Tag: 2014

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of senior civil servants from her Department are from a lower socio-economic background.

    Karen Bradley

    In September 2014, the Government published data on the socio-economic status of recent entrants to the SCS:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/359079/socialmobility_revised.pdf

    There is an ongoing review into the most effective and appropriate definition for social mobility which we will align with in future years. This work is being led by The Bridge Group, a charitable policy association promoting social mobility, as part of research they are undertaking on social mobility in the Fast Stream. The Outcome of this review will also inform future data collection on socio-economic status more widely and assist us in our further efforts to increase representation of people from less well-off backgrounds at all levels within the civil service.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Tom Pursglove – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many civil servants of his Department are members of trades unions; how many working hours of facility time are taken by such civil servants; and what estimate he has made of the cost of that facility time to his Department.

    Andrew Selous

    It is no longer possible for the department to verify the numbers of staff that are currently trade union members; this information can now only be obtained directly from the trade unions.

    The Cabinet Office publishes data relating to Civil Service facility time on a quarterly basis. The latest data is Quarter 4, 2014 at and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trade-union-facility-time

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many tonnes of steel (a) used and (b) projected to be used in the construction of Crossrail were sourced from (i) UK-based steel manufacturers and (ii) all steel manufacturers; and what the monetary value was of those orders.

    Claire Perry

    Crossrail Ltd. does not directly procure steel as this is undertaken by their tier 1 contractors and their supply chains. However, Crossrail keeps an oversight of its critical contracts and estimates that 85% of its supply chain providing steel to the project is UK based; this includes the 57km of rails for the central tunnelled section that is being sourced from the UK.

  • Karen Buck – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Karen Buck – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Buck on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which local authorities are covered by the Maximus Camden Team which is leading on the Work Programme for employment support allowance claimants in the work-related activity group.

    Priti Patel

    Only claimants in Camden local authority are covered by the Maximus team located in Camden.

  • Richard Fuller – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Richard Fuller – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the benefit cap on the number of workless households.

    Justin Tomlinson

    I refer the hon.Member to the answer I gave today to Oral Question UIN 901933

    The benefit cap is having a long term positive impact on people’s lives, and encouraging them to find work.

    Over 60,000 households have been capped since April 2013. As of May 2015, over 40,000 households were no longer subject to the benefit cap. Of those, 16,300 households moved into work.

  • Baroness Berridge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Berridge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Berridge on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the United Kingdom contributes to the cost of the UN peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK contributes £23.2 million for the financial year 2014/15, and a projected £33.02 million for the financial year 2015/16, to the UN Peacekeeping Budget for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). These are assessed (i.e. mandatory) contributions which are based on funding a fixed percentage of MINUSCA’s budget.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Ministers are under a duty to comply with international law including treaties signed and ratified on behalf of the United Kingdom.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given to the Noble Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 5 November 2015 to HL3046,HL3047,HL3048,which I have attached for ease of reference.

    The Ministerial Code is normally updated and reissued after a General Election. The updated Code makes clear that Ministers must abide by the law. The obligations of Ministers under the law including international law remain unchanged.

    Information relating to internal discussions and advice is not disclosed.

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what statistics are made publicly available on agricultural wages since the abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The Office for National Statistics publishes various agricultural wage statistics as part of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.

    The latest statistical release containing agricultural wage rates is entitled “Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2014 Provisional Results.”

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are considering allowing refugee children to join relatives, such as grandparents, in the United Kingdom.

    Lord Bates

    Our refugee family reunion policy allows immediate family members of a person in the UK with refugee leave or humanitarian protection status – that is a spouse or partner and children under the age of 18, who formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin – to reunite with them in the UK. We have no plans to extend these provisions.

    Where a family reunion application is rejected under the Immigration Rules, such as in the case of refugee child applying to join extended relatives, the Entry Clearance Officer must consider whether there are exceptional circumstances or compassionate reasons to justify granting a visa outside the Rules.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether new (a) free schools, (b) academies, (c) school sixth forms and (d) university technical colleges will be permitted to open while an area-based review of education and training institutions is underway.

    Nick Boles

    All applications to open a free school, academy, school sixth form or university technical college are assessed on a case by case basis against the published criteria, taking account of local needs and circumstances.