The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-07-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when the Leveson 2 inquiry will take place.
Matt Hancock
Criminal proceedings connected to the subject matter of the Leveson Inquiry, including the appeals process, have not yet completed. We have always been clear that these cases must conclude before we consider Part 2 of the Inquiry.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the UK has provided any specific training to the Special Investigations Unit in Bahrain since it was established in 2013.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The UK’s package of technical assistance to support reform in Bahrain began in 2012. Much of it has focused on assisting Bahrain build effective and accountable institutions, assisting the government in ensuring rule of law, police and justice are compliant with international standards and best practice. The specific support that we have provided, and continue to provide, to the Special Investigations Unit has been to assist them to build their capacity to make it more effective in carrying out better investigations and, therefore, build public confidence in the institution itself.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-28.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have accessed the Pension Wise service through the (a) face-to-face service provided by the Citizens Advice Bureau and (b) telephone service provided by the Pensions Advisory Service to date.
Harriett Baldwin
The government committed to providing free, impartial guidance through Pension Wise, to help people make informed and confident decisions about how they use their defined contribution pension savings in retirement. It is available online, via the telephone and face to face. As of 29 October 2015, there were over 20,000 completed appointments for face to face guidance and 9,000 completed appointments for telephone guidance as well as over 1.7 million visits to the website.
Pension Wise runs exit surveys of those who have completed an appointment It is not mandatory for a user to complete an exit survey. The government is committed to being open and transparent with Pension Wise data and will be making core data readily available by placing it on the government performance platform this autumn. The data will be in the public domain and updated regularly. HM Treasury is working with Pension Wise delivery partners to provide the level of detail that we require for reporting purposes.
The Financial Conduct Authority, in line with its remit to protect consumers and ensure markets function in consumers’ interests, is monitoring developments in the retirement income market closely and has committed to take action where consumers are coming to harm or where the market is not operating competitively.
The government recognises that people may wish to consult different sources of information before reaching a decision about their retirement income. In addition to Pension Wise, The Pension Advisory Service (TPAS) provides independent, impartial information and guidance about pensions, free of charge, to members of the public. The Money Advice Service also provides free and unbiased information and guidance on all money matters.
A number of pension providers offer financial guidance. Individuals can also access regulated advice from an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA). HM Treasury and the Financial Conduct Authority are jointly considering how financial advice could be made more accessible and affordable for consumers through the Financial Advice Market Review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2015-11-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effects of court closures between 2010 and 2015 on access to justice.
Mr Shailesh Vara
Effective access to justice has been maintained between 2010 and 2015. Access to justice is not just about proximity to a court.
We have secured over £700m of funding to invest in our courts and tribunals. We have worked closely with the senior judiciary to develop a plan for investing this in reforming the courts and tribunals so they can deliver swifter, fairer justice at a lower cost. This will include digitisation and modernisation of our IT infrastructure. This will mean court users can attend hearings remotely, and not be inconvenienced by having to take a day off work to come to court. It will also mean victims of crime can give evidence from somewhere they feel safe.
We are committed to providing alternative ways for users to access our services, including the use of other civic buildings and extending video conferencing facilities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-12-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many dangerous occurrences were reported by his Department to the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last five years; and how many of those incidents involved the unplanned or faulty discharge of a weapon.
Mark Lancaster
We are investigating the compilation of the requested statistics and I will write to the hon. Member in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Drew Hendry on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of satellite broadband for serving rural areas; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure parity of service and cost with other types of broadband supply.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Satellite broadband can deliver download speeds of 10Mbps and above and upload speeds of 5Mbps. The subsidised offer to meet the Universal Service Commitment gives a first year only cost for a basic package of up to £400. This will make available an affordable basic broadband service to those premises unable to get a speed of at least 2Mbps. The total number of premises eligible for the universal service commitment subsidy had been substantially reduced, from around 11% in 2010 to around 1% by the end of 2015, as a result of roll-out superfast broadband by the commercial sector and through publicly-funded programmes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect on his Department’s policy expertise and experience in the development of (a) higher and (b) further education of the closure of his Department’s Sheffield office.
Joseph Johnson
Subject to consultation, the Department intends to close the Sheffield office at St. Paul’s Place by January 2018. This intention is based on the strategic vision for the Department that seeks to save 30-40% of its operating costs, reduce the number of locations it operates from (from currently around 80 to 7 centres and a regional footprint for the provision of local services), and halve the number of its Partner Organisations by 2020.
Intention is subject to consultation, to close the Sheffield office by January 2018. This gives us time to transition the policy roles affected.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Aberdare on 2016-03-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, after the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy, incentive payments will continue to be made available for (1) small firms offering apprenticeships, (2) apprenticeships offered to 16–18 year olds, and (3) successfully completed apprenticeships.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
In English Apprenticeships: Our 2020 vision we set out our plans for introducing a simple and transparent funding model alongside the introduction of the apprenticeship levy. We want this to continue to encourage employers to take on 16-18 year old apprenticeships, as well as encourage take up of the higher quality training offered by apprenticeship standards. Further information on new arrangements will be made available by the summer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-04-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to work with Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust following the closure of Chorley Accident and Emergency unit.
Ben Gummer
The Department is concerned about the current situation at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital and is actively monitoring developments. These matters, including recruitment, are for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as employer, and NHS Improvement as regulator. The Trust has not asked the Department for any support in resolving these issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-05-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the firing of tear gas canisters at journalists in front of Ofer Prison.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We have not raised this issue with the Government of Israel. However, the UK has repeatedly made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the Israeli Defence Forces police non-violent protests. We are clear that protection of the freedom of the media is an important part of respecting human rights.