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Tag: 2016

  • Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish a list of all secondees to his Department from (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) KPMG and (e) other consulting firms in the last three financial years; and what the role was of each of those secondees.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    There have been no secondees to the FCO from any of the named companies, or any other consulting firm, in any of the last three financial years.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the future viability of care providers after the introduction of the national living wage.

    David Mowat

    Social care continues to be a key priority for the Government. This is why, against the context of tough public sector finances; the Government has taken steps to protect social care services. The Government is giving local authorities access to up to £3.5 billion of new support for social care by 2019/20. This should mean local government has access to the funding to increase social care spending in real terms by the end of the Parliament. This will support councils to continue to focus on core services and to pay fees which reflect provider costs including the National Living Wage.

    The spending took into account a range of financial and economic factors, including projections and data on the National Living Wage from the Office of Budget Responsibility and Skills for Care.

    The National Living Wage is an important step in rewarding the valuable contribution made by care workers, who often fall into the lowest earning occupations. Out of an estimated 1.16 million workers in adult social care in England, up to 900,000 people are expected to benefit.

    Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities must have regard to fostering an effective workforce with the appropriate capabilities when shaping their local markets. The Act and its statutory guidance make clear that prices and fee rates agreed with providers must reflect these new duties, including the National Living Wage. The Department continues to monitor the whole of the market of care providers and engage with the sector to better understand the challenges they face and support local authorities who purchase services.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse has been of housing and supporting migrants who arrived (a) in October 1998 and (b) on 21 October 2015 in the RAF Dhekelia and RAF Akrotiri Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus.

    Penny Mordaunt

    It is not possible to provide an exact sum spent in total on the migrants who arrived in 1998. The costs of the provision of welfare and education, based on recent data, is around €165,000 per year.

    The total recorded cost to date to the public purse for housing and supporting the migrants who arrived onto Sovereign Base Areas Administrationland on 21 October 2015 is £1,122,972. This includes the initial emergency response, security costs, construction of the Transit Facility and ongoing support costs. Those costs which relate to the support and welfare of the migrants will be counted against the Government’s targets for overseas aid.

    An element of this total includes estimated costs that are to be paid in arrears.

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the destruction by lethal yellowing of coconut palms in Antigua.

    Justine Greening

    The identification and control of significant plant and animal diseases is an important part of DFID’s research programmes, delivered through co-funded projects with the UK research councils, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and through the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people aged under 18 have been (a) charged with and (b) convicted of (i) indecent exposure, (ii) public drunkenness, (iii) drug possession and (iv) hate crime in each year since 2010.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The number of juveniles proceeded against at magistrates’ courts and found guilty at all courts of offences of exposure and simple public drunkenness, in England and Wales, from 2010 to 2014 can be viewed in the table.

    The number of juveniles proceeded against at magistrates’ courts and found guilty at all courts of offences of drunkenness with aggravation in a public place, drug possession and hate crime offences, can be viewed in the CJS Outcomes by Offence data tool in the latest annual Criminal Justice Statistics publication, which is available at the link below.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014

    Crimes that may have been motivated by hate but are not defined hate crimes are not specifically included in this data.

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

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Army Air Corps pilots have resigned due to his Department’s plans to recover over-payment of flying pay; how many of those pilots (a) are currently serving and (b) have retired; what assessment he has made of the effect on (i) staffing levels and (ii) the effectiveness of that corps; whether any of those pilots affected have been subject to disciplinary proceedings due to non-repayment of such over-payments; what the value is of such over payments; over what period such over-payments relate to; and if he will make it his policy to not recover such over-payments.

    Mark Lancaster

    I refer the hon. Member to the response given by my noble Friend, the Minister of State for Defence, the Rt Hon. Earl Howe, to the noble Lord, the Rt Hon. the Lord Trefgarne, in the House of Lords (Official Report, column 2379). In addition to this I can confirm that an overpayment of recruitment and retention pay amounting to £829,000 in total was made to 146 Army aircrew personnel over a number of years. Of the 146 personnel affected, 97 are still serving. We have apologised and explained the circumstances of the overpayments to all affected. Each individual has the opportunity to object, appeal, and if necessary submit a Service Complaint against recovery action receiving individual and tailored advice as required. Since notification of the recovery action, the Army Air Corps is not aware of any resignations as a direct result. The error was caused by differing interpretations and use of the Recruitment and Retention Pay (Flying) policy across the Army Air Corps. As such there are no disciplinary issues associated with the overpayment.

    Although there are manning pressures within the Army Air Corps they are able to meet all current commitments. In recognition of these pressures a Financial Retention Incentive was introduced in 2015 and 81% of the eligible personnel have taken up this offer resulting in a stabilisation of Army Air Corps pilot manning levels.

    In accordance with HM Treasury Policy and Guidance, pay has been reverted to the correct levels and recovery action has now begun. This guidance requires that efforts are made to recover incorrect payments in all cases across the public sector. I am satisfied that this is the correct approach to take under these circumstances and reflects the previous recovery of overpayments within the Armed Forces.

  • Vernon Coaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Vernon Coaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his letter of 11 February 2016 to the Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, what work has been done to date to engage with legal, academic and civic society stakeholders in Northern Ireland on the Government’s proposals to reform the UK’s human rights framework.

    Dominic Raab

    We have already sought views and will continue to engage with stakeholders across the United Kingdom to deliver a modernised and reformed human rights framework for the whole of the United Kingdom. We are committed to consulting fully on our proposals prior to the introduction of any legislation and will announce further details in due course.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2016 to Question 39429, if he will publish a copy of all communications his Department has had with the Vote Leave Campaign on its use of the NHS logo.

    George Freeman

    The communications between the Department and Vote Leave are considered prejudicial to the interests of the Department and the National Health Service and as such, it is not appropriate to publish the correspondence.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to retain the Valuation Office Agency office at Preston.

    Jane Ellison

    The Valuation Office Agency is undertaking a complex transformation programme, which will deliver more digital services and require a smaller estate.

    Preston is not one of the locations the Valuation Office Agency will be operating from in the future and the office will close by March 2021. Staff in the Preston office were made aware of these plans in October 2014. However, a date has not yet been set for closure of the office.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance is available for police forces on their response to complaints from consumers who find out that accommodation booked and paid for through Airbnb does not exist.

    Brandon Lewis

    The type of fraud committed in this scenario is rental fraud; if an individual thinks they have fallen victim to any type of fraud or cyber crime they should immediately report it to Action Fraud. Action Fraud is the national reporting centre for all frauds and cyber crimes; following receipt of a crime report it will then pass it to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) who will assess it for viable leads. Where there is enough evidence available and a viable lead, NFIB will disseminate a crime package to the most appropriate force to launch an investigatory response.