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Tag: 2015

  • Lord Campbell-Savours – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Campbell-Savours – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell-Savours on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the proportion of the concession on tax credits announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 which is offset by the migration to Universal Credit.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Universal Credit is a different benefit to Tax Credits. It brings six benefits together as one and therefore comparisons between the two are extremely difficult to make.

    Summer Budget 2015 and the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 provide the fiscal impacts of changes to Tax Credits and Universal Credit.

  • Karin Smyth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Karin Smyth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karin Smyth on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refugees have been moved to the Bristol City Council area in each of the last five years.

    James Brokenshire

    We are unable to provide the number of refugees living in each Local Authority, as once refugee status has been granted the individual is not required to keep the Home Office updated on their current location.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he has made an assessment of the effect of the Government’s Strategy for UK Life Sciences, published in December 2011, on the UK life sciences sector.

    George Freeman

    The UK has one of the strongest and most productive life sciences industries in the world, generating turnover of over £56 billion per annum and ranking top in major European economies for health life sciences foreign direct investment projects.

    Since the launch of the Governments Life Science Strategy in 2011, the Government has invested almost £1billion in health and life sciences and has attracted over £3.5 billion of private sector investment to the UK, making us the leading European destination for life science fundraising.

    Our ambition is to maximise the UK’s strengths in science and research to accelerate the development and adoption of 21st Century health science technology, delivering the best health outcomes and increasing wider growth and prosperity.

  • Nusrat Ghani – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Nusrat Ghani – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nusrat Ghani on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support people in Pakistan who are creating safe spaces for the discussion of liberal Islam

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID supports the rights of all groups to follow their religious faith and to live safe lives. Wherever possible, our programmes in Pakistan promote diversity and tolerance. For example, our work with civil society groups focus on strengthening the political voice of excluded groups and providing them with better access to justice. Our education programmes in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces support the implementation of Pakistan’s 2006 reformed curriculum which teaches religious tolerance and respect for diversity.

    The Government of Pakistan has publicly recognised the problems facing minorities and the need to bring an end to religious persecution. We remain fully committed to working in partnership with them to achieve this and raise these issues regularly with the Government of Pakistan. Most recently the Head of DFID Pakistan raised this issue in October as part of the bilateral assistance talks.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department has taken to encourage the development of enterprise zones in West Yorkshire.

    Greg Hands

    The Spending Review detailed new Enterprise Zones which will be established across England. This includes the Leeds City Region M62 Corridor Enterprise Zone in West Yorkshire.

  • Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what steps the Electoral Commission is taking to tackle electoral fraud in (a) Peterborough and (b) England; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Commission provides advice to those who are involved on the frontline in identifying, investigating and prosecuting cases of electoral fraud. Before each set of elections the Commission provides advice to the police, electoral administrators and others on ways to prevent and detect electoral fraud, based on the best practice it has identified through working with partners across electoral administration and the justice system. Each year the Commission publishes data on allegations of electoral fraud that are reported to the police.

    The Commission targets additional support for those on the front line in 18 areas in England where there is a higher risk of allegations of electoral fraud. This includes Peterborough and the Commission will be working again with these areas before the elections in May 2016 to build on what was done prior to the General Election. The Commission issued briefings to all honourable members in the last parliament on the work it was undertaking prior to the General Election to help tackle electoral fraud and will do so again before the elections in May 2016.

    In its 2014 review of electoral fraud, the Commission recommended that voters in Great Britain should be required to produce ID at polling stations, although it is yet to receive a response to this recommendation from the Government. The Commission has submitted evidence to the review being undertaken by Sir Eric Pickles and hopes that he agrees with it and that the Government accepts the Commission’s recommendation.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to trace the sources of financial support for (a) ISIS and (b) other terrorist networks.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK has led efforts to create and enforce an international legal regime to cut off support, including financial support, for Daesh and other terrorist groups. This regime is underpinned by UN Security Council Resolutions 2178 (on foreign fighters), 2199 (on squeezing Daesh’s funding sources) and 1267 (which imposes sanctions on individuals and groups associated with Al-Qaida and its affiliates, including Daesh). We are actively involved with Global Coalition partners in identifying companies and individuals that breach any aspect of this regime, including the financial ones.

    UK law enforcement agencies have a well established and sophisticated system for investigating and shutting off sources of finance for terrorists, including Daesh. The Government also works closely with the private sector to crack down on terrorist-related money laundering.

  • Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of changes to disability benefits on spending by the NHS.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance are universal benefits that help with the extra costs arising from a long-term health condition or disability. Spending on these benefits increased by over £2 billion over the course of the last parliament and we expect to be spending over £21 billion this year. We would expect individuals to be accessing the relevant support services, regardless of benefit receipt and do not expect the reforms to disability benefits to impact health services. We have also set up the Work and Health Joint Unit with the Department of Health to improve health and employment outcomes for claimants.

  • Matthew Pennycook – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Matthew Pennycook – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions she has had with the National Infrastructure Commission on ensuring it helps deliver a future-proof energy infrastructure as part of its early work.

    Andrea Leadsom

    My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State met with the Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission to discuss the focus of the Commission’s early work, how this focus relates to the Department’s priorities going forward, and how the Department can assist in the work of the Commission more broadly. DECC officials will continue to work closely with the Commission to ensure that their early work builds on the existing evidence and our current expectations of the country’s energy infrastructure needs.

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2015-10-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they are giving to consumers about the health risks of eating processed meat.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Public Health England’s advice is that, on average, people should be eating no more than 70 grammes of red and processed meat a day. People who eat a lot of these meats are at higher risk of bowel cancer than those who eat small amounts. Therefore, people who eat more than 90 grammes of red or processed meat a day are advised to cut down.