The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-01-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she will re-establish the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Education Stakeholder Group; and if she will make a statement.
Nick Gibb
We are currently considering the Department’s role in the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Education Stakeholder Group. Officials will be writing to members of the group in the spring.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Hollobone on 2016-02-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that local planning authorities maintain high homebuilding standards in large sustainable urban extensions.
Brandon Lewis
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that good design is indivisible from good planning and should contribute to making places better for people. Our planning guidance reinforces this strong focus on design, and provides advice on tools for delivery – including design codes.
All new homes also have to meet building regulations’ requirements. The Government has introduced new optional building regulations which means that for some requirements such as on access, local planning authorities can apply a higher standard than the national minimum requirements, where justified by need and provided that the viability of development is not compromised. The Government has also introduced a national space standard which local authorities can apply where justified by need and provided that the viability of development is not compromised.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 27121, what the implied average annual season ticket fare referred to in that Answer is.
Claire Perry
The cost of annual season tickets varies by route. The Department for Transport has access to commercially confidential information which allows us to assess how many season tickets have been sold at which prices, to determine the average season ticket price. This process was originally carried out using 13/14 sales data and then increased in line with regulated fares policy. Because this information is derived from information we are licensed to use, from the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), we are not able to share this publically.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-03-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about allegations that excessive force by the Israeli army has not resulted in investigations in the majority of cases.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We have repeatedly expressed our concerns about the appropriate use of force by the Israel Defence Forces, as well as the need for Israel to implement the recommendations of the Turkel Commission on improving how the Israeli authorities investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian law.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-04-26.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of UK citizens living in other EU countries excluding Ireland, derived incomes from UK sources in the most recent year for which statistics are available.
Mr David Gauke
The information requested is not available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Soley on 2016-06-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Verma on 7 June (HL Deb, col 663), what is meant by the phrase depend on securing the right aircraft”.”
Baroness Verma
We are seeking to establish commercial air services using the southern approach to the runway where wind shear is not a significant issue. A number of aircraft types have been identified which should offer reasonable performance using a southern approach (the Airbus A318 and A319, Boeing 737-600 and 737-700). We are in discussions with airlines on how we can bring one of these into service.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs’ comments of 29 June 2016, Official Report, columns 442-3, on UK involvement in rendition, what the document was which that Minister referred to as not having been received by the Intelligence and Security Committee by that date; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
I refer to my letter of correction to the House on 11 July 2016, Official Report, 11 July 2016, Vol. 613, c. 1MC.
The letter of correction is available online at the following link:
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2016-07-11/debates/16071110000003/ForeignAndCommonwealthOffice
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-11-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last reviewed the security situation in Tunisia in respect of Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We keep the security situation in Tunisia under constant review, and have been working closely with the Tunisian authorities to improve their capacity to deter and respond to the threats they face.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-10-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps his Department is taking to reduce the level of child maintenance arrears.
Caroline Nokes
We have at our disposal a range of strong enforcement powers, intended to ensure all parents fulfil their financial responsibilities towards their children. We use all of the powers available to us where it is appropriate to do so, and we are seeking to extend these where appropriate, for instance by deducting money from bank accounts held jointly by the paying parent.
We take into consideration a number of factors when deciding if and what type of enforcement action to take, including the welfare of any relevant children involved and the likelihood of collecting monies owed. Taking enforcement action can be a costly process, particularly in cases where the paying parent is determined not to pay – we must therefore ensure we maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of our enforcement system, deciding what is appropriate on a case by case basis and using powers that have the greatest chance of ensuring people meet their obligations and securing money for children.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-25.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many full-time equivalent staff were employed within HM Revenue and Customs’ (a) National Minimum Wage Risk Unit, (b) National Minimum Wage compliance teams and (c) Criminal Investigations Directorate in each of the last six years.
Mr David Gauke
The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it. Anyone who feels they have been underpaid NMW should contact the confidential Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) review all complaints that are referred to them. However, some complaints may not lead to the commencement of an investigation. This might be due to incomplete information being provided, or the worker subsequently wishing to withdraw their complaint. Similarly, multiple complaints about the same employer would only be recorded under one investigation.
In 2014/15, 2489 worker complaints and 691 pieces of third party information were referred to HMRC. However, I reiterate that not all complaints will lead to an investigation. In previous years, HMRC did not record statistics by complaints received, but by investigations completed. In 2014/15, HMRC completed 2204 investigations. I refer the honourable member to the answer provided to her on 6 May 2014 at Hansard Column 110W for information on prior years.
Staff across HMRC contribute to enforcing NMW, including people who work in legal advice, debt management, technical support and criminal investigation amongst others, but HMRC does not record the specific numbers of those staff involved beyond this. The budget allocated to HMRC by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is provided as an overall amount. I therefore refer the honourable member to the answers provided to her at UIN 16853 for budget details & UIN 16938 for information on staffing.