Tag: 2016

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to tackle online abuse and harassment targeted at women on (a) social media networks, (b) Facebook and (c) Twitter.

    Sarah Newton

    We expect social media companies, and internet platforms, to have robust processes in place and to act promptly when abuse is reported, this includes acting quickly to remove inappropriate content, and where appropriate, suspending or terminating the accounts of those breaching the rules in place. The Government continues to work closely with social media companies and other relevant actors and experts to make sure they are committed to protecting those who use their platforms.

    The Criminal Justice Act 2015 strengthened two existing communications offences: section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988, and section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 which can now be used to prosecute misuse of social media. The police now have longer to investigate either offence, and the maximum penalty for the former has been increased to two years imprisonment.

  • Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-01-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support the Financial Conduct Authority has offered to people affected by the recent administration of Brightsource Debt Management; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that debt consolidation companies make timely payments to creditors so that their customers’ loans are paid down as quickly as possible.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government has fundamentally reformed the regulation of the debt management market, transferring regulatory responsibility from the Office of Fair Trading to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) a more robust and better resourced regulator.

    The FCA is directing the clients of Brightsource Debt Management towards free debt advice and is engaging with the administrator to ensure the interests of clients are protected.

    The FCA require debt management firms which receive client money for the purposes of paying off client debts to pay that money to creditors as soon as is reasonably practical, normally within 5 business days, unless the firm has disclosed to the client that it will hold the money for a longer period in its terms and conditions.

    The FCA supervises the market; it has a broad enforcement toolkit to punish breaches of its rules and there is no limit on the fines it can levy.

  • John Mc Nally – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    John Mc Nally – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mc Nally on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on new emissions tests for cars.

    Andrew Jones

    I have held regular discussions with my ministerial colleagues on the new European emissions tests for cars. The Government strongly supports the ‘Real Driving Emissions’ agreement, which is expected to reduce significantly real world oxides of nitrogen emissions from diesel cars.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his Department’s wellness strategy is.

    Mike Penning

    The Ministry of Justices (MoJ) Wellbeing strategy seeks to help foster a culture that promotes physical and mental wellbeing for all staff and to make the management of health and wellbeing part of our daily routine.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-03-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in deciding to use the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund exclusively to support national institutions in South Sudan, what assessment they made of the potential effect on supporting community-level peacebuilding and fostering a dialogue likely to prevent conflicts between communities.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Across the Sudan and South Sudan Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), we have decided to maintain the same level of funding for community-level peacebuilding programmes in FY16-17.

    We have not taken a decision to use the CSSF in South Sudan exclusively in support of national institutions. We will continue to support community level peace building in Eastern Equatorial and Lakes states in financial year 2016-17, and have begun exploring with partners the possibility of expanding existing community level projects in Sudan across the border in order to increase coordination and value for money.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-04-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made a recent estimate of the annual cost to the public purse of exempting plant and machinery from the calculation of business rates.

    Mr David Gauke

    The government has carefully considered the case for exempting plant and machinery from business rates. However, there would also be fundamental operational challenges to delivering an exemption on account of the way in which the plant and machinery is embedded in the premises concerned, making its exclusion from the calculation more difficult.

    The government will continue to incentivise investment through better targeted measures, such as the Annual Investment Allowance and Research and Development Tax credits, and through the reductions in the rate of Corporation tax that are in place and that have been announced.

  • Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-06-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have asked the Serious Fraud Office to investigate matters related to the sale and purchase of BHS.

    Lord Keen of Elie

    In all cases decisions to investigate are made by the Director of the Serious Fraud Office, who acts independently. In respect of BHS, the SFO has confirmed that it is reviewing material in its possession. If the Director considers there are reasonable grounds to suspect serious or complex fraud which meets his Statement of Principle, he will open a formal criminal investigation.

  • Nick Clegg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nick Clegg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    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 staff working on matters related to the EU are on secondment to his Department from the private sector; from which companies such staff are seconded; what roles such staff have in his Department; and what the cost to the public purse will be of such secondment.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    None.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will increase spending on overseas aid to compensate for the loss of value of that aid resulting from the fall in the value of the pound since 23 June 2016.

    Rory Stewart

    The government is committed to spending 0.7% of our national income on aid.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many children in England have lived in overcrowded homes in each of the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    In 2013-14, an estimated 1.2 million children in England were living in overcrowded accommodation. Estimates for recent years from the English Housing Survey are shown in the attached table.