Tag: 2016

  • Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government is making to the governments of India and Pakistan on finding a peaceful solution to the situation in Kashmir which fully involves the people of Kashmir in the process.

    Alok Sharma

    The longstanding position of the United Kingdom is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the United Kingdom to prescribe a solution or to act as a mediator. We encourage both sides to maintain positive dialogue, but the pace and scope of this is for them to determine.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has any plans routinely to collect and publish data on (a) the response times and (b) the number of referrals through the National Referral Mechanism by First Responders.

    Sarah Newton

    The National Crime Agency (NCA) publishes quarterly data on the number of referrals made by different First Responder organisations, which can be accessed through the following link: http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics The NCA does not collect data about response times by First Responders. The Government is piloting a new approach to the NRM, at the end of which we will consider, among other things, which data should be routinely collected.

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of financial controls and reporting systems for charities in response to the liquidation of Kids Company.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    In the light of the events surrounding Kids Company the Cabinet Office has launched a detailed review of how it makes grants under Section 70 of the Charities Act. The review is considering the criteria used to assess risk and is developing a proposal for a new and more rigorous approval process. The review will also take into account recommendations made by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee and the Public Accounts Committee.

  • Lord Wills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Wills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wills on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the cost of the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation in each of the last 10 years.

    Lord Bates

    The costs to the Government for the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation since 2011 are set out below:

    2011-2012: £213,100

    2012-2013: £201,700

    2013-2014: £213,100

    2014-2015: £270,000 (plus an additional £350,800 for the statutory Investigatory Powers Review, as required by section 7 of the Data Protection and Investigatory Powers Act 2014)

    2015-2016 (to the half year point in September): £135,800

    It is not possible to provide an accurate breakdown of the Independent Reviewer’s costs prior to 2011.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will place in the Library the most recent submissions made by the parties involved in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations.

    Anna Soubry

    The European Commission has published a large number of documents relating to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) on its website, including EU proposals for legal text, position papers and factsheets.

    The Commission and the US have agreed that national parliamentarians should have access to classified TTIP documents, including consolidated texts, via reading rooms in national ministries. Restrictions placed on these rooms include that they are only accessible to officials of Member State central governments and Members of Member State national Parliaments.

    The UK intends to establish such a reading room in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). This will give equivalent access to documents for Members of both Houses to that afforded to Members of the European Parliament. Members of both Houses will be informed of the process and details of how to access the room shortly, once these have been finalised.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many badges of honour have been awarded by (a) Gibraltar, (b) the Falkland Islands, (c) the Cayman Islands and (d) Bermuda in each year since 2010.

    James Duddridge

    Since 2010 badges of honour have been awarded as follows;

    Gibraltar: 2010 – 5; 2011 – 6; 2012 – 6; 2013 – 6; 2014 – 6; 2015 – 6

    Falkland Islands: 2010 – 3; 2011 – 2; 2012 – 1; 2013 – 0; 2014 – 0; 2015 – 2

    Cayman Islands: 2010 – 4; 2011 – 8; 2012 – 2; 2013 – 6; 2014 – 2; 2015 – 1

    Bermuda: 2010 – 14; 2011 – 7; 2012 – 13; 2013 – 5; 2014 – 6; 2015 – 2

  • Lord Smith of Hindhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Smith of Hindhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Hindhead on 2016-04-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the current annual arrangements for setting the Horseracing Betting Levy will continue under the proposed new funding arrangements, or will be extended beyond twelve months.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Currently the levy rate is agreed each year by the Horserace Betting Levy Board.

    Under the new model the level of contribution from betting to racing will be set by Government. We will take into account various findings when considering the rate and its duration, including the independent economic analysis that we commissioned last year. We will hold discussions with both industries before reaching decisions on these issues.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many staff were paid off-payroll in each agency for which his Department is responsible in each of the last three financial years for which information is available.

    Jane Ellison

    The number of people paid off payroll, in both of the Department’s agencies, for the last three financial years are presented in the table below.

    The information given is an average for each financial year. Off payroll staff includes all agency workers, contractors and consultants.

    Number of People Paid Off Payroll by Financial Year

    Financial Year

    Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency

    Public Health England

    Average Headcount

    Average Headcount

    2013-14

    41.17

    279

    2014-15

    43.33

    167

    2015-16

    40.08

    179

    Notes

    1. An average figure for the year has been used to take account of staff who leave and/or join within the year.

    2. Headcount refers to the total number of staff in both part-time and full-time employment.

    3. The figures in the table also includes the off payroll workers earning £220 or more per day and reported separately in the agencies respective annual resource accounts.

    “

  • 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 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people who received redundancy payments from the NHS in 2015-16 were subsequently re-employed by the NHS on a (a) consultancy and (b) permanent basis; and what the cost to the NHS was of those redundancy repayments.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The number of compulsory redundancies in 2015-16 was 1,944.

    The number of staff made redundant and then re-employed is not currently available.

    In May 2015 the Government announced that it intended to take forward its manifesto commitment to end six-figure exit payments for public sector workers, including the National Health Service. The Enterprise Act containing provisions for the £95,000 public sector exit payment cap received Royal Assent in May 2016 and will come into force later this year.

    Further legislation is being taken forward to allow for the recovery of exit payments from all high earning public sector workers who return to any part of the public sector within 12 months of leaving.

    The Government’s changes to the NHS mean a huge net gain for the taxpayer. The Department published a written ministerial statement on 21 July 2015: Column 90WS NHS Modernisation setting out the costs and benefits of NHS modernisation. “The Department of Health also originally forecast that between 2010-11 and 2014-15 the reforms would save the NHS £4.5 billion in lower administration costs, as well as a further £1.5 billion a year thereafter. Actual savings were far greater, in cash terms at £6.9 billion over this period, including £2 billion in 2014-15—and in 2010-11 prices comparable to the impact assessment £6.5 billion, including £1.8 billion in 2014-15. This means the Government have successfully achieved their aim to reduce NHS bureaucracy costs by a third”.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the £55.7 billion cost of the High Speed 2 project also includes the cost for the High Speed 3 project.

    Andrew Jones

    Spending Review 2015 restated the long-term budget for HS2 at £55.7bn (2015 prices). This is for the entire ‘Y’ network, including Phase 1 and 2.

    The government committed a separate £60m from the Transport Development Fund for the development of Northern Powerhouse Rail (sometimes known as HS3) at this year’s Budget. Transport for the North are leading the development of a range of potential options for Northern Powerhouse Rail, including options that make use of sections of the HS2 network, major upgrades, and new lines. Transport for the North will publish their priorities for further development in spring 2017.