The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of children who are home-schooled in (a) Yorkshire and the Humber and (b) Brigg and Goole constituency.
Mr David Laws
The information requested is not held by the Department.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Seccombe on 2014-05-12.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 6 May (WA 368), how many financial transactions there were using Government Procurement Cards in 2006–07 in the ministerial private office of the Economic Secretary to the Treasury.
Lord Deighton
The breakdown of the departmental private office Government Procurement Card number of individual transactions for 2005-06 to 2009-10 is in the table below. There are three types of spend within the definition of GPC procurement, lodge and corporate cards.
|
2005-06 |
2006-07 |
2007-08 |
2008-09 |
2009-10 |
|
|
Chancellor of the Exchequer |
486 |
472 |
340 |
480 |
501 |
|
Chief Secretary |
191 |
134 |
100 |
74 |
199 |
|
Exchequer Secretary |
116 |
117 |
137 |
112 |
130 |
|
Economic Secretary |
112 |
220 |
155 |
108 |
36 |
|
Financial Secretary |
266 |
198 |
166 |
259 |
213 |
|
Financial Services Secretary |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
152 |
|
TOTAL |
1171 |
1141 |
898 |
1033 |
1231 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Bob Ainsworth on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures her Department has introduced in the last year to reduce the number of businesses employing illegal immigrants.
James Brokenshire
Employers have a duty to ensure that their employees have the right to work in the UK, and this duty has been underpinned by a civil penalty scheme since 2008. The government is taking measures to ensure a tougher response to employers who use illegal labour, whilst simplifying arrangements for legitimate businesses to conduct right to work checks.
To deter employers from using illegal workers, the Home Office is doubling the maximum penalty to £20,000. The government is also using the current Immigration Bill to make it easier to enforce unpaid civil penalties in the civil courts. In addition, with the creation of the new Immigration Enforcement Directorate last year, there has been a forty seven per cent increase in illegal working enforcement operations and a corresponding increase in civil penalties imposed: with 1862 penalties served in 2013/14 (to the end of February) compared to 1270 in 2012/13. We are also ensuring greater collaboration across government to increase our ‘enforcement reach’ and the range of sanctions that can be brought to bear against rogue employers who exploit illegal workers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-05-12.
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps he is taking to disseminate the lessons learned from the data mining pilots for the introduction of individual electoral registrations; and if he will make a statement.
Greg Clark
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jake Berry on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Leader of the House, how many e-Petitions have led to debates being arranged in the House since their introduction.
Mr Andrew Lansley
Since the launch of the Government e-petitions site, 27 petitions have reached the 100 000 signature threshold making them eligible for consideration for debate. The topics of 22 have been the subject of debate in the House of Commons, most as a direct result of the e-petition. Seven of these debates have taken place in Westminster Hall on a Monday afternoon, in the additional time made available specifically for the consideration of e-petitions.
Issues raised in e-petitions which have not reached the 100 000 signature threshold have also been debated regularly in the House.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions his Ministers or officials in his Department have had with colleagues in the Department for Education on the effect of deregulating school holidays on the tourism industry.
Mr Edward Vaizey
DCMS officials meet with their Department for Education counterparts regularly and discuss a range of issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Gregory Campbell on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure people who are currently employed by the Driver and Vehicle Agency receive training to enable them to take up local posts in other Government departments and public bodies..
Stephen Hammond
Department for Transport officials are working with those in Northern Ireland to support any Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) staff who might need to learn new skills to secure alternative employment. An initial meeting has taken place to discuss the details. Officials will continue to work together to ensure appropriate support is given to staff at the DVA during the transition period.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on how the ongoing conflict in Western Sahara affects the ability of terrorist and criminal gangs to recruit disaffected youth in the refugee camps or the occupied territory.
Hugh Robertson
We monitor the security situation in the region from a number of sources. We are aware of frustration in both Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps at the lack of progress in the political process and at the socio-economic conditions in the camps. However, we are not aware of any evidence to suggest increased radicalisation of Sahrawi youth by terrorist or criminal gangs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the Community Support Fund for former Remploy employees was only accessible through a third party and what estimate he has made of how many eligible former Remploy employees did not make a claim because they were unable to do so themselves.
Mike Penning
The Community Support Fund (CSF) was co-produced with disabled people and ex -Remploy employees to determine exactly what type of support or project they wanted to take part in. A key driver for the CSF was to ensure ex -employees could keep in touch with former work colleagues; to help negate feelings of isolation. This social activity can only be achieved by offering opportunities for ex-employees to take part in group activities.
Access to CSF was provided through Disabled People’s User Led and Voluntary Sector Organisations who have the necessary skills to support these projects, providing vital peer support, personalised local services and actively working to increase participation in local community activities.
The Community Support Fund (CSF) projects have provided opportunities for 1136 disabled ex-employees and 827 people have taken part in CSF activities at March 2014.
We are unable to provide an estimate of how many eligible former Remploy employees did not make a claim for CSF funding because they were unable to do so themselves.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to assist homeowners facing problems paying their mortgages and to provide practical advice and support.
Kris Hopkins
The Council of Mortgage Lenders reported 28,900 repossessions in 2013, down from 33,900 in 2012 and the lowest level since 2007. It has revised down its forecasts for 2014 to 28,000. The Government is not complacent, but believes this fall in repossessions is a consequence of improved arrears management by lenders and action the Coalition Government has taken to tackle the deficit and keep interest rates down.
Homeowners struggling with mortgage payments should take action as soon as possible by discussing their situation with their lender or contacting money advice experts such as Citizens Advice, Shelter, StepChange or National Debtline for free and independent advice on taking control of their finances.
Government support is available in the form of Support for Mortgage Interest, paid as part of DWP benefits to help eligible out-of-work households meet their monthly mortgage interest payments. The Budget in March this year extended the enhancements to the Support for Mortgage Interest scheme (a shortened 13 week waiting period and an increased capital limit of £200,000), until 31 March 2016.
Within England the Government continues to ensure the provision of free on-the-day legal advice (the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme) to assist households at possession hearings. We are providing £470 million of funding in the current Spending Review period to prevent and tackle homelessness and repossessions.