Tag: 2015

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-10-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the assessment by Monitor that the capping of agency staff rates could result in a shortage of staff working for the National Health Service.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Price caps for agency staff: proposed roles and consultation was published by the NHS Trust Development Authority (TDA) and Monitor on 15 October 2015. A copy has been attached. The aim of the price caps is to reduce spending on agency staff and to bring the pay of agency workers in line with those of substantive staff employed in the NHS.

    The NHS TDA and Monitor are currently consulting on these proposals. Any decision on introducing price caps will be subject to the results of the consultation.

    The proposed price caps do include mechanisms that enable an overriding of the rules should there be any potential compromise to patient safety.

  • Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer on 2015-10-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to promote the Rural Development Programme vocational skills measures in order to enhance the knowledge and skills of food producers.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Vocational skills offers can be delivered under a number of Rural Development Programme schemes. These are either national or have offers tailored to the needs of the local area. Defra publicises its schemes in a variety of ways including through the GOV.UK website. Local organisations such as Local Enterprise Partnerships also promote relevant local offers to their areas.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-10-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the judgment in Lord Chancellor v Detention Action [2015] EWCA Civ 840, they will reconsider the sections of the Immigration Bill that provide for individuals having to appeal their cases after deportation.

    Lord Bates

    The judgement in Lord Chancellor v Detention Action is not relevant to the changes in the Immigration Bill. That judgment relates to the appeals processes for asylum claims under the Fast Track procedure rules. The provision in the Immigration Bill which extends the power to certify to require appeals to be brought from overseas where that will not result in a breach of human rights applies only to human rights claims.

    The Court of Appeal recently considered the operation of the certification provisions that were introduced in the Immigration Act 2014, for those liable to deportation and held that the provisions were lawfully applied. The changes in the Immigration Bill extends this power to all human rights claims and the Government thinks it right to build on this successful legislation.

  • Lord Blencathra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Blencathra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2015-10-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to introduce a British fuel efficiency test for all motor vehicles sold in the United Kingdom which exactly simulates real driving conditions and which does not use a rolling road nor overinflated tyres.

    Viscount Younger of Leckie

    We will continue to work with the EU to produce testing that more accurately reflects real world driving conditions. The current laboratory test – the New European Test Procedure – is expected to be replaced in 2017 with a new test – the World Light duty Test Procedure – that will more closely replicate the design of modern vehicles and the way they are driven.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what contracts Government departments hold with Interserve PLC and Developments.

    Matthew Hancock

    Since January 2011, as part of the Government’s transparency programme, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Since 1 April 2015, wider public sector bodies, including local authorities, have also been required to publish details of contracts above the value of £25,000 on Contracts Finder.

    Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: http://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive

    Those published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

    “

  • Mark Williams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mark Williams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what fiscal steps he plans to take to help unincorporated businesses with the introduction of the living wage.

    Nick Boles

    The Government believes that the new National Living Wage is affordable given the strength of the UK economy and labour market.

    The Government will publish a full impact assessment for the introduction of the National Living Wage alongside the implementing regulations. This will contain a section on the impact on small businesses which includes many unincorporated businesses.

    The Government is reducing Corporation Tax to 19% from 2017-18 and then to 18% from 2020-21; setting the Annual Investment Allowance at a new permanent level of £200,000; and increasing the Employment Allowance by £1,000 to £3,000 from 2016-17. The increase in the employment allowance means a business could employ four people on the National Living Wage and pay no National Insurance Contributions.

  • Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the performance of the Small and Medium Enterprise builders fund; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Builders Finance Fund was launched in April 2014. We have already signed 8 contracts worth over £11 million, with a further 33 contracts worth £70 million in the process of being signed. In addition, we are considering 83 bids for funding worth nearly £280 million. The remaining funding is available to support house builders between now and 2017.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of legal costs to his Department in defending service personnel in relation to actions carried out in the course of duty; what estimate he has made of the proportion of such costs which relate to cases where the accused service personnel are acquitted; and if he will make a statement.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The total legal costs borne by the Ministry of Defence relating to actions carried out by Service personnel while on duty are over £100 million. The costs of providing the defence for Service personnel facing specifically Courts Martial or a Service Civilian Court, amounted to approximately £750,000 in financial year 2014-15. The costs of providing the defence for current and former Service personnel facing criminal investigations relating to operations in Northern Ireland during the "Troubles" period, has amounted to approximately £142,000 since 7 February 2014. The expenditure on behalf of defendants in Courts Martial or Service Civilian courts related to 394 individuals, of whom 95 were acquitted. The relevant criminal proceedings in Northern Ireland are ongoing.

    The vast majority of Defence litigation expenditure relates to civil cases. As an example, £31 million was spent on the Al-Sweady Public Inquiry which concluded that all of the serious allegations that were raised, were wholly without foundation.

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

    Graham Brady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Brady on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effects on the worst funded schools of adjusting the percentage applied in the calculation of the Minimum Funding Guarantee.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The minimum funding guarantee protects schools from significant changes in their funding, limiting the year-on-year reductions in a school’s pupil-led funding to 1.5%.

    The minimum funding guarantee for schools will continue to be set at minus 1.5% per pupil for 2016-17. We have committed to making funding fairer, but we cannot comment on the detail of proposals prior to the outcome of the Spending Review.

  • Charles Walker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Charles Walker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will ensure that revenue raised by the sale of rod licences is used to maintain and improve fisheries and fish stocks.

    George Eustice

    The revenue raised from the rod licence fee is classed as a hypothecated tax. The Environment Agency Financial Memorandum clearly sets out that this income is used for the provision of its fisheries service.