Blog

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the evaluation and recommendations of the Law Commission on the Advice Services Transition Fund.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The aim of the Advice Services Transition Fund (ASTF) was to support the sector to be able to respond with confidence to the challenges presented by the changing funding environment.

    The Fund was always intended to support time limited transformational activity. Cabinet Office is not in a position to commit longer-term funding to support the core-running costs of advice services. However, the fund has supported organisations to transition to more collaborative working. We will also be working with the Big Lottery Fund to ensure that learning is identified and shared across the advice services sector. This work aligns with recommendations outlined in the Low Commission report.

  • Chris White – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Chris White – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris White on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to (a) encourage greater use of email and (b) implement other measures to reduce costs in communication by government departments.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Government Digital Service (GDS) continues to support departments as they digitally transform their business operations, making government services easier and more efficient to use. There is a ‘digital first’ strategy across Government to save on time as well as paper and postage costs, including the use of email to achieve this aim.

    The Government Communication Service (GCS) saved nearly £330m for taxpayers in 2014/15 compared to 2009/10 by making its campaigns more cost effective. The communications profession is also more streamlined, with headcount across Government reduced by a third since 2009/10. These reforms helped the Government reduce communications spending by a total of £1bn over the last Parliament. GCS continues to investigate new ways of reducing costs in Government communications.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on income to insurance companies of the changes to personal injury law and procedure announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015; and if he will make a statement.

    Dominic Raab

    The Government received and analysed data from numerous sources when formulating the announcement in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. We will continue to work with a wide range of stakeholders including other Government Departments, solicitors and insurers in taking forward the new reform package. The Government will consult on the detail of these measures in due course. The consultation will be accompanied by an impact assessment.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which colleges he plans are to be included in (a) the third wave Area Reviews for Lancashire (Pennines) further education colleges and (b) in the fourth wave Area Reviews for Lancashire (Coastal) further education colleges.

    Nick Boles

    We have published indicative information in relation to the future waves, 3 to 5, of the area reviews. This includes the proposed reviews for the Lancashire area. I met with the Lancashire College Group yesterday and discussed with them the timing of the two Lancashire reviews and the colleges to be included in each. We will review the future waves in light of further discussions and ongoing assessment of risk and we will publish updated information on this in due course.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, on what date the second wave Area Reviews for further education college providers he plans to commence.

    Nick Boles

    As we have set out in the published information relating to the second wave of area reviews, the first steering group meeting, which will be in the Marches and Worcestershire area, is scheduled to take place on Monday 18 January 2016.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what information the Government holds on the proportion of small businesses that have ceased trading after experiencing flood damage in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    The Department does not hold specific information on the proportion of businesses, large or small, that have ceased trading after experiencing flood damage in the last five years.

    However following the flooding of Winter 2013/14, of the 4,859 businesses that were reported by Local Authorities as being impacted by flooding, only 3 businesses were reported as not fully operational by October 2015.

  • Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the implications for his polices of the conclusions of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, entitled Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion 2015, published in November 2015 that (a) the number of people working part-time who wish to work full-time is higher than in 2009 and (b) 600,000 people on temporary contracts want permanent contracts, compared to 400,000 people before the recession.

    Nick Boles

    The Joseph Rowntree Foundation Report “Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion 2015” is one of a number of reports and surveys undertaken on the UK labour Market and Government considers them in the round with regard to Government policy. This report makes use of the Office for National Statistics data and Labour Force Survey which Government uses as a source of information.

  • Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions the Government has had with the devolved administrations on increasing social mobility since May 2015.

    Nick Boles

    The Government is committed to increasing social mobility throughout the UK. We hold regular discussions with the devolved administrations on a wide variety of topics many of which affect social mobility.

    It should also be noted however, that many key levers for improving social mobility such as apprenticeships, traineeships and higher education have some degree of devolution across the UK and so policy decisions on these issues should be referred to the relevant devolved administration.

  • Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what progress the Government is making on negotiating the removal of VAT on women’s sanitary products.

    Mr David Gauke

    I have written to the European Commission and other Member States setting out our strong view that Member States should have full discretion over what rate of VAT they can apply to sanitary products, and that this should be considered in the context of the Commission’s Action Plan on VAT, which is now expected to be published in March 2016.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with her ministerial colleagues on securing long-term funding for domestic violence services.

    Karen Bradley

    The Government has already announced £40m of funding for domestic abuse services between 2016 and 2020, as well as a £2m grant to Women’s Aid and Safelives to support early intervention.

    We will shortly publish a refreshed cross-Government Violence Against Women and Girls strategy setting out how we will do more still to secure long-term funding for domestic violence services and support for all victims.