Tag: 2014

  • Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have waited longer than the advised waiting times for (a) new passport applications and (b) passport renewals in the last year.

    James Brokenshire

    The information is not available in the format requested. Information can be
    provided for UK straightforward and non-straightforward applications as set out
    below for 2013-14

    Total number of UK applications received 2013-14 5,818,272

    Processed outside published turnaround times
    Straightforward (within 3
    weeks)
    401 (0.007% of applications received)

    Non-straightforward (within 6 weeks)
    29,331 (0.5% of applications received)

  • Lord Harrison – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Harrison – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage local authority pension schemes to take into account environmental, social and governance factors in their decisions.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    These issues are matters for individual local authorities that administer pension funds to consider when deciding upon their investment strategies. Each administering authority is required to publish a statement of principles, which may address such issues. Statutory guidance states that the authority must report periodically to scheme members on the implementation of their policies.

    Notwithstanding, local authorities need to focus on delivering a good rate of return for their fund and value for taxpayers, given local government pensions cost taxpayers (via employer contributions) almost £6 billion a year.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what projections his Department has made of the future (a) face value and (b) carrying value of the student loan book.

    Mr David Willetts

    (a) We estimate the cash, or face, value of ICR student loans to follow approximately this profile going forwards.

    Value of loan book in real terms

    2014-15

    2015-16

    2016-17

    2017-18

    2018-19

    2019-20

    2020-21

    2021-22

    2022-23

    2023-24

    £70bn

    £80bn

    £90bn

    £100bn

    £110bn

    £120bn

    £130bn

    £140bn

    £150bn

    £160bn

    2024-25

    2025-26

    2026-27

    2027-28

    2028-29

    2029-30

    2030-31

    2031-32

    2032-33

    2033-34

    £170bn

    £180bn

    £190bn

    £200bn

    £210bn

    £220bn

    £230bn

    £240bn

    £250bn

    £260bn

    2034-35

    2035-36

    2036-37

    2037-38

    2038-39

    2039-40

    2040-41

    2041-42

    2042-43

    2043-44

    £260bn

    £270bn

    £280bn

    £280bn

    £290bn

    £300bn

    £300bn

    £310bn

    £320bn

    £320bn

    2044-45

    2045-46

    2046-47

    2047-48

    2048-49

    2049-50

    £330bn

    £330bn

    £330bn

    £330bn

    £330bn

    £330bn

    Value of loan book in nominal terms

    2014-15

    2015-16

    2016-17

    2017-18

    2018-19

    2019-20

    2020-21

    2021-22

    2022-23

    2023-24

    £70bn

    £80bn

    £100bn

    £110bn

    £130bn

    £150bn

    £170bn

    £190bn

    £210bn

    £230bn

    2024-25

    2025-26

    2026-27

    2027-28

    2028-29

    2029-30

    2030-31

    2031-32

    2032-33

    2033-34

    £250bn

    £270bn

    £300bn

    £320bn

    £350bn

    £380bn

    £410bn

    £440bn

    £470bn

    £500bn

    2034-35

    2035-36

    2036-37

    2037-38

    2038-39

    2039-40

    2040-41

    2041-42

    2042-43

    2043-44

    £530bn

    £570bn

    £600bn

    £640bn

    £670bn

    £710bn

    £750bn

    £790bn

    £830bn

    £870bn

    2044-45

    2045-46

    2046-47

    2047-48

    2048-49

    2049-50

    £920bn

    £960bn

    £1,000bn

    £1,030bn

    £1,070bn

    £1,100bn

    These estimates assume that fees will increase in line with inflation from 2016 onwards. These forecasts also take account of the freeing up of student number controls in the Autumn Statement, increases in loan take-up rates, demographic changes over time and updated earnings modelling.

    (b) We estimate the current carrying value of the student loan book, which is used in the BIS accounts. However, we do not forecast the future carrying value of the loan book, as this is not required for the purposes of accounting or budgeting. Our estimate of the carrying value for loans when they are issued is based on the RAB charge, which we currently estimate is around 45%.

  • Jake Berry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jake Berry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children are home-schooled in (a) Lancashire and (b) Rossendale and Darwen constituency.

    Elizabeth Truss

    The information requested is not held by the Department.

  • James Clappison – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    James Clappison – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Clappison on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the position of (a) the Christian community and (b) other religious minorities in Mosul, Iraq; what reports he has received of Christians fleeing their homes in Mosul; and if he will make a statement.

    Hugh Robertson

    We are concerned by the impact of the security situation in Mosul for all Iraqis living there, including religious minorities. Reports estimate that 500,000 people have left the Mosul area to escape violence caused when the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) attacked the city on 10 June. Many have sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A team from the Department for International Development arrived in Erbil on 13 June to assess the situation on the ground and co-ordinate with partners. We continue to monitor the situation closely.

  • Simon Hart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Simon Hart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Hart on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government has taken to ensure that the Excise Payment Security System is available to small and medium-sized enterprises in the oil products sector.

    Nicky Morgan

    This information is held on a HMRC database and includes excise identification and approval numbers unique to the traders listed. For taxpayer confidentiality reasons this information is not publically available, and there is no intention to publish it.

    Eligibility criteria for a duty deferment guarantee waiver under the Excise Payment Security System do not apply to or exclude particular sectors. These criteria are published by HMRC, and apply to all applicants.

    HMRC is considering the future of the vapour recovery scheme as part of the wider work programme to determine the appropriate course of action in respect of all their extra-statutory concessions.

    The Government’s policy is not to allow duty suspended movements within the UK, this is both for administrative simplicity and to reduce the opportunities for criminal activity and fraud.

  • Karen Lumley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Karen Lumley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Lumley on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of whether Atos is an appropriate body to conduct (a) the delivery of tax-free childcare and (b) other outsourced work on behalf of National Savings and Investments.

    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.

    Atos was awarded the contract to provide services to NS&I, and to use the NS&I related assets, processes and infrastructure to provide services to others on a shared service basis subject to assessment of scope and nature, and agreement of NS&I. The contract was awarded following an open and competitive tender process and commenced on the 1st April 2014, and is subject to ongoing scrutiny based on defined service levels, transparency requirements and a clear risk strategy.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will seek an estimate from the (a) Bailiwick of Jersey and (b) Bailiwick of Guernsey of the value of Russian (a) financial and (b) non-financial assets held in each such territory.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The Crown Dependencies are not part of the UK but are self-governing dependencies of the Crown. This means they have their own directly elected legislative assemblies, administrative, fiscal and legal systems and their own courts of law. It is therefore not for the UK to extend the application of the Sanctions set out in the Council Regulation (EU) 269/2014. Equivalent measures have been implemented by the Crown Dependencies, who have kept Her Majesty’s Government updated about their activities in this area.

    Her Majesty’s Government does not routinely request information on the value of particular assets held in the Crown Dependencies.

    The UK and the Crown Dependencies recognise the importance of working together to promote the application of high international standards and implementing sanctions and asset freezing measures.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the value of London Midland’s rolling stock maintenance contract with Siemens after the direct award of the franchise for the period September 2015 to June 2017.

    Stephen Hammond

    Negotiations for the direct award of the West Midlands franchise are yet to commence and the Department has not made any estimate on the value of London Midland’s contract with Angel Trains. It should be noted that the value of rolling stock contracts are a commercial matter between the operator and the rolling stock owner.

  • Alec Shelbrooke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Alec Shelbrooke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alec Shelbrooke on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that houses purchased by HS2 Limited under the Exceptional Hardship Scheme are not sold on at less than market value.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department for Transport has asked HS2 Ltd to prepare an asset management strategy that reflects best practice in the public sector and relevant policy aims for HS2, including community cohesion and the normal function of local housing markets. To date, no properties purchased under the Exceptional Hardship Scheme have been sold, or offered for sale. Any eventual sales will be undertaken with a view to obtaining the best outcome for the tax payer and for local communities.