Tag: 2016

Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-02-25.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Government’s memorandum submitted to the Lords Secondary Legislation Committee on 28 January 2016, what the evidential basis is for the statement that there will be no cash losers from the reduction of the income rise disregards for tax credits.

Damian Hinds

As announced in the combined Autumn Statement and Spending Review, the amount by which a tax credit claimant’s income can increase within the year before their tax credit award is adjusted (the income rise disregard), will be reduced from £5,000 to £2,500. The reduction to the income rise disregard will stop one family receiving a higher tax credit award over another family with precisely the same income and the same circumstances, which makes the system fairer. The household income of families before it rises will inform how they might be effected by a reduction in the income rise disregard.

The only people who will be affected are those who will see an income increase of more than £2,500 in-year.

Due to the way that tax credits are calculated, the amount an award will be adjusted by – because of an increase in income – will depend upon a claimant’s individual circumstances, such as the household’s income before it rises. No one will be a cash loser because their income will have increased. As an example, for an individual with a wage of £12,000, an income increase of £2,501 would lead to an adjustment in their tax credit award of just 41 pence. An increase of less than £2,500 would see no change at all.

01/01/2023
Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sue Hayman on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much subsidy was paid to the operators of the Northern rail franchise in each financial year between December 2004 and April 2016.

Andrew Jones

Subsidies paid from 2004 to 2008:

2004/05 – 81.0 million (part year – December 2004 to March 2005)

2005/06 – 278.2 million

2006/07 – 168.5 million

2007/08 – 119.3 million

Figures from 2008 onwards are published on the Office of Rail and Road’s (‘ORR’) website at: http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/report/html/95218cca-408d-4047-83ce-a542c53b59e6. 2015-16 financial information will be made available following publication of Audited Statutory Accounts.

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01/01/2023
Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to promote awareness among cyclists of the importance of wearing helmets and visible clothing.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The safety of vulnerable road users is a priority and we recommend that all cyclists wear clothing that makes them sufficiently visible to other road users.

Rule 59 of the Highway Code states, “You should wear light-coloured or fluorescent clothing which helps other road users to see you in daylight and poor light; reflective clothing and/or accessories (belt, arm or ankle bands) in the dark”.

Government policy is that cycle helmets offer a degree of protection for cyclists in the event of a fall from a bicycle and some types of collisions. In line with the Highway Code rule 59 which states “you should wear a cycle helmet which conforms to current regulations, is the correct size and securely fastened” we encourage their use by all cyclists and in particular by children.

01/01/2023
Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-06-07.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to ensure that the renegotiation of the UK-Malawi tax treaty supports development and helps tackle poverty in that country.

Mr David Gauke

The UK regularly reviews its treaty network and actively engages with developing countries. Discussions with Malawi over a new tax treaty began some years ago, and substantive agreement has been reached at official level. It is hoped that the treaty will be signed shortly. Although the UK’s starting point in negotiations is based closely on the OECD model double taxation convention, the Government recognises that developing countries will sometimes have different preferences, and treaties the UK has recently signed demonstrate that we are willing to accommodate at least some of those preferences as part of a balanced agreement. But the nature of the negotiating process is that it remains confidential to the two sides until the treaty is signed.

By governing the taxation of cross-border income flows in a predictable manner and eliminating double taxation and excessive taxation, tax treaties promote international trade and investment, leading to sustainable tax revenues, which are vital in financing for development.

01/01/2023
Stephen Hammond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hammond on 2016-09-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the penalties for mobile phone use while driving.

Andrew Jones

Evidence shows that hand-held mobile phone use whilst driving decreased after the legislation was introduced in 2003, and after the first increase in the penalty in 2007. I know that dangerous mobile phone use remains a key concern amongst motorists. The previous Government increased the level of fine in 2013 and this Government has consulted on increasing penalties. The consultation closed on 15 March and we plan to issue our response soon.

01/01/2023
Baroness Kennedy of Cradley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2016-10-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Since the election of President Sirisena in January 2015 the Sri Lankan Government has taken a number of positive steps to improve the human rights situation in the country. Although much remains to be done, it is clear that Sri Lanka is moving in the right direction.

We welcomed the historic co-sponsorship by Sri Lanka of Resolution 30/1 at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on 1 October 2015 committing it to reconciliation, accountability and the protection of human rights. Since then, the Sri Lankan Government has made encouraging progress against its commitments including the return of some military-held civilian land, the passing of legislation to establish an Office of Missing Persons and the ratification of the Convention on Enforced Disappearances.

We will continue to work with the UN, Sri Lanka and our other international partners to ensure full implementation of the UNHRC resolution, while recognising the scale of the challenge this represents and allowing time for credible, well thought out transitional justice mechanisms to be developed and implemented.

01/01/2023

Robert Jenrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Jenrick on 2016-01-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average level of funding per pupil in secondary schools in Newark constituency has been in each year since 2010.

Mr Sam Gyimah

Funding from the Department is primarily allocated at a local authority level, in this case the Nottinghamshire local authority. Since the introduction of the dedicated schools grant (DSG) in 2006-07, figures are no longer available to be shown split by phase of education.

Figures for financial years 2010 to 2013 are shown below in cash terms:

Average revenue per pupil funding (£)	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13
Nottinghamshire LA	4,810	4,750	4,750

Per pupil figures use DSG allocations plus other schools related grants, e.g. school standards grant, school standards grant (personalisation), standards fund, and pupils aged 3-15, rounded to the nearest £10. Most of the additional grants were mainstreamed into DSG in 2011-12.

The changes to DSG funding in financial year 2013-14 with funding allocated through three blocks, namely schools, early years and high needs, means there is no longer a comparable overall figure with previous years. The table below shows the DSG schools block unit funding figures in cash terms for Nottinghamshire LA.

DSG schools block per pupil funding (£)	2013-2014	2014-2015	2015-2016	2016-2017
Nottinghamshire LA	4,351	4,351	4,352	4,355

Since 2011-12, schools have received the Pupil Premium which targets funding at pupils from the most deprived backgrounds to help them achieve their full potential. In 2011-12, the premium was allocated for each pupil known to be eligible for Free School Meals, looked after children and children of parents in the armed services. In 2012-13 coverage was expanded to include pupils known to have been eligible for Free School Meals at any point in the last six years. The amounts per pupil amounts for each type of pupil are shown in following table in cash terms:

Pupil Premium per pupil (£)	2011-2012	2012-2013	2013-2014	2014-2015	2015-2016
Free School Meal Pupil Primary	£488	£623	£953	£1323	£1320
Free School Meal Pupil Secondary	£488	£623	£900	£935	£935
Service Children	£200	£250	£300	£300	£300
Looked After Children	£488	£623	£900	£1900*	£1900*

*Also includes children adopted from care

Total Pupil Premium allocations for Nottinghamshire local authority and schools in the Newark constituency for each year are shown in the following table in cash terms:

Pupil Premium Allocations (£ millions)	2011-2012	2012-2013	2013-2014	2014-2015	2015-16 (prov.)
Nottinghamshire LA	7.380	14.710	22.903	30.420	30.163
Newark constituency	0.678	1.404	2.203	2.899	2.815

Figures for Newark exclude the looked after children element as this is not available at a parliamentary constituency level.

01/01/2023

Baroness Uddin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Uddin on 2016-02-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to encourage countries hosting Syrian refugees in the region to allow non-governmental organisations to provide non-formal education opportunities.

Baroness Verma

The UK remains at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have doubled our commitment and have now pledged a total of more than £2.3 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. The UK is funding Non-Formal Education via UNICEF in Jordan and Lebanon which is implemented by national non-governmental organisations.

We helped launch and mobilise international support for the No Lost Generation Initiative. The aim of Initiative is to improve quality formal and non-formal learning opportunities for children that are out of school. As part of this support, the UK has allocated £115 million to provide protection, psychosocial support and education for children affected by the crisis in Syria and the region. As a result over 251,000 children have received formal and informal education inside Syria and in the region.

At the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference in London on 4 February, leaders came together to pledge more than $11 billion, the largest amount raised in one day for a humanitarian crisis. On education, leaders committed that by the end of the 2016/17 school year, 1.7 million children – all refugee children and vulnerable children in host communities – will be in quality education with equal access for girls and boys. This includes enrolment in either a formal school or a non-formal, informal or other alternative education programme that meets national or international standards.

01/01/2023
Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many civil law suits have been brought against his Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many such suits were settled out of court before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements have cost the public purse since 2010.

Mr Edward Vaizey

We do not have any information on civil law suits have been brought against the Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998.

01/01/2023
Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ronnie Cowan on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Maritime and Coastguard Agency is taking to encourage people to join the merchant navy.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has no direct control over recruitment into the merchant navy.

The MCA works with strategic partners such as the Chamber of Shipping, Nautilus, the RMT and organisations such as the British Tugowners Association and National Workboat Association to encourage economic growth, including the employment of seafarers.

The MCA also manages the Government’s Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme that subsidises seafarer training by £15M annually. More than 700 new officer trainees started last year. The MCA is also involved with industry in supporting the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills apprenticeships for seafarers.

01/01/2023