The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kramer on 2016-03-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have taken up the Married Couple’s Allowance in each year since its introduction.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
As of March 24 2016, 585,487 couples had successfully applied for Marriage Allowance, including apporoximately 181,00 who applied in March.
The campaign ran until 31 March and final figures are not yet available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Evans on 2016-04-26.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the extension of real-time data sharing to the whole consumer credit market.
Harriett Baldwin
HM Treasury does not hold information on the effect that sharing data in real time across the whole consumer credit market would have on consumer debt levels, or on wider economic conditions.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has regular discussions with his Cabinet colleagues on a wide variety of issues. In line with the practice of previous Administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-06-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to publish the savings in public sector procurement as a result of following the advice of Sir Philip Green; and whether they will consider inviting Sir Philip to review the adequacy and effectiveness of implementation.
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
I refer the noble Lord to the answers I gave him on 11 April 2016 to Question HL7227 and on 9 May to Question HL7900.
We have published details of savings made through efficiency and reform each year since 2010-11. The most recent report can be found on www.gov.uk.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Clegg on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many additional employees he plans to hire from outside the Civil Service for the purposes of managing the process of leaving the EU; in what roles those employees will be deployed; over what timescale those employees will be under contract; and what the cost to the public purse such employment will involve.
Sir Alan Duncan
None.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-10-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate the Government has made of the number of St Helena expats who are currently residing in the UK.
Rory Stewart
We understand from the latest (2011) census data provided by the Office of National Statistics, that the number of people in England and Wales, who registered as being born in St Helena, was 2,645. In Scotland the number is 59. In Northern Ireland it is 11. These numbers do not include the children of St Helenian parents
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-01-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, after how long it is his policy to take action when a local planning authority has not produced a playing pitch strategy; and what powers his Department has to taken such action after that period.
Tracey Crouch
Sport England, which helps local authorities develop and implement Playing Pitch Strategies to protect existing playing fields as well as meet future demand, recommends that the strategy should be updated every three years. In its role as statutory consultee, Sport England also monitors the number of planning applications that have an impact on playing fields and objects where it believes local sports provision could be harmed. As set out in our sports strategy, published last month, this Government is committed to improving the quality of community sports facilities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2016 to Question 22794, how many beneficiaries of the Student Opportunity Fund there were in each of the last five years.
Joseph Johnson
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) allocates the Student Opportunity Fund to Higher Education providers as part of the teaching grant. Although the different elements of the fund are calculated on the basis of the number of students within an institution with particular characteristics, institutions have been able to use the funding in whichever way they feel is most appropriate for their students. Therefore, there is no centrally collected data on the numbers of students supported by the fund.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Prime Minister, which Government Ministers have had use of Chevening House since May 2015.
Mr David Cameron
The Foreign Secretary has use of Chevening.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-03-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which EU countries are required by their constitutions to hold a referendum before their governments can agree changes to the EU treaties; and which countries have done so in the past.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
No EU country has an absolute constitutional requirement to hold a referendum before their government can agree to any amendment to the EU Treaties. Indeed, no EU Member State held a referendum on the most recent change to the EU Treaties which came into effect in 2013.
The following countries have a constitutional requirement to hold a referendum in certain circumstances (e.g. if proposed changes require a revision of a Member State’s constitution or constitute a transfer of competence/sovereignty to the EU):
• Austria
• Croatia
• Denmark
• Ireland
• Lithuania
• Romania
• Slovakia
The following countries have previously held a referendum on changes to the EU Treaties:
• Denmark
• Ireland
• France
• Italy
• Luxembourg
• Netherlands
• Spain
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2016-04-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require private landlords to fit safety devices on blinds to ensure children’s safety.
Brandon Lewis
Government has already taken steps to protect children, having worked with various sector bodies and lobby groups to revise the European standard EN 13120 (performance and safety requirements for internal blinds). This means all blinds placed on the market, since February 2014, have to display warning labels on the product, as well as on the packaging, and include safety devices to ensure blind cords are kept out of the reach of young children. It also imposes a maximum cord and chain length where there is a likely hood of young children (0-42 months) being present, which includes residential properties and public places like hotels, hospitals, schools, shops, places of worship and nurseries.
Local authorities also have powers, under the Housing Act 2004, to inspect properties and where hazards are identified require the landlord to rectify them.