Tag: 2014

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-03-13.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps he has taken to restrict access to departmental meetings by lobbyists since 2011.

    Greg Clark

    Details of meetings held by Ministers and Permanent Secretaries with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK. That transparency will be further extended by the recently enacted Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act, Part 1 of which will require consultant lobbyists that meet with Ministers and senior officials to declare their clients on a publicly available register.

  • Lord Empey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Empey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that, following the handover of responsibility for Hillsborough Castle to Historic Royal Palaces, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will have adequate facilities to fulfil her public duties; and which areas of Hillsborough Castle will be devoted to her needs.

    Baroness Randerson

    Following the transfer of responsibility for Hillsborough Castle to Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) on 1 April 2014, a dedicated area of accommodation has been retained for occupancy by the Northern Ireland Office (NIO). HRP provides the NIO with a number of services, including the continued readiness of this area for use as a residence by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and by the Minister of State for Northern Ireland.

    The changes to the NIO’s accommodation will not impact on the ability of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to fulfil her public duties.

  • 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 2014-03-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2012, Official Report, column 1032W, on Work Programme, when he expects to publish the independent evaluation of the Work Programme.

    Esther McVey

    The Department will publish findings once the independent evaluation of the Work Programme is complete.

  • Lord Sharkey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Sharkey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Sharkey on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which Ministers formally petitioned Her Majesty for the pardons granted in the 16 Northern Ireland terrorist-related cases in the years immediately after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

    Baroness Randerson

    The 16 uses of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy for Northern Ireland terrorist-related cases after the Belfast Agreement were granted between 2000 and 2002. The Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland over this period were Peter Mandelson and John Reid.

  • Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to ensure that all statistics identified as high impact outputs with less widespread support by the Office for National Statistics in its consultation on statistical products 2013 will continue to be funded for 2014-15.

    Nick Hurd

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 March 2014 (Official Report) Column Ref: 470W.

  • Lord Ashcroft – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Ashcroft – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ashcroft on 2014-06-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 25 April 2013 (WA 447– 48), with regard to the use of Diego Garcia for rendition flights, what is the latest situation in relation to such flights.

    Baroness Warsi

    Aside from the two cases of rendition through Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory) in 2002, there have been no other instances in which US intelligence flights landed in the UK, our overseas Territories, or the Crown Dependencies, with a detainee on board since 11 September 2001.

  • Dame Anne Begg – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    Dame Anne Begg – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dame Anne Begg on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the electoral registration figures were in each ward in the recent confirmation dry run conducted in (a) Aberdeen City Council and (b) Aberdeenshire County Council.

    Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that the confirmation dry run involved matching all entries on the electoral registers against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Customer Information System database. Entries would be marked as green if they matched with DWP, amber if they were a partial match or red if there was no match.

    Results for all wards are available on the Commission’s website here: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/excel_doc/0003/163146/Confirmation-dry-run-2013-Results-Wards.xls

    The ward results for Aberdeen City Council were as follows:

    Ward

    Green matches

    Amber matches

    Red matches

    Airyhall/Broomhill/Garthdee

    78.4%

    2.0%

    19.6%

    Bridge Of Don

    84.4%

    1.5%

    14.1%

    Dyce/Bucksburn/Danestone

    79.4%

    3.4%

    17.2%

    George St/Harbour

    46.2%

    8.1%

    45.8%

    Hazlehead/Ashley/Queens Cross

    76.0%

    3.0%

    21.0%

    Hilton/Woodside/Stockethill

    77.2%

    1.9%

    21.0%

    Kincorth/Nigg/Cove

    82.9%

    1.7%

    15.4%

    Kingswells/Sheddocksley/Summerhill

    83.0%

    1.3%

    15.7%

    Lower Deeside

    77.6%

    5.4%

    17.0%

    Midstocket/Rosemount

    62.9%

    5.2%

    31.9%

    Northfield/Mastrick North

    85.0%

    1.4%

    13.7%

    Tillydrone/Seaton/Old Aberdeen

    55.1%

    3.9%

    41.1%

    Torry/Ferryhill

    67.2%

    5.1%

    27.7%

    The ward results for Aberdeenshire County Council were as follows:

    Ward

    Green matches

    Amber matches

    Red matches

    Aboyne Upper Deeside And Donside

    72.7%

    9.4%

    17.9%

    Banchory And Mid Deeside

    79.3%

    5.4%

    15.4%

    Banff And District

    78.0%

    6.9%

    15.1%

    Central Buchan

    74.5%

    9.7%

    15.9%

    East Garioch

    79.0%

    4.5%

    16.5%

    Ellon And District

    78.8%

    5.1%

    16.1%

    Fraserburgh And District

    82.2%

    3.1%

    14.7%

    Huntly Strathbogie And Howe Of Alford

    74.5%

    9.4%

    16.1%

    Inverurie And District

    80.3%

    3.3%

    16.4%

    Mearns

    73.7%

    9.1%

    17.1%

    Mid Formartine

    74.9%

    7.9%

    17.2%

    North Kincardine

    78.5%

    4.8%

    16.7%

    Peterhead North And Rattray

    78.6%

    4.5%

    16.9%

    Peterhead South And Cruden

    81.5%

    3.8%

    14.7%

    Stonehaven And Lower Deeside

    80.2%

    4.3%

    15.4%

    Troup

    76.8%

    8.2%

    15.0%

    Turriff And District

    73.7%

    9.4%

    16.9%

    West Garioch

    74.4%

    8.7%

    16.9%

    Westhill And District

    79.5%

    4.4%

    16.1%

    “

  • Baroness Meacher – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Meacher – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Meacher on 2014-06-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the recommendations of the Munro Review of Child Protection; and how the Review’s recommendations will be reflected in their plans.

    Lord Nash

    The Government is committed to promoting the welfare of children and protecting them from harm. The Government published its response to the Munro Review of Child Protection in July 2011, shortly after the publication of Professor Munro’s final report. That response accepted Professor Munro’s argument that the child protection system has lost its focus on the things that matter most: the views and experiences of children themselves. It also set out the Government’s plans for implementation.

    Of the fifteen recommendations made by Professor Munro, eleven have been implemented in full, including:

    1. In March 2013, we published the revised statutory guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children, which focuses on the core legal requirements that all professionals should follow to keep children safe;
    2. In September 2013, Isabelle Trowler began work as the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families. Lyn Romeo started her role as the Chief Social Worker for Adults at the same time; and
    3. In November 2013, Ofsted began inspecting local authority children’s services under the new ‘single’ inspection framework.

    Substantial progress is being made on implementing the other key recommendations, including supporting local areas in the redesign of their social work practice. In respect of Professor Munro’s recommendation on introducing a duty to secure provision of early help services, the Government has concluded there is sufficient legislation in place to deliver early help services to children and families. We are continuing to work with sector partners to reinforce existing legislation and understand how early help offers in local areas can be improved.

  • Mr Stewart Jackson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mr Stewart Jackson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Stewart Jackson on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce long term unemployment in Peterborough constituency; and if he will make a statement.

    Esther McVey

    The government are committed to helping people off benefits and into work, so it is encouraging that we have seen record numbers of people in work nationally, with unemployment falling.

    The Government’s Work Programme revolutionises the help available to people who were in danger of becoming long-term unemployed. Private providers offer tailored help to people who may have been out of work for many years – moving them closer to getting a job. According to Industry figures released this month (March), half a million people have found work through the Work Programme.

    We are determined to do everything we can to support those people who are hardest to help into work, and that is what the Work Programme is designed to do, whilst also being a good deal for the tax payer.

    Work Coaches in local Jobcentres now have the flexibility to offer all claimants a comprehensive menu of help which includes skills provision, job search support and the Flexible Support Fund.

  • Lord Morrow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Morrow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Morrow on 2014-06-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any assessment of the compliance of Atos Healthcare with the Human Rights Act 1998, particularly section 6, and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, particularly Article 3; if so, what is that assessment; and whether all staff of that organisation are fully briefed and supplied with copies of the Act and Convention.

    Lord Freud

    The Department for Work and Pensions does not routinely assess Atos Healthcare’s compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998 or the European Convention for Human Rights under its contracts with the Department. However, our contracts with Atos and all of our suppliers include obligations to comply with all legal requirements.