Tag: 2016

  • Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of full-time equivalent staff at HM Revenue and Customs on 31 March (a) 2016 and (b) 2017.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) expects to be operating with around 60,000 full time equivalent (FTE) staff on 31 March 2016.

    HMRC’s Business Plan for 2016-17 is currently being finalised and will be published by the end of March 2016 on GOV.UK. This will contain estimated FTE figures for 31 March 2017 and future staffing projections.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Attorney General, if he will estimate the costs attributed to the Department for Education by the Government Legal Department in the 2014-15 financial year.

    Robert Buckland

    I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to question 24782 from the Hon. Member for Coventry South (Jim Cunningham) on the 4th February 2016.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times the UK has requested information (a) under the Prüm convention DNA sharing, (b) relating to the European Arrest Warrant about criminal records, (c) from the EU Passenger Name Record sharing scheme, (d) from a Europol Joint Investigation Team, (e) under the Schengen Information System, (f) from Europol’s HAVEN project to combat sexual abuse and trafficking and (g) from other EU member states about stadium bans and previous offenders at football matches.

    James Brokenshire

    The United Kingdom is not yet connected to any other country for the sharing of DNA under the Prüm Council Decisions.

    The UK shares criminal record information with Member States via the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS). In 2015, the UK made 105,164 requests for overseas criminal record checks to other EU Member States, compared to 8,536 in 2010, an increase of over 1100%.

    European legislation is currently under consideration that would require EU Member States to process Passenger Name Records (PNR) on scheduled aviation flights. The proposed legislation would require the data to be analysed by a central Passenger Information Unit and all relevant and necessary PNR to be shared with the Passenger Information Units of other Member States in compliance with data protection obligations. Receiving PNR before travel allows law enforcement authorities to plan and respond proactively to threats. PNR plays a vital role in intelligence-led operations, post-incident investigations and judicial proceedings.

    Joint investigation teams are Member State led processes. Europol staff may participate in a supporting capacity.

    According to the EU’s Justice and Home Affairs IT Agency (eu-LISA), the UK had the following numbers of alerts active (that is, broadcast to Member States and not subsequently revoked) on 17 February 2014:

    People wanted by the UK on a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) 231

    Missing adults 6,121

    Missing children 2,589

    Wanted for judicial purposes (e.g. Witnesses to be traced) 1,884

    Discreet alerts 10,438 Discreet alerts (national security) 478

    Europol’s Project HAVEN – Halting Europeans Abusing Victims in Every Nation- is part of Europol’s work under Focal Point Twins. The UK participates in and exchanges information under Europol’s Focal Point Twins and the aim is to support Member States and third countries to prevent or combat the activities of criminal networks involved in the sexual exploitation of children. Operations in the UK to counter organised crime relating to Child Sexual Exploitation have been supported by Europol, and the UK exchanges information on crimes of this nature with and through Europol via our Liaison Bureau, rather than through Project HAVEN.

    Between April 2014 and the end of December 2015,UK Football Policing Unit within the Home Office, the national football information point, requested information from other EU member states about stadium bans on 101 occasions. No figures are held on individual offenders with football bans.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many responses were submitted to the Chief Medical Officer’s consultation on the Alcohol Guidelines Review.

    Jane Ellison

    We have received 1,017 responses to the UK Chief Medical Officers’ alcohol guidelines consultation including campaign and general responses.

  • Lord Shutt of Greetland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Shutt of Greetland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Shutt of Greetland on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they now expect the new airport on St Helena to be opened.

    Baroness Verma

    There is no confirmed date for the commencement of scheduled services into St Helena airport. DFID is working closely with all interested parties to open the airport as soon as possible.

  • Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the feasibility of banning the advertising of junk food before the 9pm watershed; and if she will make a statement.

    Karen Bradley

    The Government’s Childhood Obesity Strategy, will look at everything that contributes to a child becoming overweight and obese. It will set out what more can be done by all. We cannot comment on the contents of the strategy at this stage.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress the international coalition is making in its work to defeat Daesh.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    ​As recent progress in Qayyarah in Iraq and Manbij in Syria demonstrates, our strategy of supporting local forces, including with airstrikes is working. The Coalition assesses that Daesh has been driven out of around half the territory it once occupied in Iraq and over 20 per cent in Syria. Thousands of people have been freed from Daesh’s rule and many of those who have escaped have now been able to return to their homes. The next major challenges are driving Daesh out of Raqqa and Mosul.

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the reduction in staff numbers in his Department needed to meet the efficiency and reform savings announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 for the 2015-16 financial year and in each of the next five years.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Chancellor announced on 25 November that DCMS core administration funding will reduce by 20% in real terms over this spending period. This reflects the planned reduction in Broadband Delivery UK administration funding as projects deliver their targets on time, as well as further efficiency savings which will be made across the Department over the Spending Review period.

  • Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment the Government has made of the effect of the 2012 temporary liberalisation of Sunday trading regulations on its proposals for the devolution of such regulations to local authorities.

    Anna Soubry

    The ONS analysed the impact of the short term Olympic relaxation of the Sunday trading rules and found that it was not possible to make any inference from the data. They found no definite pattern amongst the growth rates of retail sales and noted that other factors, such as the weather and time of year, will have impacted sales.

    In formulating its final proposals, the Government has carefully considered all the evidence submitted during the consultation process.

  • Lord Aberdare – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Aberdare – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Aberdare on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements they plan to make to enable firms that pay the Apprenticeship Levy on the basis of their UK-wide pay bill to claim funding from the Apprenticeship Levy fund to support apprenticeships in the devolved nations.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The levy will apply to employers across the UK. As skills policy is a devolved area the Devolved Administrations will continue to have complete flexibility over how to support businesses in their Territories through training and apprenticeships. We are committed to doing all we can to make the system work for employers wherever they are in the UK and we are working closely with the Devolved Administrations to achieve that.

    The levy will apply to employers across the UK. As skills policy is a devolved area the Devolved Administrations will receive their fair share of the income from the levy, and have flexibility over how to use it to support businesses in their territories. We are committed to doing all we can to make the system work for employers wherever they are in the UK and we are working closely with the Devolved Administrations to achieve that