Tag: 2016

  • Lord Steel of Aikwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Steel of Aikwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Steel of Aikwood on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to address the delays in dealing with applications for clearance under section 1044 of the Company Tax Act 2010 by HMRC in Newcastle due to a shortage of resources, in the light of the urgency of some of the outstanding cases.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    HMRC must notify its decision on an application under section 1044 Corporation Tax Act 2010 within 30 days of its receipt.

    During the six months from October 2015 to March 2016, HMRC received 1105 clearance applications under section 1044. The average time taken to reply to these applications was 15 days. Decisions on over 95% of the applications were notified within the statutory time limit.

    HMRC monitors the number of clearance applications it receives in this area and the time taken to reply to them to ensure a consistent service.

  • Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of violations of freedom of religion or belief on women; and what his Department is doing to tackle such violations.

    Mr David Lidington

    There are clear examples where the impact of violations of freedom of religion or belief falls particularly heavily on women – such as treatment of women by Daesh. Under the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy, FCO funds projects to defend freedom of religion or belief, including the protection of the rights of women. For example, the FCO recently agreed to fund a project this financial year that tackles gender- based violence and discrimination in Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-07-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that UK researchers have the same level of funding as before the EU referendum.

    Joseph Johnson

    The UK economy is fundamentally strong and our research and innovation are world leading. We have a long established system that supports, and therefore attracts, the brightest minds, at all stages of their careers. We fund excellent science wherever it is found, and ensure there is the freedom to tackle important scientific questions. While the UK remains a member of the EU, current EU arrangements continue unchanged, including those that apply to students, researchers, and businesses. We remain fully open to scientists and researchers from across the EU. We hugely value the contribution of EU and international staff and there are no immediate changes to their rights to live and work in the UK. The Government intends to maintain and enhance the strength of our research base, which is why we have protected the science resource budget in real terms from its 2015/16 level of £4.7 billion for the rest of the parliament.

  • Baroness Altmann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Altmann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Altmann on 2016-09-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government  how many non-associated multi-employer defined benefit pension schemes in the UK are covered by the Pension Protection Fund, and what estimate they have made of the total number of employers in those schemes.

    Lord Freud

    As at 31 March 2016, there were 26 non-associated multi-employer schemes, with a total of 5,060 participating employers between them which are covered by the Pension Protection Fund.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to equalise fees for spousal visas for spouses of UK citizens and such fees for spouses of EU citizens resident in the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    We have no plans to equalise these fees.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Laurence Robertson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to assist people living in low-income households to improve energy-inefficient properties.

    Andrea Leadsom

    A reformed domestic supplier obligation (ECO) from April 2017, which will run for 5 years, will upgrade the energy efficiency of over 200,000 homes per year tackling the root cause of fuel poverty. Our extension of the Warm Home Discount to 2020/21 at current levels of £320m per annum will also help vulnerable households with their energy bills.

    We intend to focus our efforts through ECO and the Warm Home Discount more effectively on the fuel poor, and will be consulting on our future approach in the spring.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the savings to the public purse of young carers supporting their families instead of the local authority doing so.

    Edward Timpson

    Young carers are this country’s unsung heroes, selflessly providing support for the people they love. Yet, for the most noble of reasons, they can often overlook their own needs. This government recognises the enormous contribution that young carers make and that’s why we are improving support for carers of all ages and developing a new cross-government carers strategy.

    No official assessment has been made of the savings to the public purse of young carers supporting their families.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 23 March (HL6981), whether the money necessary to make all the destroyers operational will come from the First Sea Lord’s budget or from the reserve or contingency funds.

    Earl Howe

    All Type 45 Destroyers remain in the operational cycle and continue to be routinely deployed. The Type 45 power and propulsion improvement programme is currently considering a number of technical options and delivery models with competing industrial partners. The programme is not yet mature enough to confirm when the equipment upgrade will be completed.

    Funding for the Type 45 power and propulsion improvement programme is to be contained within the budget allocated to Navy Command.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received from the Libyan government on UK military training and mentoring for Libyan authorities; and what offers of such training and mentoring the UK has made to Libyan authorities.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) has not made a specific request to the UK for military training and mentoring for Libyan authorities. We have discussed with international partners how best we might support the GNA. That could include training Libyan Security Forces to provide their own security, and to the Libyan Coastguard to help tackle illegal people smuggling as agreed by the international Community at the Vienna Ministerial on 16 May. Any such support we and others provided would be in response to a clear request from the GNA.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-07-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS maternity units are under consideration by his Department for (a) downgrading and (b) closure.

    Ben Gummer

    This information is not held centrally.

    The Government is clear that the redesign of front-line health services, including maternity services, is a matter for the local National Health Service, where clinicians are best-placed to make the decisions in the best interests of their patients.

    All such decisions are locally led and any proposed changes to services are subject to meeting the four tests for service change: they must have support from general practitioner commissioners, be based on clinical evidence, demonstrate public and patient engagement, and consider patient choice.