The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2016-02-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much his Department has spent on debt collection agencies in each of the last seven years.
Joseph Johnson
The core Department has spent £0 on debt collection agencies in the last seven years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, with reference to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, Uneven Growth: Tackling City Decline, published in February 2016, what steps he plans to take to address the findings of that report on the relative decline of Dundee.
David Mundell
I refer the hon Gentleman to my answer of 4 March 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mowat on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Attorney General, what steps the CPS is taking to improve the conviction rate for hate crimes involving disabled people.
Robert Buckland
The CPS treats all allegations of hate crime, including those involving disabled people, extremely seriously and continues to place priority on this work. Legal guidance on disability hate crime was refreshed in 2015 and a supporting training package was delivered to all CPS lawyers by January 2016. This equips prosecutors with up to date knowledge to inform their decision making and approach to building the strongest cases possible. In addition, a National Scrutiny Panel on disability is assisting with the development of further refinements to policy guidance on crimes against disabled people and the preparation of a joint CPS/Police/HMCTS statement concerning support to disabled victims of crime.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-05-03.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the budget is for the Anti-Corruption Summit on 12 May 2016.
Matthew Hancock
The final costs of the Summit are still to be confirmed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-06-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of ongoing maintenance on the UK P-8 Poseidon has been conducted in the US under US International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
Mr Philip Dunne
The main investment decision on the UK’s Maritime Patrol Aircraft programme has not yet been taken by Ministers, and no contracts have been placed to procure the P-8 Poseidon aircraft. No maintenance activity has therefore taken place on a British P-8 Poseidon aircraft.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Cox on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to promote battlefield tourism in (a) England and (b) Northam in Torridge and West Devon constituency.
Tracey Crouch
There are 46 Registered Battlefields in England, 22% of these are located in the South West. Through the recently published Tourism Action Plan and Discover England Fund this Government is encouraging visitors, both domestic and international, to venture beyond London, so that the benefits of growth can be felt across the whole of the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending a ban from operating as a letting agent or sales agent to include a ban on operating as a sales agent or letting agent.
Gavin Barwell
The Housing and Planning Act 2016 introduces a package of measures to help local authorities crack down on rogue landlords and letting agents. They include the ability to seek a banning order against a landlord or letting or managing agent who has been convicted of a banning order offence. This provision is expected to come into force in 2017.
There are separate powers to ban sales agents under the Estate Agents Act 1979. Letting agents and sales agents carry out different functions and operate under different legislation. We do not currently have any plans to introduce legislation that would ban someone from being a sales agent where they have been banned from being a letting agent or vice versa. I would be happy to meet the hon. Member for Dulwich and West Norwood to discuss this issue.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the extension of Right to Buy on affordable housing supply.
Brandon Lewis
Under the 2012 reinvigorated Right to Buy, every additional home sold, as well as those homes sold to tenants through the voluntary agreement with the National Housing Federation and housing associations, will result in an additional home being provided. This will lead to an increase in overall housing supply.
The Government exceeded its affordable homes target over the last 4 years by 16,000 homes, delivering 186,000 new affordable homes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Bone on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2015 to Question 18626, what estimate he has made of the average cost of (a) the five new prisons planned to be open in the current Parliament and (b) the four new prisons planned to open after the current Parliament; and what estimate he has made of the average time that will be taken from application for planning permission to completion in each such set of such prisons.
Andrew Selous
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to PQ 18626 on 8 December 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-01-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will increase the licensing enforcement powers available to local authorities to ensure that pubs do not act as clubs without permission.
Karen Bradley
Licensing authorities and the police already have a range of enforcement powers under the Licensing Act 2003. These are sufficient to prevent pubs operating without relevant permissions. These include powers which licensing authorities have to impose conditions on a premises licence or revoke a premises licence where appropriate. They are responsible for making decisions based on what is appropriate for the promotion of the licensing objectives. These are the prevention of crime and disorder; public safety; the prevention of public nuisance; and the protection of children from harm.
Licensable activities include not only the sale of alcohol but also regulated entertainment such as a performance of live music and any playing of recorded music among other entertainments. While the rules on regulated entertainment on licensed premises were recently relaxed so that permission is only required for such events when they occur outside the hours of 08.00 and 23.00 or when there are more than 500 people in attendance, an applicant for a premises licence should set out in an operating schedule the licensable activities they intend to hold on the premises.