Tag: 2014

  • 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 2014-06-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans Jobcentre Plus has to work with the organisation Movement to Work.

    Esther McVey

    Jobcentre Plus has been giving practical support to the employer-led Movement to Work initiative and continues to do so. It offers advice to employers who have Movement to Work opportunities to fill. Coaches in Jobcentres are able to refer young people to these opportunities where appropriate.

    In addition the Department of Work and Pensions has been supporting the initiative centrally. Most recently Movement to Work organised an event in June to encourage more employers to join. As an employer the Civil Service is contributing 6000 work experience opportunities to the Movement and my Department is offering 3000 of them.

  • Alan Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Alan Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Johnson on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he expects the report from the Insolvency Service into the collapse of Comet to be published.

    Jo Swinson

    The Insolvency Service’s fact-finding inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the insolvency of Comet Group Ltd is being conducted under section 447 of the Companies Act. Publication of the findings of such investigations is prohibited by law although when an inquiry results in the winding up of the company, or the prosecution or disqualification of its directors, this is publicised.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nicholas Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) leaseholds and (b) freeholds have been transferred to academy trusts from local authorities since 2010.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    I refer the Rt hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Stockton North on 23 June 2014, Official Report c75W.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, for what reasons he decided against change following his review into his Department’s check-off system for employees’ trade union subscriptions.

    Gregory Barker

    My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State did not share the views of my rt. hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on this issue.

    He also noted advice from the Department that the Department is charged a fixed cost for payroll services based on the number of employees, so there would be no immediate cost saving to the taxpayer in removing the check-off agreement.

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the starting salary of a full-time equivalent NHS nurse in York was in (a) cash and (b) real terms in 1996-97 and in each year since.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    Since the introduction of Agenda for Change in October 2004, nurses who are newly qualified start at Agenda for Change Band 5. Prior to Agenda for Change they started at Whitley Grade D. National salary scales apply for NHS nurses in York. The starting salary for a full-time equivalent NHS nurse in cash and real terms is shown in the following table.

    Year

    Cash Terms Starting Salary (£)

    (Full Time)

    (National Scale)

    Real Terms Starting Salary (£)

    (Full Time)

    (National Scale)

    1996-97

    11,895

    17,254

    1997-98

    12,385

    17,646

    1998-99

    12,855

    17,972

    1999-00

    14,400

    19,744

    2000-01

    14,890

    20,271

    2001-02

    15,445

    20,470

    2002-03

    16,005

    20,730

    2003-04

    16,525

    20,997

    2004-05

    18,114

    22,397

    2005-06

    18,698

    22,705

    2006-07

    19,166

    22,623

    2007-08

    19,683

    22,663

    2008-09

    20,225

    22,648

    2009-10

    20,710

    22,572

    2010-11

    21,176

    22,492

    2011-12

    21,176

    21,981

    2012-13

    21,176

    21,600

    2013-14

    21,388

    21,388

    2014-15

    21,478

    Notes:

    1. Starting pay for a newly qualified nurse is normally the minimum of the scale applicable to basic grade qualified nurses as follows:

    1996-97 to 2003-04: Whitley D Grade

    2004-05 o 2013-14: Agenda for Change Band 5

    2. Starting pay is taken from national pay scales.

    3. Figures given include any staged increases in the year in question.

    4. The starting pay given for 2004-05 is the minimum of the Agenda for Change Band 5 scale at the effective date of implementation of Agenda for Change on 1 October 2004.

    5. The 2014-15 starting salary change is due to an adjustment to ensure all staff on Spine Point 15 eligible for incremental progression received at least 1% when progressing to Spine Point 16, which is also the current starting Spine Point for a newly qualified nurse.

    6. The cash terms data has been converted into real terms using the latest official Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflator series taken from the HM Treasury website on 30 June 2014 and last updated on 20 December 2013.

    7. It is not possible to convert the 2014-15 cash starting salary to real terms because of the way the GDP deflator series operates.

    8. To be as up to date as possible, the real terms data is presented in 2013-14 prices. This involves using the HM Treasury forecast GDP deflator value for 2013-14.

  • John Glen – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Glen – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what services currently commissioned by NHS England will be commissioned by clinical commissioning groups following the implementation of the recommendations in Prescribed Specialised Services Commissioning Intentions 2014-15 and 2015-16.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England has advised that there have been no changes to the scope of specialised services directly commissioned by NHS England in 2014/15, in order to provide a period of stability following the major changes in 2013/14. There has therefore, been no transfer of resources to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in 2014/15, for any changes in commissioning responsibility.

    The Manual for Prescribed Specialised Services 2013/14 describes the prescribed specialised services and sets out which elements of services are commissioned directly by NHS England, and which elements are commissioned by CCGs.

    The Prescribed Specialised Services Commissioning Intentions 2014-15 and 2015-16 document sets out the firm plans for 2014/15 and the direction for 2015/16. There will be a new set of commissioning intentions for 2015/16 to take account of the new environment and to firm up the plans for next year.

    The development of the commissioning intentions for 2015/16 is included in the work of the specialised commissioning taskforce and will be progressed over the next few months ready for publication in the autumn. The taskforce work streams also include actions relating to the future portfolio of services to be commissioned by NHS England and CCGs, and possible future commissioning models. This work will be further progressed over the summer and will inform the 2015/16 commissioning intentions.

    NHS England advise that it is yet to be determined whether or not there will be changes to the scope of specialised services directly commissioned by NHS England in 2015/16 or whether any additional resources will be transferred between NHS England and CCGs.

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was spent on concessionary travel spending in York Unitary Authority in each year since 2008-09.

    Stephen Hammond

    The total amount spent by York City Council on concessionary travel, including the statutory concession and any relevant discretionary enhancements, is detailed in the table below:

    2008 – 09

    2009 – 10

    1010 – 11

    2011 – 12

    2012 – 13

    York City Council spend on concessionary travel (£000s)

    5,013

    5,307

    4,902

    4,633

    4,826

    Figures for 2013/14 are still being collated.

    Local authority formula grant has been the main vehicle for providing concessionary travel funding to local authorities since the current statutory concession’s introduction in 2008. Since this grant is unhypothecated it is not possible to provide a breakdown by authority.

    In 2008 the Department for Transport provided English authorities with a total of £31 million to assist in the reissuing of concessionary passes, £130,972 of which was allocated to York City Council.

    Between April 2008 and April 2011 the Department made Special Grant payments to authorities, in addition to the formula grant they were already receiving, recognising the additional cost of the extension to pre-2008 concessionary travel arrangements. The following table indicates the amount of funding available to York in each of the three years during which special grant was paid.

    2008 / 09

    2009 / 10

    2010 / 11

    Special grant funding available to York City Council:

    1,112

    1,138

    1,170

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2014, Official Report, columns 171-2W, on children: maintenance, how much of the amount is written off in child maintenance arrears since November 2012; how much is attributable to (a) a request from the parent with care to write off the arrears, (b) the death of a non-resident parent, (c) the death of a parent with care, (d) an interim maintenance assessment between 1993 and 1995 and (e) a debt where the non-resident parent had been told that no further action would ever be taken.

    Steve Webb

    The amounts written off since November 2012 in the circumstances requested are as follows.

    Reason

    Year to March 13

    Year to March 14

    Parent with care request

    £365,269

    £9,922,726

    Non-resident parent death

    £683,378

    £4,617,325

    Parent with care death

    £8,121

    £24,240

    Interim maintenance assessments 1993 – 1995

    £35,796

    £126,340

    NRP advised debt will not be pursued

    £11,648

    £355,956

    Total

    £1,104,212

    £15,046,587

    Note:

    The total does not equal that quoted in response to PQ/14/201287 because there are amounts recorded under categories which are not included in this response.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2014-06-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the limits to the power of the police and security services to search data stored on mobile phones.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    There are strict statutory safeguards in place regarding the interference of property to access data stored on mobile phones.

    Current UK law limits police powers to search data stored on a mobile phone.
    The data can only be searched if the phone has been lawfully seized under a power in Police And Criminal Evidence Act (PACE).

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-06-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will meet representatives of financial institutions to discuss how those institutions can assist customers to get the best return on their savings.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Treasury Ministers have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:

    www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

    It is important that customers can make the most of their savings. This is why at Budget 2014 we announced a radical package of measures to support savers – reducing taxes for the lowest income savers, reforming the ISA regime to give savers greater flexibility as to where and how they save their money, and creating a product to help retired savers see a better return.