The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Stewart on 2015-10-23.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to bring forward legislation for a city tax on tourists and other visitors.
Mr David Gauke
The Government has no plans to introduce a ‘city tax’ on tourists or visitors to the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-10-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of Royal Navy (a) officers and (b) ratings in each branch, specialisation and arm were unavailable to be deployed in each year from 2005-06 to 2014-15.
Mark Lancaster
The information is not held in the format requested. However, the number and proportion of Naval Service officers and ratings in each branch who were categorised as non-deployable as at April of each year from 2010 is provided below. Information is not available prior to 2010.
All totals are rounded in accordance with the Defence Statistics rounding policy.
|
Branch |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
|
Officer |
Engineer |
10 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
30 |
30 |
|
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
2% |
2% |
||
|
Logistics |
10 |
10 |
10 |
~ |
10 |
10 |
|
|
2% |
1% |
3% |
1% |
2% |
2% |
||
|
Medical |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
20 |
10 |
|
|
1% |
2% |
2% |
3% |
4% |
3% |
||
|
Royal Marines |
~ |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
20 |
|
|
1% |
1% |
1% |
2% |
1% |
2% |
||
|
Warfare |
30 |
30 |
20 |
30 |
30 |
30 |
|
|
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
||
|
Rating |
Engineer |
300 |
320 |
280 |
350 |
270 |
280 |
|
1% |
3% |
3% |
4% |
3% |
2% |
||
|
Logistics |
170 |
170 |
160 |
170 |
100 |
110 |
|
|
2% |
5% |
6% |
6% |
4% |
5% |
||
|
Medical |
50 |
50 |
30 |
40 |
30 |
40 |
|
|
1% |
6% |
4% |
5% |
4% |
5% |
||
|
Royal Marines |
280 |
260 |
320 |
260 |
160 |
150 |
|
|
1% |
4% |
5% |
4% |
2% |
2% |
||
|
Warfare |
260 |
290 |
280 |
290 |
150 |
150 |
|
|
4% |
4% |
4% |
5% |
3% |
3% |
All numbers are rounded to the nearest 5 with numbers that would be round
to 0 represented by ‘~’.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-10-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much was paid in (a) year end and (b) in-year bonuses to officials of her Department in each of the last three years.
Andrea Leadsom
The Department uses performance related pay to help drive high performance and to recognise exceptional contributions and achievements over and above what is expected of people in fulfilling their employment contracts.
These payments, which are in-line with HMT Pay Guidance, are cost effective as they are not consolidated into basic pay and have to be re-earned every year.
Since 2010-11 the Government has restricted awards for senior civil servants to the top 25% of performers.
In-year performance related awards are used to recognise and incentivise corporate behaviours and values which might not be fully reflected in annual performance appraisal reports. These are also used to reward staff for exceptional pieces of work or for taking on additional responsibilities.
End-year non-consolidated performance awards are used to reward the department’s highest performers as assessed in their end of year appraisal reports.
A breakdown of the In-Year and the End-Year awards is given in the table below:
Table 1
|
Financial Year |
In-Year Performance Awards |
End-Year Performance Awards |
|
2014-2015 |
£247,606 |
£996,901 |
|
2013-2014 |
£377,617 |
£882,521 |
|
2012-2013 |
£372,315 |
£869,665 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-10-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of the independent living fund in each of the last five years had a diagnosed mental health condition.
Justin Tomlinson
The Independent Living Fund closed on 30 June 2015. The information requested is not held by the Department for Work and Pensions and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Such information as is available can be found on page 10 of the equality impact assessment published on 6 March 2014: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/287236/closure-of-ilf-equality-analysis.pdf.
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-10-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library a copy of the delivery agreement and agreed deliverables between his Department and the Chartered Institute for Trading Standards.
Jane Ellison
The Department has a contract with itsa Ltd, the business arm of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, for the enforcement of tobacco legislation and support for local authorities. The award letter and supporting documents for this contract are available online at:
https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive/contract/1072169/
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-23.
To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will review the right of access for the City of London Remembrancer to the Chamber of the House.
Tom Brake
I understand that the Remembrancer is one of some 17 Roll A Parliamentary Agents who work with the promoters of private Bills. Parliamentary Agents are permitted to observe proceedings from the Under Gallery in the Chamber, that is, the visitors’ seats “under the gallery” facing the Speaker, for the purposes of their work. Other visitors may also sometimes sit in the Under Gallery.
Access to the Chamber and its surroundings is not a matter for the Commission.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2015-10-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of the delays in state pension payments to British citizens living abroad.
Justin Tomlinson
Over 90% of International State Pension customer claims or change of circumstances are cleared within target. Those that are not cleared within these timescales reflect unavoidable delays that are a consequence of international postal services, additional work to ensure that evidence submitted is appropriate and robust and requirements to liaise with international authorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Browne of Belmont on 2015-10-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance is provided to magistrates and judges about when it is appropriate to apply the maximum tariff available in cases of animal cruelty.
Lord Faulks
Animal cruelty is a summary offence with a maximum penalty of a level 5 (unlimited) fine and/or 6 months’ imprisonment. The maximum penalty for any offence is set by Parliament to deal with the most serious possible cases. Guidance on sentencing for this offence is contained in the Magistrates’ Courts Sentencing Guidelines, which are published by the independent Sentencing Council.
These are the sentencing starting points from the guidelines for animal cruelty, based on a first time offender pleading not guilty:
|
Examples of nature of activity |
Starting point Range |
Range |
|
One impulsive act causing little or no injury; |
short term neglect |
Band C fine Band B fine to medium level community |
|
Several incidents of deliberate ill-treatment/frightening |
High level community order |
Medium level community order to 12 weeks custody |
|
Attempt to kill/torture; animal baiting/conducting or permitting cock-fighting etc.; prolonged neglect |
18 weeks custody |
12 to 26 weeks custody |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2015-10-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the United Kingdom life sciences industry of their planned changes to the Cancer Drugs Fund.
Lord Prior of Brampton
Neither the Department nor NHS England has made any such assessment.
The Government regularly holds discussions with life sciences companies about the United Kingdom business environment and these routinely include discussion about the impact of policies such as the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF).
The independent Accelerated Access Review is considering the long term landscape for innovation adoption and how schemes like the CDF best fit within this.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-10-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the electoral register is as complete as possible by the end of March 2016.
Lord Bridges of Headley
We are working with Local Authorities, the Electoral Commission and Civil Society groups to find better ways of reaching and encouraging under registered groups to register, as the Minister for Constitutional Reform set out in his recent speech on voter engagement. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/vision-for-electoral-registration-speech-by-john-penrose.
Online registration is making the process notably quicker, easier and more convenient for everybody, but particularly for under-registered groups like young people; 2.9 million 16-24 year olds have applied since June 2014. Completing the implementation of Individual Electoral Registration will also help, by giving an accurate picture of registration levels that isn’t artificially inflated or flattered by people who have either died or moved away.