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Tag: 2016

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the total amount of arrears recovered by HM Revenue and Customs for non-compliance with the national minimum wage is in 2016-17 to date; how many (a) workers and (b) employers those arrears relate to; and how many of those employers (i) were issued a financial penalty, (ii) self-corrected and paid those arrears back to the workers concerned without being issued a financial penalty and (iii) have been named and shamed for that non-compliance.

    Margot James

    HM Revenue and Customs do not provide ad-hoc data for National Minimum Wage/National Living Wage enforcement, although mid-year figures will be available later in the year.

    Employers found to have broken minimum wage law will be issued with a Notice of Underpayment by HMRC and will have 28 days to appeal against it. If the employer does not appeal or an appeal has been unsuccessful, HMRC will issue a case closure letter to the employer and refer them to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to be considered for naming and shaming. The employer will then have 14 days from the date of the case closure letter to make written representations to BEIS outlining whether they fall under any of the exceptional circumstances for not being named under the scheme. Employers issued with a case closure letter after 1 April 2016 will be named by BEIS in future naming rounds.

  • Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to introduce monitoring mechanisms to ensure that increased numbers of construction industry apprenticeships do not have an effect on the quality of apprenticeship training.

    Robert Halfon

    The training that is delivered for apprentices is monitored by Ofsted and the Skills Funding Agency, which set minimum standards for achievement rates. Both organisations have intervention regimes in place if training falls short of minimum requirements.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will set up a flood partnership group for Lancaster, chaired by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with membership from local authorities, the Environment Agency and community flood defence groups.

    Rory Stewart

    There are currently no plans to set up a flood partnership group for Lancaster chaired by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State. The Environment Agency, however, will be leading in Lancashire to ensure that robust partnership working mechanisms are established to protect communities in the future.

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what (a) modelling or (b) other assumptions her Department used to determine the export fractions for hydropower feed-in tariffs.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The export fractions used to model tariffs were determined using evidence submitted during the feed-in tariffs (FITs) review consultation as well as data gathered by Parsons Brinckerhoff in advance of the consultation. More detailed information on how export fractions were determined is included in the impact assessment published alongside the response to the FITs review.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486084/IA_-_FITs_consultation_response_with_Annexes_-_FINAL_SIGNED.pdf

    “

  • David Mowat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Mowat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mowat on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the extent of Israeli settlement-building in the occupied territories since the cessation of Operation Protective Edge.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Israeli settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has continued since the cessation of Operation Protective Edge. In August 2014, the Israeli Government expropriated over 1000 acres of Palestinian land near Bethlehem, the largest expropriation in 30 years. In September 2014, Israeli authorities approved 2610 units in Givat Hamatos. In 2015, according to Israeli Non-Government Office Peace Now, construction for 1800 previously-tendered housing units began in the settlements. New tenders for 1143 housing units were also published, 560 in the West Bank and 583 in East Jerusalem. 2016 has seen a number of concerning announcements, including: the extension of the Gush Etzion settlement to include the former church compound of Beit al Baraka; the declaration of 385 acres of land near Jericho as ‘state land’; and approval for a further 153 settlement units. We strongly urge the Israeli Government to reverse its policy over illegal settlements.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-03-22.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what reports he has received on progress made by Greece in implementing the conditions of the 2015 EU bailout package; and if he will press for steps to improve transparency and monitor use of the bailout funds.

    Mr David Gauke

    While Greece remains in the euro, its financial stability is the responsibility of the euro area. The UK Government has secured a deal that protects UK taxpayers from any risk from financing euro area bailouts now and in the future. The UK is therefore not involved in the review of Greece’s euro area bailout package agreed in 2015.

    Ministers and officials routinely meet with international counterparts to discuss economic and financial issues within the euro area and wider European Union, including ongoing financial assistance programmes.

  • Lord Naseby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Naseby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Naseby on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 24 February (HL6112), what processes the Department of Health has reviewed in the light of the guidance issued by the Cabinet Office on 6 February; what changes they have made, including in respect of individual contracts; and what are the details of each contract subject to such changes.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Department’s current policy already clearly states that grants will not be awarded if there is any indication within the application that some or all of any funding awarded will be used to support political activities. This condition is reinforced by a standard terms within the Grant Award letter.

    In light of the draft implementation guidance issued by Cabinet Office on 6 February, the Department has engaged with relevant internal and external stakeholders to prepare for the mandatory implementation of the Cabinet Office guidance from 1 May 2016.

    As announced on 27 April the introduction of the clause has been paused, pending a review of the representations made, and to give further time to consider any necessary adjustments to the wording of the clause, or the policy on its implementation.

    The Cabinet Office are continuing to consider the comments of all interested parties, ahead of the introduction into grant agreements of the clause aimed at protecting taxpayers’ money from being wasted on government lobbying government.

    The draft implementation guidance has been withdrawn, along with the go-live date of 1 May 2016. Further details will be announced in due course, including a revised implementation date and the Department will be working towards the revised timetable once it is received.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps is he taking to make a career in general practice more attractive to medical graduates.

    Alistair Burt

    The ‘General Practice Forward View’, published by NHS England in April 2016, sets out actions to double growth in the general practitioner (GP) workforce. This includes work by Health Education England (HEE) to increase the number of medical school graduates choosing general practice. HEE is working with the Medical Schools Council, higher education institutions, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the British Medical Association’s General Practitioners Committee to increase the profile of general practice in medical schools. A working group, chaired by Professor Valerie Wass OBE, will publish recommendations in summer 2016.

    HEE and the RCGP will continue to develop the current recruitment campaign to raise the profile of general practice as a career. The campaign showcases the variety of different opportunities and the flexibility of the specialty, as well as the central role that GPs play in the community and their patients’ care. HEE has recruited and trained 35 campaign ambassadors and advocates to support and promote national and regional activities including attendance at recruitment events and through social media.

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what budget his Department has set for paying staff (a) on secondment from external companies and (b) engaged as external contractors or consultants for each year from 2016 to 2020.

    Greg Hands

    Following her appointment on 13 July 2016 the Prime Minister established the Department for International Trade (DIT). The DIT aggregates UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), UK Export and Finance (UKEF), Trade Policy Units from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), as well as some new hires.

    Until such time as a transfer of functions order establishes the Secretary of State as a corporation sole, DIT remains a unified Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department for accounting purposes.

    The use of secondments and contractors to provide commercial and sectorial experience, not readily available in the civil service and to provide additional resource for limited periods is occasionally required. DIT does not set budgets for the use of secondees, external contractors or consultants as each are deployed flexibly in line with business need. As such we cannot provide details of budgets allocated from 2016 to 2020.

    For reference, expenditure on secondees currently equates to approximately £14, 299.27 per month. Expenditure on contractors and consultants for 2015/16 was approximately £26.5 million. These costs are subject to fluctuation as the Department responds to changing requirements. Contractor costs reflect the level of senior specialist, technical and commercial knowledge required by the former UKTI department to support British businesses in international markets, and with overseas investors looking to invest in the UK.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to work with the waste and coatings industries on making better use of leftover paint.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    The Government has been engaging constructively with the British Coatings Federation on making better use of leftover paint, including identifying potential regulatory barriers to its recycling and remanufacture and how these might be overcome.

    The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) encourages consumers to recycle and re-use household paint by providing information through the Recycle Now website. This includes a postcode locator which helps pinpoint local Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) that accept leftover paint. The Government’s Innovation in Waste Prevention Fund has also supported a pilot paint re-use project in Cheshire involving local charities, working with HWRCs and housing associations to increase paint donation and minimise disposal. WRAP will publish a summary of the project, lessons learned and a video case study later in the year.

    In terms of public procurement, it is for each Government department to consider sustainability and put this into practice in its own procurement activity. Government Buying Standards do not currently include remanufactured paint. WRAP has recently published a guide on ‘How to Include Re-use in Local Authority HWRC Procurement’.