Tag: 2015

  • Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-11-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff of the Financial Conduct Authority and the Financial Services Authority worked on money laundering enforcement in each of the last five years.

    Harriett Baldwin

    This is an operational matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who are operationally independent from Government. The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the honourable member by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the finding of the report, Halving the Gap, published by Mencap in December 2015, that the proposed change in employment and support allowance to claimants in the work-related activity group is likely to move those claimants further away from the labour market rather than closer.

    Priti Patel

    The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in Bill on 20th July and we will review all reports which relate to the Welfare Reform and Work Bill.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Alison Thewliss – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that universal credit claimants are not sanctioned in the period between accepting an offer of employment and starting employment.

    Priti Patel

    Universal Credit claimants, who are expected to look for work, must take all reasonable action they can to become employed. Any requirements placed on the claimant will be based on a discussion with their work coach, taking into account the individual’s circumstances, including any offer of employment they may have received.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2015-12-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of aid provided by the UK following the earthquake in Nepal last year.

    Baroness Verma

    DFID gave £70 million to the Nepal earthquake response to support humanitarian and early recovery efforts, making us one of the major donors. The Department for International Development’s expenditure in Nepal is assessed in a number of different and complementary ways. Across the portfolio, monitoring plans are in place for every programme including our response to the 2015 earthquake. This places emphasis on results delivery, ensuring we are well placed to monitor the effectiveness of our programmes. Our strong focus on evaluation, both globally and in our country programmes, ensures we can evaluate performance and impact across the sectors in which we work.

    In addition to regular monitoring and evaluation, since the earthquake DFID Nepal has set up a regional office in Gorkha district to increase oversight of humanitarian and reconstruction programmes.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Indian counterpart on the treatment of Muslims and Christians in India.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I discussed religious minority rights in India with the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, V K Singh, on 5 November. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) also discussed this issue with Prime Minister Modi during his visit to the UK on 12-14 November. Mr Modi assured him that his government remained committed to diversity, and to protecting the fundamental freedoms of all India’s citizens. During their joint press conference, Prime Minister Modi was clear that he upheld the Gandhian traditions of diversity and that he would not accept any signs of intolerance.

  • 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 2015-12-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what NHS medical support is available for (1) asylum seekers, and (2) refugees.

    Lord Bates

    Only those asylum seekers (and their dependants) who receive asylum support under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are entitled to access NHS medical services. They are able to access free NHS prescriptions, free dental treatment, free eye sight tests, help with the cost of glasses or contact lenses, free wigs and fabric supports and help with the cost of travel to receive treatment under the care of a consultant.

    The Home Office takes all reasonable steps to ensure the health and welfare of asylum seekers who receive asylum support under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. At the inception of their claim, they are provided with an opportunity to undergo assessment by health officials and suitable steps are taken to provide them with access to appropriate medical treatment, this includes advice on how to register with a GP practice and how to access emergency treatment at a hospital or walk in centre.

    Those qualifying asylum seekers, as outlined above, are provided with a HC2 certificate which confirms to medical practitioners that they are eligible to access appropriate medical services.

    Refugees who have been granted asylum status are eligible for services from the National Health Service on the same basis as the general population.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans for 3D heart imaging to identify blocked arteries to be available on the NHS.

    Jane Ellison

    Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), which provides three dimensional imaging, is currently available within the National Health Service in England.

  • Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2015-12-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications for planning consent for national infrastructure projects have been made since responsibility for determining them passed to the Secretary of State; and whether they will list them by date, decision and the time each one took between the application being made and the decision issued.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    70 applications for development consent for nationally significant infrastructure projects have been made since responsibility for determining them passed from the Infrastructure Planning Commission to the Secretary of State in 2012. Of these, there have been 46 decisions in total. 45 were taken by the Secretary of State and 1 by the Infrastructure Planning Commission.

    Of these decisions, the Secretary of State granted development consent for 43 projects and declined 2 applications. The Infrastructure Planning Commission granted development consent for 1.

    Of the 70 applications, 4 were withdrawn before they reached the decision stage. 20 applications are currently going through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Planning process. Details of all the applications including the time each one took between application and decision are set out in the attached table.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the cost of using external agencies for recruitment to senior Civil Service posts in his Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

    Joseph Johnson

    The estimated cost for using external agencies for recruitment to Senior Civil Service posts in 2014/15 was £155,000.

    Information for previous years is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Lord Falconer of Thoroton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Falconer of Thoroton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 2015-12-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government (1) how many, and (2) what percentage of, prison governors have worked at two or more prisons in the last five years.

    Lord Faulks

    Of the governors of public sector prisons in post at 30 September 2015, a total of 90 (85%) had worked at two or more prisons in the previous five years.