The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-04-18.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information he holds on what discussions have taken place between HM Revenue and Customs and former Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair or his advisers about (a) Mr Blair’s tax affairs and (b) charges brought in under the Finance Act 2006 as they relate to those tax affairs.
Mr David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs does not divulge details about an individual’s tax affairs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-05-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the Blue Badge concession to include off-street parking.
Andrew Jones
We have no plans to extend Blue Badge concessions to off-street parking. The scheme is designed to ensure that disabled people can find suitable parking on public roads – whether it be in bays, at meters or on yellow lines – close to where they need to go. Off-street parking is a completely different matter; these are often privately owned and their terms of use are a matter for the car park owners, but disabled parking bays are usually available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2016-07-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Nursing and Midwifery Council about the adequacy of their disciplinary and enforcement powers; and what plans he has to reform their fitness to practice arrangements.
Mr Philip Dunne
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent body responsible for the regulation of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for the way it discharges its statutory duties including in relation to fitness to practise investigations.
The Department has been working with the NMC on a number of proposed legislative changes which will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its fitness to practise processes and officials have regular discussions with the NMC regarding its powers. The Department has recently consulted on these proposed changes and is currently considering the responses received.
The Government is committed to ensuring that professional regulation continues to provide effective protection for patients.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the post-implementation review of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010, when her Department plans to (a) gather evidence on the number of trainers operating at independent tracks and the conditions at those kennels and (b) publish its report.
George Eustice
Defra’s Post Implementation Review of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 contained an assessment of standards at trainers’ kennels and found that more was needed to be done to safeguard welfare. As a result, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) has agreed to work through the British Standards Institution and with other stakeholders, to develop a consensus standard for trainers’ kennels. The GBGB has also agreed to seek to extend its current United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accreditation to cover the enforcement of these new standards at the kennels of GBGB licensed trainers. During the Review process no evidence was submitted to Defra on the numbers of greyhound trainers operating solely at the four remaining independent tracks in England and the conditions at any such kennels. Therefore Defra are giving further consideration as to how best to gather this evidence, this includes a possible joint research project with the Dogs Trust. Any Defra research will be published on the Gov.UK website and any useful information found will be used in an Impact Assessment that would accompany any regulations for trainers’ kennels.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nusrat Ghani on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support people in Pakistan who are creating safe spaces for the discussion of liberal Islam
Mr Desmond Swayne
DFID supports the rights of all groups to follow their religious faith and to live safe lives. Wherever possible, our programmes in Pakistan promote diversity and tolerance. For example, our work with civil society groups focus on strengthening the political voice of excluded groups and providing them with better access to justice. Our education programmes in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces support the implementation of Pakistan’s 2006 reformed curriculum which teaches religious tolerance and respect for diversity.
The Government of Pakistan has publicly recognised the problems facing minorities and the need to bring an end to religious persecution. We remain fully committed to working in partnership with them to achieve this and raise these issues regularly with the Government of Pakistan. Most recently the Head of DFID Pakistan raised this issue in October as part of the bilateral assistance talks.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-24.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department has taken to encourage the development of enterprise zones in West Yorkshire.
Greg Hands
The Spending Review detailed new Enterprise Zones which will be established across England. This includes the Leeds City Region M62 Corridor Enterprise Zone in West Yorkshire.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Naseby on 2015-12-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many items of correspondence the Department of Health has received from (1) the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health, and (2) the Chair of the House of Commons Health Select Committee, in each of the last five years that originated from a postal or email address belonging to the group Action on Smoking and Health.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The Department of Health’s central correspondence database recorded 90 items of correspondence from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health received in the last five years that originated from a postal or email address belonging to the group Action on Smoking and Health.
There was no record of any such correspondence having being received from the Chair of the House of Commons Health Select Committee in this period.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 11 January 2016 to Question 21375 and of 18 January 2016 to Question 22215 on flood control: per capita costs, what steps she took to ensure that the geographical boundaries of Environment Agency areas and census regions matched for the purposes of those calculations.
Rory Stewart
Public facing Environment Agency Areas match local council boundaries used by the Office of National Statistics (with the exception of ‘Central Bedfordshire’) and so census figures can be scaled to the Environment Agency Areas that the flood risk management Grant in Aid allocations were taken from. As Central Bedfordshire is wholly within the Areas that make up our eastern hub this does not change the per capita calculation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hain on 2016-02-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions (1) the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Baroness Neville-Rolfe, and (2) the Minister of State for Skills, Nick Boles, have had with Welsh Government ministers regarding the Trade Union Bill.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Ministers have engaged with the Devolved Administrations on the Trade Union Bill.
As part of our engagement, Nick Boles, the lead Minister for the Trade Union Bill, has received four letters from Leighton Andrews, Minister for Public Services in the Welsh Government on 20 November 2015, 18 January 2016, 27 January 2016, and 9 February 2016. These letters related to specific aspects of the Bill and on the Welsh Government position on their applicability in Wales. On 5th February 2016 Nick Boles had a telephone conversation with Leighton Andrews on the Bill; and on 4 March, he replied to the letters and has placed a copy of the correspondence in the Library.
The Trade Union Bill relates to employment rights, duties and industrial relations, all of which are reserved.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-03-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the new body to deliver procurement of the successor submarines will be stood up; whether it has been decided what form the new delivery body will take, and whether the government of the US has been consulted; and whether they will establish that body via primary legislation.
Earl Howe
Options for the new organisations continue to be developed and assessed. We expect to announce further details later this year, once the relevant decisions have been made.