Tag: 2016

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-01-28.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the European Commission since the publication of the EU Aviation Strategy in December 2015; what assessment he has made of the effect of taxes and levies applied by member states on connectivity and competitiveness; what his Department’s response to that strategy’s conclusion on the effects of such taxes and levies conclusion is; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Treasury takes note of the European Commission’s 2015 Aviation Strategy.

    The UK has the third largest aviation network in the world and a strongly performing aviation sector – passenger numbers grew 4% in 2014 compared to 2013 and are expected to show similar growth for 2015.

    In the absence of any taxation of international aviation fuel and no VAT on international or domestic flights, the Government levies air passenger duty (APD) on the carriage of passengers from UK airports. APD ensures that the aviation sector contributes its fair share in taxation towards reducing the deficit.

    However, like all taxes, APD is kept under review with any changes announced at fiscal events.

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to maintain a strong commercial bus market in northern regions of the UK.

    Andrew Jones

    The forthcoming Buses Bill will provide local transport authorities, including those in the North, with a range of tools that will enable them to improve their bus services by introducing new franchising powers and stronger partnership arrangements, as well as a step change in the information available to passengers.

    The Government is also supporting bus services outside London – including in the North – with some £250 million a year of funding through the Bus Service Operators Grant system.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if will he take steps to ensure that British Pregnancy Advisory Service abortion clinics do not act outside the licence for anaesthetics and do not share single doses between patients.

    Jane Ellison

    One representation has been received in relation to the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) inspection of BPAS Richmond. The CQC is responsible for ensuring that requirements under the Health and Social Care (HSC) Act 2008 are met by the providers of termination of pregnancy services including meeting the fundamental standards of quality and safety as set out in Part 3 to the 2014 Regulations, and Regulation 20 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009, which is specific to independent sector termination of pregnancy providers. The CQC is responsible for ensuring that the requirements under the HSC Act 2008 are maintained through a system of monitoring and, where appropriate, inspection visits. It is for the CQC and the provider to address required and recommended actions identified following an inspection.

    Independent sector providers are also required to comply with the Department of Health’s Required Standard Operating Procedures.

    Departmental officials meet regularly with representatives from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) but have not met since the CQC report on BPAS Richmond was published.

  • Baroness McIntosh of Pickering – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness McIntosh of Pickering – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-04-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of EU Directive 2014/56/EU and Regulation 537/2014 on statutory auditing, what assessment they have made of the potential impact of joint audit on levels of competition across the UK auditing sector.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government does intend to implement provisions relating to increased tendering as part of the implementation of the EU Audit Regulation and Directive. This is in line with the recommendations of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

    The provision on joint audit in the EU Regulation would act as an exemption from having to retender with the frequency envisaged by the CMA. The government consulted on the implementation of the audit directive including this option, and concluded the option should not be taken up.

    Joint audit is not a practice followed in the UK, though it is expressly permitted by the Companies and legislation on some other entities. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has consulted on whether to take up this derogation. In response to our discussion document in December 2014 on auditor regulation, only 4 of 25 respondents supported its implementation.

    It is unclear that increased joint audit would encourage competition. The option in the EU Regulation could result in prolonged audit engagements (up to 24 years) and fewer changes in auditor. This would be contrary to the objective of the CMA and the Regulation, which is to increase retendering and rotation of auditors not less.

    The CMA considered the impact of joint audits on competition and concluded that promoting joint audits would have little effect on barriers to entry, expansion and selection. The CMA’s conclusions were based on views provided by a range of stakeholders. The CMA was not able to quantify the potential cost of imposing joint audits, but did state that they believed that across the market the costs would be potentially significant. They state that a lot of weight was placed on the views of investors, who were almost universally opposed to joint audits on the grounds of additional costs and risks to audit quality.

  • Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has conducted of whether military personnel and contractors are able safely to load and unload equipment from Ministry of Defence vessels onto the pier head at Ascension Island.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The loading and unloading of freight from Ministry of Defence chartered vessels is conducted by the Ascension Island Government. A Health and Safety and Environmental Risk Assessment of loading/unloading equipment at the Ascension Islands pier head was undertaken by the Joint Forces Command Health and Safety lead in September 2015.

  • Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding from the public purse for each refugee camp has been given in each of the last five years; and on what that funding has been spent in each of those years.

    Rory Stewart

    DFID supports refugee camps in many different countries as part of our wider programming to assist those displaced by conflict, persecution and fear. It is not possible to say how much is spent on each individual camp.

  • Lord Foulkes of Cumnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Foulkes of Cumnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to appoint a new Minister of State for the Department for International Development in the House of Lords as a replacement for the current Minister; and if so, when they intend to make that appointment.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    The Rt Hon Lord Bates has been appointed as Minister of State at the Department for International Development (DfID).

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2015 to Question 18534, what assessment she has made of the effect on the forward planning work of the National Wildlife Crime Unit of the timetabling and notice provided of the decisions on the funding allocation for that Unit from March 2016; and if she will make a statement.

    Rory Stewart

    Defra is in regular contact with the National Wildlife Crime Unit about its work. I met the head of the unit on 3 December and Defra officials attended both the Governance Board and the Tasking and Coordination Group for the unit on the same date.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of short school inspections carried out last term were converted into a full section 5 inspection; and if she will list those inspections.

    Nick Gibb

    This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to create a fiscal surplus by the end of this Parliament.

    Greg Hands

    The government has made significant progress on deficit reduction to date – the deficit has more than halved as a share of GDP from the post-war peak we inherited in 2009-10. The government will reduce public sector net borrowing at the same average rate as the previous Parliament. But with warnings of a weaker outlook for the economy, we cannot be complacent in thinking the job is done and we must continue with the plan to return the public finances to a more sustainable position.