The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Prime Minister, if he will take steps to establish a Cabinet Committee chaired by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to direct and co-ordinate policy on the development of shale gas.
Mr David Cameron
Issues relating to shale gas are considered at a number of Cabinet Committees including the Economic Affairs and Growth and Enterprise Committees.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with external stakeholders on the staffing and training levels required for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency Maritime Operations Centre at Fareham to be fully operational.
Stephen Hammond
The proposals for the modernisation of Her Majesty’s Coastguard, including plans for staffing the new National Maritime Operations Centre and the roles and skills of its officers, were the subject of two rounds of extensive public consultation from December 2010 to May 2011 and then again from July to September 2011. More detailed work by experienced coastguards to develop and implement training plans has taken account of those earlier consultations and has involved representatives of the PCS Union.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2014, Official Report, column 147W, on Fraud, Error and Debt Taskforce, for what reasons the Fraud, Error and Debt Taskforce has been reconstituted; what the terms of reference and mandate for the new taskforce are; what the membership of that taskforce is; and when the minutes of the reconstituted taskforce will be made available.
Mr Francis Maude
Before 2010 there was no coordinated action to tackle fraud, error and debt across Government despite the significant losses to the Exchequer. In 2011 alone the Annual Fraud Indicator estimated Government annual losses from fraud and error were over £30bn. It is also estimated that between £7bn and £8bn per annum is lost through debts owed to Government not being pursued.
This Government established the first cross-departmental taskforce to address this issue after the last General Election. In 2012-13 the Fraud, Error and Debt Taskforce reported savings and improved performance in detecting and preventing fraud and error of £6.5bn, and is overseeing initiatives to improve debt collection. Despite this progress we know there’s much more to do. The reconstituted taskforce is chaired jointly by the Cabinet Secretary and myself, and attended by senior Ministers and Permanent Secretaries, supported by industry sector experts, to ensure there is full alignment towards further reducing fraud and error losses and improving debt collection in benefits and tax credits.
As was the case under previous administrations, minutes of internal meetings are not usually disclosed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many establishments deregistered for the purposes of carrying out marriages in (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014.
Karen Bradley
The General Register Office (GRO) for England and Wales is responsible for
maintaining the list of religious buildings registered for marriage.
The number of cancellations made for registered buildings for 2012 was 211,
2013 – 180 and for 2014 (up to 25 June) is 106.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Burt on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many fringe events were held during the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict; and if he will make a statement.
Mark Simmonds
I refer my honourable Friend the member for North East Bedfordshire to the Foreign Secretary’s statement to the House on 16 June 2014 on the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. There were 175 fringe events during the Summit, which included panel discussions and debates, theatre and performance, marketplace with products made by survivors, gallery, silent cinema, exhibitions. We estimate that several thousand members of the public attended the fringe each day. In addition, our Embassies and High Commissions overseas held a global fringe and hosted events for each of the 84 hours of the Summit. These events challenged perceptions and encouraged policy and decision makers and the general public to engage with a subject that for too long has remained hidden.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) the Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations are enforced, (b) guidance is provided to interested parties and the Advertising Standards Authority in line with his Department’s Guidance Notes on the Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations 2007 and (c) necessary court action is taken to stop violations or settle questions of interpretation.
Jane Ellison
The Department has made the Guidance Notes on the Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations 2007 available on the Department’s website and has regularly met with local authorities; the Advertising Standards Authority; the Food Standards Agency; the industry trade association and individual businesses to ensure that the Department’s advice is communicated to businesses and enforcers. Enforcement action, which could potentially result in court action, is carried out by local authorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many call-outs police in Preston attended in response to domestic violence in 2013.
Norman Baker
The requested data are not collected centrally by the Home Office. Data are
available on the number of domestic abuse incidents that come to the attention
of the police but these are only held at police force area level.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, who is responsible for paying defendant costs orders; and which organisation receives payment if costs are awarded for a successful prosecution of a breach.
Mr Shailesh Vara
Defendant Costs Orders are awarded to a defendant when a prosecution is unsuccessful and the defendant is acquitted. The expenditure is called ‘Central Funds’ and are payable at legal aid rates. Central Funds fall under the financial responsibility of the Legal Aid Agency but are operationally administered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service.
If costs are awarded in a successful prosecution of a breach of a Defendant Costs Order, then whoever the prosecutor is will be entitled to receive the costs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2014, Official Report, column 247W, on Jobcentre Plus, whether Jobcentre Plus is required to obtain the consent of a voluntary employment support project which receives no statutory funding before issuing a jobseeker’s direction requiring a jobseeker’s allowance claimant’s engagement with that project.
Esther McVey
In return for receiving benefits we expect jobseekers to do everything they can to find work. This could include engaging with an employment support project. We expect districts to work in partnership with organisations that offer opportunities which will help improve a claimant’s employment prospects, but they are not legally obliged to gain their consent before issuing a Jobseeker’s Direction.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2014-06-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions have taken place under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 in each of the past five years.
Lord Wallace of Tankerness
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds figures of the number of offences charged under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 that reached a first hearing in a magistrates’ court and data for the past three financial years is contained in the following table. No charges are recorded before financial year 2011/2012.
|
2011-2012 |
2012-2013 |
2013-2014 |
||
|
Coroners and Justice Act 2009 { 71(1)(a) & (3) } |
Knowingly hold another person in slavery / servitude |
10 |
20 |
3 |
|
Coroners and Justice Act 2009 { 71(1)(b) & (3) } |
Knowingly require another person to perform forced / compulsory labour |
5 |
0 |
15 |
CPS offence based data is not held by defendant or outcome so it is not possible to ascertain the number of individual prosecutions that concluded.