UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2016

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the local government finance settlement 2016-17, whether he consulted the Office for Budget Responsibility on the distribution of the transitional grant.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Office for Budget Responsibility is concerned with national economic forecasting, while the Transition Grant is a subnational distribution. It was therefore not necessary nor would it have been standard practice to consult the OBR on this issue.

  • Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why spending on court fine collection is being cut, in the light of the value of fines that remain uncollected.

    Lord Faulks

    In recent years efficiency savings have been required right across HM Courts and Tribunals Service. Continuous improvement practices within compliance and enforcement have led to record totals of financial impositions collected each year for the last four years.

    Following the decision to modernise the compliance and enforcement service through an in-house solution, HM Courts and Tribunals Service has been working to develop a new strategy which will lead to further investment in the service and further increased collections.

  • Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of Médecins Sans Frontières’ refusal to take any funds from the EU in protest against the EU’s refugee policy, whether they will reconsider their support for the EU–Turkey refugee deal.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The UK is committed to the successful implementation of the EU/ Turkey migration deal. The numbers of migrants arriving on Greek islands has significantly reduced since this deal came into effect and it is making a genuine difference to managing the flows of migration; preventing people from dying in attempting the crossing or putting themselves in the hands of smugglers.

    We continue to deploy expert staff to the Greek islands to act as interpreters and help with the processing of migrants. These teams help ensure that vulnerable people, including children, are identified and can access asylum procedures as quickly as possible.

  • Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many serving personnel will return from Germany as part of the planned rebasing in each year to 2020.

    Mike Penning

    The number of serving personnel that will return from Germany as part of the planned rebasing in each year to 2020 is shown below.

    Year

    Number of service personnel

    2016

    1,270

    2017

    120

    2018

    0

    2019

    4,000

    2020

    20 (drawdown)

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the reasons for police forces across (a) regions and (b) the UK having variations in their respective plans of action for dealing with traveller camps in (i) public parks and recreation sites and (ii) other publicly-owned land.

    Brandon Lewis

    Dealing with unauthorised traveller sites requires a multi-agency response, involving local authorities and supported by the police.

    The police have powers under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to remove travellers from a site. The decision on whether to use these powers is an operational matter for the police who must consider their duties under the Equalities Act and Human Rights Act in each case.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what analysis his Department has undertaken of the effect of a new rail freight depot near Northampton on the local economy.

    Claire Perry

    The development of proposals for rail freight interchanges is a matter for the private sector and therefore the Department has not undertaken any such analysis.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of penalties for motorists causing death by car dooring.

    Andrew Selous

    A death caused by a collision with a car door can, depending on the circumstances, be classified as one of a number of offences carrying different maximum penalties. While there is a specific offence, under regulation 105 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, to

    “open, or cause or permit to be opened, any door of a vehicle on a road so as to injure or endanger any person” which has the maximum penalty of a level 4 fine (£2,500), other possible charges include offences against the person which carry maximum penalties of up to life imprisonment.

    The Government is aware of concerns about a number of sentencing issues and intends to start a consultation on sentencing before the end of the calendar year. This would include driving offences and penalties.

  • Jo Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jo Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether areas where (a) Al Nusra and (b) other UN Security Council designated terrorist groups are mixed with the moderate opposition are included in the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in Syria; and what assessment he has made of whether such arrangements are being honoured by (i) the Assad government and (ii) Russia.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Cessation of Hostilities agreement in Syria does not apply to Daesh, Jabhat al-Nusra, or other terrorist organisations as designated by the UN Security Council. Discussions over the delineation of territory under the control of those groups are ongoing between the US, Russia and International Syria Support Group members. Our view is that any attacks on Jabhat al-Nusra or other designated terrorist organisations must be highly targeted in order to maintain the Cessation of Hostilities, to have the desired counter-terrorism effects and to ensure that no non-combatants come under attack. Our assessment is that since the start of the Cessation of Hostilities there has been a significant reduction in violence, although there have also been a number of violations, most of which we assess to have been carried out by the regime.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff in his Department were in receipt of Continuity of Education Allowance in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15; and what the cost to his Department was of providing that allowance for staff based (i) in the UK and (ii) overseas in each such year.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The requested information is provided in the following table and I have added the figures for 2009-10 for comparison.

    Continuity of Education Allowance, Number of Claimants and Cost (UK and Overseas) by Financial Year (FY)

    FY 2009-10

    FY 2012-13

    FY 2013-14

    FY 2014-15

    UK Claimants

    5,020

    4,160

    3,600

    3,230

    Overseas Claimants

    1,000

    790

    700

    650

    Total Claimants

    6,020

    4,950

    4,300

    3,880

    UK Cost (£ million)

    93.2

    82.2

    74.3

    69.4

    Overseas Cost (£ million)

    18.1

    16.4

    15.0

    15.1

    Total Cost (£ million)

    111.3

    98.7

    89.3

    84.5

    Note: all numbers are rounded

    Continuity of Education Allowance was reviewed as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 since when improvements in governance have achieved a reduction of costs by around £30 million per annum along with an associated reduction in claimants. Work continues to further reduce the cost of the allowance.

  • Baroness McIntosh of Pickering – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness McIntosh of Pickering – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of basic farm payments claimed during 2015 had been paid as of 30 April.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    As at 2 May, the first working day following 30 April, 98% of Basic Payment Scheme claimants had received a payment.