Tag: 2016

  • Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans the Government has to attempt to remove or deport refugees and asylum seekers at the the UK Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus to third countries.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Under Sovereign Base Areas legislation, people whose asylum claims fail are liable for deportation. Some applications for asylum in Cyprus are still being processed.

    We will seek to deport those who have not claimed asylum or have had their application rejected.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much funding the National Citizen Service received in each of the last five years; how much it is estimated to receive in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The table below shows the funding provided by Government for delivery of National Citizen Service since the programme started in 2011.

    Year

    Government Funding

    2011/12

    £21 million

    2012/13

    £62 million

    2013/14

    £84 million

    2014/15

    £130 million

    More than £1 billion has been committed to the further expansion of NCS in this Parliament. The annual funding arrangements were announced in the 2015 Autumn statement and Spending Review.

    We want to extend the benefits of NCS to young people of all backgrounds.

    Government funding means that it never costs more than £50 to participate in this unique experience, and independent evaluations have shown a return of up to £3.98 for every £1 invested.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

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

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) policy and (b) other responsibilities are of each member of his Department’s Council of Economic Advisers.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers sets out the role of special advisers and describes the range of activities they may undertake. Copies of the Code of Conduct are available in the Libraries of the House and on-line at

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/468340/CODE_OF_CONDUCT_FOR_SPECIAL_ADVISERS_-_15_OCTOBER_2015_FINAL.pdf

    “

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what communications his Department had with people receiving personal independence payments to inform them of the potential changes to their benefits before announcing those changes.

    Justin Tomlinson

    As confirmed by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State in his statement to the House on 21 March, the proposed changes to PIP will not be going ahead.

    We spend around £50bn every year on benefits alone to support people with disabilities or health conditions, with spending on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) having increased by more than £3 billion since 2010. The government is committed to talking to disabled people, their representatives, healthcare professionals and employers to ensure the welfare system works better with the health and social care systems and provides help and support to those who need it most.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the claim by the FSB and Administrative Burdens Advisory Board that the proposed HM Revenue and Customs plans for quarterly tax returns would create a significant administrative and financial burden for small businesses.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has consulted informally to understand how the Making Tax Digital changes will affect businesses. This initial assessment shows a reduction in on-going administrative burdens over the longer-term, contributing to HMRC’s overall target to reduce tax administration by £400m by 2020.

    HMRC will publish its initial assessment as part of the formal consultation process, working with stakeholders throughout 2016 to develop understanding, ensuring the final design is focused on reducing burdens.

    As with any other tax measure, a detailed assessment of the impact on administrative burdens will be published alongside draft legislation, expected to be in December 2016.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department issues on housing renewal in former industrial areas and the replacement of dilapidated housing when it no longer meets the needs of the local community.

    Brandon Lewis

    The current government is committed to increasing the supply of new housing, including through £8 billion announced at the spending review to support the delivery of 400,000 affordable homes and the £140 million to kick start estate regeneration.

    We announced at Spending Review that £2 billion in loans will be made available to invest in infrastructure needed for major housing developments. We would expect at least 50% of this funding to support housing on brownfield sites. Full bidding guidance will be available when the fund is launched.

    In addition, the National Planning Policy Framework sets out the expectation that local planning authorities should identify and bring back into residential use empty housing and buildings in line with local housing and empty homes strategies. Planning applications for change to residential use from commercial buildings in areas where there is an identified need for additional housing should be approved provided that there are not strong economic reasons why such development would be inappropriate.

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied refugee children in Europe have been accommodated in the UK in each month of 2016 to date.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Since January 2016 the UK has transferred over 60 Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) from Europe to the UK under the family reunion provisions of the Dublin Regulation.

    The UK made a commitment to bring vulnerable unaccompanied refugee children from Europe to the UK under the Immigration Act 2016. Over 20 children who meet the criteria in the Act have been accepted for transfer from Europe since Royal Assent in May, the majority of whom have already arrived in the UK.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to differentiate between the roles of her Department and the Institute for Apprenticeships on the (a) quality of apprenticeships training and (b) collection and analysis of data.

    Robert Halfon

    From April 2017, the Institute for Apprenticeships will take on a number of functions relating to the quality of apprenticeship standards. The Institute’s key responsibilities will be: to set quality criteria for the development of apprenticeship standards and assessment plans; to review, approve or reject them; to advise on the maximum level of Government funding available for standards; and to quality assure some end point assessments. The Institute will have analytical capability to support its function, advising on funding caps and on other issues where appropriate. Responsibility for monitoring the quality of apprenticeship training will not transfer to the Institute.

    The Department for Education will retain responsibility for the quality framework. Primary responsibility for the collection and analysis of data and metrics for apprenticeships, and the success of the apprenticeship programme, will remain with the Department, particularly through the work of the Skills Funding Agency.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many sexual assaults and rapes have taken place at UK universities in each of the last three years.

    Joseph Johnson

    This information is not held centrally by Government, although polices forces will record cases of sexual assault and rape. At the request of the Government, Universities UK has set up a task force that will bring together relevant stakeholders to explore what more can be done to support the higher education sector to prevent, and respond effectively, to incidents of violence and sexual harassment against women, hate crimes and other forms of harassment. The task force is considering a range of potential measures, and its work includes an analysis of the nature and scale of the problem.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received from Calderdale Council since 2010 on the level of the Revenue Support Grant.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Calderdale Council have submitted a representation each year since 2010 as part of the annual consultation on the local government finance settlement.

    The annual local government finance settlement sets out details of central government funding for local authorities, including Revenue Support Grant, as well as considering councils’ locally raised funds, and represents the main funding source for local authorities.