Tag: 2015

  • Oliver Colvile – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Oliver Colvile – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to better enforce building regulation inspections to ensure quality housing builds.

    Stephen Williams

    The duty to comply with the requirements of the Building Regulations lies on the person carrying out the building work. The duty of the building control bodies, local authorities and approved inspectors, is to take all reasonable steps to satisfy themselves that the requirements have been satisfied. Where they have not been complied with a compliance certificate should not be given. It is also possible for building control bodies to take formal enforcement action in the courts against builders for non-compliance where they consider this would be justified. Issues relating to warranties which may be provided for new homes are matters for the relevant warranty body.

  • Caroline Flint – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Caroline Flint – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of the amount of land that will be sold by NDA Properties Limited in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16; and what estimate he has made of the revenue likely to be raised by those sales.

    Matthew Hancock

    NDA Properties Ltd will consider selling land at Dounreay, Harwell, Springfields and in West Cumbria in the next two or three years, depending on market conditions. For commercial reasons it does not make public its valuations of its holdings.

  • Mark Garnier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Garnier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Garnier on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what consideration he gave to owners and other beneficiaries of intellectual property rights relating to tobacco products in deciding to bring forward legislative proposals for standardised packaging.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government has given careful consideration to all of the wider aspects that relate to standardised packaging of tobacco, including intellectual property rights.

    The Government has also published an impact assessment, assessing the costs and benefits of the policy. This can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/standardised-packaging-of-tobacco-products-draft-regulations

    “

  • Iain Wright – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Iain Wright – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 22 November 2012, Official Report, columns 566-7W, on police: Cleveland, what estimate she has made of the number of police officers allocated to Hartlepool constituency for frontline duties in each year since the basic command unit was abolished; and if she will make a statement.

    Mike Penning

    As set out in the previous answer mentioned by the Hon Gentleman, the Home Office no longer collects police workforce information at the requested level. The deployment of available resources is a matter for chief officers locally, working with their Police and Crime Commissioner.

    At the overall police force area level, according to the definitions set out by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Cleveland Police plan to have 1271 police officers working in frontline roles by March 2015. This represents 91 per cent of the total police officer workforce.

    Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary has made clear there is no simple link between officer numbers and crime levels. This is supported by the reduction in crime of more than one fifth under this Government, according to the independent Crime Survey for England and Wales.

  • Lord Grade of Yarmouth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Grade of Yarmouth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grade of Yarmouth on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of Iran’s financial and material support for Hamas.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We remain deeply concerned by Iran’s ongoing financial and material support for Hamas and other Palestinian rejectionist groups. The supply of arms to Hamas contravenes the embargo on Iranian arms exports established by UN Security Council Resolution 1747 and undermines prospects for peace and stability in the Middle East.

  • Christian Matheson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Christian Matheson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of amending the road traffic construction and use regulations to prohibit blue lights on non-emergency vehicles.

    Andrew Jones

    The specification including colour and use of lamps on road vehicles are the subject of The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989. Only emergency vehicles are permitted by this legislation to have blue special warning lamps and warning beacons. No assessment has been made to amend these regulations for blue lamps or warning beacons on non-emergency vehicles, as the prohibitions already exist.

  • Jeremy Lefroy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jeremy Lefroy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what analysis his Department has carried out on the comparative living costs of people (a) in the work related activity group of employment and support allowance and (b) on jobseeker’s allowance.

    Priti Patel

    The Department has not carried out any analysis on the comparative living costs of these two groups.

    If claimants experience additional costs as a result of their illness or disability, they may be eligible to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) which we have exempted from the Benefit cap and will continue to uprate by inflation.

  • Helen Hayes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Helen Hayes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the removal of a tenant’s right to choose whether to have a payment of the housing element of the universal credit paid directly to their landlord on (a) private sector and (b) social sector landlords.

    Priti Patel

    The independent evaluation of the Universal Credit (UC) Direct Payment Demonstration Projects report showed that asking claimants to take responsibility for paying their rent did not lead to big increases in rent arrears. We are drawing on the findings from these Projects as part of our approach to continually improving the service. The reports can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/direct-payment-demonstration-projects-final-reports

    “

  • Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    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 on page 99 of the Final Report of the Panel on Fair Access to the Professions that internships operate as part of an informal economy where opportunities depend on personal contacts rather than ability.

    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 Lord Bishop of Coventry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Bishop of Coventry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Coventry on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to Saudi Arabia regarding the use of beheading and crucifixion as criminal punishments.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The British Government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, especially in cases which do not meet the minimum standards defined by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We believe it undermines human dignity and there is no evidence that it works as a deterrent.

    Ministers, our Ambassador in Riyadh, and the Embassy team in Riyadh frequently raise the issue of the death penalty with the Saudi authorities, bilaterally and through the European Union.