Tag: 2016

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has provided to the Association of Independent Local Safeguarding Children’s Board Chairs in each financial year since its establishment.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The Department for Education has provided the Association of Independent Local Safeguarding Children Board Chairs with funding totalling £460,000 between September 2012 and March 2016, as follows:

    Financial year

    Total

    2012 – 2013

    £60,000

    2013 – 2014

    £180,000

    2014 – 2015

    £130,000

    2015 – 2016

    £90,000
  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the potential costs and benefits of introducing an import tax on coal and gas imported from outside the EU; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    The UK is part of the EU Single market which has a common EU tariff policy which applies to all imports. Import tariffs are set by the EU. The UK has no legal ability to set its own import tariffs.

    EU tariffs rates form part of our World Trade Organisation (WTO) commitments and apply to all WTO member countries. Under WTO rules increases to EU tariffs above the level committed to, or ‘bound’ rate, require us to give compensation to affected countries (in the form of lower tariffs on other products). Any potential benefit of an import tariff increase may therefore harm another UK sector.

    The latest version of the EU tariff was published in Official Journal to the EU L285 on 30 October 2015 (Council implementing Regulation EU No 1101/2014 amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC|) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff). Chapter 27 covers the import of fuel including coal and gas. The import of coal has a 0% import duty and the import of gas ranges from 0% to 8% depending on the type and usage.

    WTO rules, do however allow countries to impose import tariffs when goods are being “dumped” e.g. sold on our market at below manufacturing cost price. If there is evidence that imports of coal and gas are being dumped the European Commission could propose imposing anti-dumping duties.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to paragraph 88 of the Equality Analysis in the new contract for doctors and dentists in training in the NHS, published in March 2016, if he will implement the recommendation that flexible pay premia should apply where a doctor needs to change speciality because of a disability or the need to care for a person with a disability.

    Ben Gummer

    Yes. This is explicit in paragraphs 50-52 of Schedule 2 of the Terms and Conditions of Service published by NHS Employers on 31 March 2016.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-06-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to require the Financial Conduct Authority to require credit rating agencies to improve their reporting of an individual’s credit record; and if he will make a statement.

    Harriett Baldwin

    When consumer credit regulation transferred from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on 1 April 2014, the Government decided that, given their central role in helping to inform responsible lending decisions, CRAs should be directly regulated by the FCA. As such, every credit reference agency’s fitness to trade is being assessed as part of the FCA’s robust authorisation process

    Information on a credit report should be purely factual; for example, if arrears were incurred, those lenders who share data through the credit reference agencies will have recorded them.

    A credit reference agency is able to correct factually inaccurate information. However, it is the original lender or organisation that supplies credit to a consumer that provides the agencies with the information held on a credit report. Where inaccurate information has been reported to a credit reference agency, a consumer must contact the lender in the first instance.

    If a problem with inaccurate data is not resolved satisfactorily with a lender, consumers are able to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which is able to investigate and take action where necessary. The ICO is the UK’s independent body set up to uphold information rights, and it enforces the Data Protection Act.

  • Gill Furniss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gill Furniss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gill Furniss on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to launch his Department’s public consultation on new Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Practice Guidance.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department is currently updating the existing guidance on local authority licensing functions for taxi and private hire vehicles. We will consult on a draft once the Policing and Crime Bill, which provides a new power for statutory guidance, has received Royal Assent.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-10-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what arrangements he has put in place to assess the effectiveness of the provisions in the 2012 Scheme for varying child support payments following changes in the income of the paying parent.

    Caroline Nokes

    The 2012 scheme includes an Annual Review of the Non-Resident Parent’s income. If their income is being determined on the basis of Current Income, they are legally required to report any increases of 25% of more in their income level. If they do not, a provision exists for the CMS to backdate a new calculation decision to the point in the year that the change occurred.

    In addition, a Non-Resident Parent may choose to report a change of circumstance, including changes to their income, to the Child Maintenance Service, which will consider making a new decision about the amount of maintenance due reflecting those changes. Once a decision in relation to the reported change has been made, that decision is notified to both clients.

    If either parent believes the decision is wrong, they may request the Child Maintenance Service revisit the decision (a Mandatory Reconsideration), after which they may appeal to an independent First-tier Tribunal.

  • Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Eagle on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to reimburse claimants who use the Wallasey Jobcentre Plus in Liscard for the additional cost of travel to an alternative site when that office closes.

    Priti Patel

    Assessment is made on the impact to claimants of any relocation of DWP business. Should the closure go ahead, the move would be 2 miles and approx. 20 minutes travel by public transport,to Birkenhead Jobcentre Plus. Depending on the claimant’s circumstances, reimbursement of additional costs would be considered if claimants were expected to attend an appointment at the Jobcentre that does not fall on their official signing day.

  • Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-02-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many cases of suspected VAT and customs fraud relating to online sales and imports have been the subject of a criminal investigation for possible referral to the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last 10 years.

    Mr David Gauke

    To provide the answer to these questions would incur disproportionate cost. Data has not been captured centrally for the specific categories over the last 10 years.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for consent have been refused by the Marine Management Organisation since 2010.

    George Eustice

    The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) database was established in April 2011 and accurate data for marine licence applications determined by the MMO are limited to post 1 April 2011. However, I can confirm that since April 2011:

    • 50 fully determined marine licence applications have required an appropriate assessment;
    • 151 fully determined marine licence applications have required an environmental impact assessment;
    • 44 marine licence applications have been refused; and,
    • 3,849 fully determined marine licence applications have been approved, including 1,848 variations to an existing marine licence.
  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve the stability of radar sensors in the F-35B Lightning II Fighter.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The UK is fully involved in the development/test cycle for the F-35 radar sensors. As new functionality is added in line with the development schedule, there can be an initial reduction in software stability. Software fixes have been identified to improve stability and are planned to enter flight test during the next month. The development and performance of the radar remains on track to meet the UK’s planned Initial Operating Capability of December 2018.