The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2014-03-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion and number of jobs currently advertised through Jobcentre Plus are on zero-hour contracts.
Esther McVey
We do not advertise in jobcentres, all vacancies are now advertised on Universal Jobmatch. JSA claimants are not required to apply for zero-hour contract jobs and are not penalised if they leave such a job
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Corbyn on 2014-06-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the cost to the public purse of litigation associated with the declaration of the Marine Protected Area on 1 April 2010 are to date.
Mark Simmonds
Though some final costs from Counsel on the recently concluded Court of Appeal hearing are yet to be received, the costs of domestic litigation to date is £325,444.42. We understand the litigant, Mr. Olivier Bancoult, has also been in receipt of legal aid. HM Government has been successful in defending all such litigation, and has therefore been awarded full costs in the Divisional Court, and half of our costs in the Court of Appeal, though these are still subject to assessment.
In respect of the recently concluded challenge by Mauritius in an arbitration under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, various costs matters are still ongoing.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Attorney General, what the average timescale was for the Crown Prosecution Service to provide the Metropolitan Police Service with advice on criminal charges against members of the public suspected of involvement in serious crimes in (a) 2011 to 2013 and (b) 2008 to 2010.
Oliver Heald
The table below shows, for the CPS in London, the average number of calendar days which have elapsed since the first decision was sought by the police to the date in which the last decision made was to charge. The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) do not identify the number of cases referred to it for advice, by the alleged offence(s).
|
Average Time to a Decision to Charge |
|
|
2008 – 2010 |
6.7 |
|
2011 – 2013 |
6.2 |
The CPS in London deals with cases referred to it by both the Metropolitan Police Force and the City of London Police Force and it is not possible to further break down the figures provided without incurring a disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2014-06-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 6 May (WA 444), whether they will place in the Library of the House correspondence between the Intellectual Property Office and the Department of Health regarding the proposed introduction of standardised tobacco packaging.
Earl Howe
The Department has no current plans to publish information on the development and formulation of Government policy on standardised packaging of tobacco products
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Hart on 2014-04-03.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government has taken to ensure that the Excise Payment Security System is available to small and medium-sized enterprises in the oil products sector.
Nicky Morgan
This information is held on a HMRC database and includes excise identification and approval numbers unique to the traders listed. For taxpayer confidentiality reasons this information is not publically available, and there is no intention to publish it.
Eligibility criteria for a duty deferment guarantee waiver under the Excise Payment Security System do not apply to or exclude particular sectors. These criteria are published by HMRC, and apply to all applicants.
HMRC is considering the future of the vapour recovery scheme as part of the wider work programme to determine the appropriate course of action in respect of all their extra-statutory concessions.
The Government’s policy is not to allow duty suspended movements within the UK, this is both for administrative simplicity and to reduce the opportunities for criminal activity and fraud.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Countess of Mar on 2014-06-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government who is responsible for signing off Department for Work and Pensions training guidelines and manuals used by Atos and Capita.
Lord Freud
In the contract with Atos to deliver the Work Capability Assessment, Health and Wellbeing Directorate (HWD) within DWP sign off all training and guidance material. For Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Atos and Capita develop training and guidance based on policy documentation provided by DWP. The PIP contract requires Atos and Capita to involve DWP in the quality assurance process for their training and guidance but DWP does not sign off this material.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Julian Huppert on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure courses equivalent to those on the list of prescribed courses in the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 are not excluded from Higher Education Funding Council for England funding by virtue of coming into existence following the introduction of that Act.
Mr David Willetts
Our higher education reforms have transferred money from Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) block grant to support Government backed loans which students now use to pay fees at the institution of their choice. The most recent figures show that, for the first time, the majority of HE funding is now determined by the choices students make rather than coming directly from Government. In this context, we have no plans to extend HEFCE’s statutory funding remit.
Students are able to take a range of qualifications for which they can access higher education student support, 24+ advanced learning loans, or professional and career development loans. We are currently looking at a number of options to ensure that we have effective progression pathways to support the development of higher level skills, particularly at levels 4 and 5. This includes having the right supporting funding mechanisms in place to deliver quality and value for money.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe on 2014-06-11.
To ask the Leader of the House what steps he will take to facilitate the passage of Private Members’ Bills through the House of Lords.
Lord Hill of Oareford
Practice in recent years is well-established: Private Members’ Bills introduced in the House of Lords are offered Second Reading slots in the order in which they receive their First Reading. Second Readings for Private Members’ Bills introduced this session have been scheduled on Friday 27 June and Friday 18 July; further Second Readings will be arranged in due course. A ballot to determine the order in which Private Members’ Bills receive their First Reading will be introduced from the start of the new Parliament (3rd Report of the Procedure Committee, Session 2013-14).
For Bills that receive a Second Reading, formal consideration of their remaining stages will be arranged where no amendments are tabled and where the Member in charge so requests. Where Bills receive a Second Reading but require further substantive consideration of amendments, they will be competing for time with Private Members’ Bills that are received from the House of Commons and Private Members’ Bills introduced in this House that are still awaiting a Second Reading.
My noble friend the Government Chief Whip will endeavour to facilitate the progress of bills in each of those categories.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of flood management assets have been inspected in each year since 2008-09.
Dan Rogerson
Since 2008/9 the Environment Agency has inspected all of its flood risk management assets on a risk based programme. The highest risk assets are inspected every six months, medium risk assets every 12 to 18 months, low risk assets every 24 to 36 months and very low risk assets every 60 months. The Environment Agency currently has around 150,000 flood risk management assets. In March 2014 the Environment Agency carried out a full inspection of all flood risk management assets using military personnel.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of those (a) starting and (b) completing an apprenticeship in England since May 2010 were (i) female, (ii) registered disabled and (iii) from an ethnic minority background.
Matthew Hancock
Information on apprenticeship starts and achievements by gender, ethnicity and learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LLDD) is published by academic year in supplementary tables to a Statistical First Release (SFR).
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships–2
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