The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-11-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to answer Question 13072, on Ministry of Justice: Departmental Responsibilities, tabled by the hon. Member for Hammersmith on 22 October 2015.
Dominic Raab
The answer to 13072 was given on 24 November 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of reducing the work-related activity group employment and support allowance rate on the number of claimants who move into employment.
Priti Patel
The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in Bill on 20th July.
Ministers have considered impacts with regard to all relevant legal obligations when formulating the welfare policies announced in the Bill.
The intended impact of these reforms is to incentivise work and ensure work always pays.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Johnny Mercer on 2015-11-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make contingency plans for delivery by bodies other than Network Rail of Control Period 5 projects that the Hendy Review determines to be undeliverable and which are necessary in order to realise the full benefit of the introduction of AT300 trains to the South West peninsula.
Claire Perry
As Sir Peter Hendy’s report to the Secretary of State on the 25 November 2015 on the replanning of the CP5 Investment Programme made clear, the Cornwall Capacity Enabling Scheme, which will enable the delivery of the introduction of AT300 trains to the South West peninsula, will be delivered within CP5.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the minutes of the infected blood reference group meeting held on 5 October 2015; and for what reasons those minutes have not yet been published.
Jane Ellison
A report was produced by the independent facilitator who chaired the event and a final version was agreed with representatives from the campaign groups who attended, namely the Haemophilia Society, Contaminated Blood Campaign, and Tainted Blood. The report has now been published on the Haemophilia Society website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many hours each week Jobcentre Plus work coaches are expected to spend with each participant in the Mandatory Intervention Regime under the Help to Work scheme.
Priti Patel
The Mandatory Intervention Regime (MIR) under the Help to Work scheme delivers all the employment support measures available through the JCP Offer and, to supplement those, provides more intensive, personalised support through increased work coach interviews. The length, nature and frequency of these additional interviews is determined locally on a case by case basis and may vary over time.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria his Department has set for referral to (a) Community Work Placements and (b) Daily Work Search Review once a claimant has joined the Help to Work scheme.
Priti Patel
Under Help to Work Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches have the flexibility to decide which of the three options that are part of the programme, Mandatory Intervention Regime, Community Work Placements or Daily Work Search Reviews, would best suit each individual jobseeker. They base their decisions on an exit report from their Work Programme provider and discussions with the jobseeker about the particular barriers still stopping them from getting work.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2015-11-20.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people making use of new pension freedoms have sought professional, regulated financial advice since April 2015.
Harriett Baldwin
The Government does not hold the information requested.
However, the Government is committed to ensuring that all consumers can access high quality, affordable advice so they can make informed decisions about their hard-earned money.
That is why the Treasury has launched, jointly with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Financial Advice Market Review which will examine how consumers can best be provided with the help and advice the need.
The Treasury and the FCA published a Call for Input on 12 October seeking views from all interested parties on how financial advice could work better for consumers. The Call for Input will run until 22 December and the review will report back with proposals ahead of Budget 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2015-11-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information the Government holds on UK-linked companies committing human rights abuses abroad.
Mr David Lidington
The Government does not maintain a central log of UK-linked companies who allegedly fail to respect human rights abroad. However, the Government’s expectation is that British companies will build respect for human rights into all aspects of their operations, in the UK and overseas. Responsible action by the private sector is good for business and communities – it helps create jobs, customers and a sense of fairness, and contributes towards to a market’s sustainability.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Rayner on 2015-11-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what role he plans for Rail North in (a) assessing bids for the Northern and TransPennine Express rail franchises and (b) drafting the agreements for those franchises.
Andrew Jones
The Department for Transport (DfT) has been working with Rail North throughout the process to renew the Northern and TransPennine Express franchises. As well as their active involvement during the development of the franchise specifications and public consultation, Rail North staff have also been part of the DfT teams evaluating the bids and have commented on key parts of the draft Franchise Agreements.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2015-11-20.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why 450 British extremists who have been, or are believed to have been, fighting in Syria have been permitted to re-enter the UK, and why only three of those individuals have been charged with terrorist offences.
Lord Bates
Approximately 800 British nationals have travelled to Syria to take part in the conflict since it began, and of those who are known to have travelled about half have returned.
It is a general convention of international law that a state should allow entry of its own citizens.
However, everyone who returns from taking part in the conflict in Syria or Iraq – which includes those who voluntarily decide to live in areas controlled by ISIL – must expect to be subject to review by the police to determine if they have committed criminal offences abroad, and to ensure that they do not pose a threat to our national security.
British citizens and residents who commit offences abroad can be prosecuted under a wide range of terrorism and criminal law offences including training for terrorism and murder.
Decisions on charging are taken independently on a case-by-case basis by the Crown Prosecution Service.