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Tag: 2015

  • Lord Browne of Belmont – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Browne of Belmont – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Browne of Belmont on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance is provided to magistrates and judges about when it is appropriate to apply the maximum tariff available in cases of animal cruelty.

    Lord Faulks

    Animal cruelty is a summary offence with a maximum penalty of a level 5 (unlimited) fine and/or 6 months’ imprisonment. The maximum penalty for any offence is set by Parliament to deal with the most serious possible cases. Guidance on sentencing for this offence is contained in the Magistrates’ Courts Sentencing Guidelines, which are published by the independent Sentencing Council.

    These are the sentencing starting points from the guidelines for animal cruelty, based on a first time offender pleading not guilty:

    Examples of nature of activity

    Starting point Range

    Range

    One impulsive act causing little or no injury;

    short term neglect

    Band C fine Band B fine to medium level community

    Several incidents of deliberate ill-treatment/frightening

    High level community order

    Medium level community order to 12 weeks custody

    Attempt to kill/torture; animal baiting/conducting or permitting cock-fighting etc.; prolonged neglect

    18 weeks custody

    12 to 26 weeks custody

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the United Kingdom life sciences industry of their planned changes to the Cancer Drugs Fund.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Neither the Department nor NHS England has made any such assessment.

    The Government regularly holds discussions with life sciences companies about the United Kingdom business environment and these routinely include discussion about the impact of policies such as the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF).

    The independent Accelerated Access Review is considering the long term landscape for innovation adoption and how schemes like the CDF best fit within this.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the electoral register is as complete as possible by the end of March 2016.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    We are working with Local Authorities, the Electoral Commission and Civil Society groups to find better ways of reaching and encouraging under registered groups to register, as the Minister for Constitutional Reform set out in his recent speech on voter engagement. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/vision-for-electoral-registration-speech-by-john-penrose.

    Online registration is making the process notably quicker, easier and more convenient for everybody, but particularly for under-registered groups like young people; 2.9 million 16-24 year olds have applied since June 2014. Completing the implementation of Individual Electoral Registration will also help, by giving an accurate picture of registration levels that isn’t artificially inflated or flattered by people who have either died or moved away.

  • Lord Adebowale – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Adebowale – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Adebowale on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 12 October (HL Deb, cols 36–40) on the right to buy, whether (1) there will be a timeframe within which housing associations are expected to build extra homes, and (2) there will be a minimum guarantee of rented accommodation built to support individuals suffering from ongoing health issues.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The National Housing Federation voluntary agreement states that housing associations and the Government share a mutual objective to ensure that replacement homes are delivered as quickly as possible.

    Whilst aiming for replacement within two years, the default position is that housing associations will have flexibility to replace homes within a three year period. The Housing and Planning Bill will also seek to introduce clauses that will speed up the planning system so that new homes can be delivered quicker.

    Under the agreement, housing associations may exercise discretion not to sell properties provided through supported housing as defined by Part V of the Housing Act 1985.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether an (a) free school, (b) academy, (c) school sixth form and (d) university technical college will be allowed to open while a post-16 area-based review is still taking place.

    Nick Boles

    Yes. The Joint Area Review Delivery Unit supporting the area reviews will advise Hon. Membersas a matter of course when reviews are due to be undertaken in any part of their constituency.

    Area reviews should take place as quickly as possible, the typical timescale being 3-4 months but this could vary depending on the number of colleges and complexity of the local issues involved.

    The reviews are aimed at delivering a skills system that meets the economic and educational needs of areas whilst also ensuring the long term sustainability of colleges to support productivity. Their purpose is not to secure savings to Government. However, early evidence from the pilot reviews indicates that there is potential for the reviews to secure efficiency savings.

    All applications to open a free school, academy, school sixth form or university technical college will be assessed on a case by case basis against the published criteria and taking account of local needs and circumstances.

  • Bernard Jenkin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Bernard Jenkin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bernard Jenkin on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the average net benefit per household of the UK’s membership of the EU.

    Mr David Gauke

    As the Chancellor of the Exchequer has noted, the best outcome for the UK economy is that we achieve major economic reform of the EU. The Prime Minister is focused on success: he believes he can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU, and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis.

    The Confederation of British Industry and British Chambers of Commerce have both come out to say they support the reform agenda the Prime Minister is seeking to deliver.

  • Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 53 of his Department’s Defence Equipment Plan 2015, what the reasons are for the increase in planned spending on the Weapons Programme; and on what items that additional funding will be spent.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I refer the hon. Member to the Defence Equipment Plan 2015, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-equipment-plan-2015. Paragraph 11 explains the movements in the high level elements of the equipment plan from the previous financial year. Each of the operating centre breakdowns in Section C of the Equipment Plan contains an explanation of any increase or decrease in spending from the previous financial year.

    “

  • Brendan O’Hara – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Brendan O’Hara – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brendan O’Hara on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the required timescale is for the restoration of Electrical Shore Supplies with reference to the publication Safety Shutdown Procedure for Astute Class Vessels, published in 2012.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Ministry of Defence regularly reviews nuclear related processes and procedures with industry partners and with regulators, which includes independent safety scrutiny. Safety remains our priority.

    I cannot comment on specific timescales for the restoration of Electrical Shore Supplies to nuclear powered submarines nor reports produced in connection with this, as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

  • Brendan O’Hara – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Brendan O’Hara – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brendan O’Hara on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the level of financial saving accruing to Babcock from the proposed extension of the time unit of the restoration of Electrical Shore Supplies from 20 minutes up to a maximum of three hours.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Ministry of Defence regularly reviews nuclear related processes and procedures with industry partners and with regulators, which includes independent safety scrutiny. Safety remains our priority.

    I cannot comment on specific timescales for the restoration of Electrical Shore Supplies to nuclear powered submarines nor reports produced in connection with this, as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

  • Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if her Department will take steps to investigate how the administrative governance of installation of renewable energy systems could be simplified.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The development of a renewable energy installation has, by its nature, a degree of complexity. This can cover topics as diverse as the securing of planning permission, the granting of electricity generation licences, access to grid and administration of renewable energy financial incentives. Responsibility for these resides with a number of different regulatory authorities each of which have already put in place detailed guidance for applicants.