Tag: 2016

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 10 May 2016 to Question 36136, what additional financial contributions his Department has made to projects in support of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in each of the last six years.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    In addition to the financial contribution the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has made directly to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, set out in answer to Question 36136, the FCO has supported a range of projects relating to the objectives of the treaty, these include conferences on issues related to the treaty, work in support of making progress towards a Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone, and support for the universal ratification and implementation of International Atomic Energy Agency verification standards in nuclear non-proliferation. These projects total:

    FY 10/11 = £139,084

    FY 11/12 = £416,884.08

    FY 12/13 = £580,895.57

    FY 13/14 = £313,106.97

    FY 14/15 = £325,297.80

    FY 15/16 = £222,158.92

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department takes to ensure that the level of functional impairment is adequately assessed to provide appropriate support for a claimant to obtain employment.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Department introduced the independent audit of Work Capability Assessments in March 2015 in line with the start of the new Health and Disability Assessment Service contract.

    Audit has a central role in confirming that independent health professional advice complies with the required standards and that it is clear and medically reasonable. It also provides assurance that any approach to assessment and opinion given is consistent so that, irrespective of where or by whom the assessment is carried out, claimants with conditions that have the same functional effect will ultimately receive the same benefit outcome.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many amendments to tax credit awards Concentrix have made due to error on behalf of (a) Concentrix and (b) since the beginning of the contract between Concentrix and HM Revenue and Customs.

    Jane Ellison

    This information is not held in the form requested. An amended award could be due to a number or reasons and without retrospectively looking at each award individually, HM Revenue and Customs would not be able to identify how many amendments were made in error. Undertaking an assurance exercise of this size could only be done at disproportionate cost.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the Government’s tax reliefs on (a) the film and (b) other creative industries.

    Mr David Gauke

    Creative sector tax reliefs play an important role in stimulating investment in an industry that employs 1.8 million people and provides world-class cultural experiences to many more.

    HM Revenue and Customs published official statistics in December 2015 showing that a record 220 films claimed the film tax credit in 2014-15, with the relief supporting over £1bn worth of UK expenditure in the sector.

    Since the reliefs came into force in 2013-14, the high-end TV tax relief has supported almost £600m of expenditure in the industry and the animation tax relief has supported £68 million. Official statistics for the creative sector tax reliefs can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/creative-industries-statistics-december-2015

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  • Vernon Coaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Vernon Coaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she plans to have with Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive on job losses at Bombardier.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I recently held discussions on Bombardier with the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise and the Northern Ireland Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment. I will continue to discuss this issue with Government and Executive Ministers.

  • Lord Ouseley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Ouseley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ouseley on 2016-03-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to setting a limit to how long individuals can be held at immigration removal centres.

    Lord Bates

    The Government does not believe that a time limit on immigration detention would be appropriate. Home Office published policy is centred on a presumption in favour of liberty. Depriving someone of their liberty is subject to careful consideration and scrutiny, with appropriate account taken of individual circumstances. The introduction of an arbitrary time limit could lead to the release of foreign criminals and illegal immigrants even when their removal is imminent. Home Office guidance is clear that detention must be used sparingly and for the shortest period reasonably necessary to achieve its purpose. Published statistics show that, in the year to December 2015, over 90 per cent of individuals leaving detention had been detained for no longer than four months.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether public consultation was undertaken prior to the formation of Sustainability and Transformation Plan footprints.

    George Freeman

    The NHS Shared Planning Guidance (December 2015) asked each area to develop a proposed Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) footprint, engaging with local authorities and other partners on what this should look like.

    The footprints were reviewed by the national bodies with regard to: geography (including patient flow); scale; fit with footprints of existing change programmes; financial sustainability; and leadership capacity.

    STPs are not statutory entities but collective discussion fora which aim to bring together health and care leaders to support the delivery of improved health and care based on the needs of local populations.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the Government spent on prescriptions for people over the age of 60 in full-time employment in each of the last five years that figures are available.

    Alistair Burt

    The information is not available as the employment status of patients is not collected.

  • Jeff Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jeff Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeff Smith on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that academics in the UK will be able to continue collaborating with academics in universities in EU member states after the UK leaves the EU.

    Joseph Johnson

    The EU Erasmus+ programme provides opportunities for schools and colleges to collaborate with their counterparts in Europe, and with universities. Access to the programme after we leave the EU is a matter for the forthcoming exit negotiations.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK is a party to the Syrian Counter Terror Agreement made by the US and Russia on 9 September 2016; whether the UK plans to provide any assistance or reconnaissance intelligence for actions taken under that agreement; and whether British forces’ operations in Iraq and Syria will be affected by that agreement.

    Mike Penning

    The UK supported US efforts to reach agreement with Russia to reinstate a cessation of hostilities in Syria and will continue to work for the restoration of a credible cessation of Hostilities. The UK was not, however, a party to the US-Russia arrangement which was a purely bilateral one. While the UK would have considered seriously any requests received, we were not asked for either assistance or reconnaissance intelligence for its implementation.