Tag: 2016

  • Baroness Kramer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Kramer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kramer on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of speculation around the EU referendum on UK gilt auctions.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The average amount bid by wholesale Gilt-edged Market Makers (GEMMs) at gilt auctions between 14 May 2015 and 7 April 2016 was £202.17 million per GEMM per auction.

    As the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have said, the civil service is working to support the Government’s position that Britain is stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU. Gilt auctions are expected to proceed as normal in the build up to the EU referendum, in line with UK Debt Management Office (DMO) plans published on 31 March 2016.

    As customary, the DMO will publish precise details of gilt auctions for July-September 2016 one month before the start of the quarter on 31 May 2016.

  • 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 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 27 April 2016 to Question 34978, what resources his Department plans to allocate to local authorities in Northamptonshire to develop their capacity to deal with flash floods in the next three years.

    James Wharton

    The Government provides funding to lead local flood authorities to carry out their duties in relation to managing and co-ordinating local flood risk under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. Local flood risk includes surface water run off. Previously this was paid through a special grant by the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs. In 2016-17 this funding transferred into the Local Government Finance Settlement, which distributes Revenue Support Grant to local authorities.

    Revenue Support Grant is an unringfenced grant. We have however protected the visibility of a number of named elements of funding within the Local Government Finance Settlement, including funding for lead local flood authorities, in order to signal the priority we attach to these issues and encourage local prioritisation.

    This funding will be supplemented by a new section 31 grant to ensure that these elements of funding for lead local flood authorities are protected in real terms in each year of the Parliament. Ultimately it is up to each local authority to set its budget taking into account local priorities.

  • Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support disabled passengers and passengers of reduced mobility on the Tees Valley Line for the duration of operation of Pacer trains.

    Andrew Jones

    The Northern franchise was recently awarded to Arriva Rail North, who took over operations in April 2016. Arriva Rail North sets out its policy for providing assistance to disabled passengers and passengers of reduced mobility in its Disabled People’s Protection Policy (DPPP). Publishing commitments to on-board assistance in a DPPP is a passenger train operating licence requirement and is approved by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). Arriva Rail North is also required to participate in the national Passenger Assist scheme for pre-booking assistance.

    ‘Pacer’ trains operated by Arriva Rail North on the Tees Valley Line will be replaced ahead of the 2020 accessibility compliance deadline. From that date, all trains operated by Arriva Rail North will have to be compliant with the accessibility standards mandated by the Persons of Reduced Mobility Technical Specification for Interoperability (PRM-TSI). While Pacers do not meet the standards set out in the PRM-TSI, they do offer wheelchair spaces, audio announcements and manual boarding ramps to assist disabled passengers and persons of reduced mobility when travelling.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made towards ending child marriage in the UK.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Government is committed to tackling the practice of forced marriage, including child marriage, and providing the best protection possible to victims. We made forced marriage a criminal offence in 2014 to better protect victims and send a clear message that this abhorrent practice is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the UK. The offence relates to where a UK resident or national forces a child into marriage overseas as well as in the UK.

    Our dedicated Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) leads efforts to combat forced marriage both at home and abroad. Where cases involve a minor in the UK, the FMU work with the relevant statutory agencies to provide advice and expertise to ensure that appropriate safeguarding measures are taken.

    Where a case involves a minor overseas, the FMU work with consular officers overseas and statutory agencies in the UK to ensure safeguarding obligations are fulfilled and appropriate action is taken where necessary. Last year the FMU provided advice or support in 1,220 cases. The FMU also carries out a range of activity, including delivery of a comprehensive programme of outreach, provision of an e-learning tool and guidelines for professionals to help them recognise the warning signs and ensure the right action is taken to protect those at risk.

  • Barbara Keeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barbara Keeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barbara Keeley on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the National Living Wage on the level of provision of adult social care in (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18 and (c) 2018-19.

    Alistair Burt

    The new National Living Wage will ensure that lower paid care workers are better paid for the vital work they do.

    The National Living Wage does not directly impact on the level of provision of adult social care.

  • Tania Mathias – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tania Mathias – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much the Government has spent on the upkeep of the site of Kneller Hall, Whitton, in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

    Mark Lancaster

    Information on investment at Kneller Hall for each of the financial years for which figures are available is shown in the following table:

    Financial Year

    Total Spend £ million

    2009-2010

    0.7

    2010-2011

    1.1

    2011-2012

    1.1

    2012-2013

    1.1

    2013-2014

    1.2

    2014-2015

    1.5

    2015-2016

    1.1 (estimate)

  • Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he is making to (a) the UN and (b) his Thailand counterpart on the detention of Pakistani Christians fleeing religious persecution in Thailand despite being UN-registered asylum seekers.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We are concerned about the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in Thailand. We continue to work with the UNHCR in Thailand on a wide range of refugee issues. However, Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees. Once any form of legal immigration status expires, refugees and asylum claimants may be deemed to be in Thailand illegally even if they have registered with the UNHCR. Nonetheless, we have pressed the Thai authorities to apply international humanitarian norms and standards when handling these vulnerable groups. We are also working with the Thai authorities to improve conditions of detention.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the smallest amount of unpaid tax that has led to a criminal prosecution in the UK in the last 10 years.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The information is not held in the form requested.

    The smallest amount of revenue loss prevented in respect of individuals prosecuted between 2011/12 and 2014/15 is £162. The person prosecuted was a member of aircrew who attempted to bring 600 cigarettes into the UK without declaring them, thus attempting to evade the correct excise duty on them. Aircrew are deemed to hold privileged positions due to their unrestricted airport access and HM Revenue and Customs has a zero tolerance approach to prosecution should they not declare dutiable goods when entering the UK.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the detention of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in Iran; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    We have repeatedly raised this matter with Iran. Iran does not recognise dual nationality and as such does not grant us consular access in these cases. We have therefore not been given any details about Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s detention. We understand that she has now been released from solitary confinement. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge) raised our concerns this week with the Iranian Chargé d’affaires.

  • Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will publish any research it holds on attendance allowance claimants and how such claimants use that funding.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department publishes its research and statistics on Gov.uk, with links to research available on https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/research. There are no current plans to publish any further research on Attendance Allowance claimants outside the regular statistical publications it produces.

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