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Tag: 2014

  • Lord Empey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Empey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the reported loss of records of royal pardons granted between 1987 and 1997 applies to the whole of the United Kingdom.

    Lord Faulks

    The exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy may currently take one of three forms:

    i) The grant of a Free Pardon;

    ii) The grant of a conditional Pardon;

    iii) Remission of all or part of a penalty

    By Constitutional convention, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (in succession to the Home Secretary) is responsible, in England and Wales (and the Channel Islands), for recommending to Her Majesty the exercise of the prerogative of mercy to grant a Royal Pardon. In Northern Ireland the responsibility lies with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for reserved matters and the Justice Minister for Northern Ireland for devolved matters. In Scotland it is devolved to the First Minister. The Secretary of State for Defence also has the responsibility in relation to members of the armed forces.

    Each department or administration is responsible for maintaining their records. I am not aware of any problems with retrieving such records for this period relating to royal pardons granted on the recommendation of the Secretary of State for Justice.

  • Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-04-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress his Department has made in mobilising the mid-scale solar photovoltaic sector; and if he will make a statement.

    Gregory Barker

    On Friday 4th April I launched the UK’s first Solar PV Strategy, which set out our ambition for Solar PV in the UK. Central to this is an emphasis on deployment on Commercial and Industrial buildings as well as domestic roof tops, rather than large scale ground-mounted systems.

    The solar strategy sets out a number of wide ranging actions which will encourage deployment in this part of the sector.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

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

    To ask the Attorney General, what targets the Law Officers’ Departments have for increasing diversity; and what progress has been made on meeting those targets in the last year.

    Oliver Heald

    I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to her by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 16th June (Official Report, Col 434W).

  • Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2014-04-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of moves to gender-neutral services on support for women victims of domestic violence; and if she will make a statement.

    Norman Baker

    Decisions on how best to fund services for victims of domestic violence are
    most effectively addressed at a local level based on the needs of local
    communities. This includes an assessment of the need for gender-specific
    services.

    The Home Office has received representations from voluntary sector
    organisations raising concerns about local commissioning of generic and
    gender-neutral services for victims of domestic violence. The updated Violence
    Against Women and Girls Action Plan, published on 8 March 2014, accordingly
    makes supporting effective local approaches a priority area. The Plan sets out
    clear commitments to:
    • deliver a programme of regional engagement to support all local commissioners;
    • establish a cross-Government task and finish group to drive good practice in
    the commissioning of local services; and,
    • part-fund a series of dedicated commissioning masterclasses to support the
    women’s sector to engage with the new commissioning landscape.

    Progress on supporting effective local approaches to commissioning of services
    will be monitored by the Inter-Ministerial Group on Violence Against Women and
    Girls, chaired by the Home Secretary.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

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

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of staff within his Department who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

    Mr Francis Maude

    The Prime Minister’s Office and the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office are integral parts of the Cabinet Office.

    Declaration of ethnicity for staff is voluntary and it is therefore not possible to provide the information requested.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2014-04-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many insurance fraud cases were struck out due to exaggerated or fabricated personal injury claims in the last year for which figures are available.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The Government is committed to turning the tide on fraudulent personal injury claims. To this end, it is considering what specific reforms might be appropriate, including whether the Law Commission should be asked to consider this issue. We will make our conclusions known in due course.

    No figures are available on the number of exaggerated or fabricated personal injury claims struck out by the courts. Figures for 2011 published by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) indicate that whiplash claims cost customers more than £2 billion a year and add £90 to the average motor insurance premium.

    The ABI describe 7% of all motor claims in 2011 – worth £441m – as fraudulent. In addition, they estimate that a further £1 billion of motor insurance fraud went undetected in 2011.

    As announced last year, we are working with stakeholders in the industry to tighten the medical evidence process so that only evidence from accredited experts can be considered, and the costs for those reports can be fixed. This will mean people can no longer profit from exaggerated or fraudulent compensation claims but victims with genuine cases can still get the help they deserve. We are introducing these reforms later in the year. We are also working to secure better data on motor accident cases, including the number of fraudulent cases.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

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

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what proportion of staff within his Office who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

    Mr Nick Clegg

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by My Rt Hon Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office today.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-04-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people of each gender were sentenced in the West Yorkshire Police Force area to immediate custody for a first offence in each year since 2008; and for which offences such people were sentenced.

    Jeremy Wright

    The sentencing framework and sentencing guidelines apply equally to all offenders. Sentencing is entirely a matter for the courts, taking account of all the circumstances of each case. This will include the seriousness of the offence, including all aggravating and mitigating factors, and a guilty plea.

    Defendants are now more likely to be convicted for committing crime and sent to prison for longer than they were a decade ago. In addition criminals convicted since 2010 are more likely to receive an immediate custodial sentence, both overall and for a first time offence.

    Table 1 shows the number of offenders given an immediate custodial sentence in the West Yorkshire Police Force Area for their first offence, by offence class and gender 2008 -2013.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of staff within his Department who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

    Dan Rogerson

    The data in the table relates to staff in core Defra only.

    Financial Year

    Percentage of staff subject to formal disciplinary proceedings who have not declared their ethnicity

    Percentage of staff subject to formal disciplinary proceedings who have declared themselves to be white British

    2009-10

    33%

    67%

    2010-11

    75%

    25%

    2011-12

    33%

    67%

    2012-13

    17%

    67%

    2013-14

    25%

    67%

    Employees declare their ethnicity and national identity on a voluntary basis.

  • Ms Margaret Ritchie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Ms Margaret Ritchie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2014-04-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions she held with ministerial colleagues on the relocation of central Civil Service posts to Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I have had no such discussions with ministerial colleagues.