The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women held in Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre have refused to eat for one or more consecutive days in 2015.
James Brokenshire
For the period 1 January 2015 to 30 June 2015 provisional management information shows that 84 women were recorded as refusing food or fluid at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Worthington on 2015-12-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much stamp duty reserve tax has been repaid following the 2012 decision of the First-Tier Tribunal (Tax) in the case of HSBC Holdings PLC and the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation v HMRC (TC/2009/165484).
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
The First Tier Tribunal in the case of HSBC Holdings PLC and the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation v HMRC decided in March 2012 that the taxing of Stamp Duty Reserve Tax at 1.5% on a transfer of shares which is integral to a share capital raising exercise to a depositary receipt issuer or clearance service, infringed the Capital Duty Directive. Following that decision, HMRC has repaid a total of £168 million Stamp Duty Reserve Tax to various claimants.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris White on 2016-01-21.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses benefited from video games tax relief in 2014-15; what the cost of that relief was to his Department in that year; and what the return on investment was for the economy as a result of that relief.
Mr David Gauke
Video Games Tax Relief is forecast to cost the Exchequer £10m in 2014-15. The first Official Statistics on the number of claims and cost of Video Games Tax Relief will be published in Summer 2016, allowing sufficient time for claims to have been submitted for the 2014-15 tax year. No estimate of the benefit for the economy as a whole is available.
The forecast has been certified by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility and is consistent with their latest forecast of Corporation Tax receipts.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the rate of pay is for cleaners in his Department.
Brandon Lewis
The rate of pay for cleaners working in buildings managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government is between £6.70 and £8.00 per hour depending on seniority, location and duration of tenure. From April 2016, the Department will pay the National Living Wage.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of Senior Civil Servants in each department in each year since 2010.
Matthew Hancock
The number of Senior Civil Servants serving in each department in each year from 2010 to date, is set out in the table below:
Centrally Managed SCS by Main Department (2010-2015)
|
Department |
Q1 2010 |
Q1 2011 |
Q1 2012 |
Q1 2013 |
Q1 2014 |
Q1 2015 |
Q3 2015 |
|
BIS |
217 |
267 |
254 |
263 |
273 |
265 |
255 |
|
CO |
213 |
233 |
208 |
214 |
238 |
281 |
284 |
|
DCLG |
122 |
120 |
99 |
84 |
84 |
90 |
88 |
|
DCMS |
41 |
36 |
35 |
24 |
34 |
44 |
46 |
|
DECC |
66 |
86 |
100 |
105 |
121 |
109 |
111 |
|
DEFRA |
174 |
161 |
145 |
143 |
143 |
133 |
127 |
|
DfE |
120 |
121 |
168 |
155 |
139 |
139 |
147 |
|
DfID |
95 |
79 |
79 |
83 |
80 |
81 |
80 |
|
DfT |
227 |
185 |
173 |
174 |
198 |
174 |
174 |
|
DH |
392 |
370 |
312 |
383 |
393 |
406 |
396 |
|
DWP |
381 |
325 |
275 |
296 |
258 |
259 |
266 |
|
FCO |
59 |
54 |
56 |
58 |
67 |
78 |
77 |
|
HMRC |
391 |
362 |
360 |
319 |
313 |
325 |
342 |
|
HMT |
159 |
106 |
105 |
97 |
94 |
94 |
106 |
|
Home Office |
237 |
208 |
198 |
199 |
196 |
224 |
220 |
|
MoD |
275 |
266 |
227 |
227 |
219 |
236 |
248 |
|
MoJ |
290 |
241 |
200 |
200 |
199 |
198 |
213 |
|
SG |
270 |
238 |
215 |
225 |
227 |
230 |
222 |
|
WG |
147 |
125 |
118 |
137 |
155 |
155 |
152 |
|
Other |
477 |
329 |
289 |
309 |
370 |
456 |
463 |
|
Total |
4353 |
3912 |
3616 |
3695 |
3801 |
3977 |
4017 |
Source: SCS Database
Notes: FCO does not include the Diplomatic Service as they are not part of the Centrally Managed Senior Civil Service
Figures also do not include a number of health professionals and military personnel that work at a senior level that are not part of the Centrally Managed Senior Civil Service
Caution is advised when interpreting changes at a departmental level due to the following Machinery of Government changes over the period that have moved into and out of departments:
Office of Government Commerce moved from HMT to Cabinet Office in June 2010
Government Equalities Office moved into Home Office in April 2011 and to DCMS in Q1 2013
Directgov transferred from DWP to Cabinet Office in June 2010
Buying Solutions moved from HMT to Cabinet Office in June 2010
Postcomm (BIS) were abolished in October 2011
The Better Regulation Delivery Office moved from the wider public sector into BIS in Q2 2012
Ordnance Survey moved from DCLG to BIS in July 2011 and left the Civil Service in April 2015
Land Registry moved from MoJ to BIS in July 2011
Met Office moved from MoD to BIS in July 2011
Fire Service College (DCLG) was abolished in February 2013
Standards and Testing Agency (DfE) was created in October 2011
Education Funding Agency and the National College and Teaching Agency (DfE) were created in April 2012
A number of Probation Trusts staff moved from the wider public sector to MoJ in June 2014
Public Health England (DH) was created in April 2013
Legal Aid Agency (MoJ) was created in April 2013
National Crime Agency was created in October 2013
Criminal Records Bureau (Home Office) left the Civil Service in December 2012
The Asset Protection Agency (HMT) was abolished in October 2012
Competition Commission moved from the wider public sector into the Office of Fair Trading in April 2014 to become Competition and Markets Authority
Part of the Defence Support Group (MoD) was privatised and left the Civil Service in April 2015
The Food and Environment Research Agency (DEFRA) left the Civil Service in April 2015
Government Internal Audit Agency (HMT) was established in April 2015
Highways Agency (DfT) left the Civil Service in April 2015
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2016-04-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to support the right of the people of the Falkland Islands to develop their own economy without interference; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Hugo Swire
The UK has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falklands and surrounding maritime areas, nor about the Falkland Islanders’ right to decide their own future. We will continue to make that clear to Argentina and other countries in the region.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 18 of the Motoring Services Strategy consultation, what (a) criteria, (b) process and (c) timeframe his Department plans to use to explore the possible privatisation of practical driving tests.
Andrew Jones
The Motoring Services Strategy was published on 12 May. As this document explains, we are exploring whether other models of service delivery might offer a better and more flexible range of services to road users, either as alternatives to the current arrangements or to complement them, including involving the private sector in delivering some or all of the services.
This is in line with the Government’s wider agenda to ensure that the driver testing and training regime prepares new drivers for a wide range of real life driving conditions and situations.
No decision has been taken about the preferred option or range of options, and we are committed to ensuring that, whatever model may eventually be chosen (including the option of retaining the present system), current standards of propriety and testing will be maintained. We are clear that road safety is our top priority and therefore the high quality and integrity of the UK’s driver testing regime must not be compromised by any changes to the delivery model.
We will work with DVSA, stakeholders and customer groups to assess the viability of those options with the aim of improving road safety.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2016 to Question 40823, at how many academies did each regional school commissioner take formal intervention measures in 2015.
Edward Timpson
In the calendar year 2015, regional school commissioners took formal action in 115 academies; 72 academies were moved to a different sponsor and 43 academies were issued with a formal notice.
The table below shows the number of interventions in each RSC region:
|
East Midlands & Humber |
23 |
|
Lancashire & West Yorkshire |
9 |
|
North |
3 |
|
North East London & East |
22 |
|
North West London & South Central |
12 |
|
South London & South East |
12 |
|
South West |
23 |
|
West Midlands |
11 |
|
Total |
115 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-10-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia about unpaid wages for migrant workers, and about the return of passports being made conditional on foregoing arrears of wages.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We are aware of reports of some third country migrant workers having employment issues, including not receiving payments. This is a matter for the parties involved in each situation to find a solution.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-11-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Transport for London on the ability of its ticket machines to accept banknotes issued by Scottish banks.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Secretary of State has not had any discussions with Transport for London (TfL) on the ability of its ticket machines to accept banknotes issued by Scottish banks.