The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prisoners in (a) Merseyside and (b) London spent more than six weeks in prison in-patient units for (i) mental and (ii) physical health conditions in each year since 2010.
Nicola Blackwood
This information is not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will meet his counterparts in the Qatari government to discuss the human rights situation and working conditions of foreign workers assisting that country in building stadia for the 2022 World Cup.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson), last spoke to Qatar’s foreign minister on 7 September about preparations for the World Cup. He offered continued UK support in partnering with Qatar to deliver a successful event in 2022. We continue to raise the issue of workers’ rights with the Government of Qatar; most recently on 15 September to offer UK expertise in addition to support we already give. I am meeting my Qatari counterpart in Doha later this year and will raise this issue again then.
We support the steps that the Qatari Government has taken to respond to concerns about the treatment of migrant workers and we welcome the Government of Qatar’s commitment to the ongoing, systematic reform of Qatar’s labour laws.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Forsyth of Drumlean on 2015-11-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the minimum wage in sterling in each EU member state.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
In the Low Pay Commission’s National Minimum Wage Report 2015, Appendix 3 outlines details of 2014 adult minimum wage rates in 12 comparator countries, including EU member states. Minimum wages vary in level and structure between countries given the context of their economic and labour market conditions. These comparisons are broken down in the table below.
Comparison of Adult Minimum Wage, by Country, End 2014
In national currency expressed as hourly ratea In UK £, using: Date of last uprating % increase in national currency from 2012/2013 to 2014 Age full minimum wage usually appliesb
Exchange rates PPPs
Australiac AUS$16.87 9.37 8.44 Jul-14 3.0 21
Belgium € 8.67 6.88 7.80 Dec-12 0.0 21
Canadad C$10.39 5.79 6.29 e 1.5 16
France € 9.53 7.54 8.57 Jan-14 1.1 18
Greece €3.52f 2.73 3.82 Feb-12 0.0 25
Ireland € 8.65 6.84 7.20 Jul-11g 0.0 20
Japanh JPY780 4.46 5.31 Oct-13 2.0 15/18i
Netherlands 8.63j 6.83 7.59 Jul-14 1.2 23
New Zealand NZ$14.25 7.12 7.05 Apr-14 3.6 16
Portugall € 2.91 2.30 3.33 Oct-14 4.0 16
Spainl € 3.72 2.94 3.82 Jan-12 0.0 16
United Kingdom $6.50 6.50 6.50 Oct-14 3.0 21
United States US$7.25m 4.45 5.63 Jul-09 0.0 20
Source: British Embassies and High Commissions, Low Pay Commission (LPC) calculations of country minimum wage rates in pounds sterling using exchange rates and PPPs. PPPs derived from Comparative Price Levels (CPLs), OEDC Main Economic Indicators, September 2014. Exchange rates, Bank of England month average spot exchange rates, September 2014.
Notes:
a. For countries where the minimum wage is not expressed as an hourly rate, the rate has been converted to an hourly basis assuming a working time of 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week and 173.3 hours per month.
b. Exemptions and special rules apply in many cases. For example, in France and the US the full adult rate applies to young workers with tenure of more than six and more than three months respectively.
c. The Australian Federal National Minimum Wage Order, effective from first pay period on or after 1 July 2014.
d. Weighted average of provincial/territorial rates.
e. Date of last uprating varies between provinces.
f. Minimum hourly rate for ‘employees’. Different hourly rate operates for ‘blue collar’ workers.
g. The hourly minimum rate was reduced from €8.65 to €7.65 for adult workers on 1 Feb 2011. That reduction was reversed and the hourly rate went back up to €8.65 on 1 July 2011.
h. Weighted average of prefectural rates.
i. Age 15 to receive the regional minimum wage. Age 18 to receive the sectoral minimum wage.
j. Excludes 8 per cent supplement for holiday pay. Minimum wage based on a 40 hour working week. There are different minimum wage rates for those working a 38 or 36 hour week.
k. For all employees aged 16 and over, who are not either on the training minimum wage or the starting out minimum wage
l. Not including annual supplementary pay of two additional months of salary for full-time workers.
m. Federal minimum wage. Tipped employees receive a lower minimum wage depending on state laws.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-12-07.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding its intention to close the Palestinian theatre in Jerusalem.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We have not raised this issue with the Israeli authorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-01-18.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the financial contribution of the solar power industry to the UK economy in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014 and (f) 2015.
Damian Hinds
Information on the financial contribution of the solar power industry to the UK economy is not available. Solar electricity generation has been incentivised by the support under the Renewables Obligation, Contract for Difference and the Small Scale Feed in Tariff schemes. Information on private sectorinvestment from 2010-2014 is obtainable from the March 2015 DECC publication, “Delivering UK Energy Investment“ which is available here https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/419024/DECC_LowCarbonEnergyReport.pdf
The Office for National Statistics are due to publish a sector report on solar in February 2016 as part of their Low Carbon and Renewable Economy Survey for 2014 which is likely to provide further relevant information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Prime Minister will increase the Government’s commitment beyond 20,000 on the number of Syrian refugees it plans to offer asylum to.
Richard Harrington
The UK has already committed to resettling 20,000 refugees from the region during this parliament through the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement scheme, and we have no plans to increase this at the present time.
Resettlement is only one strand of our efforts in the region, and is complemented by the UK’s significant humanitarian aid programme, and our diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. We believe this approach is the best way to ensure that the UK’s help has the greatest impact for the majority of refugees who remain in the region and their host countries.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has conducted a workload impact assessment in respect of the introduction of the new Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 assessments.
Nick Gibb
The removal of unnecessary workload is a priority and is considered carefully when introducing any significant change for schools. Our primary assessment reforms have been designed to put arrangements for the majority of classroom assessment back into the hands of the school and to reduce the tracking burdens that national curriculum levels encouraged. We believe schools are best placed to decide how to assess pupils in line with their curriculum and that over time this should lead to a reduction in workload for teachers so that their efforts can focus on teaching.
Following the introduction of the new national curriculum and the removal of levels, we have developed new forms of statutory assessment at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. The duty to report assessment at these points remains unchanged from previous years. We do recognise, however, that in this first year the new forms of assessment are used pupils and teachers will be adapting their approach. Significant reforms take time to embed and the best way to prepare pupils remains to focus on teaching the new national curriculum, which schools have been doing since September 2014.
Throughout the introduction of our important reforms to primary assessment, we have worked closely with teachers and head teachers and continue to listen to the concerns of the profession as the details of the new arrangements are finalised. We are working constructively with the teaching profession and their representatives to find solutions to some of the remaining issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the Privy Council have been briefed on special forces operations in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Penny Mordaunt
This Government has demonstrated its commitment to our Special Forces by announcing a £2 billion programme of investment over the course of this Parliament. All military operations, including the activities of the Special Forces, are discussed and scrutinised at the highest levels of Government, including at the National Security Council. However, as it is the longstanding policy of the Government not to comment on our Special Forces, or to release information relating to them, I cannot comment on specific questions about personnel, equipment, discussions or activities in relation to these units.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36280, how many people are waiting for a rearranged work capability assessment having had their initial appointment cancelled.
Priti Patel
On 19 May 2016, there were a total of 28,420 people waiting to attend a rearranged work capability assessment having had their initial appointment cancelled of which 17,019 have a new appointment already allocated.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Saville Roberts on 2016-06-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested and charged with offences relating to girls under 18 years of age reported as missing to the police in each year from 1998 to 2005.
James Brokenshire
The information in this request is held by individual police forces.
Between 1998 and 2005, the Metropolitan Police Service was responsible for the Missing Persons Bureau, but did not publish reports detailing the number of missing cases. In 2013, the function was transferred to the National Crime Agency to improve the service offered to policing in respect of the handling of missing person and unidentified investigations.
The National Crime Agency publishes annual statistics on Missing Persons which includes missing children http://missingpersons.police.uk.The last published report shows that in 2014/15 there were 112,252 missing persons incidents involving children. Of these, the report finds that 54% of these missing incidents involved female children under the age of 18.