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Tag: 2014

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, for what reasons he deleted Question 10 in the current consultation exercise on the reductions in the size of the Energy Company Obligation; and what his policy is on the Obligation and its size after March 2017.

    Gregory Barker

    As stated on page 6 of the consultation document, the Government has confirmed that ECO is intended to be ambitious and long term, extending through at least until 2022. The precise shape of the obligation beyond 2017 will be consulted on in due course, and is not in scope of the current consultation exercise which focuses on the period through to 2017.

    The original question 10 was unclear, in that it requested views on the proposed ECO target in the obligation period to March 2017, but followed a series of specific questions (now questions 10, 11, 12 and 13 in the amended consultation document) seeking views on targets for each of the ECO sub-obligations in that period. As explained on the DECC website, the question was therefore removed in the interests of clarity and to avoid unnecessary repetition.

  • Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on Justice.

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    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions’ decisions on a range of benefits, including a person’s entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

    (1) Claimants for PIP can appeal to the Tribunal on a number of different grounds, such as the rate of benefit awarded. HMCTS is unable to isolate data relating to appeals solely on the basis of a claim for PIP having been refused. HMCTS does not, therefore, hold the specific information requested.

    Information on all appeals against PIP decisions is published by HMCTS in Tribunal Statistics Quarterly. The most recent report for the period January to March 2014, published on 12 June 2014, can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2014

    HMCTS has responded strongly to continue to increase the capacity of the SSCS tribunal and reduce waiting times. Initiatives have included increasing venue capacity and recruiting additional judges and medically qualified members.

    This has resulted in 545,840 appeal disposals in 2013/14. This is a 17% increase compared to 2012/13 (465,500) and a 26% increase compared to 2011/12 (433,600).

    (2) I receive regular representations on the SSCS appeals process which are taken into account as we keep the system under review. However, to date, I have not received any representations on the length of time the PIP appeals procedure takes.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer 194164, how many civil servants in his Department of what grade spent some or all of their time working on the Hunting Act 2004 or matters relating to it in each year since 2010.

    George Eustice

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 61W.

  • Biography information for Andrew Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Biography information for Andrew Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Andrew Jones on Work and Pensions.

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    Esther McVey

    Since 2010/11 expenditure on benefits and tax credits paid to people not in work has fallen in real terms from £43.2bn to £42.2bn in 2013/14, and is forecast to fall further, to £40.6bn this year. This is due to a combination of factors including welfare reform, changes to benefits and significant employment growth. The number of people in work has risen by 1.7 million since 2010, and the number of people claiming the main out of work benefits has fallen by over 700,000.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to ask the Independent Expert Panel which recently reported on the first year of the pilot badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire to report on the second year of such culls.

    George Eustice

    I have no plans to ask the Independent Expert Panel to report on the second year of the pilot badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire.

  • Biography information for Gordon Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Biography information for Gordon Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Gordon Brown on Defence.

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    Dr Andrew Murrison

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) published the Dalgety Bay Management Strategy report on 10 July 2014. The MOD has agreed in principle to implement the measures recommended in the report, though the arrangements are subject to discussion with other parties.

    Consultation on implementing the strategy will now be led by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, which will set out its timetable.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Laos about the persecution of Christians in that country.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Our recently re-opened Embassy in Vientiane regularly raises human rights concerns with the Lao government, including their adherence to their international human rights commitments that protect freedom of religion and belief. Laos has seen some improvements in religious freedom over the past decade with a reduction in the number of long-term Christian prisoners of conscience. However, we are aware of cases of Christians being arrested for proselytising. The EU raised these cases at the last EU-Laos Human Rights Dialogue in February 2013 and we will press for it to be raised at the next EU-Laos Human Rights Dialogue which will take place in Brussels in May 2014. We continue to work with the EU and other like-minded partners to raise our concerns about religious freedom with the Lao government.

  • Biography information for Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Biography information for Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Liam Byrne on Business, Innovation and Skills.

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    Mr David Willetts

    No estimate of retention rates at alternative providers has yet been made. The designation conditions that apply from 2014/15 onwards require alternative providers to provide a data return to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). This data once available will help inform BIS decisions on designations and enable the Department to estimate retention rates across the sector.

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2013, Official Report, column 568W, on catalytic fund, whether it has been agreed how the catalytic fund will function and who will be able to access funding; and if she will make a statement.

    Lynne Featherstone

    The new catalytic financing mechanism will aim to provide incentives to attract new private funds alongside increased domestic budgets for high impact nutrition interventions. The scope and governance of the fund is being developed with the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. No funds have been disbursed. DFID will consider its own contribution once the mechanism and governance have been agreed.

  • Biography information for Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Biography information for Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Gregory Campbell on Defence.

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    Anna Soubry

    The Ministry of Defence-sponsored cadet forces offer challenging and enjoyable activities for young people, and prepare them to play an active part in the community while developing valuable life skills.

    Information held centrally by the Ministry of Defence on the numbers of sea and army cadets in Northern Ireland is provided in the following tables. For sea cadets, reliable data is available from January 2005. For army cadets, estimated information on the Army Cadet Force is available from March 2012 although comparable data about the Army Combined Cadet Force is not available in the format requested. Information prior to these dates could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    Sea Cadets

    Royal Marine (RM) Cadets

    Adult Volunteers (Sea and RM)

    January 2005

    225

    13

    146

    January 2014

    235

    22

    157

    Change +/-

    +10

    +9

    +11

    Army Cadet Force

    Army Combined Cadet Force

    Adult Volunteers

    March 2012

    1,925 (estimated)

    Not held

    350 (estimated)

    January 2014

    1,422

    598

    397

    Change +/-

    -503

    Not known

    +47

    Since 2012 the Army has worked to improve the accuracy of their record keeping with a concerted effort to identify those cadets not actively participating and to either encourage them back into cadet activities or to remove them from the management information system. This has accounted for a significant drop in Army Cadet Force figures over the past few years. However, we are actively recruiting Army cadets in Northern Ireland and numbers are beginning to increase.