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Tag: 2014

  • Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale on 2014-03-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what development impacts are expected from the use of United Kingdom official development assistanceto purchase part of the agribusiness company Feronia through CDC.

    Baroness Northover

    CDC is a public limited company with an independent Board and takes individual investment decisions independent of DFID. Information about the investment and its expected development impact is available on CDC’s website http://cdcgroup.com/Media/News/CDC-invests-US181m-in-agribusiness-in-the-Democratic-Republic-of-Congo/.

    “

  • Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheila Gilmore on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what visits each of the Ministers in his Department have made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

    Jeremy Wright

    The Department is not able to provide this information without incurring disproportionate cost because this would require extensive searches of all current and former Ministers’ diaries over this period and further research to confirm the purpose of each visit.

    I can confirm that Ministers from this Department go on regular visits which are relevant to their portfolios, including to courts and tribunals, prisons, probation services and a wide range of organisations connected to the Department’s work.

  • Lord Davies of Stamford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Davies of Stamford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Davies of Stamford on 2014-03-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of students aged 18 who are doing Level 1 or Level 2 courses in Lincoln and in the East Midlands.

    Lord Nash

    Data for the City of Lincoln is not available.

    There are 2,196 students aged 18 studying level 1 courses and 3,040 students studying level 2 courses who live in the East Midlands region.

    Data is based on the 2012/13 R14 Individualised Learner Record, the latest available full year of data. Data refers to 18 year olds. This will not include any students on apprenticeship provision. Students who live in Lincoln or the East Midlands region do not necessarily study there. The numbers of students identified at each Level are based on the Notional Level of the Student’s Core Aim.

  • David Winnick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    David Winnick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will direct Network Rail to inform officially the hon. Member for Walsall North when the work on the bridge at Broad Lane, Bloxwich, Walsall arising from electrification of the railway line will be finally completed.

    Stephen Hammond

    Network Rail is currently a private sector company limited by guarantee and the duration of the Broad Lane bridge replacement works is an operational matter for the company.

    Network Rail advises that the replacement works are due to be completed and the bridge is due to be re-opened to road traffic on Friday 20 June.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Emily Thornberry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many assets of criminal origin have been repatriated from the UK to jurisdictions overseas in each year since 2008-09.

    Karen Bradley

    The Serious and Organised Crime Strategy sets out how the Government intends to
    improve the tackling of criminal finances both in the UK and overseas. This
    includes developing asset sharing agreements with other countries in order to
    improve international co-operation on asset recovery. Although no assets have
    been repatriated to another country since 2008-09, there are a number of ongoing
    investigations, particularly as part of the Arab Spring Asset Recovery
    Taskforce, about which it is not possible to comment further at this stage.

  • 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 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department taks to investigate allegations from a whistleblower of impropriety in a Work Choice contract.

    Esther McVey

    The Department treats any allegation of fraud by contractors very seriously, regardless of where these emanate from. Any fraud is completely unacceptable. Where we identify, or are notified of, allegations of contractor fraud, these cases are investigated thoroughly by the Department’s professionally trained and experienced investigators to a standard required to support reference to the Police whenever evidence of criminal offences is discovered.

    All contracted employment providers are required to have whistleblowing procedures that support their employees in reporting suspected wrongdoing at work and ‘making a disclosure in the public interest’. If they consider that they cannot raise suspicions of abuse of government funds with their employer, they should contact the Comptroller and Auditor General of the National Audit Office (NAO). This route is used to escalate whistleblower concerns and DWP Internal Investigations work with the NAO to investigate these matters and take appropriate action where issues are identified. This is an important channel in ensuring that employees can raise concerns and that they can be protected legally when doing so.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department issues guidance to local authorities on how best to make use of unutilized foster carers.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The Department for Education has not issued guidance to local authorities on how best to make use of unutilised foster carers. Local authorities are required, under Section 22G of the Children Act 1989, to take steps that secure, so far as reasonably practicable, sufficient accommodation within the authority’s area that meets the needs of children that the local authority is looking after, and whose circumstances are such that it would be consistent with their welfare for them to be provided with accommodation that is in the local authority’s area (‘the sufficiency duty’).

    Since April 2013 the Department has been working with consortia of local authorities and sector partners to:

    1. develop and test innovative solutions for the recruitment and retention of foster carers
    2. identify gaps in the capacity of the foster carer workforce
    3. develop effective strategies for recruiting and retaining foster carers.

    We will be sharing the lessons learned and disseminating any tools that have been developed during the project more widely following testing.

  • Gregg McClymont – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gregg McClymont – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregg McClymont on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he proposes that his planned charge cap on workplace pensions from April 2015 will apply to new collective defined contribution schemes.

    Steve Webb

    The Government’s Defined Ambition Bill will bring new forms of collective pension arrangements to the UK, and it is vital that member protection, good governance and fair charges remain at the heart of this system.

    Details of how any charge cap may be applied to Collective Defined Contribution schemes will be in place before this legislation is commenced.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department’s policy is on allowing officials to appear before all-party parliamentary groups.

    Dan Rogerson

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, Mr Francis Maude, on 26 March 2014, Official Report, Column 300W.

  • Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Written Statement of 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 47WS, on UK Green Investment Bank, whether funds additional to the £3.87 billion allocated to the UK International Climate Fund will be provided to the (a) Bank and (b) Fund.

    Michael Fallon

    No. The total amount of funding allocated to the International Climate Fund remains unchanged. The proposal being explored is that the Green Investment Bank would help the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to invest a limited amount of those funds.