Tag: 2015

  • Helen Hayes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Helen Hayes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2015 to Question 8870, whether the new life chances measures will monitor households where an adult is in work; and what steps he plans to take to measure the effects of welfare changes on child poverty for children in working households with low incomes.

    Priti Patel

    The Government is committed to working to eliminate child poverty and improving life chances for children.

    We are clear that the existing low-income measures do not drive the right action to tackle the root causes of child poverty. They simply deal with the symptoms.

    We are now setting out a new way to drive effective action and make a real difference in the lives of disadvantaged children. Our proposals in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill introduce new statutory measures of worklessness and educational attainment. For the first time, we are ensuring through legislation that Government action will be focused on these areas, where the evidence tells us we can make the biggest difference for our children – now and in the future.

    These measures will be reported annually, which means progress will be clearly visible for all to see. My Department will also continue to publish low-income statistics as part of the ‘Households Below Average Income’ publication.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people claiming (a) jobseeker’s allowance, (b) employment and support allowance and (c) income support who were sanctioned in the last 12 months moved into work within one month of being sanctioned.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

  • Lord Condon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Condon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Condon on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in the review of the publication of Taser data and other use of force by police officers, and whether that review will include an assessment of the use of Tasers on men from ethnic minorities.

    Lord Bates

    Chief Constable David Shaw’s Use of Force Data Review is expected to report to the Home Secretary later this year. The review will present options for collecting, collating and publishing data on how force including Taser is being used by the police, who it is being used on and what the outcomes are. The Government supports the need for transparent and accurate data on how the police are using force. As with sensitive powers like stop and search, the police use of force warrants proper accountability and transparency.

  • Baroness Scott of Needham Market – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Scott of Needham Market – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Scott of Needham Market on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of public sector employees currently earning less than the National Living Wage.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    At Summer Budget 2015, the Chancellor announced a new National Living Wage which is a compulsory increase in pay for all workers over 25. It will come into effect in April 2016 at £7.20, 50p above the current National Minimum Wage. The Government will ask the Low Pay Commission to recommend the level of the National Living Wage in each subsequent year, asking them to increase the NLW to 60% of median earnings by 2020. It is estimated that by 2020 approximately 200,000 public sector workers will benefit directly as a result of the National Living Wage.

  • Baroness Young of Old Scone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Young of Old Scone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Young of Old Scone on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure collaboration across all government departments regarding the implementation of biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of pests and diseases affecting trees and woodland.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Protecting our country from plant and tree pests and diseases is important for our economy, the environment and society and is one of Defra’s strategic priorities.

    In 2013 the independent Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce assessed the threat to the health of our plants from pests and diseases and made eight recommendations to strengthen our approach, which were all accepted by Defra. The Plant Biosecurity Strategy sets out our plans to enhance existing risk-based activity and to develop new and innovative approaches such as the now publicly available plant health risk register.

    As part of our risk-based approach, agreed management approaches for pests and diseases are periodically reviewed so that we can ensure our responses are appropriate and lessons are learned for the future.

    Defra’s spend on plant health policies is now around £30 million per year, which includes policies to protect tree health.

    Defra is the lead department for plant and tree health. We published the Tree Health Management Plan in April 2014, setting out priority areas for action and outlining how the Government is working with others to manage tree pests and diseases. We work with other Government departments and agencies, as well as stakeholders from across industry and non-government organisations to address different plant and tree health issues. This work includes a programme of training and awareness-raising about biosecurity risks for other Government Departments and stakeholders such as food retailers.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the budget is for the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate in 2015-16.

    Nick Boles

    The budget for the Employment Agency Standards inspectorate for 2015-16 is £0.5m.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to better regulate financial service providers working in the UK (a) in general and (b) specifically those selling off-shore services and investment opportunities; and if he will make a statement.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is responsible for the regulation of financial services in the UK.

    This is therefore a matter for the FCA, who are operationally independent from Government.

    The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the honourable member by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  • Dr James Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Dr James Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr James Davies on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect on the future of the private sector home care industry of the implementation of the national living wage.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department has engaged with the social care sector, including care providers, to understand how the introduction of the National Living Wage will affect them. The overall costs of providing social care will be considered as part of the Spending Review later this year.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Oliver Colvile – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to promote tenant management.

    Brandon Lewis

    We have allocated funding of £1million in 2015/16 (through the Tenant Empowerment Programme) to support social housing tenants’ involvement in their local communities. This includes support to those who wish to manage delivery of services to their homes and estates by taking up their Statutory Right To Manage.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information the British Defence Attaché to Russia has provided to the Russian government on measures taken to ensure accidental engagement with Russian military aircraft flying in Iraqi airspace does not lead to engagement in military confrontation.

    Michael Fallon

    Russian military aircraft are not conducting combat operations in Iraqi airspace: The British Defence attache in Moscow has therefore provided no information to the Russian Government on this subject.