Tag: 2014

  • Jonathan Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jonathan Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Evans on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of project licences granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in Wales was in the (a) mild, (b) moderate, (c) substantial and (d) unclassified severity banding at the end of 2013.

    Norman Baker

    The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, was amended following the transposition of European Directive 2010/63EU, which came into force on 1 January 2013. Project licences are no longer accorded a severity banding and accordingly it is not possible to provide the information required as it is no longer collected.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-07-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that pay day loan companies are restricted from deliberately intimidating their customers.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government has fundamentally reformed the regulation of the payday lending market. Regulatory responsibility for consumer credit transferred from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on 1 April. The FCA has transposed key parts of the OFT’s Debt Collection Guidance into binding rules, which sets out the types of business practices considered unfair and incompatible with fitness to operate.

    The FCA is undertaking a thematic review into payday lenders’ debt collection practices to ensure that firms treat customers who are struggling with repayments fairly. The FCA expects to publish the final report early in 2015 which will set out what practices it has found across the market and how it expects all firms in the market to make sure they are observing the right standards of behaviour.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of times fathers have had access to their children restricted in each of the last five years for which figures are available; what the reasons were for the restrictions; and if he will make a statement.

    Simon Hughes

    Details of the number of times fathers have had access to their children restricted in each of the last five years and the reasons for those restrictions are not held centrally and can only be obtained by manually checking every case file at disproportionate costs.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of options for increasing service frequencies on the Nottingham-Lincoln line; and what the revenue subsidy and capital cost of implications are of each such option.

    Claire Perry

    As stated in the Greater Lincolnshire Deal, which was part of the Local Growth Fund announcement on 7 July, the Department is committed to working with D2N2 and the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and partners to help achieve their objective of increased service frequency between Lincoln and Nottingham via Newark.

    However, this is dependent on the affordability and value for money of the services. In addition, it is dependent on the level of local funding available to support these incremental rail services for the first three years, after which the Department would consider continuing with the services as part of its base specification. We are currently assessing the available options against the criteria above, taking account of likely revenue and cost implications alongside the latest funding offer from the stakeholders.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department takes to promote the use of IT facilities in public libraries by participants in the Work Programme for job search and preparation; and if he will make a statement.

    Esther McVey

    Work Programme providers have flexibility to innovate and to design support that addresses the needs of individuals and the local labour market, rather than having to follow one size fits all processes. It is at the discretion of providers whether they choose to advise individuals to use any particular public facilities.

  • Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the total value is of all bids made in each region to each round of the Regional Growth Fund including the Exceptional Regional Growth Fund; how much has been committed to winning bidders in each such region in each such round; and how much such funding has been drawn down.

    Greg Clark

    The tables below provide a breakdown of the value of Regional Growth Fund (RGF) by region and round for RGF applications; the committed allocation of RGF to projects and programmes following due diligence. This data excludes those projects and programmes that have withdrawn. The third table sets out the amount drawn down by operational RGF awards to date and the financial years in which the remaining RGF and eRGF is committed through to 31st March 2017. The data is correct as at 2nd October 2014.

    Projects and programmes in Rounds 1 to 4 have until 31 March 2015 to draw down their funding and projects and programmes in Round 5 will be able to draw down funding until 31 March 2017. The Department agrees a draw down profile with each organisation when they sign their grant offer letter that matches the beneficiary’s own investment schedules and job commitments. The subsequent rate of draw down is then subject to the beneficiaries meeting the conditions.

    RGF Applications (£ million)

    Round 1

    Round 2

    Round 3

    Round 4

    Round 5

    Exceptional

    Total

    East Midlands

    231

    529

    124

    163

    56

    1,103

    East of England

    115

    131

    61

    50

    43

    400

    London

    74

    117

    26

    32

    4

    253

    North East

    343

    335

    353

    215

    98

    34

    1,378

    North West

    519

    535

    414

    322

    81

    9

    1,880

    South East

    185

    154

    145

    191

    24

    22

    721

    South West

    144

    232

    322

    219

    57

    15

    989

    West Midlands

    569

    282

    419

    176

    70

    16

    1,532

    Yorkshire and The Humber

    327

    434

    345

    240

    26

    1,372

    Nationwide

    215

    315

    565

    282

    241

    1,618

    TOTAL

    2,722

    3,064

    2,774

    1,890

    700

    96

    11,246

    RGF Committed

    Round 1

    Round 2

    Round 3

    Round 4

    Round 5

    Exceptional

    Grand Total

    East Midlands

    2

    64

    27

    35

    20

    0

    148

    East of England

    14

    35

    25

    15

    5

    0

    95

    Nationwide

    175

    95

    176

    50

    107

    0

    602

    North East

    34

    61

    111

    30

    55

    21

    313

    North West

    20

    182

    105

    86

    20

    5

    418

    South East

    0

    60

    54

    25

    6

    11

    155

    South West

    4

    71

    82

    13

    22

    5

    197

    West Midlands

    89

    95

    151

    55

    30

    17

    437

    Yorkshire and The Humber

    47

    78

    93

    40

    27

    0

    285

    Grand Total

    385

    742

    834

    349

    291

    58

    2651

    RGF Drawn Down by year (£ million)

    Financial Year

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    2015/16

    2016/17

    Total

    Actual paid – year to date

    465

    161

    551

    252*

    1,428

    Planned for whole financial year

    1165

    167

    133

    2,642

    The difference between the totals in tables 2 and 3 arises because RGF applicants have not always claimed the full grant available to them.

    *This is the actual amount paid to beneficiaries as of 2nd October 2014.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the terms of reference are for the inquiry led by Mark Ellison QC announced on 6 March 2014 into whether undercover police officers caused miscarriages of justice; whether Mr Ellison will be given access to all documentation from Operation Herne for his review; whether members of the public will be able to give evidence to Mr Ellison during his review; and whether the review will cover cases involving the National Public Order Intelligence Unit.

    Damian Green

    The scope and terms of reference for this review are being determined. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Home Secretary made it clear in her statement to the House on 6 March 2014, Official Report, column 1063 that "Mark Ellison and the CPS will be provided with whatever access they judge necessary to relevant documentary evidence".

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will review the level of the debt threshold for a creditor bankruptcy petition.

    Jenny Willott

    We plan to review the debt threshold for a creditor bankruptcy petition this year.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the ratio of prison officers to inmates by gender was in each (a) prison establishment and (b) category of prison in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

    Jeremy Wright

    Information on the ratio of prisoners to prison officers has been provided previously to the hon. Member for Tooting, Sadiq Khan. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 4 Mar 2014, Official Report, Column 805W.

    It is not possible to calculate a meaningful ratio of prisoners to staff based on gender. Any officer to prisoner ratio must take account of all available staffing, of either gender, in order to realistically represent the level of staffing.

  • 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 2014-06-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) HM Revenue and Customs and (b) National Savings and Investments staff will be employed administering tax-free childcare in (i) 2015-16, (ii) 2016-17, (iii) 2017-18 and (iv) 2018-19.

    Nicky Morgan

    On the 23 May the Government published a further consultation on the delivery of childcare accounts within Tax-Free Childcare. The consultation will be open until 27 June and the Government will consider the responses alongside those to the first consultation before it makes its decision on the provision of childcare accounts.