The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the number of working parents and carers receiving universal credit who will be required to work increased hours under in-work conditionality that (a) are unable to work full-time hours and (b) will require flexible working arrangements.
Damian Hinds
The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-10-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to protect families paying debts over time from bailiff fees, court charges and interest rates; and if he will consider a statutory breathing space for families in debt.
Simon Kirby
The Government noted the report with interest and is grateful for the important work that The Children’s Society does. The Government is committed to supporting individuals in problem debt.
The Government is exploring whether some form of “breathing space” would be a useful and viable addition to the range of formal and informal debt solutions available to consumers and creditors. Officials in HM Treasury and the Insolvency Service have been asked to discuss this issue with stakeholders and the Government will report back this autumn.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help achieve a 100 per cent legal and sustainable timber trade in the UK by 2020.
Rory Stewart
Defra is committed to tackling the trade in illegal timber. We implemented the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which makes it an offence to place illegally logged timber on the EU market for the first time, and the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation, which aims to combat illegal logging and improve the supply of legal timber to the EU. The EU FLEGT Regulation establishes Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) between the EU and timber producing countries. Once VPAs have been agreed, timber producing countries will issue exports with a ‘FLEGT licence’ which verifies the timber’s legality.
The Government’s Timber Procurement Policy also requires Government Departments, Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies to procure timber and timber products that are both legal and sustainable.
Domestic forests provide about 20% of the UK’s timber needs. They are managed in accordance with the UK Forestry Standard, the reference standard for sustainable forest management in the UK. Moreover, about 85% of UK timber production is independently certified, providing additional assurances of sustainability. We are strongly supportive of initiatives such as Grown in Britain, which create new sustainably managed woodland to increase the supply of British timber destined for use by local people and businesses. Timber and wood products labelled with the Grown in Britain logo are from trees and forests assured as compliant with the UK Forestry Standard.
I welcome the fact that UK companies and other bodies are making similar commitments to trade in both legal and sustainable timber by signing up to WWF’s Forest Campaign.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the reductions in housing benefit announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 on claimants who receive housing benefit for housing that has been purpose-built for disabled people.
Justin Tomlinson
This policy was introduced because in some areas the increases in social rents have outstripped the increases in private rents.
This policy will cap social sector rents at the relevant Local Housing Allowance rate for the area, but will only apply from April 2018 where a new tenancy is taken out or a tenancy is renewed after April 2016. By only applying the cap when a new tenancy is taken on or an existing tenancy is renewed will mean that claimants will have the opportunity to consider whether they can afford to take on the property before committing to the tenancy.
The Discretionary Housing Payment scheme will be available for those living in accommodation that has been purpose built or significantly adapted to meet the needs of a disabled person, in the same way as it is for those who receive a reduction in their eligible rent for the removal of the spare room subsidy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-01-11.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the five most common causes of deaths were in (a) England and Wales and (b) each London borough in (i) 2014, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2005 and (iv) 2000.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in which prisons the 4,568 assaults on staff took place, set out in the Safety in Custody Summary Statistics, England and Wales, deaths to 12 months ending December 2015, assaults and self-harm to 12 months ending September 2015, published in January 2016.
Andrew Selous
Statistics for assaults on staff by prison are published on an annual basis by calendar year in the Safety in Custody statistics bulletin annual assaults tables (see table 3.15 at the link below). https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/495430/safety-in-custody-assaults-dec-2014.xls. Figures for 2015 are due for publication in April 2016.
Statistics for serious assaults on staff by prison are due for release on in April 2016 as part of the Safety in Custody statistics bulletin annual assaults tables. This publication will include breakdowns of serious assaults on staff by prison in each calendar year.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) date and (b) remit was of his authorisation to use RAF Lakenheath as a base to carry out airstrikes in Libya.
Michael Fallon
Authorisation for the United States to use UK bases to launch the airstrike against a Daesh training camp in Libya was given on 18 February 2016. Authorisation would be required for any operations of this nature involving the use of UK bases.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department plans to take after the new terms and conditions for doctors come into effect to encourage people to take up a career in medicine.
Ben Gummer
Medicine is an extremely popular career choice and we expect that to continue. In 2015, there were over 48,000 applications for pre-clinical medicine course of which over 5,000 people were accepted onto a place on this course.
The new contract for doctors in training will have a positive impact on the working life of doctors and on the training they receive. It will introduce stronger safeguards to ensure doctors are not required to work long, unsafe hours, enforced through contractual obligations on employers and external scrutiny of those hours by the Care Quality Commission and the independent Guardian of safe working hours.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-04-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his US counterpart on LGBT rights in North Carolina and Mississippi.
Mr Hugo Swire
Our Consul General in Atlanta raised our concerns with the North Carolina Commerce Secretary on 19 April. We have amended our Travel Advice for the United States to reflect legislative changes on LGBT rights in North Carolina and Mississippi . This Government is opposed to all forms of discrimination. We are committed to ensuring that all LGBT people are free to live their lives in a safe and just environment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-06-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2016 to Question 38441, what role he has asked the Chairman of the Parole Board, Professor Nick Hardwick, to undertake in relation to people serving sentences of imprisonment for public protection.
Andrew Selous
The Justice Secretary has asked the Chairman of the Parole Board to improve the efficiency of the parole system.