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  • Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make it his policy to ensure that 15 per cent of the three million apprenticeships his Department plans to deliver over the next five years are taken up by disabled people.

    Nick Boles

    We are committed to reaching 3 million new apprenticeship starts by 2020. Thousands of disabled people have benefitted from apprenticeships. In the 2014/15 academic year 44,090 of those starting an apprenticeship declared a disability or learning difficulty (LDD). This is 8.8% of the total starts.

    Apprenticeships are jobs with training and availability is dependent upon employers offering opportunities. However, we believe that there is more that can be done to ensure that people from a diverse range of backgrounds are in the best possible place to apply for and secure an apprenticeship. Employers must fulfil their duties as set out in the Equality Act 2010 for apprentices as they would for other employees.

    An Apprenticeships Equality and Diversity Advisory group helps government understand and address any apprenticeship equality and diversity issues in order to reduce barriers and make apprenticeships as inclusive as possible.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Atos assessments are carried out effectively for personal independence payment applications.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department has a number of mechanisms available to monitor and challenge Atos performance in carrying out assessments for Personal Independence Payment. These include a range of Management Information to inform performance against contractual Service Level Agreements relating to, for example, time taken to process claims and the quality of the assessment reports produced.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Margaret Ferrier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent discussions she has had with her Cabinet colleagues on the legal recognition in Northern Ireland of same-sex marriages which have been registered elsewhere in the UK.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The UK government has demonstrated its commitment to marriage for same sex couples by introducing it for England and Wales, and has welcomed its introduction in other jurisdictions, including Scotland.

    We recognise and respect the devolution settlement in Northern Ireland. The constitutional arrangements in place mean that any decision to extend marriage to same-sex couples in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly. Officials from the Government Equalities Office speak regularly with colleagues in the Northern Ireland Office regarding these and other equality related matters.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Tulip Siddiq – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what her policy is on extending the time in which women may take a pregnancy and maternity discrimination case against their employers to a tribunal from three to 12 months.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government awaits the final report on pregnancy and maternity discrimination and will carefully consider any recommendations from the Equality and Human Rights Commission before deciding on next steps.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Margaret Ferrier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the implications for equal rights of the legal recognition in Northern Ireland of same-sex marriages registered in England, Wales or Scotland.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The UK government has demonstrated its commitment to marriage for same sex couples by introducing it for England and Wales, and has welcomed its introduction in other jurisdictions, including Scotland.

    We recognise and respect the devolution settlement in Northern Ireland. The constitutional arrangements in place mean that any decision to extend marriage to same-sex couples in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly. Officials from the Government Equalities Office speak regularly with colleagues in the Northern Ireland Office regarding these and other equality related matters.

  • Nia Griffith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Nia Griffith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nia Griffith on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many times he has visited each parliamentary constituency in Wales in an official capacity in the 2015-16 session of Parliament.

    Stephen Crabb

    Wales Office Ministers regularly visit Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales. In each instance, the respective honourable Member is notified of the visit.

    Details of Ministerial visits and meetings are published on the Wales Office website, and in Quarterly Ministerial Transparency Returns. In addition, visits and meetings conducted in support of the Wales Office Business Plan are published in the Wales Office Annual Report and Accounts.

    Wales Office Ministers are always keen to receive invitation requests from honourable Members.

  • Nia Griffith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Nia Griffith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nia Griffith on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many meetings he has held with the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 2015-16 session of Parliament to date.

    Stephen Crabb

    I have regular meetings with my Rt hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer along with all other Cabinet Ministers.

  • David T. C. Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    David T. C. Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he plans to amend the draft Wales Bill to enable the National Assembly for Wales to vary income tax without a referendum.

    Stephen Crabb

    At Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, my Rt hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the Government will remove the need for a referendum to introduce the Welsh Rates of Income Tax. This will be done in the Wales Bill, which will be introduced into Parliament in the New Year.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Margaret Ferrier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps his Department has taken to promote use of the UK Guarantees Scheme in Wales.

    Stephen Crabb

    When I meet with members of the business community in Wales, it is clear to me the importance of the UK Guarantees Scheme in providing investors with the vital financial certainty to initiate critical new infrastructure projects in Wales and throughout the UK. HM Government has a memorandum of understanding with Hitachi and Horizon Nuclear Power to support investment for the proposed nuclear development at Wylfa Newydd; discussions around the provision of a Government Guarantee form a key part of this. The Project will create up to 1,000 permanent jobs and provide excellent opportunities for Welsh businesses to be a part of the supply chain.

  • Nia Griffith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Nia Griffith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nia Griffith on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what official visits each of the Ministers in his Department have made since July 2014; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

    Stephen Crabb

    Details of Ministerial visits are published on the Department’s website.