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Tag: 2015

  • Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Retail Ombudsman was given Cabinet Office approval to use the word ombudsman” in their title; on what date any such approval was given; and whether the Cabinet Office guidance on ombudsman schemes was followed.”

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Retail Ombudsman has been set up independently of Government and is a non-statutory organisation aiming to provide alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in the retail sector. While anyone is free to set up a business providing ADR, ‘ombudsman’ is a sensitive word whose use in a company or business name requires prior approval by the Secretary of State. No approval has yet been given to the Retail Ombudsman to use this word.

    Companies House and BIS are updating their procedures to ensure that the approval process deals with private sector applications to use this word.

  • Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle homophobic bullying in schools.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Tackling all forms of bullying is a top priority for this Government. All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. The Government has taken a number of steps to help schools address bullying, including by providing advice on how to prevent and tackle bullying and how schools should support children who are bullied.

    We are providing £1.3 million this year to anti-bullying charities to tackle all forms of bullying, on top of the £4 million provided in 2013-2015. We have also launched a specific programme in 2015-2016 to prevent and tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools. £2 million has been awarded to projects to work with schools through classroom-based activities, use of positive role models and specific training for teachers to understand and address this issue effectively. We will share the learning from these projects more widely, so all schools have the tools and knowledge to take appropriate action.

  • Ian Murray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian Murray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2015-10-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will publish a distributional analysis showing the effect on families in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK of the reduction of the higher income threshold for child tax credit from £16,105 to £12,125.

    Damian Hinds

    The Summer Budget offered a new deal for working people. It means Britain moving from a high welfare, high tax, low wage economy to a lower welfare, lower tax, higher wage society.

    A new National Living Wage for workers aged 25 and above, initially set at £7.20 per hour from April 2016, will directly benefit 2.7 million low wage workers, and up to 6 million could see a pay rise as a result of a ripple effect up the earnings distribution. The new National Living Wage will boost pay for those currently earning the National Minimum Wage by £4,800 a year by 2020 when the National Living Wage is expected to rise to over £9 per hour.

    To help working families keep more of what they earn, the personal allowance will increase to £11,000 in 2016-17 and £11,200 in 2017-18. The government has committed to increase the personal allowance to £12,500 by 2020 which will mean that a typical basic rate taxpayer will see their income tax cut by £1,205 a year compared to 2010.

    The government set out its assessment of the impacts of the Summer Budget policies in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on 20th July 2015. Taken together, the introduction of the National Living Wage, increases in the personal allowance and welfare changes mean that 8 out of 10 working households will be better off as a result of the Summer Budget.

    In response to a request from the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, the government has chosen to produce and release an impact assessment on the tax credit changes to the Committee. The impact assessment shows that 60% of the tax credit savings come from the half of tax credit claimants with the highest income.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of carers who depend on carer’s allowance as their only or primary source of income; and what assessment his Department has made of whether that allowance benefit is set at a high enough level to keep the income of carers above the poverty line.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested is not available. Such data is not collected. It is the circumstances of the claimant themselves, including their earnings, that may affect the Carer’s Allowance award. But any other income that may come into the household does not affect the claim, so we do not record whether Carer’s Allowance is the only or primary source of income.

    This Government recognises and appreciates the vital contribution made by carers. The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person.

    In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Income Support and Pension Credit. Income-related benefits help ensure that people can afford to meet their normal daily living needs. These benefits include a carer premium, currently £34.60 a week. Universal Credit also includes a carer element at the rate of £150.39 per monthly assessment period. This means that those on lower incomes can be better off if they have caring responsibilities than others who receive these benefits.

  • Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many lay magistrates were recruited in the last year for which figures are available for each decile by age.

    Lord Faulks

    A total of 403 magistrates were appointed in England and Wales between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015. A breakdown of those appointments can be found in the tables below:

    Gender

    Male

    Female

    158 (39%)

    245 (61%)

    Ethnicity

    White

    Mixed

    Black

    Asian

    Chinese

    Other

    333 (83%)

    15 (4%)

    24 (6%)

    22 (5%)

    3 (>1%)

    6 (2%)

    Age

    18-29

    30-39

    40-49

    50-59

    60-65

    24 (6%)

    75 (19%)

    97 (24%)

    154 (38%)

    53 (13%)
  • Baroness Deech – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Deech – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have discussed with the government of Austria the case of Stephan Templ, chronicler of Nazi looting in Vienna, who has been sentenced to imprisonment in connection with his claim for restitution.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of the legal case concerning Stephan Templ. Our Embassy has close relations with the Secretary General of the Austrian National Fund for Victims of National Socialism, which was established in 1995 to fulfil Austria’s responsibility towards the victims of National Socialism. The British Government encourages the authorities in Austria and other countries in the region to address restitution and compensation claims from those who were tragically affected by the Holocaust as soon as possible, in a way that would be just and satisfactory to the claimants. We will continue to engage with the authorities to press the case for victims of National Socialism to receive justice and fair compensation, particularly through the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. The Government has appointed Sir Eric Pickles as its envoy for post holocaust issues, and he will continue to raise such issues at every opportunity.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the present situation of the Yezidis displaced from the Sinjar/Shengal region, irrespective of their current location; what proportion of those displaced are in camps; and what plans there are for protecting those outside camps during the winter.

    Baroness Verma

    UK aid is reaching thousands of vulnerable people across Iraq, include the most vulnerable groups, such as Yezidis. All UK-funded aid is distributed on the basis of need to ensure civilians are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion or ethnicity. The UK works with the Government of Iraq, Kurdish Regional Government, UN and the international community to support the rights of all minorities and to ensure our aid reaches those in greatest need.

    Humanitarian actors have started the winterisation preparations. We regularly engage with the UN and other partners to ensure that the needs of those most requiring assistance are taken into account. As part of the humanitarian response in Iraq, populations outside of camps have been described as a priority target.

    DFID announced an additional £20 million of humanitarian funding for Iraq on 29 September, taking our total contribution to £79.5 million since June 2014.

  • The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 17 December 2014 (HL3284), whether the collection of consistent and comparable data on domestic abuse is now under way, and when they plan to publish the results.

    Lord Bates

    All forces through the Annual Data Return must record and provide data on domestic abuse related crimes and incidents. The requirement is part of the Home Secretary’s commitment to take forward recommendations made by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in its report on the police response to domestic abuse published in March 2014. It came into force in April 2015 and the first findings from this collection will be published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in October as part of the quarterly Crime in England and Wales statistics publication. The Home Office is working with the ONS on the publication of more detailed data in future crime publications.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they have taken, if any, in response to the most recent arrests of members of the Sudan Congress Party, and more broadly regarding the treatment of members of civil society, political activists and journalists in Sudan since the election in April.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Whilst we have not raised this specific case, we regularly highlight our concerns over the treatment of political parties, civil society and the media with the Government of Sudan, most recently with a member of the National Congress Party in September this year.

  • The Earl of Dundee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The Earl of Dundee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Dundee on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what comparisons they have made between their current and previous schemes to encourage foreign students to prolong their studies and take up employment with United Kingdom business and industry; and whether, as a result, they plan to amend their current scheme.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    Prior to 2012 international students who successfully completed a degree at a UK institution could apply for permission to work in the UK for two years. This Post-Study Work route was closed from 6th April 2012 as it granted unrestricted access to the UK labour market for two years to non-EEA nationals at a time when a large number of British graduates were unable to find work. The route was also found to be heavily abused with many people taking up low-skilled work rather than the intended graduate level roles. There are no plans to reintroduce this scheme.

    The UK has an excellent offer for overseas students graduating from UK universities wishing to remain in the UK. Those with an offer of a graduate-level job, paying a salary of at least £20,800, can take up sponsored employment for up to six years. In 2014 some 11,000 international students switched to skilled work. PhD students can stay in the UK for an extra year, under the Tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme, to look for work or start their own business. Graduate entrepreneurs can stay on for up to two years to develop their business in the UK. The Government has also made provisions for graduates wishing to undertake a period of professional training or a corporate internship related to their qualifications, before pursuing a career overseas.