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Tag: 2015

  • Alistair Carmichael – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alistair Carmichael – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect on students in Orkney and Shetland of reducing the accredited English language courses available to students in the highlands and islands of Scotland.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office has not reduced accredited English language courses in the highlands and islands of Scotland, including Orkney & Shetland.

    Following a procurement exercise, the Home Office has reduced the number of test centres in the UK that are able to provide Secure English Language Testing for immigration purposes, but this should not affect the availability of English language courses in Scotland or in any other part of the UK.

  • Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicola Blackwood on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Attorney General, how much of the Law Officers’ Departments funding allocated in the Spending Review 2015 will be for research and development expenditure up to 2020.

    Robert Buckland

    Spending Review 2015 set out settlements for departments and showed how the government will deliver on its priorities, eliminate the deficit, and deliver security and opportunity for working people.

    Final decisions on internal departmental funding allocations for future years, including for research and development, have not yet been made.

  • Antoinette Sandbach – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Antoinette Sandbach – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what entry level qualifications are required by prison officers.

    Andrew Selous

    There are no formal educational qualifications required in order to be a Prison Officer. All applicants must meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules which govern eligibility for employment in the Civil Service.

    In addition anyone applying to be a Prison Officer must:

    • successfully complete a Situational Judgment Test and a Recruitment Assessment Day
    • undergo security and identity checks prior to taking up the post
    • pass a medical examination and a fitness test
    • complete the Prison Officer Entry Level Training course
  • Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of replacing maintenance grants with loans on students from faith backgrounds which discourage the accrual of interest.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Government expects to publish an Equality Analysis of the changes to student support for the 2016/17 academic year alongside the regulations.

  • Melanie Onn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Melanie Onn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the economic cost of the shortage of Certificate of Professional Competence qualified drivers.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport has not made an estimate on the economic effect of a potential driver shortage. It is aware of extensive reports about pressures on wages, the recruitment of drivers from outside the UK and delayed deliveries.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that all UK Pension schemes are aware of (a) the findings of the Law Commission’s report on Fiduciary Duties of Investment Intermediaries, published in June 2014, HC 368, and (b) related guidance to be issued by the Pensions Regulator.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Pensions Regulator has already taken steps to ensure that occupational pension schemes are aware of the findings of the Law Commission’s report on fiduciary duties.

    In October 2014 The Pensions Regulator emailed over 37,000 pension scheme trustees to make them aware of the Law Commission’s report, and the guidance produced by the Law Commission on pension trustees’ duties.

    The Pensions Regulator has also updated its ‘trustee toolkit’ training materials to reflect the Law Commission’s findings, and is updating its investment guidance with new material with reflects the Law Commission’s conclusions. This includes the revised Code of Practice and guidance for running defined contribution schemes, which is currently published for consultation.

  • 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 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his oral evidence to the Work and Pensions Committee of 28 October 2015, for how long a welfare rights adviser has been placed in the Birkenhead food bank; and when he plans to roll-out the placement of such advisers to all food banks.

    Priti Patel

    Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches regularly undertake outreach work in local communities. We have no specific knowledge of a welfare rights advisor working in a food bank in Birkenhead.

  • Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to extend schemes of shared ownership for existing housing stock.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Autumn Statement announced measures to double the number of first time buyers and confirmed £8 billion to deliver over 400,000 affordable housing starts including £4 billion for 135,000 new Help to Buy: Shared Ownership starts by 2020. This will build on the 41,000 new Shared Ownership homes we have delivered since 2010.

    We believe that shared ownership has an important role to play, as part of a diverse and thriving housing market, in helping those who aspire to home ownership but may be otherwise unable to afford it. The Government is also committed to working with housing associations to help to develop flexible tenure models and savings vehicles. This could include tenants converting their rented properties into shared ownership, overpaying on their rent in order to take an equity share in their property.

  • Andrew Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Andrew Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2015-10-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much centrally-provided capital funding has been provided to each further education college in each of the last five years.

    Nick Boles

    The amount of centrally-provided capital funding provided to each further education college in each of the last five years is shown in the attached table.

  • Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicola Blackwood on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much of his Department’s funding allocated in the Spending Review 2015 will be for research and development expenditure up to 2020.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I refer the hon. Member to para 6.44 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 (Cm9161) for the proportion of our defence budget dedicated to science and technology.