UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2015

  • Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 November 2015 to Question 13950, what the estimated annual shortfall is in the payment of pensions to former employees of the Southern Rhodesian government.

    James Duddridge

    As my Rt Hon Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps MP), Minister of State at the Department for International Development, set out last week, the Government sympathises with the plight of those former public servants who are entitled to a Zimbabwe government pension. We have not calculated the amounts involved because the UK has no legal obligation or responsibility for these. Responsibility rests with the Zimbabwean government. We continue to remind the relevant authorities in Zimbabwe of this legal commitment.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to prevent recently arrived Syrian refugees on the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme from relocating to different areas of the UK from where they were originally located by that scheme.

    Richard Harrington

    Local authorities provide those resettled under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement scheme with a comprehensive support package which is tailored according to the individuals needs. We encourage refugees to remain where they have been resettled to take advantage of this offer, however, they are free to relocate within the UK if they choose to do so.

  • 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 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to respond to the report by the Law Commission on tax; and private hire services, published in May 2014.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government is currently considering the Law Commission’s comprehensive report on reforming taxi and private hire vehicle legislation. 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 once this scrutiny is completed.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults were recorded on prison staff on duty in 2014-15.

    Andrew Selous

    We do not tolerate violence of any kind in prison and any assault is treated extremely seriously. Any prisoner who commits an act of violence can expect to have action taken against them.

    Statistics for assaults on staff are published in the Safety in Custody statistics bulletin.

    The information requested may be found in the ‘Summary tables April 2004 to March 2015’ at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-march-2015

    “

  • Baroness Coussins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Coussins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Coussins on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of recording and monitoring the number of teachers leaving the profession centrally alongside the number of new recruits already collected on the planning of teacher supply in modern foreign languages; and whether they plan to begin recording and monitoring those figures.

    Lord Nash

    The numbers of teachers leaving and joining the profession in each secondary subject, including Modern Foreign Languages (MFL), are already factors in the department’s modelling of future demand for secondary teachers.

    The department uses the Teacher Supply Model (TSM) to estimate the demand for the number of qualified teachers within state-funded schools in England each year using a range of assumptions, including projections for the numbers of pupils in schools and the number of teachers expected to leave the sector.

    To estimate the demand for teachers in specific secondary subjects, the TSM uses the latest data on secondary subject take-up, defined by hours taught, and projected pupil numbers at Key Stages 3 to 5. It also takes into account the different age and gender demographics of current teachers for the different secondary subjects, plus the historical rates at which teachers left the profession by subject group. For modelling purposes, the leaver rates are estimated separately by age and gender groups, and in each case vary by groups of subjects.

  • 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 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he plans for the £300 million allocated for cycling in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 to be the sole source of funding for the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy; and how much of that allocation he plans to spend on cycling.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy will be published by summer 2016, with a statement of funds available beforehand.

  • Lord Judd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Judd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will designate Egypt as a country of concern in the next FCO annual report on human rights and democracy.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Foreign and Commonwealth reviewed the use of the designation “countries of concern” earlier this year. We now highlight “human rights priority countries” that we wish to work positively with wherever possible to improve their human rights trajectory.

    Our criteria in designating a human rights priority country is an evidence-based assessment. We utilise internationally respected indicators and indices, such as the UN Gender Inequality Index and the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index, to form our assessments. Once we have the relevant data, we will take informed decisions as to which countries will be human rights priority countries in 2016.

  • Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2015-12-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the rationale is for setting the interest rate on the repayment of student loans under the new system at three per cent.

    Joseph Johnson

    Interest rates on student loans vary according to a number of factors, including a borrower’s level of earnings, and whether they remain in contact with the Student Loans Company to ensure they are repaying when they are eligible to do so.

    The maximum interest rate for the post-2012 system is the Retail Price Index (RPI) figure plus 3%. The maximum rate applies whilst the borrower is studying; is the maximum interest rate for those borrowers earning £41,000 and over; and is the default interest rate for those borrowers who fail to keep in touch with the Student Loans Company.

    Once a borrower is due to repay, a variable rate of interest will be charged, which is dependent upon income. Borrowers with an income of £21,000 or less will accrue interest at RPI. For a borrower with income greater than £21,000, a real rate of interest will be tapered in, reaching a maximum of RPI plus 3% at an income of £41,000 or more.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve social support for unemployed young people, in particular in adapting to changing technology.

    Lord Freud

    As our Manifesto said, we are committed to abolishing long-term youth unemployment and ensuring that young people are either earning or learning.

    DWP provides a broad range of additional support, over and above the standard Jobcentre Plus offer, to all young people on benefit, which is tailored to their needs. Through the Youth Obligation, from day 1 young people will participate in an intensive support regime equipping them with the skills to not only find a job but build capability to sustain work, and after 6 months they will be supported to apply for an apprenticeship, traineeship, gain work skills or go on a work placement. In addition, if needed, young people already receive support to help them to make and manage their claims on-line and to acquire and improve their digital skills.

  • Graham Stuart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Graham Stuart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stuart on 2015-12-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils took a GCSE in Spanish in each of the last 10 years.

    Nick Gibb

    Information on the total entries for GCSEs in Spanish is published at national level as part of the “GCSE and equivalent results in England” statistical first release [1],[2],[3],[4],[5]

    [1] 2014/15 provisional table can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/467610/SFR37_2015_Subject_Timeseries.xls. (Years: 2009/10 – 2014/15)

    [2] 2008/09 revised table 8 can be found at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151655/http:/www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00196306/ks4-results-in-england-2008-09-(revised). (Year: 2008/09)

    [3] 2007/08 revised table 10 can be found at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151655/http:/www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00195931/gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england. (Year: 2007/08)

    [4] 2006/07 revised table 10 can be found at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151655/http:/www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00195692/dcsf-gcse-and-equivalent-examination-results-in-en. (Year: 2006/07)

    [5] 2005/06 revised table 10 can be found at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151655/http:/www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00195387/gcse-and-equivalent-examination-results-in-england. (Year: 2005/06)

    “