Tag: 2016

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what arrangements are in place to enable UK citizens to submit reimbursement claims under the European Health Insurance Card regulations; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of those arrangements.

    Justin Tomlinson

    In the UK, the NHS Choices website provides comprehensive information on the arrangements that are in place to enable UK citizens to submit reimbursement claims under the EU regulations. Such claims are dealt with by a dedicated team in the Department for Work and Pensions – the DWP Overseas Healthcare Team. Contact details for the DWP Overseas Healthcare Team are provided on the NHS Choices website and may also be found on the EHIC itself.

    The reimbursement processes to which all member states adhere have been in place for many years and work in much the same way across Europe. The European Commission and the member states are jointly responsible for assessing the effectiveness of the regulations on an on-going basis and where necessary the Commission will recommend any proposed changes for consideration and agreement with the member states.

  • 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 2016-02-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the savings to the public purse of the proposed emergency brake on in-work benefits for EU citizens in employment in the UK.

    Damian Hinds

    Details of the proposals for restricting in-work benefits for EU nationals will be subject to further negotiation and we cannot speculate on these.

  • David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2016-03-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of how many personal service companies are in operation in the UK.

    Mr David Gauke

    The information requested is obtainable from a discussion document on IR35 published by HM Revenue and Customs on 17 July which is available at the following link :

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/446242/Intermediaries_legislation_IR35-discussion_document.pdf

    “

  • Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Attorney General, how many prosecutions were commenced by the Serious Fraud Office in (a) 2012, (b) 2013, (c) 2014 and (d) 2015.

    Robert Buckland

    The table below shows the number of individuals or bodies corporate against whom the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) instituted proceedings in each year but does not include persons outside the jurisdiction, for whom the court has issued a warrant of arrest under section 1 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 but in respect of whom no written charge or summons has been issued.

    Year

    Number

    2012

    12

    2013

    30

    2014

    20

    2015

    23

    The SFO started two related sets of proceedings against Alstom Network UK. One in 2014, the other in 2015. Only the first set of proceedings is included in the table above.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the purpose of the concept of parity of esteem as applied to Northern Ireland; and why those standards of esteem are not applied in the rest of the UK.

    Lord Dunlop

    ‘Parity of esteem’ is expressed and defined in the 1998 Belfast Agreement in relation to people living in Northern Ireland. That Agreement was reached following talks between the then UK Labour Government, several of Northern Ireland’s political parties – including the Ulster Unionist Party, Sinn Fein and others – and the then Irish Government. This Government sees parity of esteem as treating everybody in Northern Ireland fairly, with equal respect, just as it is committed to treating people fairly and with equal respect wherever they live in the United Kingdom.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what date the Financial Conduct Authority review on the disclosure of transaction cost information for workplace pension schemes is planned to be published.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Government and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) remain committed to ensuring that members of pension schemes are able to obtain information about the costs and charges which they bear.

    Governance bodies of defined contribution workplace pension schemes are obliged, under existing requirements, to assess transaction costs. The FCA is actively considering how to achieve greater transparency and standardisation of these costs, and plans to publish a consultation later this year.

  • Jessica Morden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jessica Morden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for customer service of changing the operation of the Security Industry Authority contact centre from telephone to email.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Security Industry Authority is moving towards a digital by default licensing system. We are aware that there have been issues during the transition to digital which have resulted in higher than expected volumes of customer contact.

    We are working closely with the Security Industry Authority to ensure customer service issues are addressed; the Security Industry Authority have already increased the number of staff responding to customer queries.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why no safe haven has been established for Yazidis and Assyrian Christians, Mandaeans, and Shabaks; when they last raised the failure to make such provision with their international partners; and what assistance they have given to those minorities to better provide for their self-defence.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The British Government agrees that there is an urgent need to protect civilians in Syria and Iraq. However, for safe zones to be effective they must be truly safe. That would require an international mandate and a significant commitment of boots on the ground. Turkey has promoted the idea of safe havens along the border in northern Syria. However, all such previous proposals have foundered on the question of who will provide the defensive air cover, given the presence of a very sophisticated Syrian air defence system, and now the presence of Russian air-to-air offensive capability in the area. The priority remains an end to the violence and full, unhindered access for humanitarian agencies, so civilians can escape the fighting and aid can get through to save lives in the worst affected areas. Britain continues to lead the way in helping those suffering from the humanitarian crisis. The best way of safeguarding minority rights in the region is by defeating Daesh and establishing peace and stability in the region. The UK has been at the forefront of these efforts. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), set out the Government’s comprehensive strategy for dealing with Daesh and the conflict in Syria in his response to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 26 November 2015.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of licences issued for houses of multiple occupation in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) the UK in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    The numbers of licences issued for houses in multiple occupation during the relevant period were:

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    Coventry

    233

    216

    282

    357

    West Midlands

    1,426

    2,997

    3,284

    3,562

    England

    34,464

    36,256

    27,182

    38,530

    The Department only began collecting this data in 2011 and collects data in respect of England.

    Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-housing-data

  • Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Cox on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has taken to promote tourism in the south west of England in the last 12 months.

    David Evennett

    The Prime Minister’s Five Point Plan for Tourism sets out the Government’s commitment to encourage tourists to explore beyond London.

    According to the Office for National Statistics International Passenger Survey, there were 1.9 million inbound visits to the south west of England in the first nine months of 2015 (Jan-Sep); up 6% compared to the same period in 2014. Overseas visitors spent £0.84 billion during these visits, up 2% on Jan-Sep 2014. The £5 million South West Tourism Growth Fund, announced last year, will further promote tourism in the South-West of England.