Tag: 2015

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to help Syrian refugees assimilate into British society.

    Richard Harrington

    The Home Office is working closely with colleagues in the Department for Communities and Local Government to plan for the integration of Syrian refugees.

    We are carefully considering issues such as access to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), how access to employment can best be supported and how to draw on the support offered from the voluntary sector, including refugee and disapora organisations as well as faith organisations.

  • Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on amending the immigration system to increase the supply of non-domiciled seafarers to the UK shipping industry.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government is committed to reducing net migration and employers’ dependence on overseas workers.

    We have no plans to amend the immigration system specifically to increase the supply of non-EEA seamen and shore-based workers to the maritime sector. The immigration system does not interfere with the ability of UK-owned shipping businesses to employ non-EEA crew where they are engaged on international journeys. Non-EEA seamen who arrive in UK waters on board a vessel and are engaged to depart on that vessel, or who seek entry to the UK to join a vessel that is due to leave UK waters, do not require a work permit.

    Shore-based employment in the sector is, however, subject to the same controls as employment in any other sector, and non-EEA workers will normally require authorisation under the Tier 2 (General) category of the Points Based System. The Government has commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee to provide advice on restricting Tier 2 work visas to genuine skills shortages and highly specialist experts, with sufficient flexibility to include high value roles and key public service workers.

  • Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Leader of the House, what discussions he has had with Ministers or officials of HM Treasury on the effect of Government proposals for English votes for English laws on the future of the block grant for Scotland.

    Chris Grayling

    On Thursday 15 October 2015 I published the Government’s updated proposals for English votes for English laws. I had many discussions before publishing these updated proposals, including with Ministerial Colleagues and officials, and I have also listened to the Procedure Committee. The House will have the opportunity to debate the issue on Thursday 22 October 2015.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether officials in his Department were acting on his authority when they instructed Network Rail and the Office of Rail and Road on 26 March 2015 on how the further assessment of Control Period 5’s cost estimates was to be carried out.

    Claire Perry

    On 23 March 2015, a senior Department for Transport (DfT) committee commissioned Network Rail, the Office of Rail and Road, and DfT officials to jointly assess the whole enhancements portfolio and provide a more robust estimate of costs. Senior officials from all three organisations met on 26 March 2015 to discuss how we could work together to undertake this piece of work.

    The Secretary of State did not specifically instruct this work nor was he part of these two meetings.

  • Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was spent on housing benefit between 2010 and 2015.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Housing Benefit expenditure information is available in our Benefit Expenditure tables which can be found at:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2015

  • Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the schedule of comparable programme objects in HM Treasury’s publication, Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly: Statement of Funding Policy, published in October 2010, what the total expenditure was on how many claims relating to pneumoconiosis in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Kilmarnock and Loudon constituency between 2010 and 2015; and how many such claims were unsuccessful.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    Benefit expenditure for Pneumoconiosis at a Great Britain level is available in our published expenditure tables which are available at:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2015

    The number of monthly Pneumoconiosis claims and expenditure at a Great Britain level by type of claimant and payment is available from here:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/industrial-injuries-disablement-benefit-quarterly-statistics

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) submitted a local transformation plan for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing before the first-wave deadline of 18 September 2015; and how many CCGs have still to submit such a plan.

    Alistair Burt

    31 local transformation plans, representing 54 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) were submitted by the first wave deadline of 18 September. A total of 102 plans are expected to be submitted by 16 October representing the remaining 155 CCGs.

    CCGs were given two opportunities to submit plans – on the 18 September and 16 October 2015. The first submission date is in recognition that some CCGs were advanced in their plans for local improvement and already had a Children and Adult Mental Health strategy and plan in place. It is expected that the vast majority of submissions will have been received by 16 October 2015.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions (a) illegal and (b) fake alcohol have been found by police in each of the last five years.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the number of occasions when illegal and fake alcohol have been found by the police.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions the Government has had with the Afghan government on relieving poverty in Afghanistan.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK government played a leading role in the Senior Officials Meeting in Kabul in September 2015 at which a new Mutual Accountability Framework for development and poverty reduction was agreed between the Afghan government and the international community. Several UK Government Ministers have had conversations with their Afghan counterparts recently to discuss issues of mutual interest including poverty reduction.

    The UK also holds quarterly development cooperation meetings with the Afghan government to discuss its bilateral aid programme, as well as regular thematic discussions with Afghan ministers and officials.

  • Calum Kerr – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Calum Kerr – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Calum Kerr on 2015-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will work with the Office of Rail and Road to ensure that the proposed new Edinburgh to Berwick train service via Reston and East Linton stations will not be impeded by pathways being allocated to long distance train operating companies.

    Claire Perry

    Decisions on access to the railway are a matter for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). When considering applications for new or additional access to the network by a railway operator the ORR will consult interested parties, including other users of the network and funders, such as the Secretary of State, and take into account their views. In reaching a decision ORR must exercise its functions in a way that it considers best achieves its statutory duties.