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Tag: 2014

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which companies manufacture (a) generator step-up transformers and (b) transmission transformers in the UK.

    Michael Fallon

    The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not hold comprehensive data on generator step-up and transmission connected transformer manufacturers in the U.K. The transformers used in the privatised electricity industry are sourced from manufacturers such as Alstom Grid based in Staffordshire, among others in the UK and globally.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to his Department’s press release of 1 November 2013 entitled Government considering new powers to tackle non-payment of tribunal awards, what progress he has made in considering the various policy options for improving enforcement of unpaid employment tribunal awards.

    Jenny Willott

    It is wrong that where an Employment Tribunal has found in favour of a claimant and ordered that an award should be made to them by the respondent, so few awards are actually paid.

    The Government is committed to tackling this issue and there is already a lot of work underway. We are aware, however, that there is no single solution and are instead working on a number of different measures to ensure that people get what they are owed. We will be able to say more about developments in this area shortly.

  • Mr David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mr David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr David Hanson on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of time was between a deportation order being made on a foreign national offender and their deportation in each year since 2010.

    James Brokenshire

    The average length of time between a deportation order being made on a foreign
    national offender and their deportation in each year since 2010 is as follows:
    143 days in 2010, 148 days in 2011, 174 days in 2012 and 187 days in 2013.

    The increase in average time taken is driven mainly by serving more deportation
    orders earlier in the process, sometimes up to 27 months before sentence end
    date, to enable removal to take place as early as possible within the Early
    Removal Scheme (ERS) period. The by-product of starting the deportation process
    earlier is that we have to wait longer to enforce a person’s removal, which
    artificially inflates the view on the average time taken to deport.

  • Adam Afriyie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Adam Afriyie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress she has made in introducing universal exit checks; and if she will make a statement.

    Karen Bradley

    The Government is committed to reintroducing exit checks. By April 2015, comprehensive exit checks will apply on scheduled and commercial air, sea and rail routes.

    We have recently introduced new powers in the Immigration Act 2014 to support embarkation checks at the border, and we continue to work with carriers and port operators to explore the least burdensome way of delivering the exit checks commitment.

  • Robert Halfon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Robert Halfon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Halfon on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of people who run a small or medium-sized enterprise as a secondary form of income alongside another job.

    Matthew Hancock

    Information is not available to answer this question. However, data from the Office for National Statistics estimate that around 400,000 people describe themselves as self employed in their second jobs between October 2012 and September 2013.

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

    Lord Beecham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the data published in court proceeding tables associated with their criminal justice statistics quarterly report of December 2013, whether they plan to institute an inquiry into the higher proportion of black and minority ethnic defendants denied bail or receiving custodial sentences than non-black and minority ethnic defendants with comparable records for similar offences.

    Lord Faulks

    The Government is committed to making sure that the criminal justice system is fair and just.

    The Criminal Justice System Strategy & Action Plan, published last summer, set out a number of commitments to promote equality including a series of Minister-led events with stakeholders to explore what more could be done.

    The Criminal Justice Board has had several recent discussions about equality and diversity and regularly reviews the statistical data.

    We do not plan to hold a specific inquiry into the proportion of black and minority ethnic defendants denied bail or receiving custodial sentences as compared with non-black and minority ethnic defendants with comparable records for similar offences but are clear that more analysis is needed to understand the underlying causes reflected in this data.

    The Government will shortly publish an update to this plan which will contain further actions designed to promote equality.

  • Mr Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mr Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Gordon Marsden on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to enforce the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011 in the shipping industry; and which regulatory body is responsible for such enforcement on (a) UK and (b) overseas-flagged vessels in UK ports.

    Stephen Hammond

    A contravention of the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations can be notified either to the port State authorities or directly to the appropriate enforcement team. For example, a breach of National Minimum Wage regulations could be reported directly to the HMRC Enforcement Team or gender discrimination could be reported to the Equal Opportunities Commission

    Enforcement action for a contravention occurring where the Regulations are applicable on UK flagged vessels would be undertaken by the relevant enforcement team (as per above) for that infringement.

    Enforcement action for a contravention on board a foreign flagged vessel, which whilst more complex in its application, would similarly be undertaken where the Regulations are applicable to either that vessel or an individual concerned.

  • Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the Department of Health plans to cover the cost of the number of children requiring specialised healthcare due to the effects of fetal valproate syndrome.

    Earl Howe

    The health and care needs of children with fetal valproate syndrome will be met by a range of services and in the majority of cases the local clinical commissioning group (CCG) will decide on the level of provision of services, taking into account the needs of the population it serves. The CCG’s decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs.

  • Karl Turner – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Karl Turner – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking to reduce the effect of rises in rural and off-grid energy bills on the cost of living.

    Gregory Barker

    In addition to the £50 reduction in energy bills we have delivered, we are committed to helping the most vulnerable, including those in rural areas and off-grid.

    This year’s Buy Oil Early campaign, coordinated by DECC, was launched by industry in September. DECC has also worked with industry and consumer representative organisations to provide guidance on forming oil buying clubs which will allow savings through bulk buying.

    Making homes more energy efficient is vital in order to reduce energy bills. The Green Deal offers a way for homeowners to identify and pay for the most effective energy efficiency measures for their home, such as insulation and more efficient boilers.

    Customers on a low income or in a hard-to-insulate property may be able get additional support through the Energy Company Obligation. We are also currently consulting on changes to the Energy Company Obligation that will drive greater delivery to off-gas households and make it easier for suppliers to deliver to rural areas.

    Renewable heating systems allow off-gas grid householders to switch from more expensive fossil fuels. The launch of the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive by Easter will provide payments to homeowners and help drive the uptake of such systems.

    DECC is also working to ensure the fuel poverty strategy will reflect the needs of the most severely fuel poor in off-gas grid areas when it is published later this year.

  • Lord Empey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Lord Empey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Office of the Attorney General has any records of royal pardons granted between 1987 and 1997.

    Lord Wallace of Tankerness

    The Attorney General has no formal role in the issue of Royal Pardons and therefore there are no records of Royal Pardons held by the Attorney General’s Office.