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Tag: 2015

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Oral Contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions of 7 December 2015, Official Report, column 693, (a) which food banks he visited and (b) on which dates those visits took place in the last 12 months.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department does not hold the information requested. Ministers have conducted visits to food banks in various capacities, including in their roles as Members of Parliament.

  • Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what account he has taken of accessibility of digital services for people who do not have access to the internet when considering potential court closures as part of proposals on the provision of the court and tribunal estate; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    An impact assessment was published alongside the consultation document. An updated impact assessment will be published with the consultation response, which will assess any further impacts identified from the responses received.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department has spent in total on the Help to Work scheme to date; and what estimate he has made of the cumulative total cost of Help to Work over the duration of the current contracts.

    Priti Patel

    The Help to Work scheme contains a number of initiatives and programmes, delivered through Jobcentre Plus and Contracted Employment Provision.

    It is not possible to identify the costs of Help to Work activities separately from the total expenditure in Jobcentre Plus.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with (a) the Northern Ireland Executive’s Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and (b) her counterpart in the Republic of Ireland on steps to ensure the proposed North-South electricity interconnector is delivered.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    Non-nuclear energy policy is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and the responsibility of Northern Ireland Executive Ministers.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of India about transit issues to Nepal.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    I refer the noble Lord to the oral answer I gave to the Earl of Sandwich on 27 October 2015, Official Report, Column 1088.

    Further to that response, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), raised the situation in Nepal with the Indian Minister of External Affairs, General V K Singh on 5 November, and again with Indian Foreign Secretary Dr S Jaishankar on 12 November.

    As Nepal’s largest bilateral donor and, in the year of the 200th anniversary of relations with Nepal, the UK is concerned about the current situation. Along with the rest of the international community we are very keen to see a final political settlement in Nepal and an end to the fuel supply problems, which are holding back Nepal’s recovery from April’s tragic earthquake and having a serious humanitarian impact. We remain in close contact with the Indian and Nepali governments.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he intends to implement a single consolidated legislative framework for taxis throughout England and Wales.

    Andrew Jones

    A single legislative framework for taxis and private hire vehicles throughout England and Wales was one of the recommendations of the Law Commission following their comprehensive review of taxi and private hire legislation.

    The Government is continuing to consider the Law Commission’s report in its entirety and in line with the protocol that exists between the Government and the Law Commission, the Government will formally respond to the Law Commission and announce its intentions in due course.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel following a report by Rabbis for Human Rights that young Jewish settlers from Yitzhar were calling for Palestinians to be burned alive.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Whilst we have not specifically raised this issue, we are deeply concerned by the recent violence across the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel. We strongly condemn all acts of violence and all incitement to commit acts of violence. Since the start of the current violence we have spoken regularly to both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority, urging them to use their influence to de-escalate the tensions. The most recent discussion with the Israeli government was on 19 November when our Ambassador in Tel Aviv raised our concerns with Gilad Erdan, Israel Minister for Strategic Affairs, Public Security and Information.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken for a disability benefit appeal to reach a tribunal in Birmingham.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    HMCTS is unable to provide the information requested as it is not held centrally.

    Information about the timeliness of SSCS appeals is published by the Ministry of Justice in the Tribunal and Gender Recognition Certificate Statistics Quarterly. The most recent report (for the period April to June 2015, published on 10 September 2015) can be viewed at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2015.

    “

  • Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Earl Howe on 2 December (HL Deb, col 1193), what actions will be criminalised from next April under the specific offence of anti-Muslim hatred, and whether the actions criminalised under that offence will include (1) criticism of the Muslim religion, and (2) statements from people who have left that religion explaining why they have done so.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    As the Prime Minister announced in October, we have asked the police to record all existing religious based hate crimes by the faith or belief (including absence of belief) of the victim from April next year.

    Under existing hate crimes it is not an offence to criticise Islam or for those who have left the faith to explain why they have done so. The new recording system does not constitute a new offence of anti-Muslim hatred, but will require this to be recorded specifically.

  • Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that job vacancy statistics do not double-count jobs advertised through multiple agencies on the job vacancy portal.

    Priti Patel

    The official vacancy statistics are national statistics, produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), and not DWP. ONS is the UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics and is the recognised national statistical institute for the UK.

    The ONS is overseen by the UK Statistics Authority, which is an independent body operating at arm’s length from government as a non-ministerial department, directly accountable to Parliament. The UK Statistics authority provides independent scrutiny (monitoring and assessment) of all official statistics produced in the UK.