Tag: 2014

  • Naomi Long – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Naomi Long – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Naomi Long on 2014-04-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether she considers the failure of the Northern Ireland Executive to allow the National Crime Agency to operate fully in Northern Ireland is beginning to have a significantly detrimental impact on the fight against organised crime in Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    There is an increasing risk of such an impact. The National Crime Agency is committed to assisting the Police Service of Northern Ireland to tackle serious and organised crime in Northern Ireland, as far as the restrictions on its powers permit. However, its activities in devolved areas have been curtailed and the capability that the Agency has available in Northern Ireland is therefore less than that available in the rest of the UK. This is of particular concern in areas where the Police Service of Northern Ireland or other Northern Ireland agencies do not have the powers or expertise to replace NCA capabilities, such as civil asset recovery.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of staff within her Department who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

    Karen Bradley

    Table 1 provides information on the proportion of staff within the Home
    Department who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of
    the last 4 financial years (2009-10 to 2012-13) and who were white. It is
    planned that information for 2013-14 will be published in January 2015.

    It has not been possible to provide information further broken down as white
    British staff as historical data is not collated in this way and could only be
    provided at disproportionate cost.

    Individuals can be dismissed for a variety of reasons (such as conduct,
    performance, or attendance). It is not possible to identify those dismissed
    following disciplinary proceedings without incurring disproportionate costs.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2014-04-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of whether an individual on the minimum wage for a full working lifetime will receive a higher retirement income under the new single tier pension system than under the existing pension system.

    Steve Webb

    It is not possible to answer this question, as in order to calculate how much state pension an individual may receive in retirement under the single-tier system, compared to the current system, it is necessary to make a considerable number of assumptions. For instance: when they reach State Pension age, whether they have been contracted-out of the Additional Pension, or how many years they live after retirement.

    Chapter 3 of the Single Tier Impact Assessment provides a detailed commentary on factors that are likely to influence whether someone is a notional gainer or loser compared to the current system.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/254151/a-pensions-bill-single-tier-ia-oct-2013.pdf

    “

  • Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graeme Morrice on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that personal independence payment applicants do not suffer financial hardship due to delays deciding their claims.

    Mike Penning

    Claimants already in receipt of Disability Living Allowance will continue to receive it while their personal independence payment (PIP) claim is being assessed. Most claimants to PIP will already be receiving some element of financial support, for example through earnings or through receipt of other benefits such as employment and support allowance. No successful new claimant to PIP will lose out financially as claims will be backdated.

  • 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 2014-04-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Quarterly Data Summary for any department does not include the data compared (1) to budget, (2) to the same period in the previous year, and (3) to the end of year target.

    Lord Bates

    In each quarter of the 2013/14 financial year, 15 of the 17 departments taking part in the Quarterly Data Summary process have provided all of the information requested. In quarter 3, the most recent quarter for which data is available, average completion was 96%.

  • Baroness Brinton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Brinton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Brinton on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Sri Lanka about the attacks on Muslims on 15 June by Buddhists in Aluthgama; and what information have they received from the government of Sri Lanka about its plans to halt the sectarian violence.

    Baroness Warsi

    We continue to raise our concerns about the recent communal tensions and the significant surge in attacks against members of religious minority groups in Sri Lanka including those of 15 June, with the Sri Lankan authorities. Our High Commissioner to Colombo has met Muslim community representatives to discuss their concerns. The Head of the EU Delegation has raised recent developments with the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary. The EU delegation has released a statement in agreement with EU Heads of Mission in Sri Lanka condemning the violence and have called on the Sri Lankan government to uphold law and order.

    Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa and other senior Sri Lankan Ministers have visited the area affected by violence, and the army and police have been deployed to those areas. President Rajapaksa has also urged restraint and pledged that those responsible for the violence would be held to account. We continue to watch the situation closely.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wills on 2014-04-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they calculate the local government finance settlement.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    The method of calculating the local government finance settlement is set out in the Local Government Finance Report (England) for each year. The report for 2014/15 was approved by Parliament on 12 February. A copy of this report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-finance-report-2014-to-2015

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  • Lord Storey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to extend summer school initiatives to help disadvantaged children improve their levels of attainment after the summer of 2014.

    Lord Nash

    A decision on whether to extend the Department for Education’s summer schools programme in 2015 will be made towards the end of 2014, in light of information gathered on this year’s summer school programme.

  • 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 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether any alternative learning providers have not met the standards he recently announced on (a) quality assurance, (b) financial sustainability and (c) management and governance.

    Mr David Willetts

    To date, 16 alternative providers that applied to have courses designated under the new specific course designation arrangements have not met the standards required. 3 applications were rejected because of quality assurance; 13 applications were rejected because of concerns over financial sustainability.

  • Lord Judd – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Judd – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2014-06-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that any extension of the mutual defence agreement with the United States does not pre-empt decisions by Parliament on the future of Trident.

    Lord Astor of Hever

    Renewal of the Mutual Defence Agreement (MDA) does not pre-empt a Main Gate decision on the Successor submarine in 2016. The MDA underpins the nuclear relationship between the UK and US and enables the UK to procure from the US certain non-nuclear components for the existing UK warhead.
    The Government’s policy is to maintain and renew the continuous at sea nuclear deterrent based on a submarine system and Trident missiles.