Category: Speeches

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-06-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2014, Official Report, column 36W, on minimum wage: Northern Ireland, whether HM Revenue and Customs’ national minimum wage enforcement team have any staff located in Northern Ireland outside the city of Belfast.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government takes the enforcement of national minimum wage (NMW) very seriously and HMRC enforce the NMW legislation on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). It does that by investigating all complaints made about employers suspected of not paying the minimum wage, in addition, carrying out targeted enforcement where it identifies a high risk of non-payment of NMW across the whole of the UK.

    The National Minimum Wage team in Northern Ireland contains six full-time and two-part-time staff with all using Belfast as a base location.

    However, as I explained in my previous response, HMRC deploys resources to risk, so work relating to a specific geographical area may not always be undertaken by the NMW team based in that area. In addition, the NMW Dynamic Response Team (DRT) provides a multi-agency response to emerging risks, high profile casework and compliance initiatives across the UK.

  • Emma Lewell-Buck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Emma Lewell-Buck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Lewell-Buck on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff employed by his Department received each level of performance rating in their end of year performance assessment for 2013-14.

    Mrs Helen Grant

    The table sets out the percentage of employees, within each performance category, who have declared a disability, and the percentage of all other staff in each performance category for the 2013-14 reporting year for assessments received to date. The percentage of all other staff includes staff who have either explicitly declared that they do not have a disability, have chosen the ‘prefer not to say’ option, or have not responded to the question at all.

    Percentage

    Excellent

    Good

    Must Improve

    Percentage of employees who have declared a disability in each performance rating

    1%

    4%

    0%

    Percentage of all other staff employed in each performance rating

    35%

    58%

    2%

    The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) takes seriously its obligations to collect diversity data as required by the Equality Act 2010. All staff have been asked to provide personal diversity data to be held anonymously, and we continue to encourage increased declaration by staff. As such these figures will not be fully representative of workforce diversity.

  • David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department (a) has given in each of the last 10 years and (b) plans to give in the next three years to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to (i) mark and (ii) maintain the graves of those who died during the World Wars; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    As the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War approaches, it is right that we acknowledge the important work undertaken by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) to commemorate those who gave their lives during both World Wars.

    The CWGC receives financial contributions from its member nations based on the number of graves it maintains on behalf of each nation. Accordingly the UK Government contributes 78.43% to the total CWGC funding.

    Financial records are retained for seven years. Information held by the Ministry of Defence indicates that over the last seven financial years the UK Government has made the following payments to CWGC for the maintenance of graves of those who died during the First and Second World Wars. The figures include UK VAT:

    2007-08 – £34,799,000
    2008-09 – £35,153,000
    2009-10 – £46,545,000
    2010-11 – £43,341,000
    2011-12 – £46,288,000
    2012-13 – £44,636,487
    2013-14 – £47,318,041

    With regard to future funding, the UK will continue to meet its obligation to pay the appropriate percentage (currently 78.43%) of the total CWGC funding.

    The Department for Culture, Media & Sport is discussing with the CWGC the scope for enhancing information and interpretation at burial sites as part of the centenary commemorations.

  • Mark Reckless – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mark Reckless – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Reckless on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many of the graduates receiving bursaries to teach mathematics in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15 at each of the four tiers had (i) a mathematics degree, (ii) a relevant degree as defined by the School Workforce Survey and (iii) any other degree.

    Mr David Laws

    Information in relation to 2013-14 is not held in the form requested and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

    Data on 2014-15 participants has not yet been collected.

  • Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Greatrex on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of the number of domestic renewable heat incentive applications received since April 2014; and how many such applications have been turned down because they did not meet minimum insulation standards.

    Gregory Barker

    Since the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme launched on 9 April this year, up until the end of May, Ofgem had received 2,296 applications to join the scheme.

    Whether or not an application meets the minimum insulation standard is determined using information from the Energy Performance Certificate of the property. Currently, Ofgem do not record data on applicants that are not eligible for the scheme due to not meeting minimum insulation standards, as this check precedes an applicant completing a full application.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps to encourage more tourists to visit Egypt.

    Hugh Robertson

    The decision on whether to travel to Egypt, or any other country, is for each individual to make. The purpose of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Travel Advice is to help individuals make an informed decision. We advise anyone considering visiting Egypt to read the FCO Travel Advice before travelling.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-06-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will provide an estimate of how many people were in receipt of universal credit on 1 June 2014.

    Esther McVey

    The official Universal Credit statistics covering the period up to 31st May 2014 will be published on 13th August 2014.

  • Andrew Selous – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Andrew Selous – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Selous on 2014-06-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he expects superfast broadband to be fully rolled out in (a) England and (b) Central Bedfordshire.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    90% of the UK, including Central Bedfordshire will be able to receive superfast broadband by early 2016, rising to 95% by 2017.

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding the Football Foundation has provided to amateur clubs in York in each year since 2000.

    Mrs Helen Grant

    2000

    £ 2,670

    2001

    £ 810

    2002

    £ 45,453

    2003

    £ 220,781

    2004

    £ 37,274

    2005

    £ 103,193

    2006

    £ 714,883

    2007

    £ 914,784

    2008

    £ 448,870

    2009

    £ 491,808

    2010

    £ 427,630

    2011

    £ 78,934

    2012

    £ 33,551

    2013

    £ 195,553

    2014

    £ 35,226

    >01/06/2014

    £ 13,793

    Grand Total

    £ 3,766,512

    [Information from the Football Foundation]

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding was given to schools in York Unitary Authority area in each year in 2008-09 and in each year since.

    Mr David Laws

    Total revenue funding allocations to York local authority (LA) covering maintained schools and recoupment academies for financial years 2008 to 2015 are as follows:

    Total revenue funding to schools £m (cash)

    2008-09

    2009-10

    2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    2014-15

    York LA

    98.3

    101.6

    107.4

    107.6

    109.5

    114.2

    118.2

    These figures are in cash terms and include dedicated schools grant, other schools related grants in 2008-09 to 2010-11, pupil premium, Physical Education & Sport grant and universal infant free schools meals. Most of the additional grants were mainstreamed into the dedicated schools grant in 2011-12.

    The table below shows capital funding for the financial years 2008 to 2014. The data is in cash terms.

    Total capital funding to schools £m (cash)

    2008-09

    2009-10

    2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    York LA

    26.7

    23.1

    18.4

    8.0

    8.7

    8.5

    Notes:

    1. Capital allocations includes capital grant and supported borrowing allocations.

    2. Figures are rounded to the nearest £100,000.