The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2015-11-05.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been paid from the public purse in backdated guardian’s allowance to people who have been granted leave in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Mr David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs does not hold the requested information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nia Griffith on 2015-12-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many times he has visited each parliamentary constituency in Wales in an official capacity in the 2015-16 session of Parliament.
Stephen Crabb
Wales Office Ministers regularly visit Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales. In each instance, the respective honourable Member is notified of the visit.
Details of Ministerial visits and meetings are published on the Wales Office website, and in Quarterly Ministerial Transparency Returns. In addition, visits and meetings conducted in support of the Wales Office Business Plan are published in the Wales Office Annual Report and Accounts.
Wales Office Ministers are always keen to receive invitation requests from honourable Members.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to work with credit card companies to support customers who are struggling with persistent debt.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
The Government has fundamentally reformed regulation of the consumer credit market, which includes the credit card sector. Consumer credit regulation transferred from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on 1 April 2014.
The FCA is currently undertaking a thorough review of the credit card market through its ‘credit card market study’. The market study is investigating three areas, one of which is the extent of unaffordable credit card debt. On the 3rd November 2015 the FCA published its interim report which found that the market was working reasonably well for most customers. However, the FCA expressed concern about the scale of potentially problematic debt in this sector and the incentives for firms to manage this.
The interim report also included the FCA’s early thinking on potential remedies which include measures to give consumers more control over their credit limits, measures to encourage customers to pay off debt quicker when they can afford to, and proposals that firms do more to identify earlier those consumers who may be struggling to repay and take action to help them manage their repayments. The FCA is currently asking for feedback on the findings and potential remedies.
The Government is looking forward to the full report in the spring and would encourage interested parties to give their views to the FCA to assist it in addressing the issues it has identified.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-12-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to implement the original text of Regulation (EU) No 913/2010 about a European rail network for competitive freight, in the light of the recent decision by the European Court of Justice.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Department for Transport, as a member of the Executive Board, and Network Rail, as a member of the Management Board, for Rail Freight Corridor North Sea – Mediterranean, will work with their Corridor partners to implement the extension of the British element of this Corridor to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Felixstowe and Southampton by 2018. In accordance with the requirements of Regulation (EU) No 913/2010 as amended by Regulation (EU) 1316/2013, these extensions will be based on market studies and will take into consideration existing passenger and freight operations on those routes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Truscott on 2015-11-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the value for money of the estimated £46 million of public funds provided to Kids Company over the last 15 years.
Lord Bridges of Headley
Kids Company delivered important work for vulnerable young people and received support from successive governments over a 15 year period, beginning in 2002.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2015-12-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 2 December (HL3879), whether they will publish the draft Bill for setting up the Historical Investigations Unit and other legacy bodies that was presented to political parties at those negotiations, and why they did not provide that information in that answer.
Lord Dunlop
The matter of how best to move forward and achieve broad consensus in support of legislation to establish the legacy bodies, including whether to publish the draft Bill, is currently being considered.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-11-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to prevent carbon emissions outside the UK.
Andrea Leadsom
The Government is committed to securing an ambitious, legally binding, global deal on climate change at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) 21 in Paris, in December.
My Right Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Climate and Energy, is taking every opportunity to press for an agreement that secures ambitious mitigation commitments from all Parties that together keep the goal of limiting global warming to below 2 degrees within reach. We also want an agreement that includes a regular review of targets to increase ambition over time, a global long term goal and a robust, legally binding framework to ensure transparency and accountability of commitments to help the world track progress.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rennard on 2015-12-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to introduce a limit on the size of personal, or company, donations to political parties.
Lord Bridges of Headley
We remain committed to negotiating a comprehensive cross-party reform agreement, including donations from all funding sources including trade unions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2015-11-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which (a) retired civil servants and (b) former Ministers travelled to Libya at public expense between 2002 and October 2011; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Between 2002 and October 2011 the Government funded visits to Libya for current officials and Ministers as part of regular diplomatic relations.
No retired civil servants or former ministers visited Libya at public expense
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Trefgarne on 2015-12-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many women responsible for one or more young children are currently serving prison sentences in England and Wales, and what assessment they have made of the sentencing guidelines relating to such women.
Lord Faulks
The specific information requested is not held.
Sentencing guidelines are issued by the independent Sentencing Council. They are available on the Sentencing Council website.