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Tag: 2014

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 19 March 2014, Official Report, column 607W, on unmanned air vehicles, whether any person, agent or public body has provided video imagery or other data to her Department obtained by unmanned aircraft systems in the UK; and for what purposes.

    James Brokenshire

    I am advised that no imagery or other data from such sources is held by the Department.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what sanctions his Department uses on universal credit claimants who refuse a zero hours contract.

    Esther McVey

    Universal Credit means that claimants can accept any offer of work without fear of their benefits or the support they receive from the Jobcentre being negatively affected. They will always be better off in work.

    All claimants are expected to accept reasonable offers of employment. If they do not then they may be referred for a sanction. This is the same for UC.

  • John Randall – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    John Randall – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Randall on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2014, Official Report, column 277W, on human trafficking and of 14 January 2014, Official report, columns 481-6W, on human trafficking: victim support schemes, what information she has on the whereabouts of each of the (a) 92 victims of human trafficking found in the UK in November 2013 and (b) 113 victims of human trafficking found in UK in December 2013.

    Karen Bradley

    The information requested is published by the Salvation Army in an annual ‘Anti-
    Human Trafficking Report’. The latest report, which covers the period July
    2012-June 2013, can be found at:
    https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/uki-cache.salvationarmy.org/fdda0251-4ab6-4bf
    8-9fc0-4837891ad1c7_Fourth+draft+Year+2+AHT+VICTIM+Contract.pdf.

    The report covering the period July 2013-June 2014 will be published later this
    year.

  • Bob Blackman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Bob Blackman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Blackman on 2014-06-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what analysis his Department has undertaken of the feasibility of further financial devolution to London and other cities.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government keeps all decisions on tax policy under review. In addition, the Government has recently devolved a range of responsibilities and funding through the Localism Act 2011 and have decentralised local government finance through the Local Government Finance Act 2012. Any further fiscal devolution to sub-national authorities in England would represent a significant change to the existing tax landscape with potentially significant legal, economic and constitutional implications.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the implications for security in Northern Ireland of recent reports of the taping of telephone calls made to and from police stations in the Republic of Ireland; and whether she has made representations to the Irish government on that matter.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I meet regularly with members of the Irish Government including Justice Minister, Alan Shatter where we discuss a range of issues. This is a matter for the Irish Government, but I have received reassurance from Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore that these matters will not undermine the co-operation arrangements between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps the Government is taking with banks and credit card companies to ensure PPI repayments are made in full.

    Andrea Leadsom

    It is important that consumers get the redress which they are due. Ensuring that banks provide appropriate redress for their customers is a matter for the independent regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

    The Government is supportive of action taken by the FCA to recompense customers for the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) and prevent cases of mis-selling in the future through regulatory action. The FCA has stated that it is keeping a close eye on how the industry handles all PPI complaints and will be quick to challenge anything it thinks is unfair.

    I have asked the FCA to write to the Member in more detail about action being taken in regard to PPI. A copy of the response will be placed in the Library of the House.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2014, Official Report, column 986W, on social security benefits, what the total amount of benefit withheld as a result of sanctions was in each of the last two years.

    Esther McVey

    The Department does not estimate the amount of benefit withheld as a result of benefit sanctions. The sanctions regime is designed to ensure claimants comply with their requirements in order to move off benefits and into work.

    The Answer of 25 March 2013, Official Report, column 986W, on social security benefits, contained a calculation of the amount of jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) that claimants would have received if they had continued to be on benefit for the length of a fixed sanction. This is not the same as the amount withheld as a result of sanctions.

    As the previous answer made clear, it is not possible to robustly estimate the actual amounts withheld as we do not know what would have happened in the absence of sanctions. For example, of claimants who leave benefit during a sanction – some may have left irrespective of the sanction being applied, and some may have left because of the sanction. Furthermore, the previous calculation did not include sanctions for Employment Support Allowance sanctions, Income Support for Lone Parents sanctions or JSA varied length sanctions and disentitlements as reliable data on the length of sanction or disentitlement is not readily available. Finally, the calculation did not net the figures for hardship payments.

  • Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of grave spaces that have been created in London since the introduction of the London Local Authorities Act 2007.

    Simon Hughes

    The Ministry of Justice has not made an estimate of the number of grave spaces created since the introduction of the London Local Authorities Act 2007 or the number of local authorities who have used powers under the Act to re-use graves. However, as the Ministry of Justice has responsibility for burial law and policy, I am keeping the issue of burial space under active review including considering what legislative changes might be necessary to address a shortage of graves.

  • Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time for a decision for a reconsideration of a jobseeker’s allowance decision has been since 28 October 2013.

    Mike Penning

    While mandatory reconsideration data is being collected, it is not sufficiently robust and reliable to make available.

    The Department is looking into what can be published. The data will need to be validated in order to ensure that it satisfies the relevant standards.

  • Bill Wiggin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Bill Wiggin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Mobile Infrastructure Project in Herefordshire is on course to be delivered on schedule.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Mobile Infrastructure Project has faced challenges in finding ways to connect signal from masts back into the existing networks, and DCMS officials are assessing the impact of these challenges on overall progress and schedules.