Tag: 2014

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many times an electoral registration officer (ERO) has to fail Standard Three before the Electoral Commission will refer the ERO to the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office for the purpose of improving the performance of the ERO.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Commission informs me that it has reported on ERO performance against Standard 3 for each year since 2008.

    To support EROs in preparing for and delivering the transition to individual electoral registration (IER) the Commission has developed a new performance standards framework, which it will use to monitor the performance of EROs against throughout the transition to individual electoral registration. The Commission will continue to carefully monitor and work closely with EROs and will consider a range of options to ensure EROs are carrying out their duties in full.

    Discussions between the Electoral Commission and the Cabinet Office take place regularly on a range of subjects.

    The Commission made clear in its June report that it would use its statutory powers to make a recommendation to the Secretary of State to require specific EROs to do door-to-door canvassing if this didn’t happen during the introduction of IER, which began on 10 June in England and Wales.

    No specific date for conclusion has been set as it will depend on the circumstances in each area, but the Commission will continue to keep this under active review. Should the Commission make a recommendation for such a direction, it will write to the relevant honourable members and local council leaders. We will also write to the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee and ask for this correspondence to be placed in the House Library.

  • Eilidh Whiteford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Eilidh Whiteford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which official welfare-related engagements (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have attended in Scotland since May 2010.

    Esther McVey

    All visits to Scotland by this Department’s Ministers are welfare related engagements. The following gives details of those visits

    Secretary of State

    The Rt.Hon. Iain Duncan Smith

    · September 2010 – delivered a speech and attended meetings in Edinburgh

    · February 2011 – attended a meeting in Glasgow and conducted site visits in Motherwell

    · April 2011 – conducted site visits in Edinburgh

    · May 2011 – delivered a speech and conducted a site visit in Irvine

    · September 2011 – delivered a speech in Edinburgh

    · September 2011 – conducted a site visit in Leith and meetings in Edinburgh

    · March 2012 – conducted a site visit and attended meetings in Edinburgh

    · March 2012 – delivered a speech and conducted site visits in Dundee

    · September 2012 – conducted site visits and delivered a speech in Glasgow

    · March 2013 – delivered a speech and attended meetings in Edinburgh

    Minister for Employment

    The Rt.Hon Chris Grayling

    · April 2011 – conducted a site visit and attended meetings in Edinburgh

    · Jan 2012 – conducted site visits in Clydebank and Cumbernauld and attended meetings in Edinburgh

    Mark Hoban MP

    · March 2013 – conducted a site visit and attended meetings in Glasgow

    Minister for Welfare Reform

    Lord Freud

    · November 2010 – delivered a speech and attended meetings in Edinburgh

    · July 2012 – delivered a speech and attended meetings in Edinburgh

    · November 2012 – attended meetings in Edinburgh

    · March 2013 – delivered a speech in St Andrews

    · June 2013 – delivered a speech and attended meetings in Glasgow and Edinburgh

    · November 2013 – conducted a site visit to Inverness

    Minister for Disabled People

    The Rt.Hon Maria Miller

    · September 2011 – attended meetings in Fife

    · March 2012 – attended meetings in Edinburgh

    The Rt.Hon Esther McVey

    · October 2012 – conducted site visits in Edinburgh

    · February 2013 – conducted site visits in Dundee

    The Rt.Hon Mike Penning

    · March 2014 – hosted an event in Glasgow

    Minister for Pensions

    Steve Webb MP

    · Sept 2010 – attended a conference in Gleneagles

    · March 2011 – delivered key note speech in Edinburgh; and provider visit

    · September 2011 – attended a conference in Gleneagles

    · April 2012 – conducted a site visit in Dundee and attended a meeting in Edinburgh, meeting Deputy First Minister

    · September 2012 – attended a conference in Gleneagles

    · September 2013 – attended a conference in Gleneagles

    · March 2014 – delivered key note speech in Edinburgh; provider visit; roundtable event

  • Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Attorney General, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the fall in the percentage rate of convictions in rape cases between 2012-13 and 2013-14; and if he will make a statement.

    Oliver Heald

    The Rape National Scrutiny Panel led by the Director of Public Prosecutions and the National Policing lead for rape, considered the investigation and prosecution of rape cases including their referral from the police to the CPS. A range of issues have been identified that may have contributed to the drop in conviction rates. The joint Crown Prosecution Service / police Rape Action Plan published on 6 June 2014 aims to address these.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Catherine McKinnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2014-06-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the proportion of families currently paying for childcare that will be eligible for the proposed tax-free childcare scheme.

    Nicky Morgan

    The information requested is not available.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his letter of 24 October 2014 to the chief finance officers of English billing authorities, which local authorities have offered a business rate discount to premises with a free-to-use cash machine since the sending of that letter; and if he will make a statement.

    Kris Hopkins

    We do not hold this information centrally. Councils do not need the permission of Whitehall to levy such local discounts.

    The Localism Act 2011 gave local authorities in England powers to grant business rates discounts. We have urged authorities to use their powers to provide relief to cash machines where there is a clear community benefit, such as where cash machine providers commit to introduce extra cash machines or reduce charges on existing machines. Central government now funds 50% of local discounts.

    We also announced at the 2014 Autumn Statement an extra £650 million of support for 2015-16 business rates bills in England, bringing the total support from 2013 and 2014 Autumn Statement measures to £1.4 billion in 2015-16.

  • Caroline Flint – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Caroline Flint – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the contribution of 6 November 2014 by the Minister of State in his Department, Official Report, column 949, what resources the Government is making available to UK Coal in support of the provision of state aid to UK Coal in respect of Thoresby and Kellingley coal mines.

    Matthew Hancock

    I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

    Senior Officials from the BIS Yorkshire Humber North East Office were assigned to assist UK Coal following their interest in applying for additional government funding to extend the operation of their two deep mines. These officials provided feedback, advice and suggestions to help UK Coal prepare a case for Government support and met with them on several occasions throughout this process. On 16 January 2015, UK Coal submitted its request and supporting case for additional public sector support.

    The Government is carefully considering the merits of this request including whether it represents acceptable value for money and is a good use of taxpayer’s money. Should the Government decide to make the case to the European Commission that we should pay state aid to UK Coal we will assign a team across BIS and DECC to take this forward.

  • Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect the four per cent year-in-year efficiency savings requirement has had on (a) staffing levels, (b) patient care and (c) waiting times in NHS trusts.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The 2010 Spending Review protected health funding in real terms. However, in order to continue to meet rising demands from an ageing population while improving services, NHS Leaders estimated that up to £20 billion of efficiency savings would be required over the four years from 2011-12 to 2014-15.

    The NHS is on track to deliver these efficiency savings, having reported around £15 billion of efficiencies in the first three years, all of which are being reinvested into frontline care and have enabled the NHS to continue to meet rapidly rising demands whilst improving the quality of care.

    There are now over 17,200 more professionally qualified clinical staff since May 2010 including:

    – over 9,000 more doctors;

    – over 3,300 more nurses, midwives and health visitors.

    In contrast, the number of central administrative staff has fallen by over 20,200.

    The NHS is experiencing high demand for many services from a growing, ageing population with complex health needs. Performance against quality measures remains high. We have put in place robust year-round operational resilience planning and performance management, backed by additional funding, to help the NHS continue to perform against the access standards.

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2015-01-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many agents providing guidance through the Pension Wise scheme will be based in Scotland.

    Mr David Gauke

    Citizens Advice Scotland continue to work with HM Treasury to finalise the number of agents who will be providing coverage for the Pension Wise service across Scotland.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Emma Reynolds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to answer Question 217185, tabled on 4 December 2014 by the hon. Member for Wolverhampton North East.

    Brandon Lewis

    Question 217185 was answered on 17 March 2015.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential for misuse of the kinship carer system.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Children live with kinship carers for a wide range of reasons: parental difficulties, mental or physical ill health, divorce or separation, imprisonment or bereavement. The circumstances and legal statuses of children and carers in these arrangements vary widely. There is not, therefore, a single “kinship carer system” and for this reason the Government has not given consideration to making an assessment of the potential for any general misuse of kinship care arrangements

    In 2011, the Department for Education issued ‘Family and Friends Care: Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities’,[1] this guidance is clear that children and young people unable to live with their parents should receive the support they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare, whether or not they are looked after.

    [1] www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-act-1989-family-and-friends-care

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