UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2015

  • Lord Myners – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Myners – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2015-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what regulatory actions were taken in the United Kingdom in connection with HSBC as a consequence of the fines imposed in the United States in response to its involvement in money laundering on behalf of Mexican drug cartels.

    Lord Deighton

    I can confirm to the Noble Lord that the information I provided him in response to his written question answered on 17th June 2013 remains accurate:

    US investigations and enforcement action on HSBC focused on their subsidiaries in the US. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has no direct supervisory remit over these HSBC entities.

    However, in conjunction with the action taken by the US, the (then) FSA, as lead regulator for the HSBC Group globally, made a number of requirements of HSBC Holdings plc, designed to ensure that all parts of the HSBC Group are compliant with the relevant legal and regulatory requirements across the Group to prevent similar failings occurring in future.

    This included requiring a committee of the HSBC Board to oversee matters relating to anti-money laundering, sanctions, terrorist financing and proliferation financing; requiring the Group to revise its policies and procedures to ensure that all parts of the HSBC Group are subject to standards equivalent to those required under UK requirements; HSBC employing an independent monitor to oversee the Group’s compliance with UK anti-money laundering, sanctions, terrorist financing and proliferation financing requirements and to provide independent reporting to the HSBC Board committee and regulators. HSBC Holdings was also required to appoint a Group Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO), with responsibility for ensuring that systems and controls are in place across the Group.

    The FCA is closely monitoring the implementation of these requirements by HSBC.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many breaches of the law by foreign-registered heavy goods vehicles in 2013–14 resulted in either a fixed penalty notice or a court summons; and how many of those were successfully enforced.

    Lord Bates

    The data requested in not available as it is not centrally collected.

    The Home Office collect data on the number of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued by police forces in England and Wales for various motoring offences, as well as the number of these FPNs that are paid and the number in which the fine is registered in court. This data cannot be broken down by type of vehicle or owner of vehicle.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the call by the Prime Minister at the British Chambers of Commerce Conference on 10 February for salaries and wages in the private sector to be increased, whether they will now arrange for the caps on the salaries and wages of public sector employees to be lifted; and if not, why not.

    Lord Deighton

    The Chancellor announced at Autumn Statement 2011 that for the two years following the public sector pay freeze, public sector pay awards will average at 1 per cent. At Budget 2013 it was announced that awards in 2015-16 will be limited to an average of up to 1 per cent.

    The government has made no decisions on pay policy beyond 2015-16. Decisions on future pay policy will be made at the next spending round.

    Pay restraint is one of the many difficult choices the government has had to make to help put the UK’s public finances back on track. It is helping to protect jobs in the public sector and support the quality of public services.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many unqualified staff were teaching children in each local authority in the North West of England in April 2010.

    Mr David Laws

    The following table provides the head count number of regular teachers without qualified teacher status (QTS) in service in publicly funded schools in each local authority in the North West region in England in November 2010. The information is from the School Workforce Census which takes place in November each year.

    November 2010

    NORTH WEST

    2,119

    Knowsley

    17

    Liverpool

    81

    St. Helens

    4

    Sefton

    60

    Wirral

    47

    Bolton

    59

    Bury

    246

    Manchester

    138

    Oldham

    80

    Rochdale

    85

    Salford

    267

    Stockport

    66

    Tameside

    64

    Trafford

    118

    Wigan

    52

    Halton

    12

    Warrington

    59

    Lancashire

    246

    Blackburn with Darwen

    47

    Blackpool

    15

    Cheshire East

    172

    Cheshire West and Chester

    73

    Cumbria

    111

    Source: School Workforce Census


  • Iain McKenzie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Iain McKenzie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain McKenzie on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the benefits and costs of a nationwide badger cull; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    The Government is committed to our strategy to make England free of bovine TB, of which culling badgers in areas where the disease is rife is a key element. The outcome of this year’s cull in Somerset indicates that industry-led culling can, in the right circumstances, deliver the level of effectiveness required to be confident of achieving disease control benefits.

    The results for Gloucestershire show that continued progress is needed taking into account the additional challenges of interference and harassment by activists. The cost of the badger cull pilots in 2013 was £6.3 million. The estimated cost of England failing to tackle bovine TB is estimated to be £1 billion in the next decade.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children and young people were diagnosed with a mental health problem in A&E in each year since 2009-10.

    Norman Lamb

    The information is in the table:

    Year

    2009-10

    2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    A&E Attendances

    8,358

    9,328

    11,614

    13,655

    17,278

    FAEs

    11,909

    12,417

    12,361

    11,994

    12,126

    The table shows both the number of attendances in accident and emergency (A&E) in which the A&E diagnosis was ‘psychiatric conditions’ and the number of Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) in which the primary diagnosis was ‘mental and behavioural disorders’.

  • Robert Flello – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Robert Flello – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to Part 5 (a) (ii) of the Mitochndrial Donation Regulations 2015, how the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority plans to define a significant risk” of having or developing serious mitochondrial disease.”

    Jane Ellison

    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that if Parliament passes the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015, it will need to design a regulatory process of which the consideration of “significant risk” is a part. In designing that process it will take into account, where relevant, the existing regulatory process for embryo testing (preimplantation genetic diagnosis).

  • Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2015 to Question 222873, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that UK users who acquire non-human primates ensure breeders and suppliers they deal with have proper controls and processes in place; how such controls and processes are monitored; and how many UK users have been found not to have sufficient controls and processes in place.

    Lynne Featherstone

    We have taken a number of steps to gain assurances about the quality of non-human primates being imported for research within the legal constraints available to us. We have emphasised to those UK users who acquire these primates that they are responsible for ensuring that the breeders and suppliers they deal with have proper controls and processes in place. In order to be assured that these animals are of appropriate quality for the work authorised on their project licences, they need to be confident of high standards of care and welfare.

    We are aware that, in recent years, these UK users have routinely visited and inspected their overseas primate breeders, and that they do indeed demand these high standards. We are encouraging this to continue.

    Home Office Inspectors assigned to establishments holding and using imported primates play a key role in monitoring the situation. Through inspection visits and other contact with animal care staff, inspectors maintain awareness of the importations of primates, both consignments already acquired and those due. This enables appropriately timed inspections to be carried out to monitor the quality of animals being acquired.

    We also expect the local inspector to be notified promptly in the event of any significant health or welfare problems which may occur following arrival of an importation of primates. Should a particular source be shown to be delivering primates of unacceptable quality from the perspective of their health and welfare, we will deal with this through the relevant licence authorisation.

    No UK users have been found to have insufficient controls and processes in place.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to impose a residence test for legal aid.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    Legal aid is a fundamental part of our justice system, but resources are not limitless.

    The Government believe that individuals should have a strong connection to the UK in order to benefit from the civil legal aid scheme. We believe the residence test we proposed is a fair and proportionate way to demonstrate that connection.

    The proposed residence test was challenged by way of judicial review brought by the Public Law Project. We are disappointed with the High Court judgement and have been granted permission to appeal. The appeal has been listed for 16 and 17 June 2015 in the Court of Appeal.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to improve Clacton railway station.

    Claire Perry

    Any such improvements would be for the station operator to suggest. The Government believes that operators are better placed than central Government to react to the demands of their customers.