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Tag: 2015

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, from which countries the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme accepts UNHCR referrals.

    Richard Harrington

    We work closely with the UNHCR to identify cases that they deem in need of resettlement. We take refugees that UNHCR have referred from the region, from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt. This provides refugees with a more direct and safe route to the UK, rather than risking the hazardous journey to Europe.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to publish the report of the Cutting Red Tape programme.

    Anna Soubry

    The Cutting Red Tape programme has completed the evidence gathering stage for the six reviews launched earlier this year. The programme is now working with the responsible departments and regulators to understand the scale of potential savings, and to support them in developing next steps which respond to the findings of the reviews. The Government’s next steps will be to publish the review findings and associated responses in the New Year.

    The programme is also running an open call for evidence for future reviews via its Twitter account @CutRedTapeUK and #CutRedTape, and its website https://cutting-red-tape.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/

    “

  • Holly Lynch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Holly Lynch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of how much his Department will have spent on implementing digitalisation requirements by April 2016 at the courts and tribunals proposed for closure in the recent Proposal on the provision of court and tribunal estate in England and Wales consultation.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service are committed to delivering a quicker and fairer justice system. The digitalisation programme is on track to deliver £220m of benefits.

    Investment of digital technologies to court centres under consultation was immediately paused pending the outcome of this process. £1.35m had previously been spent in courts which have subsequently been announced for closure. The vast majority of this expenditure was in re-usable hardware assets which will be reallocated to other sites within the HMCTS estate. Additionally, the savings from the installations are expected to outweigh average installation costs by the time courts start to close.

  • Joan Ryan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Joan Ryan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations he has received from further education colleges on withdrawal of ESOL Plus Mandation Funding.

    Nick Boles

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has received an estimated 40 letters on this subject from a range of people, including Further Education College Principals, ESOL teachers, ESOL students, local councils, the Association of Colleges and other furthereducation stakeholders.

  • Holly Lynch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Holly Lynch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will take steps to ensure that all rail users have access to rail fares data which can help them find the cheapest split-ticket fares.

    Claire Perry

    Rail fares information for all journeys on the national rail network is available on Train Operating Company and the National Rail Enquiries website. This also includes journey planning information. This can be used by anyone to check fares and find any split ticket opportunity.

    The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) who represent the rail industry make the underlying data available, free of charge, under the terms of a licence arrangement. There are now a number of websites which offer a service to search for split ticket combinations.

  • Lord Donoughue – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Donoughue – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Donoughue on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that cost-effectiveness in spending improves as the International Climate Fund scheme expands.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) report published in December last year assessed the ICF as Green-Amber, meaning that it “performs relatively well overall against ICAI’s criteria for effectiveness and value for money”, noting that it “built up significant momentum and is now well placed to deliver on its ambitious objectives”.

    The Government’s response to the report was published in November 2014 and sets out the steps that we are taking to improve further the impact and cost-effectiveness of the International Climate Fund (link attached).

    We will continue to learn from and improve the robust approach to programme design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation within the ICF to ensure continued cost-effectiveness as the ICF expands in the next Spending Review period.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the (a) location and (b) dates of visits he has made to food banks since May 2010.

    Justin Tomlinson

    DWP Ministers have visited a number of third sector organisations, faith groups, civil society organisations and charities, including food banks since May 2010.

  • Baroness Lister of Burtersett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Lister of Burtersett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the effect on the number of children in poverty of the proposals in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill to (1) freeze certain benefits and tax credit amounts for four years; (2) reduce the level of the benefit cap; and (3) change child tax credits and the child element of universal credit.

    Lord Freud

    The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on 20th July. These are available on the Parliament website.

  • Michael Tomlinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Michael Tomlinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of brownfield land in the Poole Unitary Authority area has been redesignated as community land trust in the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department does not hold information centrally on the amount or type of land held by community land trusts.

    The Department’s annual Green Belt statistics monitor the amount of land designated as Green Belt in England and any changes to the designated area since the previous year. The statistics record the change by local planning authority.

    Of the local planning authorities for which information was requested, the following have made changes to the Green Belt in the last five years:

    East Dorset reduced the area of designated Green Belt in 2014-15 by 160 hectares to 16,720 hectares, a reduction of 1 per cent; and

    Purbeck increased the area of designated Green Belt in 2012-13 by 460 hectares to 8,200 hectares, an increase of 6 per cent.

  • Craig Mackinlay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Craig Mackinlay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Mackinlay on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the annual additional taxation receipts arising from restrictions to Landlords’ interest deductibility from inception of Clause 24 of the Finance Bill 2015 in April 2017 through to its full effects coming into force in 2020-21.

    Mr David Gauke

    It is assumed that the questions refer to clause 24 of the Summer 2015 Finance Bill: relief for finance costs related to residential property businesses.

    15897

    The additional taxation receipts arising from restrictions to Landlords’ interest deductibility of the Summer Budget Finance Bill 2015 has been estimated and published in the “Summer Budget 2015: policy costings” page 21:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/443195/Policy_costings_summer_budget_2015.pdf

    15898

    The number of taxpayers who will become higher rate taxpayers as a result of Clause 24 of the plans to restrict finance cost relief for individual landlords will not be estimated. It would only be possible to provide an estimate for the specific years requested at disproportionate cost.

    15899

    The number of taxpayers who will become subject to Personal Allowance restrictions as a result of the plans to restrict finance cost relief for individual landlords will not be estimated. It would only be possible to provide an estimate for the specific years requested at disproportionate cost.

    15895

    No estimate is available of the number of people that will be subject to the provisions of the High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge as a result of Clause 24 of the Finance Bill 2015. The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

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