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Tag: 2014

  • David Rutley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    David Rutley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Rutley on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what changes he plans to make to the ability of EU migrants to access benefits.

    Esther McVey

    We have introduced a range of measures to tighten up our EEA migration rules to ensure our welfare system is not taken advantage of.

    Since December 2013 Migrants have had to take a stronger, more robust Habitual Residence Test if they want to claim income-related benefits.

    From 1 January 2014, EEA job seekers must have been living in the UK for three months before they can claim income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.

    If they satisfy HRT a new statutory presumption will mean that EEA jobseekers and retained workers will then only be able to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance for six months. After six months, only those who have compelling evidence that they have a genuine prospect of finding work will be able to continue claiming.

    Since the 1 March the Minimum Earnings Threshold is helping to determine whether an EEA national’s previous or current work can be treated as genuine and effective in deciding whether they have a right to reside in the UK as a worker or a self employed person.

    From 1 April 2014 new EEA Jobseekers will be unable to access Housing Benefits even if they are in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance.

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the acceptable body mass index requirement is for an applicant to the Royal Navy.

    Anna Soubry

    The recommended Body Mass Index (BMI) guidelines for entry into service in the Royal Navy are attached.

    Further assessment is by measurement of waist circumference: males with a BMI over 28 may join if their waist circumference is less than 94cm; females may join if their waist circumference is less than 80 cm.

    The standards do not change during the application process but BMI is measured as part of the medical assessment, and results may differ from a candidates’ individual declaration and/or the outcome of the initial BMI check.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2014-03-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the percentage cost over-run established by the management board for any budget in the Cabinet Office to merit being tabled at the departmental management board; and how many times in the last 12 months that has occurred.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    The Cabinet Office Board and the Executive Management Committee review the department’s financial position on a regular basis.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will estimate (a) the savings generated by each branch of the armed forces having separate recruiting programmes and (b) the annual cost of each such programme.

    Anna Soubry

    Each branch of the Armed Forces has a distinctive brand that needs to be marketed separately in order to attract the best candidates.

    Capturing the cost of recruiting across the Armed Forces is a complex and resource-intensive task. For financial year (FY) 2010-11, when both the recruitment budget and recruitment targets were below normal levels, these calculations were not carried out. The costs of recruiting programmes for FYs 2009-10, 2011-12 and 2012-13 are set out in the following table. The cost of recruiting in FY 2013-14 will be available in early 2015.

    Financial Year Royal Navy (£) Army (£) RAF (£) Total (£)
    2009-10 41,475,281 138,743,300 51,298,179 231,516,760
    2011-12 32,017,364 134,595,989 38,702,993 205,316,346
    2012-13 33,228,059 122,756,649 35,430,723 191,415,431

    As reductions have been made to force levels recruitment levels have been adjusted but not stopped as the Services are required to keep recruiting to maintain the right skills.

  • Lord Tyler – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Tyler – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Tyler on 2014-03-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what UK Border Agency controls are in place for entry into the UK from Jersey, Guernsey and Sark.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    There are no physical border controls in place for those entering the UK from Jersey, Guernsey or Sark. Jersey, Guernsey and Sark are part of the Channel Islands. The UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland collectively form a common travel area (CTA). Under Paragraph 15 of the UK Immigration Rules a person who has been examined for the purpose of immigration control in one part of the CTA does not normally require to be examined on arrival into any other part of the CTA.

  • Edward Garnier – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Edward Garnier – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Edward Garnier on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 13 May 2014, Official Report, column 462W, on private investigation, on what date she expects the new statutory licensing requirement to come into force.

    Karen Bradley

    We expect the new statutory licensing regime for those conducting the activity of private investigations to come into force in 2015.

  • Paul Uppal – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Paul Uppal – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Uppal on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to encourage local authority pension funds to become active owners or stewards of their assets as defined in the Financial Reporting Council’s Stewardship Code.

    Brandon Lewis

    Each local authority that administers a pension fund is already subject to statutory guidance that states that it should recognise the Financial Reporting Council’s Stewardship Code and ensure that the Code is adopted by their fund managers, investment consultants and advisers. The guidance also states that the authority should include a statement of its policy on responsible ownership in its statement of the principles governing its investment decisions and report periodically to scheme members on the implementation of the policy. Sixteen of the eighty nine local government pension funds in England and Wales are themselves signatories to the Stewardship Code as asset owners.

  • Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking to secure the future of coal mining at Thoresby Colliery in Nottinghamshire.

    Michael Fallon

    I refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement I made as Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on Thursday 12 June 2014.

    As stated, I will continue to keep the House updated.

  • Jake Berry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jake Berry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jake Berry on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of the number of properties in (a) Rossendale and Darwen constituency and (b) the North West which do not have mains gas access and which use domestic heating oil.

    Michael Fallon

    Estimates for the number of households which do not have mains gas and which use domestic heating oil are not available. However, the number of households that did not have access to a mains gas supply in the Rossendale and Darwen constituency can be estimated by combining figures for the lower layer super output areas that most closely match this area.

    In 2012, there were approximately 1,100 households (three per cent) which had no access to mains gas. The number of households that did not have access to mains gas in the North West is estimated to be 156,000 (five per cent of households within the North West).

    These data are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lsoa-estimates-of-households-not-connected-to-the-gas-network.

    “

  • Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Attorney General, whether officials of the Crown Prosecution Service have (a) met the Attorney General of Nigeria since January 2012, (b) had any conversations about the sale of the OPL 245 oil concession in Nigeria involving Shell and ENI with (i) the Attorney General of Nigeria and (ii) any other senior official of the Nigerian government and (c) received any requests for mutual legal assistance regarding the OPL 245 case.

    Oliver Heald

    The CPS Criminal Justice Advisor in Abuja has met with the Attorney-General of Nigeria a number of times since January 2012 to discuss criminal justice reform. The CPS are not aware of any other contact between CPS officials and the Attorney General of Nigeria.

    The CPS is not aware of any of its officials having conversations with the Attorney General of Nigeria or with any other senior official of the Nigerian government about the sale of the OPL 245 oil concession in Nigeria involving Shell and ENI.

    Requests for mutual legal assistance attract a duty of confidentiality to the requesting country and, therefore, the CPS can neither confirm nor deny the receipt of any such requests.