Tag: 2014

  • Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many parliamentary questions tabled to his Department in the last parliamentary Session did not receive a substantive answer by the time of the 2014 prorogation; and when each such question was first tabled.

    Jeremy Wright

    The Ministry of Justice received3,087 questions tabled in the Commons during the 2013-14 session. Of these,26 parliamentary questions did not receive a substantive answer by the end of the last session. In these cases the relevant Minister committed to write providing a substantive answer and the written responses. We have now answered 16 of the outstanding questions and are in the process of responding to the remaining 10. The following table sets out the month in which each of the questions was tabled.

    February 2014

    4

    March 2014

    8

    April 2014

    6

    May 2014

    8

    The Justice Secretary and his Ministerial team take their obligations to Parliament seriously and want to ensure that MPs receive answers of a high standard which set out the relevant context. More complex questions can involve compiling and analysing large volumes of material. We respond to such questions as promptly as we can.

  • Baroness Seccombe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Seccombe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Seccombe on 2014-03-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps the Department for Communities and Local Government has taken to cut spending on Common Purpose leadership courses.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    I confirm that the Secretary of State has given a clear steer that spending on Common Purpose is not appropriate, and no expenditure has been undertaken since 2010. By contrast, the last Administration spent £235,950 on Common Purpose.

    In ’50 ways to save’ the Department’s best practice guidance on sensible savings, we recommended councils cancel spending on Common Purpose leadership courses as a practical way of saving money.

  • Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many parliamentary questions tabled to his Department in the last parliamentary Session did not receive a substantive answer by the time of the 2014 prorogation; and when each such question was first tabled.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Department for Transport gave a substantive answer to all parliamentary questions by the time of the 2014 prorogation.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Emily Thornberry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Attorney General, how many and what value of asset freezing orders have been enforced in the UK at the request of overseas jurisdictions in each year since 2008-09.

    Oliver Heald

    The number and estimated value of restraint orders obtained by the CPS and SFO pursuant to requests from overseas jurisdictions since 2008/09 are shown in the tables below.

    The value of restrained assets may vary over time due to changes in asset valuations , exchange rates and payments of expenses.

    Crown Prosecution Service

    Year

    Number of overseas restraint orders

    Estimated amount preserved (to nearest 000)

    2008/09

    16

    £60,504,000

    2009/10

    15

    £11,006,000

    2010/11

    7

    £2,693,000

    2011/12

    2

    £50,074,000

    2012/13

    6

    £4,080,000

    2013/14

    3

    £409,000

    Serious Fraud Office

    Year

    Number of overseas restraint orders

    Estimated amount preserved (to nearest 000)

    2008/09

    2

    £1,000,000

    2009/10

    3

    £69,500,000

    2010/11

    2

    £1,500,000
  • Nigel Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Nigel Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many parents are in arrears to the Child Support Agency in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK.

    Steve Webb

    The Child Support Agency (CSA) administers the 1993 and 2003 Statutory Child Maintenance Schemes in Great Britain.

    The latest area breakdown available for the number of CSA cases with arrears is available as at the end of the quarter to December 2013 and has been provided in the table below:

    Ribble Valley1

    Lancashire1,3

    GB2

    Dec-13

    1,700

    36,000

    1,277,000

    Notes:

    1. Figures rounded to nearest 10.

    2. Figures rounded to nearest 100.

    3. Lancashire consists of the following Local Authorities: Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Burnley, Chorley, Fylde, Hyndburn, Lancaster, Pendle, Preston, RibbleValley, Rossendale, South Ribble, West Lancashire and Wyre.

    4. Caseloads have been allocated to a Local Authority and Parliamentary Constituency by matching the residential postcode of the parent with care for all cases administered on the CS2 and CSCS computer systems and cases managed off system, to the Office for National Statistics Postcode Directory.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to increase links between education and employment.

    Matthew Hancock

    The government’s aim is to ensure that young people are equipped with the skills, experience and qualifications that employers want. The introduction of 16-19 study programmes will expand the provision of genuine work experience and work-related learning for all post-16 students. We have invested in new apprenticeships that are more employer-led than ever before, and introduced traineeships to give young people the skills and experience they need to compete successfully for a job. From September 2014, the Tech Level qualifications will provide a high-quality vocational alternative to A levels, leading to a recognised occupation.

    These and other reforms arising from Professor Alison Wolf’s 2011 review of vocational education have led to far-reaching improvements in vocational education. These include employer recognition of qualifications and simplified and better-funded arrangements for work experience.

    Our reforms to GCSEs and A levels will secure rigorous, challenging qualifications which are responsive to the needs of students and employers. New GCSEs in English and mathematics, which will provide greater assurance of literacy and numeracy, will be taught from September 2015, with the first examinations in summer 2017.

  • Gregg McClymont – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gregg McClymont – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregg McClymont on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are below the earnings threshold for auto enrolment into a workplace pension in each (a) region, (b) constituent part of the UK and (c) parliamentary constituency.

    Steve Webb

    The information is not available in the format requested.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence his Department has collected on the effect of badger culls conducted in Ireland on levels of bovine TB in that country.

    George Eustice

    The number of bovine TB reactors in the Republic of Ireland fell by over 65% between 1999 and 2013, from 44,903 to 15,612. This represents the lowest level since the eradication programme started in the 1950s. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s wildlife policy statement of April 2013 concludes that it is satisfied that the culling of infected badgers, which is underpinned by research studies and sound science, has led to a significant reduction in the incidence of TB in cattle over the past decade.

    http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animalhealthwelfare/diseasecontrol/bovinetbbrucellosiseradicationschemes/wildlifepolicybadgers/

    “

  • Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Written Statement of 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 47WS, on UK Green Investment Bank, what additional funds will be provided to help assess the feasibility of the Green Investment Bank managing UK International Climate Fund projects.

    Michael Fallon

    This work will be funded from the UK’s £3.87bn International Climate Fund and has no effect on the £3.8bn available to the Green Investment Bank for investment within the UK.

  • Jake Berry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jake Berry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jake Berry on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to reform anti-social behaviour orders; and if she will make a statement.

    Norman Baker

    The Government’s reforms are contained in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and
    Policing Act 2014. The Act will introduce two new powers, a civil injunction
    and the Criminal Behaviour Order, to replace Anti-Social Behaviour Orders.
    Unlike Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, the new powers will not focus solely on
    enforcement but can include positive requirements to ensure individuals address
    the underlying causes of their behaviour.