The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department spent in legal costs on the Information Rights Tribunal case on the Reducing Regulation Sub-Committee Freedom of Information request.
Mr Oliver Letwin
Litigation and Counsel’scostswill be accounted for at the end of the process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-12-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Equality Act 2010 on the care of older adult mental health patients.
Alistair Burt
The Department has made no assessment of the effect of the Equality Act 2010 on the care of older adult mental health patients.
In September 2012, following the introduction of the Equality Act 2010, the Department published guidance Implementing a ban on age discrimination in the NHS – making effective, appropriate decisions. This is available at
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws on 2016-01-20.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the letter by Lord Bates to Lord Rosser on 8 January (DEP2016–0028) and the remarks by Lords Bates on 18 January (HL Deb, col 624), how they arrived at their assessment that in-country seizure could double with the use of the extended powers enabled by the new illegal working offence.
Lord Bates
The Government arrived at this assessment based on the impact of the court’s judgement in the case of Nuro on the ability of Home Office Immigration Enforcement to use Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) cash seizure powers which were conferred on immigration officers by section 24 of the UK Border Act 2007. The courts have held (Nuro v Home Office [2014]) that as it is not a criminal offence for an illegal immigrant who is not subject to immigration conditions to be self employed in the UK, there is insufficient causation between the offence of illegal entry to the UK and obtaining the earnings to apply POCA powers. The creation of the offence of illegal working will address this judgment and provide a broader basis for cash seizure.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2016-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2016 to Question 25882, if he will list the (a) 27 categories of information held in the Asset Management data set, (b) 13 categories of information held in the Facilities Management data set and (c) four categories of information held under the Finance data set.
George Freeman
The information requested is contained in the accompanying table.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stringer on 2016-03-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the evidential basis for new guidelines on alcohol limits in respect of proposed metabolisation of alcohol by men and women.
Jane Ellison
The Government asked Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), to oversee a review of the alcohol guidelines, to ensure these are founded on the best science and so that the guidelines help people at all stages of life to make informed choices about their drinking.
The Guidelines Development Group considered questions of individual variation, of which one issue is variations in the rates at which individuals metabolise alcohol. Their advice is clear that the weekly guideline is advice for the general population, which individuals need to consider in the light of their own individual characteristics.
A “List of supporting evidence” on the consultation page (where all the documents, such as the reports and evidence papers are listed) can be downloaded at:
https://app.box.com/s/wlludrmim3gd83r28c4oqb3upj68cqia
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to introduce guidance to link the salaries of CEO’s of multi-academy trusts to the performance of schools within that trust.
Edward Timpson
As our White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, sets out, we will publish some ‘design principles’ outlining how successful multi-academy trusts (MATs) have been established and grown, as well as the basis on which Regional Schools Commissioners will approve new MATs. The White Paper also sets out our intention to launch new accountability measures for MATs and publish new performance tables to show how well MATs are leading their schools, in addition to individual school-level inspection results and performance data.
Academy trusts are free to run their organisations as they see fit to improve educational outcomes. Securing good leadership is central to this and it is for academy trusts to decide how to employ and reward staff. Academy trusts operate under a robust accountability system which holds them to account for the results they achieve and their use of resources. This includes a requirement to publish audited accounts each year with details of the salaries of school leaders, allowing the wider public the chance to hold academy trusts to account to help ensure that funds are spent on improving pupil outcomes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-05-18.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) meetings he has had with external organisations and (b) steps he has taken to encourage the take up of employee share ownership schemes in small and medium-sized businesses in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Gauke
Tax-advantaged employee share schemes are greatly valued by both companies and employers, and the government wants to make sure that the rules surrounding these schemes are as simple and clear as possible. Budget 2016 made a number of changes to the rules for employment-related securities and options which will make these schemes fairer and easier for taxpayers to understand, and therefore encourage businesses to use them.
An HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) commissioned report conducted by Oxera considered the effect of the tax-advantaged employee share schemes on productivity. The report is available at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110203095056/http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/tax-advantaged-report2.pdf.
The government’s most recent assessment of the cost of the tax-advantaged employee share schemes to the Exchequer is provided in the table below.
|
Forecast cost of Income Tax relief (2015-16) |
Forecast cost of National Insurance relief (2015-16) |
|
|
Share Incentive Plan |
£220 million |
£165 million |
|
Save As You Earn |
£180 million |
£140 million |
|
Enterprise Management Incentives |
£70 million |
£40 million |
|
Company Share Option Plan |
£70 million |
£40 million |
HMRC has not withdrawn the valuation checking service for the tax-advantaged employee share schemes. However, HMRC has withdrawn other checks for non-tax advantaged schemes as, in the majority of cases, acceptable valuations were submitted. Therefore, the valuation service added no value and is seen as unnecessary.
The government keeps all areas of the tax system under review and as part of that in always interested in understanding the views of all interested parties.
Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons Mohammed Amir has been granted a visa to travel to the UK for the Test series between England and Pakistan.
James Brokenshire
In order to safeguard an individual’s personal information and comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 the Home Office is limited in what information it can provide when the request is made by someone who is not the applicant. The Home Office is therefore unable to provide the information requested.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39705, what assessment his Department has made of Ethiopa’s progress on providing independent legal access for Andargachew Tsege.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
On 1 June 2016, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam assured the then Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), that Mr Tsege would be allowed access to independent legal advice to allow him to discuss options under the Ethiopian legal system. Since then, the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson) has raised Mr Tsege’s case with his Ethiopian counterpart, Foreign Minister Tedros, on 3 occasions, most recently during the UN General Assembly in New York, insisting that the Ethiopians follow through with their commitment to allow legal access. The British Government will continue to do so until Mr Tsege is given access to independent legal advice.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effect of tax credits on farmers.
George Eustice
The Secretary of State has not had any discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on this issue. However, the NFU has written directly to the Chancellor about tax payments and the National Living Wage. Ministers and Defra officials meet regularly with representatives of the farming industry to discuss a range of issues affecting farm businesses.