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Tag: 2014

  • Graham Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Graham Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for what reason allowing employers which wish to continue with current apprenticeship funding arrangements to do so was not listed as an option in his Department’s recent consultation on the future of apprenticeships.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Apprenticeships Funding Reform Technical Consultation sought evidence on the practical implications for employers of two new systems for routing apprenticeship funding: the PAYE model and the Apprenticeship Credit. The practical implications of the current system are already well understood, therefore we did not include this in the technical consultation. We are giving careful consideration to all feedback received, before announcing our next steps in the autumn.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what meetings Ministers in his Department have had on the outsourcing of local authority children’s services since May 2010.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Through its Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme the Government is supporting local authorities to take new approaches to maximise the capacity and skills brought to bear in improving services for the most vulnerable children. Part of that work involves giving local authorities greater freedom to test new delivery models and harness external ideas and expertise by allowing them to delegate children’s social care functions to external providers.

    Ministers have regular internal and external meetings to discuss this policy in particular and approaches to delivering children’s social care more widely.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Greg Mulholland – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential suffering felt by badgers through gaseous methods of slaughter.

    George Eustice

    In August 2013, we commissioned new research into alternative methods of culling badgers.

    The first step involved reviewing and updating the ‘Review of effectiveness, environmental impact, humaneness and feasibility of lethal methods for badger control’ published in 2005. The review was completed in September 2013.

    Following research carried out as a result of Lord Zuckerman’s review in the 1980s, we would not support the use of hydrogen cyanide gas due to humaneness concerns. However, we are considering potential humane alternatives.

    In October and November 2013 we carried out initial trials of nitrogen-filled foam to analyse its dispersal in an artificial sett-like environment. These trials did not involve the use of active setts or tests on live animals.

    Further research is now planned into the use of carbon monoxide as a potential sett-based means of humane culling.

  • Grahame M. Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Grahame M. Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame M. Morris on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many adults with autism in England receive support having previously been identified by a local authority as being at risk of abuse or neglect.

    Norman Lamb

    This information is not kept centrally.

  • Nadine Dorries – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Nadine Dorries – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nadine Dorries on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will take steps to expand the investigatory powers of the Office of the Public Guardian to better protect elderly and vulnerable people in cases in which power of attorney is abused; and if he will make a statement.

    Simon Hughes

    The Government is committed to protecting elderly and vulnerable people, and to ensuring that anyone responsible for abuse is dealt with appropriately.

    The Public Guardian has power to investigate cases where concerns are raised about the actions of a person acting under a power of attorney, and to apply to the Court to revoke the power of attorney where necessary to prevent abuse. The Public Guardian will refer cases to health and care authorities, who can act under statutory safeguarding powers to protect an individual who may be at risk, and to the police if he suspects a criminal offence has been committed.

    We are currently considering whether the Public Guardian needs additional powers to strengthen his role in safeguarding elderly and vulnerable people, including the power to continue an investigation after a power of attorney or court order has been revoked or disclaimed. This would require changes to primary legislation.

    Data on prosecutions for fraud, or for ill-treatment and neglect under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, do not specify whether the allegation relates to a person acting under a power of attorney. The Government’s response to the House of Lords Select Committee’s report on the Mental Capacity Act includes a commitment to review the use of the criminal offence under s44 of the Act.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-06-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what if at all is the funding shortfall for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Burma; and what additional funding the Department for International Development is providing to fill any funding gap.

    Baroness Northover

    DFID officials are in regular contact with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Burma. We have not been made aware of any critical funding shortfall for UNHCR, and have not been approached to fill any funding gap. DFID already provides a significant amount of humanitarian funding, including to UNHCR, for work with internally displaced people in Burma.

  • Lord Noon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Noon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Noon on 2014-06-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to use prerogative powers to refuse or remove United Kingdom passports from British citizens who are suspected of being involved in or looking to be involved in fighting, extremist activity or terrorist training overseas.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    The Royal Prerogative is an important tool to disrupt individuals who seek to travel on a British passport to engage in, for example, fighting, extremist activity or terrorist training overseas and might return to the UK.

    The Prerogative power has been exercised 14 times between April 2013 and the end of March 2014 on public interest grounds to disrupt the travel of individuals seeking to engage in terrorism related activity or other serious and organised crime.

    Any decision to refuse or withdraw a British passport is made after careful consideration and the decision must be necessary and proportionate.

  • Guto Bebb – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Guto Bebb – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Guto Bebb on 2014-06-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what role his Department played in the decision to separate Lloyds and TSB.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Lloyds Banking Group is required to divest part of its UK banking business – TSB – as a result of European Commission approval of the aid it received from the UK Government during the financial crisis.

    The TSB divestment was part of a wider package of measures to ensure that the recapitalisation of Lloyds was compliant with the single market. The State aid agreement is therefore between HM Government and Lloyds, and between the Government and the European Commission.

  • Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the importance of regional tourism in the UK; and what steps he has taken to support small, local hospitality businesses.

    Mrs Helen Grant

    Estimates of the direct tourism gross value added (GVA) contribution to the UK economy for each English region, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were recently published by the Office for National Statistics for the year 2011. In total, they show that tourism directly contributed a GVA of around £50 billion to the UK (4% of the economy).

    Region

    ONS figures for 2011

    (direct in £bn)

    Scotland

    5.0

    Wales

    2.3

    Northern Ireland

    0.3

    London

    13.1

    Rest of England

    –

    North East

    1.1

    North West

    5.1

    Yorkshire and the Humber

    2.6

    East Midlands

    2.3

    West Midlands

    2.5

    East of England

    3.4

    South East

    6.6

    South West

    4.4

    Further economic analysis by Deloitte, commissioned by VisitBritain, suggests that if indirect economic effects are also included, GVA is forecast to be as high as £127 billion (9% of the UK economy) in 2013.

    In terms of supporting small, local hospitality businesses, since April 2013 community venues have not had to apply to the local council for an entertainment license for events such as dance displays and concerts. Previously, such licenses currently cost, on average, more than £200 for new applications or needed at least 10 days’ notice for Temporary Event Notices. At the 2014 Budget, the tax on a typical pint of beer was cut by 1 penny, the duty on ordinary cider was frozen this year, and the duty escalator for wine was ended. Duty on spirits was also frozen for 2014-15.

    Furthermore, thematic marketing campaigns focusing on what England is most loved for including Heritage, Coast, Countryside and Culture, as well as Sport and Literature, will be delivered and developed as part of the three-year, £19.8m project ‘Growing Tourism Locally’, funded by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund (BIS), with contributions from VisitEngland and private sector. The project focuses on working directly with destinations and the private sector, to create a number of dedicated marketing campaigns throughout the country with emphasis on specific areas and themes. This will also benefit SMEs in the hospitality sector.

  • John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Robertson on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that former oil refineries being converted to bulk storage and distribution terminals meet post-Buncefield health and safety requirements.

    Mike Penning

    The COMAH Competent Authority (CA), comprising HSE and the environment agencies, is responsible for ensuring that oil refineries and fuel storage and distribution terminals meet new safety and environmental standards introduced in 2009 following the Buncefield fire and explosion. The standards were developed jointly by industry and the CA and published by the Process Safety Leadership Group (PSLG).

    Refineries were required to produce risk-based action plans to implement the PSLG safety standards at their existing fuel storage facilities. HSE led the assessment of these plans during 2011 and has been inspecting sites to ensure the planned improvements are made. The timings of upgrades to containment standards at refineries’ existing fuel storage facilities is based on risk and will vary for each site. Agreed improvements are embedded in environment inspection plans for each site and followed up to ensure measures are implemented on time.

    The CA is working with refineries undergoing conversion to fuel storage and distribution terminals to ensure the PSLG standards are applied in full to their new facilities.