Tag: 2016

Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the annual cost is of policy staff from his Department’s office at St Paul’s Place, Sheffield travelling to London.

Joseph Johnson

The Permanent Secretary has recently written to the Chairs of the Public Accounts Committee and the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee. His letter contains details of the potential maximum savings from a closure of the Department’s Sheffield office at St Paul’s Place, and can be seen at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/518244/letter-martin-donnelly-sheffield-office.pdf.

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01/01/2023
Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are in place to ensure that local communities are involved and considered in discussions on the dispersal of asylum seekers to (a) current dispersal areas, (b) new dispersal areas and (c) Scotland.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office maintains an active partnership with local governments across the UK, including those in Scotland, and funds Strategic Migration Partnerships to plan for the most appropriate dispersal of asylum seekers. The partnerships consider the impact on communities and local services so that adjustments to dispersal patterns can be made where appropriate.

Free access to NHS healthcare is provided to asylum seekers. Asylum Health Teams are commissioned by NHS England and Scotland to provide healthcare and screening. Strategic Migration Partnerships work with Care Commissioning Groups to plan for the health care needs of asylum seekers in their regions.

All children are entitled to free primary and secondary education. To enable access to education, internal checks are in place to triage applications involving children of school age for priority dispersal into permanent accommodation. Strategic Migration Partnerships discuss education provision as part of their local authority engagement. Asylum seekers are able to access legal advice via the Legal Aid system and are provided details of local solicitors as part of their induction into their dispersal region.

Local authorities are consulted before asylum seekers are placed in their area, so that the potential impact on communities and local services is fully considered. During discussions on widening dispersal in Scotland we are and will continue to ensure that Local Authority leads and partners on health and education, as well as the Scottish Government and the Scottish Law Society, are involved to address any concerns and to ensure the close and successful partnership working in Glasgow is replicated elsewhere.

01/01/2023
Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Chinese government on the removal of crosses from Christian churches in Zhejiang province.

Alok Sharma

We pay close attention to the human rights situation in China and remain concerned by all reports of restrictions to freedom of religion or belief and persecution of faith groups, including reports of the removal of crosses from Christian churches in Zhejiang Province. A British official visited Wenzhou in May and spoke to church leaders. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon. the Baroness of Anelay of St Johns raised the case of Ding Cuimei, who reportedly died while protesting the demolition of her church in Zhejiang province, with the Director of the National People’s Congress Foreign Affairs Committee on 7 July.

01/01/2023
Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) reported crimes, (b) arrests, (c) charges, (d) cautions and (e) other disposals for (i) anti-social behaviour and (ii) public order offences, committed by adults in North Wales, were recorded in each of the last 6 years.

Brandon Lewis

Data for (a) the number of public order offences and (c-e) detections and outcomes in each of the last six years are provided in Table 1. These figures are not available by age of suspect. Data on crime and outcomes are routinely published here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables

Figures for the total number of anti-social behaviour incidents are provided in Table 2. Outcomes, arrests and age of suspect for anti-social behaviour incidents are not collected by the Home Office. Data on anti-social behaviour are routinely published here:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/policeforceareadatatables/current/crimeinenglandandwalesyearendingmarch2016policeforcearea.xls

Figures for (b) the number of arrests specifically for public order offences were collected and published for the first time for 2015/16, and are shown broken down by the available age groups in Table 3. These data are published here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2016

01/01/2023

Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many press and public relations staff are employed by (a) the office of Rail and Road, (b) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, (c) the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, (d) the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, (e) the Vehicle Certification Agency, (f) the British Transport Police Authority, (g) Directly Operated Railways limited, (h) High Speed 2 Ltd; (i) Highways England, (j) Northern Lighthouse Board, (k) Transport Focus, (l) Trinity House, (m) Civil Aviation Authority and (n) the Airports Commission; how many of those employees are paid more than (i) £50,000 and (ii) £100,000; and what the total expenditure was on press and public relations by each of those organisations in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Some of the information requested for the 14 organisations listed is not held by the Department and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

However, the number of press and public relations staff currently employed by the Department’s executive agencies is provided in the table below. None of the press and PR staff have a full-time equivalent salary exceeding £50,000.

Press and public relations staff (full-time equivalent )	1 December 2015
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency	4
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency	4
Maritime and Coastguard Agency	3.2
Vehicle Certification Agency	Nil
Total	11.2

The total of 11.2 full-time equivalent staff compares to an equivalent figure for these four executive agencies in 2009/10 (with DVSA previously being DSA and VOSA) of 15.5 full-time equivalent staff.

Information on non-pay expenditure on press and public relations services held by the Department for the most recent financial year available is provided in the table below.

Non-pay expenditure on press and public relations services	2014-15 £000s
Office of Rail and Road	108
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency	9
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency	42
Highways Agency	383
Maritime and Coastguard Agency	169
Vehicle Certification Agency	0
British Transport Police Authority	48
High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd	167
Transport Focus	47
Airport Commission	54

Overall communications expenditure by the Department’s executive agencies in 2014-15 (including salaries) was £19 million lower than in 2009-10. Across Government the government communications profession reduced communications spending by a total of £1 billion during the last Parliament.

01/01/2023

Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had with NATO on tackling negative reporting on NATO and its member states from Russian media outlets.

Mr Julian Brazier

The UK works closely with NATO Allies to ensure there is close alignment in messaging and communications that demonstrates our joined up and credible alternative narrative to Russian misinformation. NATO communicates with a range of media outlets in the region to provide a balanced view of NATO aims and activities. However in Russia, state-controlled media outlets dominate the information environment and therefore crowd out independent voices.

01/01/2023
Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the agreement reached at the February European Council is not amended by the European Parliament after the date of the EU referendum.

Mr David Lidington

The central element of the agreement is an International Law Decision agreed by the Heads of State or Government of the Member States of the EU and is a binding international treaty. The European Commission has committed to bring forward new legislation where it is needed to implement the UK’s new settlement. These European Commission proposals will be subject to the normal legislative procedures set out in the Treaties. The President and representatives of the major political groups in the European Parliament were consulted on the UK’s new settlement and both Ministers and officials plan furhter contact with MEPs.

01/01/2023
Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-03-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on what date an application was submitted for assistance from the EU Solidarity Fund to help communities affected by recent floods.

James Wharton

The Government submitted an initial UK application to the EU Solidarity Fund on Friday 26 February. The application included an estimate of eligible costs from Scotland, Wales, Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, North Yorkshire and the City of York, West Yorkshire, and Northumberland.

Having made this initial application, we are in the process of refining our cost estimations and figures, and will work with the Commission to finalise details.

01/01/2023
Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-04-19.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, who the tax assurance commissioner is in HM Revenue and Customs.

Mr David Gauke

Edward Troup remains the Tax Assurance Commissioner for HM Revenue and Customs.

01/01/2023
Shabana Mahmood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Shabana Mahmood on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which teams in her Department work on counter-extremism strategy and policy; how many staff are employed in each of those teams; what the grade is of each of those staff; what the budget is for each team; and what the budget is for external expert consultancy services for each of those teams.

Karen Bradley

In May 2015 the Home Secretary established the Office for Counter-Extremism, which works on counter-extremism strategy and policy. As of May 2016 the office has 51 staff of the following grades: 7 at SCS PB2, SCS PB1 and Grade 6; 10 at Grade 7; 14 at SEO; 10 at HEO; 10 at EO.

The 16/17 budget for the Office for Counter-Extremism is £22.5 million, with a maximum of £2.57 million available for external expert consultancy services.

01/01/2023