Tag: 2014

  • Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether community rehabilitation companies have access to National Probation Service case records.

    Jeremy Wright

    Staff in the National Probation Service (NPS) and the Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) have, and will continue to have, necessary access to each other’s case records. NPS staff are able to read all CRC records and update any case they are working on. CRC staff will be able to see and update records that relate to offenders they are working with.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects to answer question No. 191956 tabled by the Rt hon. Member for Leeds Central on 13 March 2014.

    Stephen Williams

    I will provide a comprehensive answer to the rt. hon. Member in due course. We are currently gathering historic files, given some of the information requested predates the establishment of the National Planning Casework Unit in 2011.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what new prison accommodation is planned to come on stream and in which locations before May 2015.

    Jeremy Wright

    We will always have enough prison places for those sent to us by the courts and continue to modernise the prison estate so that it delivers best value for the taxpayer. This Government has a long term strategy for managing the prison estate which will provide more adult male prison capacity than we inherited from the previous Government.

    Over 2,000 further places for adult male prisoners will become available before May 2015, including new house-blocks at HM Prisons The Mount, Thameside, Parc and Peterborough. The remainder of the places will come from re-opening refurbished or mothballed capacity

  • Oliver Colvile – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Oliver Colvile – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government of 27 March 2014, Official Report, columns 345-6W, on the Green Deal scheme, if he will take steps to enable Green Deal providers to access all the supporting data for Green Deal reports held by Landmark Information Group.

    Gregory Barker

    The supporting data for Green Deal Advice Reports held by Landmark Information Group contains sensitive personal data, such as how householders use energy. We do not think it appropriate for Providers to have access to this data, given Data Protection considerations.

    We understand that Providers would find the raw data useful to tailor Green Deal Advice Reports around the measures customers want installed. However, they have access to the Green Deal Improvement Package Tool – which would allow them to tailor the Reports as necessary. This tool can be found at:

    https://www.gdsap.org.uk

  • Christopher Chope – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Christopher Chope – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what recent estimate the Electoral Commission has made of the number of British citizens registered as overseas voters and the number of such citizens eligible for registration.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    Every British citizen who has been registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years is eligible to vote in UK Parliamentary (general) elections and European Parliamentary elections.

    The Electoral Commission informs me that the most recent figure showed that there were 15,848 registered overseas voters on the UK electoral registers.

    The most recent estimates of the total number of UK citizens living abroad are of 5.5 million (The Institute for Public Policy Research in 2006) and 4.7 million (The World Bank in 2010). However, it is not possible from this data to establish how many citizens living abroad were registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years and are therefore eligible to vote from abroad. Even in the absence of a reliable estimate, it is nonetheless clear that the number of UK citizens living abroad who are eligible to register to vote is considerably more than those currently registered.

    The Commission runs public awareness campaigns to encourage British expatriates to register to vote; the most recent took place ahead of the European elections this year.

  • Greg Knight – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Greg Knight – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the minimum welfare requirements for ducks raised in captivity.

    George Eustice

    The welfare of ducks is provided for in the general provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007. We have no plans to review these requirements. Defra also has a statutory duck welfare code, which encourages high standards of husbandry.

    Defra, the RSPCA, academics and the duck industry have done a good deal of work over the last few years looking at how water could be provided to ducks in a commercial setting. Defra contributed to the RSPCA’s ‘Higher Duck Welfare Programme’ and the standards in the RSPCA’s Freedom Foods scheme and the industry’s own Duck Assurance Scheme reflect the latest research. As a result of this collaborative approach, duck welfare standards have been raised.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of partners in small businesses who will apply for universal credit; and what steps such people need to take to establish their monthly income in order to do so.

    Esther McVey

    We have not produced estimates of the numbers of partners in small businesses who will apply for Universal Credit.

    Guidance on self-employment issued for Universal Credit decision makers can be found in the Advice for Decision Makers, which is available online at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-for-decision-making-staff-guide

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2014, Official Report, column 697W, on unmanned air vehicles, if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance note issued to his Department’s network staff on data protection aspects of unmanned air vehicles.

    Dan Rogerson

    I will place a copy of the guidance in the Library.

  • Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of the total Child Support Agency arrears owed to parents with care is regarded as (a) potentially collectable and (b) likely to be collected in the next three years in (i) Scotland, (ii) England, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland.

    Steve Webb

    The proportion of child maintenance arrears owed to parents with care that is potentially collectable and likely to be collected is shown in the table below, as at March 2013.

    Northern Ireland does not fall within the jurisdiction of the Great Britain Child Support Agency.

    Collectability analysis looks at the likelihood of arrears being collected and does not include a timeframe for collections.

    Total Potentially or Likely to be Collected

    Potentially Collectable

    Likely Collectable

    Scotland

    26%

    13%

    13%

    England

    25%

    12%

    13%

    Wales

    26%

    13%

    13%

    Notes:

    1. Geographical breakdowns are based on the location of the non resident parent in each case.

    2. Collectability breakdowns as published in the Client Fund Accounts include an estimate for collections from future legal activity. As this has not yet occurred then it cannot be allocated to geographical areas so is not included in the figures above.

    3. Proportions have been calculated using CS2 and CSCS cases only and excludes cases administered off system.

  • Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on granting asylum to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people from Uganda.

    James Brokenshire

    All asylum and human rights claims are considered in accordance with our
    obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention and the European Convention on
    Human Rights. We recognise that, in general, lesbian, gay, bisexual,
    transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons may be at risk of persecution and
    warrant protection, and that this may have increased in particular for lesbian,
    gay and bisexual (LGB) persons following the signing of the Anti-Homosexual
    Act. However, each case needs to be considered on its individual facts.
    In light of the Act, which specifically targets ‘homosexuality’, we published
    updated guidance covering lesbian, gay and bisexual claims on the Gov.uk
    website on 10 April.
    We are monitoring the situation and will publish updated guidance on LGBTI
    persons once it is clear how the law is being applied in practice.