Blog

  • Stephen McPartland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen McPartland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen McPartland on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to (a) regulate freelance tutors and (b) ensure that such tutors have an enhanced DBS check in order to safeguard children.

    Edward Timpson

    It is the responsibility of any school or parent to assure themselves that they are entirely satisfied as to the suitability of any freelance tutor they might choose to employ before they engage them. Private tutors have several options open to them to enable them to obtain appropriate checks in order to provide employers with the assurances they might need. For example, employment agencies are required to process DBS checks for all tutors working with children.

    It is of course a serious criminal offence to seek to work with children in regulated activity after having been barred from doing so.

  • Stephen McPartland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen McPartland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen McPartland on 2015-11-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of reductions in the level of the Bus Service Operators Grant that were made in 2012; and if he will make a statement.

    Greg Hands

    The Treasury has not assessed the effect of reductions in the level of the Bus Service Operator Grant on the economy.

    The Treasury do however recognise the important role buses play in supporting both our economy and society and as such ensured no further cut to the Bus Service Operator Grant was implemented through the 2013 Spending Round. The Government are also taking action though the upcoming Buses Bill to provide local areas with the powers they have requested to help them to deliver better local bus services.

  • Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Bone on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the planned date for the (a) start and (b) finish of the A509 Isham bypass is; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    The latest information provided by Northamptonshire County Council, the promoters of the A509 Wellingborough Development Link which contains the proposed Isham Bypass, is that subject to the successful completion of any remaining design and legal process, and approval by my Department, work could start on site in April 2017 and the scheme open in October 2018.

  • Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Bone on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on developing energy policy.

    Anna Soubry

    My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State has had a number of recent discussions with my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on energy policy.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

    Karen Bradley

    The previous Government signed the Istanbul Convention in June 2012 and this Government remains committed to its ratification.

    The UK already complies with the vast majority of the articles through our comprehensive work to protect women and girls from violence, including criminalising forced marriage as required by the Convention.

    However, primary legislation will be required to comply with the extra-territorial jurisdiction provisions in Article 44 of the Convention before ratification. The Government is liaising with the devolved administrations about ratification, including any further legislative steps necessary.

    The Government takes its international commitments very seriously and will only commit to such ratification when we are absolutely satisfied that we comply with all articles. We will continue to lead efforts to tackle violence against women and girls, end Female Genital Mutilation and combat early and forced marriage, both at home and abroad.

  • Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans the Government has for the effective and efficient oversight of strategic fuel stocks.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The UK is required to hold stocks of oil for use in response to substantial disruptions to oil supply through its membership of the European Union and the International Energy Agency. In the UK we manage our obligation by directing companies who are substantial suppliers of oil to the UK to hold stocks which can then be released if required in an emergency. The Department of Energy and Climate Change collects detailed data on a monthly basis from these companies on the stocks. This is then checked and verified before the Department then reports to the European Commission and International Energy Agency. Our processes ensure we have clear oversight of our emergency oil stocks. We also regularly review these processes to ensure they are as efficient as possible and do not place unnecessary burden on industry.

  • Craig Mackinlay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Craig Mackinlay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Mackinlay on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many foreign vehicles that had overstayed the permitted six months in the UK were identified as a result of the information sharing trial between the police service and HM Revenue and Customs that ran from November 2014 to February 2015; how many such vehicles were impounded; how much was raised in fines in that trial; and what plans his Department has to introduce such a scheme permanently.

    Andrew Jones

    During the trial the police used a combination of information provided by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and on-road interviews to establish whether a vehicle had overstayed the six-month exemption and/or if the vehicle keeper was a resident in the UK.

    Of the 703 vehicles impounded during the trial, 162 were included in the HMRC’s data set.

    The table below shows the amounts awarded by the courts following successful prosecutions:

    Fines

    Costs awarded to the DVLA

    Back Duty paid

    £40,259

    £12,540

    £12,215.10

    The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) also received £20,751 from out of court settlement payments.

    The trial was carried out from within existing resources.

    A full analysis of the trial is underway and will inform the way forward. Police forces which are authorised by the DVLA to seize unlicensed vehicles continue to target non-compliant foreign registered vehicles.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Mackinlay on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners who were living in countries where their pensions were frozen have moved back to the UK in each year since 2009.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The requested information is within the table below. This shows the numbers of pensioners who had been overseas and receiving a non-uprated pension who have returned to the UK during the year and were no longer having their pension non-uprated:

    Year Numbers previously overseas resident with non-uprated pension who lived in the UK one year later
    2009 2,000
    2010 3,000
    2011 3,000
    2012 3,000
    2013 2,000
    2014 2,000

    Source:
    DWP 100% WPLS

    Notes:
    1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000.
    2. The period referenced in the table is from 1st March to the following last day in February.

  • Craig Mackinlay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Craig Mackinlay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Mackinlay on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings in the report of the Office for National Statistics, Decennial Child Dental Health Survey that (a) 46 per cent of 15 year olds and 34 per cent of 12 year olds had obvious decay experience in their permanent teeth and (b) children eligible for free school meals are significantly less likely to be in good overall oral health than those not eligible.

    Jane Ellison

    The decennial Child Dental Health Survey is part of the Public Health England (PHE) dental public health intelligence programme which provides population oral health surveillance. Local authorities have responsibility for oral health improvement. In 2014 PHE published an evidence informed toolkit for local authorities to support their work on oral health improvement among children and young people. PHE also published an evidence based toolkit for dental teams to support preventive advice and treatment for their patients, including the prevention of tooth decay in children.

    Eligibility for free school meals was used as a proxy indicator of relative deprivation in the study, as it is well established that poor oral health is associated with deprivation. The findings of this study continue to support that understanding.

    The results of the most recent decennial child dental health survey were published this year by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) and can be found at:

    http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB17137

    “

  • Craig Mackinlay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Craig Mackinlay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Mackinlay on 2015-11-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will (a) consider legal action to recover tax due from Volkswagen as a consequence of carbon dioxide outputs and nitrogen dioxide levels and (b) commit to not reassessing tax payments for an additional benefit in kind as a result of higher carbon dioxide outputting vehicles.

    Damian Hinds

    The Government takes the unacceptable actions of Volkswagen extremely seriously and is taking robust action to get to the bottom of the emissions sandal.

    The Government has announced that no UK taxpayers will be penalised by higher taxes if their existing vehicles are found to be affected by the emissions testing scandal.

    The Government continues to monitor the actions of Volkswagen closely and will consider all options once the facts are fully clarified.