The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-03-12.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which statistics identified as high impact outputs with less widespread support by the Office for National Statistics in consultation on statistical products 2013 have had funding secured for their compilation in 2014-15.
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 Margaret Curran on 2014-03-12.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people aged 18 to 24 years old in Scotland have been unemployed for (a) six months, (b) one year, (c) two years and (d) more than two years.
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 Jonathan Edwards on 2014-03-12.
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will amend the guidance given to the Electoral Commission on whether prohibiting public officials who are suspended or under criminal investigation retain their responsibilities as returning officers.
Greg Clark
The Government does not provide guidance to the Electoral Commission on the status of returning officers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2014-03-12.
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the Electoral Commission on returning officer responsibilities in Carmarthenshire at the forthcoming European elections.
Greg Clark
I have regular meetings with the Chair of the Electoral Commission.
Cabinet Office officials have been working closely with the Electoral Commission and have discussed a range of issues to support the efficient and effective running of the forthcoming European Parliamentary election.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2014-03-12.
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will meet the Electoral Commission to discuss the suitability of the chief executives of Carmarthenshire County Council and Pembrokeshire County Council for their roles as returning officers at the forthcoming European election.
Greg Clark
I have regular meetings with the Chair of the Electoral Commission.
Cabinet Office officials have been working closely with the Electoral Commission, and have discussed a range of issues, to support the efficient and effective administration of the forthcoming European Parliamentary election.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2014-03-12.
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the suitability of the chief executives of Carmarthenshire County Council and Pembrokeshire County Council acting as returning officers in future elections.
Greg Clark
It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to appoint an officer of the council to be the returning officer for local government elections in their area. Electoral law provides that returning officers for local government elections shall also be local returning officers for European Parliamentary elections. It therefore does not fall to the Government to assess the suitability of individuals carrying out these roles.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2014-03-12.
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what representations he has received from (a) the Electoral Commission, (b) the Welsh Government and (c) Carmarthenshire County Council on the Chief Executive of Carmarthenshire County Council and his responsibilities as Returning Officer.
Greg Clark
I have not received any such representations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Russell Brown on 2014-03-12.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the average weekly hours worked since the first quarter of 2008 to date.
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 Hilary Benn on 2014-03-12.
To ask the Attorney General, what estimate he has made of the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) the Law Officers’ Departments and (b) any executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies of the Law Officers’ Departments in the current financial year.
Dominic Grieve
The Law Officers’ Departments have been actively reducing their estate running costs since 2010 in line with Government policy and have already made significant savings.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) estate rationalisation programme began in 2009 and is set to be completed in 2016, with most of the leases on empty property having expired by then. This programme has already led to a reduction in expenditure and increased efficiency. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has paid £320,178.38 in property business rates in the current financial year on the properties which are currently recorded as vacant on the ePIMS database as at 14 March 2014. The costs figure has been produced by DTZ who are CPS’ managing agents and has not yet been audited.
The Treasury Solicitor’s Department owns a lease on a building which has some vacant space. This building attracts full business rates in the current financial year. This lease is due to expire in 2016. The estimated business rates for the vacant proportion of the property for 2013/14 are £59 372.71
The remaining Law Officers’ Departments do not have any vacant properties.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2014-03-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect on the ability of older and disabled workers to find work as a result of the abolition of the Percentage Threshold Scheme for recovering statutory sick pay.
Mike Penning
The Statutory Sick Pay Percentage Threshold Scheme is not linked to finding work, rather it compensates employers with high levels of sickness absence. An independent review of sickness absence[1] found that this scheme does nothing to tackle the causes of absence. As a result, the Government accepted a recommendation in the review to abolish the Percentage Threshold Scheme. The Government also accepted a recommendation to establish a Service (now known as the Health and Work Service) to offer specialist occupational health assessment and advice to employers, employees and GPs. The Service is designed to reduce the costs of sickness absence for employers by addressing the issues preventing a return to work, and supporting employees back to work as quickly as appropriate.
We consider that the creation of the Health and Work Service, funded by the abolition of the Percentage Threshold Scheme, will enable sickness absence to be better managed and improve the employment prospects of all employees, including older and disabled workers.
[1] Black, C. and Frost, D (2011) Health at work – and independent review of sickness absen