The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of people who are paid at a rate below the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation in Bolton North East constituency.
Mr Nick Hurd
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-04-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure women’s equal and meaningful participation in the Syrian peace process.
Hugh Robertson
It is vital that Syrian women are able to participate fully in decisions about the future of their country. We continue to raise international awareness of this important issue and the Foreign Secretary has written to the UN Secretary General, the Joint Special Envoy, and a number of Foreign Ministers recommending that Syrian women should be able to participate fully in the peace process. We are providing £200,000 of support to the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom to strengthen the capacity of Syrian women’s groups to engage in the transition process. The Foreign Secretary was pleased to meet representatives from the Syrian Women’s Initiative for Peace and Democracy during Geneva II, and the UK intends to offer further practical support in close coordination with UN Women and donors.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2014-06-17.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the savings to the public purse of reductions in carbon emissions leading to a low carbon economy.
Gregory Barker
I have been asked to reply.
The Climate Change Act (2008) commits the UK to reducing emissions of GHGs and the accompanying Impact Assessment sets out that within the context of global efforts to limit climate change the benefits to the UK will be greater than the costs. However, the department has not made specific estimates of the savings to the public purse from a move to a low carbon economy as the precise fiscal impact of carbon emission reductions will depend on the mix of policies used.
For this reason individual assessments of the fiscal impacts of policies have been made and published where appropriate. In addition, it is worth noting that in the Coalition Agreement, the Government committed to increase the proportion of tax revenue accounted for by environmental taxes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with UK Trade & Investment on ensuring that Northern Ireland is represented in planning for the UK pavilion at Milan Expo 2015.
Mrs Theresa Villiers
UKTI and Invest NI have a close working relationship and cooperate whenever possible to attract trade and investment to Northern Ireland.
I am advised that UKTI has already initiated discussions with Invest NI on Northern Ireland’s representation there.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Dorset and East Devon coast continues to enjoy World Heritage status and remains in compliance with Article 4 of the World Heritage Convention; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site continues to enjoy World Heritage status and it is not currently under threat. The UK Government takes its responsibilities to conserve World Heritage Sites very seriously. The planning systems in place provide robust processes for assessing the potential impact of proposals on heritage assets and dealing appropriately with them.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consultation he undertook on the content of his Department’s publication, Guidance to the Civil Aviation Authority on Environmental Objectives Relating to the Exercise of its Air Navigation Functions, published in January 2014, with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive.
Mr Robert Goodwill
During the public consultation period a meeting was held between officials from the Department of Transport and the Department for Regional Development Northern Ireland where the content of the Guidance was discussed. There was no specific consultation with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Gray on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has for further funding of Combined Cadet Forces; and if he will make a statement.
Anna Soubry
We have set a target of expanding the number of Combined Cadet Forces (CCFs) in state schools.
We are moving towards a model for all CCFs which will involve schools making a small contribution towards the running costs of their units, irrespective of which sector the school is in. We are working with schools to establish the best way forward and our current plan is that funding changes will happen in a phased manner over a four-year period from September 2015.
The Secretary of State for Defence has not had discussions with the Combined Cadet Force Association (CCFA), although officials are in regular contact. The CCFA is represented on relevant Government cadet committees, and has been briefed on the planned changes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graeme Morrice on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what processes his Department has in place to monitor the welfare of personal independence payment applicants awaiting a decision on their claim.
Mike Penning
The Department does not routinely monitor the welfare of people applying for benefits.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Denham on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers have had action taken against them under Teachers’ Standards for (a) undermining fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and (b) failing to ensure that personal beliefs are not expressed in ways which exploit pupils’ vulnerability or might lead them to break the law in the last two years.
Mr David Laws
The National College for Teaching and Leadership has prohibited two teachers following professional conduct hearings where the allegations relate to behaviours outlined in the question.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken was between an application being made and benefit paid for (a) attendance allowance, (b) bereavement benefits, (c) carer’s allowance, (d) disability living allowance, (e) employment and support allowance, (f) jobseeker’s allowance, (g) maternity benefits, (h) housing benefit, (i) council tax benefit and (j) pension credit in the most recent period for which figures are available in (i) Airdrie and Shotts constituency, (ii) Scotland and (iii) the UK.
Mike Penning
The information regarding when a benefit is paid is not available as this can vary from each claim depending on circumstances, payment type and frequency of payment.
The data that is available is the Actual Average Clearance Time (AACT) which is the average time taken between an application being made and the date the customer was notified of the decision on their claim.
Please see the most recent AACT data in the table below.
|
Claims Actual Average Clearance Time (AACT) |
National Year-End 2013/2014 |
Scotland Year End 2013/2014 |
|
Attendance Allowance claims AACT |
14.3 |
N/A |
|
Bereavement Benefit Claims AACT |
15.9 |
N/A |
|
Carers Allowance claims AACT |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Disability Living Allowance claims AACT |
22.4 |
N/A |
|
Employment & Support Allowance claims AACT |
8.6 |
8.3 |
|
Jobseekers Allowance claims AACT |
8.1 |
7.9 |
|
Maternity Allowance Claims AACT |
7.3 |
N/A |
|
Pension Credit claims AACT |
7.15 |
N/A |
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are administered by local authorities and not the DWP. Processing statistics for these benefits can be found at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?publication_filter_option=statistics
“