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Tag: 2014

  • George Hollingbery – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    George Hollingbery – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Hollingbery on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has received the report Bass Discards published by the Irish Bass Group; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    I met the Irish Minister in the margins of the European Union Agriculture and Fisheries Council of 15-16 December to discuss key fisheries items on the Council agenda including management of sea bass stocks.

    Under longstanding Irish national measures to protect bass stocks their commercial fishing vessels are not permitted to land bass for sale, which means a degree of discarding of bass by-catch from mixed fishing activity will occur. I have not, however, seen the Bass Discards report published by the Irish Bass Group.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2015 to Question 217822, what was the value outstanding of impositions relating to (a) fines, (b) compensation orders, (c) victim surcharge orders and (d) prosecution costs orders in each local criminal justice board area at the end of each financial year from 2009-10.

    Mike Penning

    This Government takes recovery and enforcement of financial impositions very seriously and remains committed to finding new ways to ensure impositions are paid and to trace those who do not pay. This is why there has been a year on year increase in the total amount of financial penalties collected over the last three years. The amount of money collected reached an all time high of £290 million at the end of 2013/14 and collections continue to rise. In 2013/14 the total outstanding balance of financial impositions reduced by £26.7m (5%) in the year.

    The table attached shows the value outstanding at the end of March each financial year, for the impositions made in the same year, broken down into a) fines, (b) compensation orders, (c) victim surcharge orders and (d) prosecution costs. This data is only available from 2011-12 onwards.

    The total value outstanding of impositions regardless of imposition date relating to (a) fines, (b) compensation orders, (c) victim surcharge orders and (d) prosecution costs orders at the end of each financial year from 2010-11, as published in the HM Courts and Tribunals Service Trust Statements, are shown in the table below. The figures for 2009-10 are not available. It is not possible to break these figures down by local criminal justice board areas without incurring disproportionate costs.

    Financial Years

    Fines

    Compensation

    Victim Surcharge

    Prosecution Costs

    Total

    2010/11

    £413,158,000

    £70,122,000

    £10,488,000

    £131,427,000

    £625,195,000

    2011/12

    £388,292,000

    £68,484,000

    £9,877,000

    £130,102,000

    £596,755,000

    2012/13

    £370,591,000

    £67,564,000

    £12,084,000

    £128,289,000

    £578,528,000

    2013/14

    £335,377,000

    £67,918,000

    £21,110,000

    £126,861,000

    £551,266,000

    The ‘value outstanding’ figures in the table attached include accounts that were not due to be paid by the end of the period specified (either because they were imposed close to the end of the year or because they had payment timescales set by the courts for beyond the end of the financial year) and those that were being paid by instalments on agreed payment plans. These figures include fines, compensation orders, victim surcharge orders and prosecution costs orders.

    It is not possible to provide figures on the amounts outstanding on fines, compensation orders, victim surcharge orders and prosecution costs orders in exactly the same format as the answer given for Question 217822 due to the constraints of the current IT system.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of recent changes to residency requirements for free access to the NHS on UK citizens working as missionaries overseas.

    Jane Ellison

    Entitlement to free National Health Service hospital treatment is based on ‘ordinary residence’ in the United Kingdom, which means, broadly, living here on a lawful and properly settled basis for the time being, whether of long or short duration. The Immigration Act 2014, Section 39, revises the ordinary residence test so that non-European Economic Area (EEA) migrants subject to immigration control cannot be considered ordinarily resident in the UK unless they also have the immigration status of indefinite leave to remain. It is expected that Section 39 will be commenced this spring. UK and EEA nationals, including those working as missionaries overseas, will not be affected by this revision.

  • Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what budget was allocated by her Department to the Samridhi Fund in each financial year from 2009-10; and what budget is allocated to that organisation for 2015-16.

    Justine Greening

    The implementation of the Samridhi Fund Programme commenced in 2013-14. Total spending in 2013-14 was £6.9 million. Budget allocations for 2014-15 and 2015-16 are £10 million respectively.

  • Grahame M. Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Grahame M. Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame M. Morris on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had about extending the remit of the Cancer Drugs Fund to include access to other cancer treatments such as advanced stereotactic radiotherapy.

    George Freeman

    We announced a £160 million boost to the Cancer Drugs Fund at the end of August 2014.

    NHS England announced on 12 January 2015 that it plans to increase the level of investment for drugs in the Cancer Drugs Fund from £280 million in 2014-15 to an expected £340 million in 2015-16.

    NHS England has also announced the extension of its Commissioning through the Evaluation programme to include stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR). This will enable the number of cancer patients eligible to access SABR treatment to rise significantly, by 750 new patients a year and widen the number of cancers being treated.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Chi Onwurah – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the French government on joint counter-terrorism and surveillance activities.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    First may I once again offer our deepest condolences, and express our solidarity with France, following the Paris attacks. I have regular discussions with my French counter-part on security and counter-terrorism issues.

    The Honourable Member will understand that I cannot comment on intelligence matters.

  • John Hemming – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    John Hemming – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Hemming on 2015-01-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) UK total managed expenditure in nominal sterling, (b) gross domestic product in nominal sterling and (c) percentage total managed expenditure is expressed as a percentage of the gross domestic product; and what the reasons are for the variances from the Public Expenditure Statistical analysis published by his Department in 2014.

    Danny Alexander

    All these data are available from the Office for Budget Responsibility’s databank, including the Office for National Statistics outturn data (published 22nd November 2014) and the Office for Budget Responsibility’s independent forecast (consistent with the Economic and Fiscal Outlook December 2014 and the Autumn Statement 2014).

    1. UK Total Managed Expenditure in nominal sterling.

    2009-10

    2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    TME outturn (£bn)

    680.6

    700.9

    701.2

    717.9

    719.9

    2014-15

    2015-16

    2016-17

    2017-18

    2018-19

    2019-20

    TME forecast (£bn)

    737.1

    746.2

    746.7

    751.3

    765.3

    779.9

    1. Gross Domestic Product in nominal sterling.

    2009-10

    2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    Nominal GDP outturn (£bn)

    1501.7

    1,576.2

    1,628.5

    1,663.2

    1,733.0

    2014-15

    2015-16

    2016-17

    2017-18

    2018-19

    2019-20

    Nominal GDP forecast (£bn)

    1,822.0

    1,888.0

    1,956.0

    2,038.0

    2,124.0

    2,215.0

    1. Total Managed Expenditure expressed as a percentage of the gross domestic product.

    2009-10

    2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    TME outturn (%GDP)

    45.3

    44.5

    43.1

    43.2

    41.5

    2014-15

    2015-16

    2016-17

    2017-18

    2018-19

    2019-20

    TME forecast (%GDP)

    40.5

    39.5

    38.2

    36.9

    36.0

    35.2

    Variances when comparing the most up to date figures set out above against the Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis (command paper) are due to these figures including the latest outturn data, incorporating the latest forecast judgement by the Office for Budget Responsibility and the latest classification changes made by the Office for National Statistics.

    Since the Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis was published in July 2014 the Office for Budget Responsibility has published their latest forecast in their December 2014 Economic and Fiscal Outlook. The Office for National Statistics regularly update outturn, at a various points in the year, for total managed expenditure and gross domestic product.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support his Department is offering to Nigeria to help combat Boko Haram.

    Mr Mark Francois

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2015 to Parliamentary Question 906917, to the hon. Member for Bedford (Richard Fuller).

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

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Government’s proposed reforms to A-levels, if she will bring forward safeguards to prevent students making uninformed decisions about their subject choices and being limited as to the degree they can apply for at university as a result of having to make subject decisions at the beginning of Year 12.

    Mr Nick Gibb

    Schools have a duty to secure independent careers guidance for students in years 8 to 13 [1]. This should include supporting students to make informed choices about the subjects and qualifications that will support progression to university.

    New A levels will become linear from 2015. Students will still be able to take stand-alone AS qualifications at the end of year 12. This flexibility will help those who are unsure at the start of year 12 which subjects they wish to continue to A level. We expect teachers to help students decide whether it is right to take an AS qualification.

    Universities set their own admission requirements and are best placed to advise students on the A level subjects needed for particular degree courses. The Russell Group has published a guide to post-16 subject choices called ‘Informed Choices’[2]. This includes advice on the best subject combinations for a wide range of university courses. The guide also identifies the A level ‘facilitating subjects’ that are required more often than others, and which can help students to keep more options open.

    The Department for Education recently announced that this year’s key stage 5 performance tables would include a measure showing the percentage of A level students attaining AAB or higher in two or more ‘facilitating subjects’, as a standard of academic rigour [3].

    [1] www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-guidance-for-young-people-in-schools

    [2] www.russellgroup.ac.uk/informed-choices/

    [3] http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/download/Statement_of_Intent_2014.pdf

    “

  • Simon Danczuk – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Simon Danczuk – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Danczuk on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent talks Ministers in his Department have had with (a) Israeli and (b) Palestinian leaders on the current situation in Gaza.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 20 July.

    The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) spoke with Palestinian President Abbas on 19 July and Israeli Foreign Minister Liebermann on 18 July.