Tag: 2016

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-02-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why no safe areas have been established in Syria, in particular in Idlib, Darra, Jazira, and Afrin.

    Baroness Verma

    At the Syria conference in London on 4 February, the Prime Minister announced that the UK will more than double our support in response to the Syria crisis from £1.12 billion to over £2.3 billion, our largest ever humanitarian response to a single crisis. We will consider any option compliant with international law that might save lives in Syria. However, experience suggests that so-called ‘safe’ areas can prove difficult to demilitarise and protect against all threats. In fact, there is a risk that they can become targets.

    For a safe area to work, all parties to the conflict and relevant regional authorities would need to agree to its establishment. In the absence of such consent, this would require foreign military intervention, authorised by a UN Security Council Resolution. Any party seeking to establish a safe area would need to ensure sufficient military capability to guarantee safety from both aerial and ground attack, including by unconventional means. Credible measures would also be needed to prevent human rights abuses and to provide humanitarian assistance within the protected area. In addition, the existence of a ‘safe’ area near an international border should not be used to repatriate refugees against their will, or to deny access to asylum.

    The UK plays a key role in ensuring humanitarian access to Syria. By 31 January 2016, at least 257 shipments of cross-border aid had been delivered as a direct result of the UK co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolutions 2165, 2191 and 2258 which enables the UN to deliver aid into Syria without the consent of the regime. We continue to call on all sides to the conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law and ensure free, unimpeded access for humanitarian agencies.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make representations to the Post Office on providing free business banking services to small and medium-sized enterprises.

    George Freeman

    The provision of services at post offices is the operational responsibility of the Post Office. Post Office offers a Retail (consumer) Bank Account direct to its own customers and, like any other business, can only offer services which are commercially sustainable for the business. The Post Office does not offer a Business (SME) type Bank Account direct to small businesses.

    In addition to its own consumer financial services, the Post Office has offered access to ‘basic bank branch’ services for business and personal banking customers of almost all high street banks for a number of years. The banks charge their customers at the applicable rate agreed in their customer terms and conditions. The Post Office provides the services free to the customer at the counter, based on a series of commercial agreements with the banks. These agreements have recently been reviewed and discussed as part of the industry response to the Government sponsored ‘Access to Banking Protocol’ from March 2015.

    The Post Office believes that personal and business customers of all banks would benefit from being able to continue to access existing basic banking services at Post Office branches, making sure that all communities can access banking services locally.

  • Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton on 2016-04-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether HM Treasury is working with the Department of Health on the implementation of the sugar levy, and if so, how.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    There are ongoing discussions between HM Treasury and the Department of Health on the implementation of the soft drinks industry levy.

  • John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-05-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of freedom of expression in Turkey.

    Mr David Lidington

    We share the concerns of the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the EU over freedom of the expression in Turkey, including the arrest and detention of a number of journalists. As a friend and ally we strongly encourage Turkey to continue work towards the full protection of all fundamental rights, especially in the areas of minority rights, freedom of religion and freedom of expression – and will continue to do so.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to allow EU citizens resident in the UK to be able to continue to live in the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    As the Prime Minister has said, there will be no immediate changes in the circumstances of European nationals currently residing in the UK.

    Under current arrangements EU nationals do not need to apply for a residence card or a permanent residence card in order to establish their free movement rights and responsibilities.

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

    Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawhinney on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many provider NHS trusts achieved an improvement in operating efficiency of four per cent or more without aggravating their debt position in the last financial year.

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

    There is no nationally agreed metric for operating efficiency. However, an annual efficiency requirement is built into the tariff uplift calculation that is used by commissioners in their contract negotiation with providers. In 2015-16 this efficiency requirement was 3.5% over 2014-15. Therefore, we can assume that organisations are delivering this efficiency if they improve their financial position based on these efficiency adjusted prices.

    In February 2016, the Department published Lord Carter’s Operational productivity and performance in English NHS acute hospitals: Unwarranted variations report, a review of efficiency in hospitals which provided details of how operational savings can be achieved. A copy of the report is attached. This programme, along with ‎additional funding provided by the government, will help reduce deficits in this year and bring the sector back into financial balance in future years.

    The National Health Service will receive additional funding of £10 billion per year by the end of the current Spending Review period, with £3.8 billion provided in 2016-17 alone. From this £3.8 billion, we have created a £2.1 billion Sustainability and Transformation Fund that will help providers move to a sustainable financial footing.

    NHS Improvement’s 2016-17 quarter 1 performance report confirmed that things are improving in this year, with lower levels of deficit, fewer trusts reporting a deficit and savings on agency staff.

  • Simon Hart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

    Simon Hart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Hart on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what discussions the Committee has had with HM Revenue and Customs on the reissuing of P11D forms for hon. Members for 2014-15.

    Mr Charles Walker

    The Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has not had any discussions with HM Revenue and Customs on the reissuing of P11D forms for MPs for 2014-15.

    I have received confirmation from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority that they have not had any discussions with HM Revenue and Customs relating to the incorrect issuing of P11Ds for 2014-15.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-02-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the administration of the Apprenticeships Levy will function in order to fund work-based learning and vocational training in (1) Wales, (2) Scotland, and (3) Northern Ireland.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    We are continuing discussions with the devolved administrations about a fair allocation of funding from the proceeds of the Apprenticeship Levy.

    Education and skills policy, including apprenticeships, is a devolved matter.

    It is for the devolved administrations of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland to determine how they manage and fund apprenticeships.

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many officials of his Department provided support to the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Commission was supported by a small secretariat which comprised of one full time secondee from the Cabinet Office and two secondees from the Ministry of Justice, all of whom are below the Senior Civil Service. In addition, adhoc administrative support was provided on request.

  • Lord Livermore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Livermore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Livermore on 2016-04-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they consider to be the most accurate way of measuring social mobility in the UK.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    There is currently no commonly agreed measure for socio-economic background for employers in the UK. As committed to in our Talent Action Plan 2016, we are working with a number of major employers and organisations promoting social mobility to create new national common measures for determining socio-economic background of applicants and workforces. This will help to boost social mobility in workplaces across the UK, in both the public and private sectors.