on a per-worker basis from 26 May 2015.

    Currently, an employer who pays back arrears within 14 days of receiving a Notice of Underpayment from HMRC are subject to a 50% penalty rate, which incentivises quick repayment of the money owed to employees. After penalties are doubled to 200% of arrears in April, this prompt payment rate will also double to 100% of arrears.

    Of the 92 employers named on 5 February, 66 paid back the arrears they owed within 14 days, and were therefore subject to a reduced penalty rate.

  • Luke Hall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Luke Hall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luke Hall on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what information the Certification Officer holds on the number of members of the National Union of Mineworkers in each year from 2003-04 to present.

    Nick Boles

    The number of members of the National Union of Mineworkers in each year from 2003-04 to present, as submitted to the Certification Officer, are provided in the two links below.

    2003-2012

    http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140701201750/http://www.certoffice.org/Nav/Trade-Unions/National-Union-of-Mineworkers.aspx

    2012-2014

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-union-of-mineworkers-annual-returns

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