Tag: 2016

  • Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the role is of the five additional UK Royal Naval vessels situated in the Baltic.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Royal Navy routinely allocates vessels to NATO’s Standing Maritime Groups and Standing Countermeasures Groups, which are multinational, integrated maritime forces permanently available to NATO to perform tasks ranging from participating in exercises to intervention missions.

    This year the UK’s contribution consists of: three Mine Countermeasures Vessels, on four month deployments in rotation; one Frigate for six months, which is the first to be deployed to this task since 2010; and a Destroyer, from October 2016.

  • Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons appointments were cancelled by Maximus Health and Human Services Ltd in each local authority area in each month of that organisation’s contract with his Department.

    Priti Patel

    Work capability assessments are delivered by Centre for Health Disability Assessments (CHDA is a MAXIMUS company).

    Nationally, in the quarter from January 2016 to March 2016, the number of completed assessments was 417,143 and the number of cancellations was 10,143.

    Information is not available by local authority area.

  • Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his policy is on safeguarding the future of the UK helicopter industry.

    Anna Soubry

    We are working with the UK aerospace industry to sustain and grow helicopter capability through the Aerospace Growth Partnership and the Defence Growth Partnership, both of which bring Government and industry together to tackle barriers to growth, boost exports and grow high value jobs.

    Through this work we are supporting the industry’s private investment in technology, competitiveness, productivity, manufacturing capability and skills. For example, we have supported Finmeccanica Helicopters’ investment in new civil helicopter capability at Yeovil, safeguarding employment through diversification into the growing civil aerospace market. In addition, we are co-investing with industry in collaborative R&D projects led by Finmeccanica Helicopters and Airbus Helicopters on new technologies including advanced rotor blades and lightweight structures.

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

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to safeguard Royal Navy submarines from risks posed by underwater drones.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Government takes its responsibilities for maintaining the integrity of our submarine fleet extremely seriously and dedicates considerable resource to ensuring that the credibility and standards for operational effectiveness will continue to be met. Our submarine fleet will not be rendered obsolete by new technologies, including developments in unmanned underwater vehicle technology. I am withholding further details as publication would prejudice or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on administration costs related to attendance allowance in 2015-16.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The total administrative cost of Attendance Allowance for 2015/16 is not available.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to maintain discipline in the Army after changing the rules on physical punishment.

    Mark Lancaster

    Physical punishment has not been permitted in the Army for many decades, and the use of unofficial punishments and sanctions is banned. Maintaining and improving discipline and behaviour is primarily achieved through education and the promotion of positive values and standards.

    Lawful and authorised punishments are contained within the Armed Forces Act, as reviewed by Parliament in 2016, and other minor sanctions in the publications on Administrative Action which were revised this year. Skills training that is relevant to the failing, including appropriate physical training, may be included if the Serviceman’s failing warrants it. There are strict rules relating to the award of extra drill lessons which may only be awarded as a sanction to address failings in drill. Periods of physical training may be given as a sanction for soldiers who display a lack of physical effort or attention to their duties, and must be conducted by an appropriately qualified instructor and supervised by a non-commissioned officer.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the total paid out by his Department in flood compensation grants to households who were not entitled to such payments in the last six weeks.

    James Wharton

    To date my Department has paid out £47 million to local authorities under the Communities and Business Recovery Scheme. The Scheme is intended to support local authorities with community recovery, business support and property resilience.

  • Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax disputes with large businesses HM Revenue and Customs is engaged in; and what the value is of the tax that is being contested in those disputes.

    Mr David Gauke

    Until 31 March 2014, HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Large Business Service dealt with the tax affairs of around 800 of the largest businesses in the UK. From 1 April 2014, HMRC’s new Large Business directorate deals with the tax affairs of around 2,000 large businesses.

    At 31 December 2015, HMRC had enquiries open with 1,117 of the large businesses dealt with by the Large Business Directorate, covering 3,981 risks with £20.3 billion tax under consideration.

    At 31 December 2015, HMRC had enquiries open with 567 of the largest 800 businesses covering 2,826 risks with £16.8 billion tax under consideration.

    Tax under consideration is not actual tax either owed or unpaid. Rather, it is a tool which HMRC uses to guide its enquiries to focus on the most significant risks that exist at any particular time. The total is just a snapshot of work in progress and will naturally fluctuate as risks are addressed and new ones taken up.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children of service personnel are currently receiving education in (a) local authority schools, (b) academies and (c) free schools in England.

    Nick Gibb

    The Department does not publish data on numbers of service children currently receiving education.

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of assessment reports conducted by contractors for Scottish claimants of (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payments were returned by his Department as not being of a sufficient standard to enable a decision to be made in each of the last four quarters for which information is available.

    Priti Patel

    In each of the last four quarters for which information is available, less than 0.1% of all Employment and Support Allowance and less than 0.1% of all Personal Independent Payment assessment reports completed in Scotland have been returned to the provider for rework, meaning that the report has been deemed not fit for purpose by the Department.