The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheila Gilmore on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Ministers for Women and Equalities, what visits each of the Ministers in the Government Equalities Office have made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was.
Mrs Helen Grant
Details of Ministers’ visits overseas are published quarterly and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dcms-meetings-and-hospitality-data-october-to-december-2013
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-03-31.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to regulate workers posted to the UK by companies.
James Brokenshire
Non-EEA nationals posted to the UK branch of their company are already
regulated under the Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) route, as set out in the
Immigration Rules.
Non-EEA nationals posted to the UK as contractual service suppliers under an
international trade agreement are regulated under the Tier 5 (International
Agreement) route.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the waiting period will be before an individual qualifies for support through universal credit; and how long he expects it will take to calculate entitlement and process new claims for universal credit.
Esther McVey
The Chancellor announced in the 2013 Spending Review that a seven day waiting period is to be introduced into Universal Credit from April 2015.
Each claim for UC is assigned an assessment period. The payment due date is a fixed day of the month that falls 7 days after the end of the assessment period and on the same day of each subsequent month. Entitlement will be assessed so that payment should arrive in the claimant’s bank account on or before the payment due date.
If any claimant is in need of support during this time they are eligible to apply for a UC Advance (New Claim).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-31.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what funding the European Social Fund will contribute to community work placement contracts in England for 2014-15.
Esther McVey
We have been allocated up to £60M in 2007-2013 ESF programme funding to help support people back into employment through community work placements.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2014-06-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Written Statement of 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 47WS, on UK Green Investment Bank, whether the UK Green Investment Bank will be able to invest in green projects overseas.
Michael Fallon
The proposal is that the Green Investment Bank might help to invest funds allocated to the International Climate Fund in green projects in developing economies overseas. The £3.8bn that has been allocated to GIB remains available solely for investment within the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Adams on 2014-03-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether his Department has plans to extend the life of generating capacity currently scheduled to be closed in the event that delays in new investment arise as a result of uncertainty about the outcome of the competition investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority.
Michael Fallon
Government’s plans for the Capacity Market and interim arrangements being put in place by National Grid ahead of this will offer an opportunity to extend the life of existing capacity where it is economically efficient to do so. Subject to state aid approval the first Capacity Market auction will take place in late 2014 for delivery in winter 2018. This will ensure sufficient capacity into the coming decades by offering regular payments to existing and new generation capacity that is successful at auction.
In advance of this National Grid has developed Supplemental Balancing Reserve, a new balancing service through which it will be able to procure further capacity should it be needed, including capacity that is or otherwise intends to mothball or close. National Grid will only seek to competitively procure the amount of capacity that its forecast determines necessary and expect to run an initial tender process this spring for capacity for the winter of 2014/15 and 2015/16, with the possibility of extending this period if necessary.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2014-06-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will review prescription charges for adults with cystic fibrosis.
Dr Daniel Poulter
In 2010, responding to Professor Sir Ian Gilmore’s review into extending entitlement to free prescriptions to all those with a long-term condition, the Government made clear that in light of the challenging financial context, no changes would be made to the current list of exemptions. Prescription charges in England raise valuable income, in the region of £450 million each year, which helps the National Health Service to maintain vital services for patients.
The extensive system of exemption arrangements, including for those on low incomes who may struggle to pay for their prescriptions, which is in place means that around 90% of all prescription items are already dispensed free of charge. Prescription Prepayment Certificates (PPCs) are also available for those who have to pay NHS prescription charges and need multiple prescriptions. This is the fifth year the cost of an annual certificate, and the third year the cost of a three month certificate, have been frozen. Both certificates will also remain at £104 and £29.10 respectively, next year. There is no limit to the number of items that can be obtained through a PPC. The annual certificate benefits anyone needing more than 12 items a year, and the three month certificate anyone needing more than three items in that three month period.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people returning to Jobcentre Plus after two years on the Work Programme are aged under 25 years.
Esther McVey
Statistics on the number of claimants who have returned to Jobcentre Plus after 104 weeks on the Work Programme by age group can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-statistics-tabulation-tool
Guidance for users is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Robertson on 2014-06-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will estimate the revenue generated in Scotland by companies that have their headquarters (a) in Scotland and (b) outside of Scotland.
David Mundell
There are no estimates of the number of companies headquartered in Scotland, of the 343,105 enterprises operating in Scotland as at March 2013. Registered private sector enterprises with ultimate ownership outside Scotland accounted for 3.1% of firms, and 58.1% of turnover. This means that 41.9% of business turnover in Scotland is generated by enterprises with ownership in Scotland. These figures come from the Scottish Government publication Businesses in Scotland 2013.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-03-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the 60 questions relating to the future Strategic Defence and Security Review to which the Permanent Under-Secretary of his Department referred during his oral evidence to the Defence Select Committee on 25 March 2014.
Mr Philip Hammond
The cross-Government lead on the next NSS and SDSR sits with Cabinet Office. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is engaged with them and other interested Departments. MOD is in the very early stages of identifying those areas which may require further work or which we may wish to look at in 2015 as part of the Cabinet Office-led process. This evolving work supports the development of Government policy and I am therefore not able to provide this internal policy work.