The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much the Government intends to raise from privatisation of the Green Investment Bank.
Anna Soubry
Proceeds will depend on the size of stake sold and the outcome of negotiations with investors about the value of the company. We will need to be satisfied any transaction represents value for money for the taxpayer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department carries out of the needs of Syrian refugees who are admitted to the UK to ensure they receive the support they need.
Richard Harrington
The UNHCR identifies refugees for potential resettlement under the Syrian VPR scheme using their vulnerability criteria. Once our security processes have been completed, a full medical assessment is conducted by the International Organisation for Migration in the host country. Local Authorities are provided with case details of all referrals so they can consider whether they have the infrastructure and support networks needed to ensure appropriate care and integration of refugees.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-10-29.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking encourage the Prudential Regulation Authority to assist credit unions in expanding the services they offer to their members; and if he will make a statement.
Harriett Baldwin
The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) is responsible for the prudential regulation and supervision of credit unions. It has a general objective to promote the safety and soundness of the firms it regulates and a secondary objective to facilitate effective competition.
The PRA is an independent non-governmental body and, although the Treasury sets the legal framework for all regulation, it has strictly limited powers in relation to the regulators. However, last year the Government asked the PRA to use the evidence gathered from the Government’s Call for Evidence on Credit Unions to inform their 2015 review of the Credit Union Sourcebook (CREDS).
The PRA have confirmed that they have taken into account the feedback received by HM Treasury in response to the Call for Evidence when formulating suggested reforms to CREDS.
The PRA’s reforms seek to establish a more risk-based and flexible framework for credit union regulation, which imposes higher expectations for more sophisticated activity. The PRA recognises the unique structure and important role credit unions play in their local communities and is proposing to reform the rules to better reflect their evolving but distinctive business model.
The PRA are looking to adjust the regulation so that rules around investments, capital levels and reporting requirements will be determined by looking at the risk profile and business model of the credit union. Existing rigid restrictions will be removed, giving credit union boards more freedom to decide how their businesses are to be run.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, (a) what obligations exist on search engine providers registered as data controllers with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) (including those with offices outside the jurisdiction) to ensure that any data processing by them complies with the Data Protection Principles and (b) what steps the ICO (i) has taken and (ii) is planning to take to ensure that such principles are complied with.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Search engines are data controllers if they process information about living, identifiable people, for example within a search result based on a person’s name.Data controllersmust comply with the data protection principles, for example by explaining to customers how their information is collected and used. Although the main search engines are international operations, if they have an establishment in the UK, then their activities will be subject to UK data protection law.
The ICO ensures thatdata controllerscomply with the lawfor example by investigating complaints and carrying out enforcement or liaison work. The ICO will continue to engage with the search engines to ensure that the right balance is struck between online access to information and individuals’ privacy rights.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make representations on reducing the gender pay gap at the BBC during forthcoming discussions on the BBC Charter.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Charter Review is looking at the BBC’s mission, purpose and values; scale and scope of its services and operations; the way it is funded; and also governance and accountability.
Last week, the Government announced new measures to eradicate gender inequality in the workplace, including forcing larger public sector employersto publish information about their bonuses for men and women and extending plans for gender pay gap reporting.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 2.82, page 94 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what progress his Department has made on introducing flexible season tickets on the Govia Thameslink Railway franchise.
Claire Perry
The introduction and roll-out of part-time season tickets will give people who commute part-time a better deal than they currently have access to. We have challenged the rail industry to develop proposals for pricing and delivering more flexible season tickets for those who work or commute part-time which could also attract new customers onto the railway.
Progress on delivery of more flexible tickets is beginning to be made. Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) have a franchise commitment to introduce carnet style tickets on their smartcards which is subject to the Secretary of State’s approval.
A number of costed options are being reviewed and a pilot programme has been developed, benefitting from and delivering the Key smart ticketing capability, this is expected to be introduced in May 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent representations she has received on the potential effect on jobs and investment in the solar industry of reductions in feed-in tariff subsidies.
Andrea Leadsom
We ran a consultation on the feed-in tariff review from 27 August to 23 October. We strongly welcomed evidence from the sector during this review consultation, and we will set out our response in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases of benefit fraud that led to convictions were prosecuted in (a) Wales and (b) Wrexham in each of the last five years.
Justin Tomlinson
The table below represents the number of successful convictions in Wales since April 2012.
|
Year |
No of Convictions |
|
2012 – 2013 |
1616 |
|
2013 – 2014 |
1512 |
|
2014 – 2015 |
992 |
The data held for the number of convictions prior to 2012 is not available for publication.
The information requested for Wrexham is not readily available. This is because the data is not collated in a format for Wrexham only. This information could only be provided by examining individual investigation files. This could only be conducted at disproportionate time and cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of GP retention in the North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group area; and what steps he is taking to improve GP retention.
Alistair Burt
We are advised by NHS England that it commissioned the Essex GP Workforce Audit in autumn 2014 to define the extent of the general practitioner (GP) recruitment and retention problem in Essex, including the North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area.
In response to the audit’s findings, the Essex Primary Care Inter-Professional Centre for Workforce Development was launched in September. This has been developed by the Essex Workforce Group (comprising NHS England, local CCGs and Health Education England) to address the ongoing difficulty in recruiting, developing and retaining GPs, practice nurses and primary care staff in Essex. The centre will act as a ‘resource, networking and support hub’ and has a website allowing primary care staff to access training opportunities and mentoring opportunities through which they can develop their skills and careers.
Nationally, we understand that NHS England is working with partners, including the Royal College of GPs and Health Education England, to increase GP numbers, reduce bureaucracy and use the skills of other healthcare professionals, such as community pharmacists, to ensure high-quality, and, above all else, safe, patient care.
On 26 January, NHS England announced a £10 million investment to boost the GP workforce. The money will be used to recruit new GPs, retain those who are thinking of leaving the profession and encourage doctors to return to general practice, to better meet the needs of patients now and for the future.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2015 to Question 16786, what estimate he has made of the (a) total, (b) staffing and (c) resources cost of conducting area-based reviews of post-16 education and training institutions.
Nick Boles
The Departments and their agencies will undertake this work with no additional staffing. Additional costs will be minimal. The Departments and agencies have re-prioritised from within existing resources to accommodate the additional work, including providing access to additional advice and support from further education and six form colleges Advisers.