Tag: 2016

  • 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 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is permitted to consider a bid from a Combined Authority for a Police and Crime Commissioner elected in May 2016 to be subsumed by a Metro-Mayor.

    Mike Penning

    If a local area were to make the case to transfer Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) functions to an elected mayor, secondary legislation would set out the details of the transfer of powers and the relevant timescales based on discussions between the local area and central government.

    These powers are provided for in Section 107F of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (as amended by the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016), which sets out the Secretary of State’s necessary order making powers to enable the transfer of PCC functions to an elected mayor.

    Local areas can put forward a proposal to transfer PCC functions at any time and, as stated in response to the honourable member’s earlier question on this issue [32271], any proposal submitted by a local area for an elected mayor to take on PCC functions would be considered on its merits, on a case-by-case basis. The timing of any transfer of powers would also form part of this consideration.

  • Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reasons only one hon. Member for a Warrington constituency was invited to his recent meeting with the leader of Warrington Borough Council on devolution; who made the decision to invite only one such hon. Member to that meeting; and if he will take steps to ensure that all appropriate hon. Members are invited to such meetings in future.

    James Wharton

    The MP referred to by the Hon. Member for Warrington North has been proactive in engaging with my department on devolution matters, and I would welcome the same enthusiasm and involvement from all appropriate members.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons the redacted Govia Thameslink Railway remedial plan, dated 12 February 2016, was not made publicly available until 26 May 2016.

    Claire Perry

    There is a process in place with regard to the publication of documents and any redaction of information. Only once the redactions have been agreed by all parties, including the Department, can publication take place.

  • Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to introduce criminal sanctions against social media companies and their managers in the UK who refuse to take down tweets, pages or other content supporting terrorism, hate crime or radical Islam.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    HMG has developed strong collaborative relationships with Communications Service Providers (CSPs) which has led to the voluntary removal of over 200,000 pieces of terrorist-related content via referrals from the police Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) since 2010. The government continue to work with CSPs to encourage them to take more responsibility voluntarily for tackling terrorist and extremist content on their own platforms and, in certain circumstances, reporting terrorist content (for example, where there may be an imminent threat to life) to UK law enforcement when they become aware of it.

    As most CSPs are international organisations based outside the UK and most online material is hosted outside the UK, national legislation has little application hence our focus on voluntary removals through companies’ terms and conditions. These arrangements mean that where companies take action this removes access to the content from the whole platform world-wide, not just for users accessing it from within a particular jurisdiction.

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to include legislation for exceptional hardship pleas within the forthcoming review of motoring offences and penalties.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Information about drivers who have not been disqualified from driving as a result of a court accepting that disqualification would lead to exceptional hardship is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

    The Government is committed to making sure that sentencing for those who kill or cause serious injury on the roads is proportionate within the context of our wider sentencing framework. It is our intention to commence a consultation on driving offences and penalties before the end of the year.

  • Bill Esterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Bill Esterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on the number of Government departments which failed to pay outstanding debts to SMEs within the 60 day maximum period set out in the Prompt Payment Code.

    Matthew Hancock

    Government does not hold this information centrally. When undisputed public sector invoices are not paid within 30 days, interest becomes liable under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

    In March 2015 central government restated its longstanding commitment to pay 80% of undisputed and valid invoices in 5 days with the remainder paid in 30 days. To increase transparency through publication, departments are required to publish performance against these targets on a quarterly basis on GOV.UK.

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  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the proposed outcomes of the renegotiation of the UK’s membership of the EU would require the approval of the European Parliament to be legally binding.

    Mr David Lidington

    An agreement reached by the Heads of State or Government of the Member States, reflecting the outcomes of the renegotiation, would not require the approval of the European Parliament to be legally binding.

  • Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contribution she made at the meeting of EU interior ministers on the refugee crisis on 25 February 2016; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    A meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council took place in Brussels on 25 February, which my Rt. Hon Friend the Home Secretary attended on behalf of the UK.

    It is protocol for a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) to be made in Parliament after each JHA Council, reporting the meeting and setting out the position taken by the UK. In this instance, a WMS will be made in both Houses on Thursday 3 March, which is within the agreed timescale.

  • William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve prisons’ engagement with employers; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Selous

    Supporting offenders into meaningful employment is a vital aspect of the Government’s approach to rehabilitation.

    We already work with a wide range of employers in prison through One3One Solutions and engagement by Prison Governors. And we want Governors to do more so we are putting the tools to drive this change in the hands of those at the frontline who best know what works.

    We are keen to increase the number of employers who can provide valuable vocational work for offenders while in prison and who are able to offer them support in preparation for release and employment opportunities following their release.

    I regularly meet businesses across the country including at two successful roadshows at HMP Sudbury and HMP/YOI Drake Hall, and most recently at HMP Wayland where local media have supported our campaign. New businesses are now coming on board as a consequence. The Employers Forum for Reducing Reoffending brings together employers willing to employ offenders and we are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to increase the involvement of more businesses.

    The Prime Minister has announced changes to recruitment practises across the civil service to ensure that people are considered on their merits and not on their criminal conviction and we want to encourage more employers to do the same.

  • Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what processes her Department has in place to ensure that determinations issued by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator are acted on by schools.

    Nick Gibb

    Where the Schools Adjudicator determines that a school’s admission arrangements do not comply with the School Admissions Code, the admission authority has a statutory duty to revise its admission arrangements to give effect to the Adjudicator’s decision within two months of the decision or by 28 February following the decision, whichever is sooner, unless an alternative timescale is specified by the Adjudicator.

    An Adjudicator’s decision is binding and enforceable by the Secretary of State.