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Tag: 2016

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-02-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was paid in (a) child tax credits and (b) child benefit for children within the European Economic Area outside the UK in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the effect on the level of such payments of proposed reforms to the payment of those benefits to such children under the terms of the renegotiation proposed by the European Council.

    Damian Hinds

    The information is not available in the form requested.

    The Government’s new settlement means that EU nationals whose children live abroad will ultimately receive Child Benefit at a rate that reflects the conditions – including the standard of living and child benefit paid – of the country where their child lives. This will restore fairness to the system. Meanwhile, Child Tax Credit is being phased out, and we do not have to pay the new Universal Credit for children living in other countries. That means as Universal Credit is fully rolled out, the only benefit we will pay for children living in other Member States will be the indexed rate of Child Benefit.

  • Baroness Pinnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Pinnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Pinnock on 2016-03-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking in response to Main Finding 4 of the 2014 Annual Report of the Chief Schools Adjudicator relating to the admission arrangements of schools that are their own admission authority.

    Lord Nash

    The Department is giving careful consideration to the findings in the Chief Schools Adjudicator’s annual reports published in December 2014 and November 2015 as part of our current review of the School Admissions Code. We will be conducting a full public consultation in due course.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the statistical trends set out in the Answer of 11 January 2016 to Question 20933, what plans he has to tackle drug use in prison.

    Andrew Selous

    We take a zero tolerance approach to drugs in prison in England and Wales. We recently introduced tough new laws which will see those who smuggle packages over prison walls, including new psychoactive substances, face up to two years in prison. Those who involve themselves in the distribution of drugs in our prisons should know that they could face prosecution and extra time behind bars.

    We have a comprehensive range of security measures and searching techniques in place to detect drugs, and to prevent smuggling into prisons. We are also piloting the use of body scanners to reveal drugs concealed within the body. If successful, we will use these to complement existing tactics to prevent the smuggling of illicit drugs.

    In addition, there is a wide-ranging programme of work being undertaken by NOMS and its partners to tackle the use of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), which we know are having a particularly destructive effect in prisons. This includes legislation to control the supply, possession and conveyance of any NPS into a prison. We have also trained more than 300 dogs to specifically detect NPS as well as piloting mandatory drug testing of prisoners for psychoactive substances in 34 prisons. We are evaluating the effect of the test and will continue to monitor prisoner drug use so that we can continue to support meaningful interventions and provide an effective testing regime.

    We are also working with the Department of Health and others to improve our understanding of the risks NPS present for offenders and to provide appropriate information, guidance and support to offenders and those working with them in prison.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Bridget Phillipson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of stopping survivors of domestic abuse from being cross-examined by their abusers in family court proceedings.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The family courts take the issue of domestic violence extremely seriously. The Child Arrangement Programme and Practice Direction 12J sets out a strong and clear framework for judges to apply to the management of difficult court room situations, to ensure they are handled sensitively for alleged victims of domestic violence and other vulnerable witnesses. All judges receive specific training on this framework and they can intervene to prevent inappropriate questions or have questions relayed. Practical protections, for example, protective screens, video links, separate waiting rooms and separate entrances are available where appropriate.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2016 to Question 42035, how many projects her Department jointly funded to look into the ecological value of ash dieback; and if she will make a statement.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    Defra funded a number of research projects in response to ash dieback, including two research projects to assess the ecological impacts of the disease on woodlands and other species. These have now been published and are available on the Defra science website:

    http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=18994&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=ash%20dieback&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description

    http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&Completed=0&ProjectID=19187

    “

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to ensure the quality labelling of Scottish produce will remain protected after the UK leaves the EU.

    George Eustice

    We fully support the UK’s iconic, world-class traditional products such as Scottish Farmed Salmon, Scotch Beef and Scotch Whisky, which provide and support thousands of jobs across Scotland and the UK and accounts for a large proportion of UK exports.

    We fully recognise the importance of ensuring that the protection for products such as those currently registered under the Protected Food Name and Geographical Indication schemes continues after the UK has left the EU. We are looking at how best to do this and we will continue to work with producers to ensure protections are in place in the future.

  • Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, on how many occasions in each of the last two calendar years her Department has been notified by outside consultants or other third parties of breaches by employees or subcontractors of those consultants of document retention or security policies relating to confidential or secure materials.

    Andrea Leadsom

    No notifications have been received.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 24142, how many current CSA cases where there are existing child maintenance arrears have been subject to proactive or reactive case closure.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested on case closure arrears is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

  • Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-03-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they are proposing to discontinue the use of the Westbury East Loop Junction and Hawkeridge Junction line for passenger services, and whether such a change will prevent that line from being used for diversion routes for passenger services in future.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The proposal is to withdraw one regular passenger train service in one direction only Monday to Friday over this short curve on the grounds of low usage and for the service instead to serve the nearby important station of Westbury. The service was designated as experimental in 2011.

    The withdrawal of the experimental status for the passenger service in question does not affect the line itself, which will continue to remain open for diverted passenger trains and freight.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information he holds on what discussions have taken place between HM Revenue and Customs and former Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair or his advisers about (a) Mr Blair’s tax affairs and (b) charges brought in under the Finance Act 2006 as they relate to those tax affairs.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs does not divulge details about an individual’s tax affairs.