UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2014

  • Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on how the ongoing conflict in Western Sahara affects the ability of terrorist and criminal gangs to recruit disaffected youth in the refugee camps or the occupied territory.

    Hugh Robertson

    We monitor the security situation in the region from a number of sources. We are aware of frustration in both Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps at the lack of progress in the political process and at the socio-economic conditions in the camps. However, we are not aware of any evidence to suggest increased radicalisation of Sahrawi youth by terrorist or criminal gangs.

  • David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to assist homeowners facing problems paying their mortgages and to provide practical advice and support.

    Kris Hopkins

    The Council of Mortgage Lenders reported 28,900 repossessions in 2013, down from 33,900 in 2012 and the lowest level since 2007. It has revised down its forecasts for 2014 to 28,000. The Government is not complacent, but believes this fall in repossessions is a consequence of improved arrears management by lenders and action the Coalition Government has taken to tackle the deficit and keep interest rates down.

    Homeowners struggling with mortgage payments should take action as soon as possible by discussing their situation with their lender or contacting money advice experts such as Citizens Advice, Shelter, StepChange or National Debtline for free and independent advice on taking control of their finances.

    Government support is available in the form of Support for Mortgage Interest, paid as part of DWP benefits to help eligible out-of-work households meet their monthly mortgage interest payments. The Budget in March this year extended the enhancements to the Support for Mortgage Interest scheme (a shortened 13 week waiting period and an increased capital limit of £200,000), until 31 March 2016.

    Within England the Government continues to ensure the provision of free on-the-day legal advice (the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme) to assist households at possession hearings. We are providing £470 million of funding in the current Spending Review period to prevent and tackle homelessness and repossessions.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Fiona Bruce – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many abortions were performed beyond the 24 week limit where feticide was declined in each of the last five years.

    Jane Ellison

    Information on whether feticide was declined is not collected on the abortion notification form HSA4.

  • David Crausby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David Crausby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect on funding available for victims’ services of devolution to police and crime commissioners.

    Damian Green

    From 1 October 2014 the majority of support services for victims of crime will be commissioned at the local level by democratically elected and publicly accountable Police and Crime Commissioners and this Government is making more money than ever before available to ensure that victims receive the vital support they require.

    PCC’s with their knowledge of local victims’ needs are uniquely placed to ensure that available funding is targeted where most required to help victims of crime to both cope with and, where possible, recover from the impacts of crime.

    PCCs are also ideally placed to co-commission with other local commissioners such as Health or Local Authorities, thereby reducing duplication and achieving better value for money.

  • David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how he plans to mark the 70th anniversary of Raoul Wallenberg’s arrival in Hungary; what recent discussions he has had with the government of (a) Sweden and (b) Hungary on this anniversary; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK continues to play a leading international role in Holocaust education, remembrance and research. This includes recalling and paying tribute to the bravery, and often sacrifices, of individuals such as Raoul Wallenberg – which includes a monument of him outside our Embassy in Budapest. There are no current plans to mark the anniversary of his arrival in Budapest, nor have there been specific discussions with the Swedish or Hungarian governments on the anniversary. However, we remain committed including in our role as current chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, to working with the Hungarian government to help them strengthen international co-operation to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten. Hungary is currently observing a Holocaust Memorial Year, concluding a programme of remembrance which began in 2012 with a commemoration of Raoul Wallenberg.

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 14 May 2014, Official Report, column 637W, on sixth form education: student numbers, how the approximate total net cost of unfilled student places in school sixth forms, academy sixth forms and 16 to 19 free schools was calculated.

    Matthew Hancock

    The net cost of unfilled places referred to in my previous answer was based on the funding per student for each individual institution and the number of students recruited in that institution above or below the allocated number as appropriate. This figure was then adjusted to take into the account the sixth form element of funds recovered by the Education Funding Agency from those academies which are funded on the basis of estimated pupil numbers but which educated fewer pupils than had been provided for in those estimates.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 10 February 2014, Official Report, column 473W, on unmanned air vehicles, when the Joint User Group for Reapers will become active; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Mark Francois

    Although a final decision on when the Joint User Group for Reaper should become active has yet to be taken, it is expected to start functioning during the autumn.

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people working in (a) HS2 Ltd and (b) his Department are (i) on secondment, (ii) on loan and (iii) paid for by another company; and in each case what the parent company or organisation of such people was.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The number of people seconded and loaned to my whole Department and HS2 Ltd are set out in the tables below:

    HS2 Ltd

    Parent Company/Organisation

    Number of secondees

    Unpaid*

    AECOM

    3

    0

    Cabinet Office

    1

    0

    Carter Jonas

    1

    0

    DCLG

    1

    0

    DECC

    1

    0

    DEFRA

    1

    0

    DELOITTES

    1

    0

    DfT

    24

    0

    Ernst & Young LLP

    2

    0

    Gardiner & Theobald

    4

    0

    Network Rail

    17

    0

    Pick Everard

    4

    0

    ETM

    1

    0

    PwC

    3

    0

    Westbourne Communications

    2

    0

    Total

    66

    0

    Loans

    0

    0

    *payments are invoiced to HS2 Ltd.

    DFT

    Total

    Loans

    Paid

    25

    Unpaid

    19

    Loan Total

    44

    Secondment

    Paid

    4

    Unpaid

    20

    Secondment Total

    24

    Total

    68

    The Department does not hold information centrally on the parent company or organisation where they have come from.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Debbie Abrahams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with train operating companies in Greater Manchester on last minute reductions in train configurations.

    Stephen Hammond

    The franchise agreement between the Government and each individual train operator includes benchmarks in key performance areas. The Department monitors each train operator’s overall performance against these areas every four weeks and there are clear actions set out in the franchise agreement should performance drop below what is expected. This regular monitoring includes monthly meetings with their senior management where performance figures are scrutinised and challenged.

    Short-forming (last minute reductions in train configurations) is included in this monitoring, and therefore in the monthly meetings. It is the train operator that decides on whether a service is to be short-formed, and if contractual benchmark figures are breached, the Department does take enforcement action.

    Some services in Greater Manchester are sponsored and specified by Transport for Greater Manchester, who also monitor the performance of the operators concerned.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of 2014DIN03-007 Notification of a change in CBRN policy.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    A copy of Defence Instruction Notice 2014DIN03-007 regarding the notification of a change in CBRN policy will be placed in the Library of the House.