The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Syms on 2016-03-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his Department has made on reducing the number of workless households.
Priti Patel
Since 2010 the number of workless households has fallen by over 680,000 to its lowest level since records began.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-04-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many civil servants were employed in each location at the Skills Funding Agency in the last year for which figures are available.
Nick Boles
The number of civil servants employed by the Skills Funding Agency is shown in the attached table and represents the position as at 31 December 2015.
|
Location |
Total |
|
SFA Birmingham |
53 |
|
SFA Bristol |
18 |
|
SFA Cambridge |
24 |
|
SFA Chatham |
20 |
|
SFA Coventry |
381 |
|
SFA Fareham |
23 |
|
SFA Gateshead |
51 |
|
SFA Home |
7 |
|
SFA Leeds |
61 |
|
SFA Liverpool |
16 |
|
SFA London |
114 |
|
SFA Manchester |
50 |
|
SFA Nottingham |
17 |
|
SFA Plymouth |
16 |
|
SFA Reading |
30 |
|
SFA Sheffield |
13 |
|
Grand Total |
894 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the taper arrangements will be for the proposed phasing in of EU migrants’ entitlement to in-work benefits.
Mr Shailesh Vara
I refer the right hon. Member to the February European Council Conclusions. The restrictions on in-work benefits will apply to each newly arriving EU worker for a period of four years from the commencement of employment, with the limitation tapered “from an initial complete exclusion but gradually increasing access to such benefits to take account of the growing connection of the work with the labour market of the host Member State”. Precise details are a matter for the implementation of the proposal, and further announcements will be made in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-07-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government has given permission for Southern rail services to be cancelled during the planned strike in July 2016.
Claire Perry
We are not aware of any planned official strike in July 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hollins on 2016-10-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guarantees they plan to give that, once the new funding system for supported housing comes into place in 2019–20, existing tenants will not be affected negatively by any changes.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable through our welfare reforms. That is why we have exempted supported housing from the Local Housing Allowance policy until 2019/20, from which point we will bring in a new funding model which will ensure that the sector continues to be funded at current levels, taking into account the effect of Government policy on social sector rents. The new funding model will include a ring-fenced local top-up to ensure that funding is used only for supported housing provision and will support existing tenants.
The funding will be administered locally so that local authorities can respond flexibly to local need. We believe local authorities are best placed to make decisions about how to support vulnerable people in their areas and to commission the supported housing services that are needed locally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of fiscal support for the offshore oil and gas sector on (a) employment and (b) pay rates in that sector since 2010-11.
Damian Hinds
The government is committed to maximising the benefits of the UK’s oil and gas resources for the UK economy – the oil and gas industry is the UK’s largest industrial investor, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs, supplying a large portion of the UK’s primary energy needs and making a significant contribution to GDP.
The government has taken action as part of our plan to reform the fiscal regime to make it an attractive destination for investment and safeguard the long-term future of this vital national asset. In the March Budget, the government announced a £1.3 billion package of measures which are expected to deliver over £4 billion of additional investment, supporting jobs and supply chain opportunities, and increase production by 15% by 2019-20, the equivalent of 0.1% of GDP.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2015-12-14.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what change there has been in export performance in each of the English regions in the last 12 months.
Harriett Baldwin
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) publishes the Regional Trade Statistics series on its website which can be accessed via the following link: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/RTS/Pages/default.aspx
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Corston on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Chairman of Committees how much has been spent by the House of Lords on floristry services on the Parliamentary estate for each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Lord Laming
The cost of flowers for the House of Lords is set out in the table below. These costs relate primarily to flowers in catering and retail outlets, and ceremonial events, such as state visits. The cost of flowers in the House of Commons portion of the Parliamentary estate is a matter for the House of Commons Commission.
|
Financial year |
Amount (£) |
|
2011/12 |
23,185 |
|
2012/13 |
13,956 |
|
2013/14 |
11,656 |
|
2014/15 |
13,459 |
|
2015/16 (to December 2015) |
9,276 |
These figures do not include flowers for banqueting functions and other income generating business as these costs are paid for by the customer or revenue from the event.
Catering and Retail Services keeps its expenditure on flowers under review, to ensure that it is delivering best value to the taxpayer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-02-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Bates on 9 February (HL Deb, col GC142), which British personnel or organisations are now search[ing] out the most vulnerable in the camps at Calais and Dunkirk”.”
Lord Bates
In line with the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015, the UK and France have increased the frequency of joint communications campaigns which involve speaking to migrants in Calais and Dunkirk to inform them of their options and providing advice on their rights to claim asylum in France. This includes speaking to vulnerable people and those who claim a link to family members in the UK. But we are very clear that the primary responsibility for the welfare and treatment of migrants in Calais lies with the French authorities.
A leaflet detailing the Dublin III Regulations is provided to applicants who have claimed asylum in France and indicate that they have family members in the UK.
The UK is also funding a project to identify those in the camps who are especially vulnerable and at risk of trafficking and exploitation, and to provide them with appropriate support within the French system.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Burt of Solihull on 2016-03-07.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much is being spent on promoting the Postgraduate Loans Scheme in 2016–17 and 2017–18.
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
The Department is working alongside its delivery partner The Student Loans Company and stakeholders such as Universities UK and Prospects to ensure the correct information and guidance is readily available. The Student Loans Company produces information and guidance materials for institutions and prospective students and expenditure for the financial year 2016-17 is expected to be in the region of £57,000. Budget for 2017-18 has not yet been allocated.