The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Lloyd on 2014-06-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many child support agency arrears cases are cases where there is no ongoing liability.
Steve Webb
At March 2014 there were 532,500 Child Support Agency cases which had arrears with no ongoing liability.
Note: This includes cases administered on the 1993 and 2003 schemes only.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Birt on 2014-06-27.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the ratio of the aggregated value of sovereign, corporate and personal debt to gross domestic product is higher in the United Kingdom than in other leading economies.
Lord Deighton
The aggregate value of general government, non-financial corporations and household sector debt (as a proportion of GDP) for all G7 countries are shown below:
|
Country |
Debt as a proportion of GDP in 2012 |
|
Canada |
347% |
|
France |
335% |
|
Germany |
248% |
|
Italy |
329% |
|
Japan |
476% |
|
UK |
309% |
|
US |
320% |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which contracts with his Department worth over £50 million are behind schedule owing to the failure of suppliers to deliver to an agreed schedule; and in the case of each such contract, who the suppliers were.
Mr Philip Dunne
The Ministry of Defence currently has around 400 open contracts with a total value of more than £50 million. Current performance related information on each contract is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research his Department has undertaken of the effect of the Badger Vaccination Deployment Project on the incidence of bovine TB in cattle.
George Eustice
The purpose of the Badger Vaccination Deployment Project is to learn lessons about the practicalities of deploying an injectable vaccine; provide training for others who may wish to apply for a licence to vaccinate badgers; and build farmer confidence in the use of badger vaccination. It was not designed as a scientific trial to assess the impact of vaccination on bovine TB in cattle and the scale of the project is insufficient to produce statistically reliable data on this.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nadine Dorries on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the Government has spent on prostate cancer research in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Dr Daniel Poulter
The following figures provide an annualised estimate of Government funding for prostate cancer research, provided by the National Cancer Research Institute Cancer Research Database 2009 to 2013.
|
2009 £ |
2010 £ |
2011 £ |
2012 £ |
2013 £ |
|
|
Prostate Cancer |
7,895,544 |
7,158,048 |
7,095,581 |
9,484,685 |
8,276,039 |
These figures include only direct spend on prostate cancer research, or spend which directly supports prostate cancer research; it does not include fundamental research that could have implications for prostate cancer in the longer term.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Ward on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to increase the penalties for uninsured drivers.
Jeremy Wright
Sentencing in individual cases is entirely a matter for our independent courts and they must follow sentencing guidelines issued by the independent Sentencing Council.
The Government announced on 12 May this year that it intends to carry out a review of the offences and maximum penalties available for a range of driving offences. This will include offences involving uninsured drivers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has commissioned or received any (a) internal or (b) external reports on the effectiveness of sulphur technology on maritime vessels.
Stephen Hammond
The Department has not had discussions with the trade unions specifically on the implementation of the sulphur rules. However, the trade unions have had the opportunity to contribute their views during the eight-week public consultation on the draft UK Regulations and the associated Impact Assessment which commenced on 29 April 2014.
The maturity and efficacy of ship-board exhaust gas cleaning system technology was one of the key subjects under consideration when I chaired the ‘round table’ meetings of industry stakeholders in October 2012 and March 2013 to which I referred in my Answer of 17 June 2014. At those meetings, first-hand information was forthcoming from both the shipping industry and the exhaust gas cleaning system technology industry.
The Department has engaged the European Commission about the potential impacts of the new regulations and the scope for financial support from EU sources, including finance from the European Investment Bank. The Commission has reaffirmed the possibility of support for the maritime sector through the new Connecting Europe Facility or the Trans-European Network (TEN-T) programme.
The Department is investigating impacts on prices as part of its assessment of the impact of the draft UK Regulations.
The Department will conduct the review at an appropriate time and not later than the timetable specified in the Regulations themselves, in accordance with normal Government practice and consistent with the principles of better regulation. It would be premature to make a commitment now concerning the precise timing of the review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2014-06-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to consider (1) supporting the European Union and United Nations Development Programme in creating an operational and democratic justice system of police and judiciary in the Central African Republic, and (2) providing technical assistance to the police force, prosecution service and judiciary in that country.
Baroness Warsi
We continue to support the UN and other major international partners, to develop a coherent and effective strategy to improve security and justice in the Central African Republic. We will consider what support the UK might be able to provide on the basis of this strategy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many grades there are in the Civil Service.
Mr Francis Maude
Arrangements for setting grades below the Senior Civil Service (SCS) are delegated to departments and not held centrally. For the SCS, grading arrangements are determined centrally by the Cabinet Office. There are four main grades in the SCS.
To deliver a flatter structure in the Civil Service, departments are, as set out in the Civil Service Reform Plan, reviewing their structures as part of ongoing change programmes and departmental improvement plans.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adrian Sanders on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what future foreign visits the Minister for Sport, Tourism and Equalities has planned in relation to her departmental duties; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs Helen Grant
A number of visits have been proposed by other government departments but I currently have no plans for any further foreign visits at this time.