Tag: 2016

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the length of time between the publication of his Department’s planned consultation on a proposed secondary market for annuities and the planned introduction of that market for the pensions industry to prepare for that introduction; and if he will make an assessment of the effect of that period on the effective introduction of that market.

    Simon Kirby

    To date, the Government has published the following consultation documents in relation to the secondary market in annuities policy:

    Creating a secondary annuity market – March 2015

    Creating a secondary annuity market: response to the call for evidence – December 2015

    Creating a secondary annuity market: tax framework – April 2016

    Creating a secondary market for annuities – secondary legislation – April 2016

    These consultations have now closed. The Government will respond shortly.

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much Government funding has been allocated to help increase the number of young people on the electoral register.

    John Penrose

    Between 2013-2015 the Government allocated over £14 million at national and local level to increase the number of people on the electoral register. This included funding to organisations such as NUS, Bite The Ballot, UK Youth and vInspired to promote youth registration. We also produce and distribute "Rock Enrol!" educational material for schools to use in explaining and promoting electoral registration, and we are actively involved in the National Voter Registration Drive which starts next week.

  • David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2016 to Question 22830, whether the Warnings Index Checks system has been affected by high-priority incidents in the last five years.

    James Brokenshire

    All Border Force systems and services, including the Warnings Index system, are constantly monitored and closely managed so any arising incidents can be quickly and effectively resolved. Whilst there have been a small number of high priority incidents during the period in question with the Warnings Index system, like other Home Office technology services, it has layers of resilience built into it along with supporting continuity arrangements. This resilience and operational arrangements has enabled controls at the border to be maintained with no suspension of checks at any port since November 2011. The migration in the autumn of 2014 of the core Warning Index services to modern data-centres has significantly improved its reliability and stability.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to tackle stone theft.

    Karen Bradley

    Stone theft has a detrimental effect on towns and communities across England and Wales. The impact of these crimes includes both the economic cost to the victim, but there are also wider costs to the community, for example where schools, churches or heritage items are targeted by criminals.

    We have received no recent representations from local authorities on this issue, nor have we had recent discussions with the police on stone theft specifically. However, the police are working with Historic England, the Crown Prosecution Service and others to share intelligence and shape good practice in tackling and preventing heritage crime, such as stone theft.

    We would encourage all victims of stone theft, whether individuals or organisations, to report instances of these crimes to their local police, so that the crimes can be properly recorded and investigated. The local response is a matter for individual chief officers of police and Police and Crime Commissioners, taking into account the specific local issues and demands that they face.

    We are satisfied that the existing legislation provides the police and courts with sufficient powers to respond to stone theft.

  • Fabian Hamilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Fabian Hamilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the 1973 Cost Sharing Agreement between the US and the UK.

    Michael Fallon

    No.

  • Neil Parish – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Neil Parish – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making superfast broadband a planning obligation on all new build properties

    Brandon Lewis

    We have worked with BT Openreach and the Home Builders Federation on an agreement, announced earlier this year, which aims to deliver superfast broadband connectivity to new build properties in the UK. We have also recently introduced a requirement for all new buildings and major renovations to include in-building physical infrastructure to support connections to superfast broadband. In addition, the National Planning Policy Framework places the provision of superfast broadband alongside other strategic infrastructure and requires local planning authorities to consult providers as part of the Local Plan.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Zimbabwean counterpart on (a) steps to improve democracy and (b) support for the domestic production of food in that country.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK Government continues to stress the importance of political and governance reform and respect for human rights to the Government of Zimbabwe. The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge) discussed these issues with Zimbabwean Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa on 5 July. He also raised the economic situation and land reform policy, which have a direct impact on Zimbabwe’s agricultural capabilities. The UK’s Livelihoods and Food Security Programme is providing over 130,000 farmers with training in the application of new agricultural technologies and management practices in crop and livestock production, including promoting the production of bio-fortified food crops. The programme is working with the private sector to offer agricultural inputs and outputs services to smallholder farmers, as well as improving agri – businesses and smallholder farmer access to finance.

  • Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether EDF will incur a penalty in the event that Hinkley Point C starts to generate electricity by 2025.

    Jesse Norman

    Under the contract for difference, if Hinkley Point C does not start generating electricity four years after 2025 then there will be reductions to the contract term. This means that for every day that Hinkley is late, the period of time where EDF is getting increased certainty on the price of electricity generated from Hinkley is reduced. If neither reactor at Hinkley is generating electricity by 2033, there is an option to cancel the contract.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much funding the Green Investment Bank has invested in fracking projects in the UK.

    Anna Soubry

    The Green Investment Bank has not invested in any fracking projects.

  • Jon Trickett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jon Trickett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jon Trickett on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers were being accommodated by Serco in the North West region on the latest date for which figures are available.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office publishes quarterly data on the number of asylum seekers in Section 95 dispersal accommodation, by local authority. In Q3 2015 there were 7,531 in dispersed accommodation in the North West region (Asylum Vol 4. Table 16q).

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2015/asylum