The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-02-04.
To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral contribution of 3 February 2016, Official Report, column 939, what the source is of the statistics he quoted.
Mr David Cameron
The figures were taken from analysis carried out by DWP and HMRC on benefit and Tax Credit claims by recently arrived EEA migrants.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has consulted teachers’ unions on implementation of the new assessments at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
Nick Gibb
Throughout the introduction of our important reforms to primary assessment, we have worked closely with teachers, head teachers and their union representatives.
In addition to regular discussion between teacher unions and officials, we launched two public consultations ahead of the changes: one on primary assessment and accountability from July to October 2013 and another on teacher assessment arrangements from October to December 2014. We received a large volume of diverse feedback, including from teachers unions, and this was given proper consideration in developing the new arrangements.
We continue to listen to the concerns of the profession as the details of the new arrangements are finalised. On 9 February, I met Russell Hobby, General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, to discuss teacher assessment arrangements. I subsequently wrote to Mr Hobby to summarise our discussion and address some of his concerns; that letter was published on 19 February and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-assessments-letter-from-nick-gibb-to-the-naht. I am also due to meet representatives from the Association of Teachers and Lecturers and the National Union of Teachers in the coming weeks.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that like-for-like replacements are provided in the same local authority area for (a) properties sold under the Right to Buy scheme and (b) properties sold to fund the discounted sale of properties sold under the Right to Buy scheme.
Brandon Lewis
The voluntary Right to Buy agreement with the National Housing Federation states that housing associations will have the flexibility to replace nationally.
The 2012 Reinvigorated Right to Buy scheme introduced for the first time ever, a requirement to provide a new affordable home for every additional sale nationally. There is a rolling 3 year deadline for local authorities to deliver additional affordable homes through new build or acquisition under the reinvigorated Right to Buy, and so far they have delivered well within sales profile.
The Government is committed to using a portion of every receipt from our value vacant housing policy to fund the building of additional homes. The Housing and Planning Bill currently going through Parliament allows the Secretary of State and a local authority to enter into an agreement for the local authority to retain part of its receipts from the policy to lead on the delivery of more homes that meet housing need. Recognising London’s particular housing need, where these agreements are with a local authority in London, every empty dwelling assumed sold will be replaced by at least two new affordable homes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on potential mitigation measures for women that have witnessed an increase in their pensionable age.
Justin Tomlinson
The Secretary of State is in regular contact with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on a range of pensions issues.
The State Pension age changes, which were made to put pensions on a more financially sustainable footing given increases in life expectancy, were fully debated and voted on when the legislation was before Parliament.
During the Pensions Act 2011 a concession, worth £1.1 billion, was introduced to limit the impact of the rising State Pension age on those women most affected. These transitional arrangements capped the maximum delay at 18 months rather than two years, relative to the previous timetable.
Unwinding any of these changes means asking young people to assume more of the cost, and after they’ve already borne their fair share of the tough decisions made last Parliament to bring Government spending under control.
Therefore, the Secretary of State is clear that there are no plans to bring forward further concessions or changes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-06-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish new guidance on assisting transgender people in prison.
Caroline Dinenage
The Government is firmly committed to ensuring that the needs of transgender prisoners are fully met and their rights respected. The Ministry of Justice has carried out a review into the care and management of transgender offenders, which will be published in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many citizens of EU countries other than the UK work in (a) his Department and (b) agencies and other bodies for which his Department is responsible.
David Mundell
The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly. All staff that join, do so on assignment, loan or secondment, principally from the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Government; who remain the employers. Details of staff nationality and ethnicity is retained by the parent department.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Davis on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has paid out any financial compensation on national security directions made under sections 94 of the Telecommunications Act 1984 in the last 30 years.
Mr John Hayes
The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament has been briefed on the use of directions under section 94 of the Telecommunications Act 1984.
In accordance with section 94 subsection (6) of the Telecommunications Act 1984, money may be provided for the purpose of compensating for any losses that are sustained by reason of compliance with directions.
On 13 January 2015, the Prime Minister asked the Interception of Communications Commissioner to oversee directions issued under section 94 of the Telecommunications Act. The Commissioner will report on his findings, including on the statistics and wider information that can be published about the use of the power without damage to national security, in his next report.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 14 September 2015 to Question 8893, when he plans to publish the impact assessment for the introduction of the national living wage; and if he will make a statement.
Nick Boles
The Government has published a full impact assessment alongside draft regulations to implement the National Living Wage. These documents were laid before Parliament on Monday 7 December 2015. Regulations will be debated in both Houses of Parliament in time to come into force on 1 April 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-01-18.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many high-frequency traders have been investigated by the Financial Conduct Authority for predatory practices.
Harriett Baldwin
It would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on any ongoing investigations. This is an operational matter for the FCA which is an independent regulator. I have transferred this question across to them and they will respond fully in due course.
The Government is clear that any attempted manipulation of any financial market is completely unacceptable. The integrity of the City matters to the economy of Britain, and that is why the Government is taking action at home, in Europe, and globally, to ensure that this behaviour is punished and that similar scandals cannot occur again.
The Government has taken a number of steps to strengthen financial regulation in the UK. These include introducing the Senior Managers and Certification Regime to provide for effective regulation of individual conduct and accountability in the banking sector. The Bank of England and Financial Services Bill, now before the House of Commons, will extend this regime to cover all authorised financial services firms, including dealers in securities and other non-banks which may engage in high-frequency trading (HFT).
The Government has supported the European Union (EU) Markets in Financial Instruments Directive 2 (MiFID 2), which from 2017 will alter the regulatory landscape in relation to automated trading including HFT. As part of this, HFT firms will be required to disclose information concerning their trading activities to their regulator in order to increase the regulatory supervision of these markets.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2016 to Question 24776, whether his Department has made or plans to make a financial contribution to Transport for London related to the decision to increase the cost of rail fares in London by the retail price index in 2016.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The 2015 Spending Review settlement provided to Transport for London already takes into account its likely income from rail fares in 2016 and subsequent years. The Department has no plans to make any further adjustment to TfL’s funding in respect of this matter.