Tag: 2016

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what notification he has received on whether there are (a) constitutional requirements and (b) potential legal proceedings in other EU member states related to the Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council, on 18 and 19 February 2016.

    Mr David Lidington

    It is for the relevant national authorities in other Member States to determine their constitutional requirements and potential legal proceedings.

    The Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council, on 18 and 19 February 2016 was agreed to by all Member States and is now a legally binding document that has been registered with the United Nations as an international treaty.

  • Chris Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Leslie on 2016-03-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Table 2.1 of the March Budget 2013, what his most recent estimate is of the effect of employee shareholder status income tax measures in 2015-16.

    Mr David Gauke

    The most recent estimate of the Exchequer cost in 2015-16 of employee shareholder status from Income Tax and National Insurance Contribution relief is the figure published in Table 2.1 of the 2013 March Budget.

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will discuss with telephone providers reasons to make it easier for people to identify direct marketing calls and choose whether to accept them.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    This Government is taking forward a range of measures to tackle nuisance calls, which will increase consumer protection and choice by strengthening the Information Commissioner’s Office’s (ICO) ability to take enforcement action against organisations that break the law. This includes lowering the threshold under the the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulation 2003 (PECR) to make it easier for the ICO to take action against organisations that break the law, resulting in £3,420,000 worth of fines issued.

    The Government also recently made an amendment to the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR), requiring direct marketing companies registered in the UK, to display Calling Line Identification. This new measure will both improve consumer choice, by making it easier for people to refuse and report unwanted marketing calls; and make it easier for the Information Commissioner’s Office to investigate and take enforcement action against organisations who breach the rules.

    The Department has held conversations with telephone providers on the identification of direct marketing callers and will continue do so as part of its strategy to tackle nuisance calls.

  • 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 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his EU counterparts on the compatibility of recent sentencing decisions by the Israeli judiciary with the human rights standards set in the EU-Israeli Association Agreement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We have no plans to hold such discussions.

  • Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-09-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate how much air passenger duty was paid by passengers using Manchester Airport in each year since 2011.

    Jane Ellison

    HM Revenue and Customs does not collect information on air passenger duty (APD) revenues by airport as APD is payable by airlines and not on a per airport basis.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect the closure of the Dadaab refugee camp will have on the stability of Somalia and the East Africa region.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    ​The Government recognises the significant burden that the Government of Kenya faces in housing a large number of Somali refugees, and encourages it to maintain its global leadership role in this regard as well as its international obligations. Any returns of refugees from Dadaab to Somalia must be in line with international law – including being safe, dignified and voluntary. This is critical to avoid any destabilising impact on Somalia and the East Africa region. The UK supports the extension of the Tripartite Agreement between UNHCR, Kenya and Somalia as the legal basis regulating the returns process.

    The UK is providing an additional £20 million to support accelerated safe voluntary returns of refugees to Somalia from Kenya, by helping to ensure that refugees who want to return home have the support and possibility of livelihoods necessary for their safe, long-term resettlement in Somalia.

  • Stuart Andrew – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stuart Andrew – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart Andrew on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the status is of Operational Resilience Capacity Planning for 2014-15; and what the status is of the retained funding for flu vaccinations for clinicians in the independent sector.

    Jane Ellison

    In April 2015, NHS England advised System Resilience Groups that all resilience initiatives started in response to the 2014-15 document should continue, and were also informed of new resilience planning priorities for the coming year. A copy of the letter is attached.

    For this year, funding was given to NHS Employers to support flu vaccination communications aimed at staff working in care homes, and to work with National Health Service trusts with low staff vaccination uptake by providing support networks and events.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timescale is for addressing issues relating to the reliability of the power system of the Type 45 Destroyer; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    A number of measures to improve the reliability of the Type 45 Power and Propulsion systems have been identified and the ongoing programme to implement these changes continues to deliver positive results. In addition, and as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, we are committed to improving system resilience by adding upgraded diesel generators to provide further electrical generation capacity. Alternative technical options and a variety of delivery models are currently being explored with several competing industrial partners.

    A number of early modifications were implemented under the Type 45 Destroyer Contract for Availability arrangement with BAE Systems at no additional cost to the Ministry of Defence. The total cost and timetable for implementing the diesel generator upgrade will be determined at the main investment decision. I am withholding details of our current time and cost estimates as premature disclosure of this information could prejudice the commercial interests of the Department.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ivan Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much Bury Clinical Commissioning Group received in grants in the last three years.

    Alistair Burt

    Data on clinical commissioning group (CCG) grant income is not held centrally. This is a matter for Bury CCG.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what lessons were learned from the universal credit scheme pilot; and what changes have been put in place as a result of those lessons.

    Priti Patel

    The Department published a series of reports on Universal Credit. The latest can be found here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/483029/universal-credit-at-work-december-2015.pdf

    “