The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-10-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish equality impact assessments for the proposals in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill.
Priti Patel
The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on 20th July. These are available on the Parliament website.
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/welfarereformandwork/documents.html
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeff Smith on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the science budget.
Joseph Johnson
The Department works closely with HM Treasury on investment in science and research and is engaging at official and ministerial levels as part of the spending review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris White on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of adults that will be participating in non-apprenticeship vocational training by 2020 in (a) the UK, (b) England and (c) Warwick and Leamington constituency.
Nick Boles
The Department does not produce forecasts for participation in further education.
The funding available for adult skills up to 2015/16 is outlined in the Skills Funding Letter. The letter sets out the Government’s priorities for the budget and it is for providers to decide how they use their adult skills funding to reflect those priorities and meet the needs of learners and employers in their local area.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skills-funding-letter-april-2015-to-march-2016
Information on historic participation in government funded further education by geography is published online at the FE Data Library:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-further-education-and-skills
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps the Government (a) has taken and (b) plans to take in response to the finding in the Institute for Public Policy Research’s report, Why Interns Need a Fair Wage, published in July 2010, that the system of unpaid internships excludes young people who come from less well-off families and ensures that certain industries and professions continue to be dominated from particular backgrounds, perpetuating inequality and dampening opportunities for social mobility.
Nick Boles
The Government believes in fair wages for fair work and opportunity for all. When an intern meets the legal definition of a worker they must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage. We actively promote fair and open access to paid internships through the BIS-funded Graduate Talent Pool, and our Social Mobility Business Compact and Common Best Practice Code for High Quality Internships ask employers to ensure that any internships they offer are advertised openly and transparently and are paid fairly. We have also made it simpler to name and shame employers that do not comply with national minimum wage regulations and, in addition, complaints from interns are now fast-tracked by HMRC.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Allen on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will extend the successful Schools Initiative in Northern Ireland established to increase voter registration among 16 to 18 year olds to other parts of the UK before the next 2015 deadline for electoral registration.
John Penrose
The most recent report by the Electoral Commission (November 2012) on completeness and accuracy of the register in Northern Ireland showed that 51% of 18 – 19 year olds were registered to vote compared to 76% in Great Britain. The Government has no current plans to extend the Northern Ireland Schools Initiative to the rest of the United Kingdom.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-09.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will collect data on the number of enforcement actions undertaken by HM Revenue and Customs involving victims of modern slavery.
Mr David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs has collated data on its enforcement actions involving modern slavery since February 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that women’s refuges have a sustainable source of funding after the current funding arrangements end on 31 March 2016.
Mr Marcus Jones
The Government is committed to a secure future for refuge provision, as set out in our Manifesto, and is determined to ensure that no victim is turned away from the support they need. At Budget the Chancellor announced an additional £3.2 million to increase specialist accommodation support for victims, including refuges, and provide more help for victims to access that support. This is in addition to the £10 million announced in 2014 to enable local authorities to strengthen refuge services. Our significant investment shows our clear commitment to maintaining and boosting refuge provision. Future funding arrangements are a matter for the Spending Review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Howell on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the percentage change in Oxfordshire County Council’s spending power is in 2015-16.
Mr Marcus Jones
Spending power figures for 2015-16 are published at the link below:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what meetings his Department has had with representatives of (a) the Taxpayers’ Alliance, (b) the Confederation of British Industry, (c) the Institute of Economic Affairs, (d) the Adam Smith Institute, (e) the Freedom Association, (f) the Politics and Economic Research Trust and (g) the Midlands Industrial Council in the last 12 months.
Michael Fallon
None.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what meetings her Department has had with representatives of (a) the Taxpayers’ Alliance, (b) the Confederation of British Industry, (c) the Institute of Economic Affairs, (d) the Adam Smith Institute, (e) the Freedom Association, (f) the Politics and Economic Research Trust and (g) the Midlands Industrial Council in the last 12 months.
Nick Gibb
The information requested is not held centrally and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
The Department publishes information about Ministers’ meetings with external organisations on GOV.UK and will publish data from the last 12 months in due course.