Tag: 2014

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-03-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of people (1) displaced, and (2) facing a humanitarian crisis, in the northern Nigerian states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa as a result of the insurgency by Boko Haram; and what assessment they have made of the needs of those people for aid.

    Baroness Northover

    The UK Government supports the assessment of humanitarian needs in Northern Nigeria through OCHA, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Although figures are difficult to quantify, OCHA estimate 5.9 million people have been affected by the insurgency in northeast Nigeria and an estimated 350,000 people have been displacedsince May 2013, both within Nigeria and across the borders into Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Most displaced people are living in host communities, although around 5,000 are in camps. OCHA has assessed the priority needs of affected people as food, water, health and shelter.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Gloria De Piero – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Departments regularly publish details of their gender pay gap at each Civil Service grade.

    Mr Francis Maude

    The Office of National Statistics publishes median earnings by responsibility level, government department and gender annually as part of Civil Service Statistics and this data can be found at:
    http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pse/civil-service-statistics/2013/stb-civil-service-statistics–2013.html

    “

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

    Lord Boateng – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Boateng on 2014-03-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to review the effectiveness of the inquest system in respect of the absence of a duty on the Legal Aid Agency to ensure publicly funded legal representation at inquests for families of victims of deaths in custody from the actions of police officers or in circumstances of failures in the duty of care of public authorities.

    Lord Faulks

    The Government is confident that the inquest system is functioning effectively following reforms introduced last July under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. We are committed to reviewing the impact of the reforms in 2015.

    In addition, the Government has specifically protected legal aid for families at inquests. Legal Help (the advice and assistance level of legal aid) remains routinely available within the scope of the civil legal aid scheme. In exceptional circumstances funding can also be provided for the family’s legal representation at the inquest pursuant to section 6(8)(b) of the Access to Justice Act 1999 (AJA) or section 10(1) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) (the applicable legislation depending on the date of the original application). A means test applies but can be waived in certain circumstances.

    The Lord Chancellor is prevented by statute from giving directions and guidance to the Legal Aid Agency in relation to an individual case, but has published general guidance to which the Director of Legal Aid Casework must have regard when making individual decisions on applications for exceptional funding for representation at inquests. The guidance sets out the relevant criteria and specifically addresses inquests where there is a death in custody or a death in the course of police arrest, search, pursuit or shooting.

    Following a review of its decision in the Groce family’s case, the Legal Aid Agency made a funding request to the Lord Chancellor. The Lord Chancellor has considered the request and has granted funding

  • Fiona Bruce – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Fiona Bruce – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to increase the flow of impartial information into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea following the report of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in that country.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The British Embassy in Pyongyang has arranged for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) officials to attend education programmes in the UK with a human rights element, and also to attend economics workshops in Pyongyang aiming to deepen their understanding of international standards and norms. The British Council English language teaching programme in Pyongyang provides another area of extensive engagement. The Embassy also delivers strong messages directly to DPRK interlocutors about the UK’s human rights concerns, including concerns arising from the UN Commission of Inquiry.

  • Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of employees in his Department of each (a) Civil Service pay grade and (b) gender work (i) reduced hours, (ii) flexi-time, (iii) from home, (iv) a compressed working week, (v) job share, (vi) term-time only and (vii) part-time.

    Mr Francis Maude

    The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

    Some of the information requested is not held centrally. However, all of these options are available to employees subject to business needs.

    Fewer than five employees are currently recorded as working (iii) from home in a formal arrangement.

    The proportion of employees by Pay Grade who work part-time hours as at 28 February 2014 is shown in the table below:

    CO Payband (CS Equivalent)

    % Part Time

    PERM SEC

    0%

    SCS3

    14%

    SCS2

    5%

    SCS1

    8%

    A/BAND A (Grade 6/7)

    5%

    B2/BAND B2 (HEO/SEO)

    6%

    B/Faststream

    0%

    B1/BAND B1 (EO)

    9%

    C/BAND C (AA/AO)

    10%

    The proportion of employees by gender who work part-time hours as at 28 February 2014 is shown in the table below:

    Gender

    % Part Time

    Female

    12%

    Male

    1%

  • Dame Tessa Jowell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Dame Tessa Jowell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dame Tessa Jowell on 2014-06-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the total number of properties (a) in the UK and (b) in the Greater London region affected by a levy on a property’s value of above a (i) £2 million and (ii) £5 million threshold.

    Mr David Gauke

    I refer the Right Honourable Member to my answers of 12 May (column 332W) and 13 May (column 529W). The number of residential properties in the UK valued at more than £2 million was estimated before Budget 2012 to be around 55,000.

    The Treasury does not have a precise regional breakdown of properties worth over £2million.

  • Michael Fabricant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Michael Fabricant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Fabricant on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2014 to the hon. Member for Crawley, Official Report, column 219W, on War Memorials: World War II, what the reasons are for the disparities between the income per visitor from grant-in-aid and LIBOR fines allocated to the (a) Royal Navy Museum, (b) National Army Museum, (c) Royal Air Force Museum and (d) National Memorial Arboretum; if he will take steps to reduce such disparities in future; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Service museums and the National Memorial Arboretum play an important role in the heritage of the three Services and the nation, and it would be inappropriate for visitor numbers to determine the provision of funding.

  • Miss Anne McIntosh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Miss Anne McIntosh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Miss Anne McIntosh on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of time is taken to renew an existing passport and issue a new one.

    James Brokenshire

    A straightforward renewal application, where the customers provide the required supporting documentation at the outset, is usually dealt with within three weeks. Expected turnaround times for applications made in the UK and on a country by country basis for overseas applications are set out on www.gov.uk.

  • 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 2014-04-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date all properties in each local authority area affected by Phase 1 and Phase 2 of High Speed 2 or situated above the proposed tunelled sections of High Speed 2 were purchased (a) under the HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme and (b) by compulsory purchase; and what was paid for each such property.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    No properties have been acquired through compulsory purchase. Properties acquired under the Exceptional Hardship Schemes for Phase One and Phase Two are listed in the tables, which have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

  • David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that children at primary and secondary schools have access to a healthy and balanced dinner each day.

    Mr David Laws

    The independent School Food Plan, published in July 2013, is designed to increase the quality and take-up of school meals in England and ensure that the food available conforms to healthy standards. As part of the School Food Plan, we are introducing new statutory food-based standards for schools in England from January 2015 and funding three organisations to increase take-up in junior and secondary schools.

    From September 2014 we are introducing free school meals for every child in reception, year 1 and year 2 in state-funded schools in England, to ensure that every child in those year groups has access to a nutritious lunch. We are targeting infants in order to help establish good eating patterns early. Our intention is that by providing a meal when children start at school, they and their parents will see the benefits of school meals and continue to choose them throughout their education.