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Tag: 2016

  • Lord Pendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Pendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of recent allegations of match-fixing in top-level tennis, including at Wimbledon.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    These are serious accusations and they need to be looked into quickly.

    The Secretary of State has spoken to the tennis authorities and we ar determined to do all we can to support them in ensuring that the game is absolutely clean, and we are assured they are committed to this aim too. We welcome the news that the Association of Tennis Professionals have announced a thorough independent review into the accusations and that they will be implementing its recommendations.

    Primary responsibility for monitoring betting markets or sporting events rest with the betting operators and sports governing bodies respectively.

  • Naz Shah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Naz Shah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Naz Shah on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much his Department spent on access to the arts in Yorkshire and Humber region between (a) May 2015 and February 2016 and (b) May 2010 and April 2015.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government continues to support the fantastic range of arts in the culture in Yorkshire and the Humber through its public investment in the arts, distributed by Arts Council England, as well as investment in cultural projects and programmes including £1.5 million for the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull to support its redevelopment and £1 million to support the Yorkshire Festival which will celebrate the region’s culture this summer.

    The Arts Council has provided the following funding to Yorkshire during the dates specified:

    Funding Year

    Total

    2015/2016: 1st April – 8 Feb 2016

    £46,399,085

    Funding Year

    Total

    2010/2011

    £36,013,760

    2011/2012

    £47,661,513

    2012/2013

    £64,126,617

    2013/2014

    £46,717,549

    2014/2015

    £53,628,743
  • Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Prime Minister’s oral contribution of 2 March 2016, Official Report, column 943, what the evidential basis is for the statement that there are 36,500 fewer pupils in overcrowded schools than in 2010.

    Edward Timpson

    I refer the Honourable member to my response to question 29204 submitted to Parliament on Friday 4 March 2016. The answer shows that the total number of primary and secondary pupils in excess of capacity has reduced by 47,513 between 2010 and 2014.

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many employees of HM Revenue and Customs are employed to investigate tax evasion; what the estimated amount was of tax evasion in 2015; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) more than 26,000 (FTE) strong enforcement and compliance workforce of risk and intelligence analysts, compliance officers and fraud investigators tackle the full range of compliance risks ranging from hidden economy to the wealthy. Last year, they collected and protected a record £26 billion from compliance activities, contributing towards the UK’s highest-ever tax take of £518 billion.

    The most recent year for which tax gap figures are available is 2013/14. HMRC estimates that £4.4 billion of it relates to tax evasion.

    HMRC allocates resources in a flexible manner, so that it meets individual business needs.

    The Government has made additional resourcing of up to £10 million a year available for the creation of a new taskforce. Its purpose will be to swiftly obtain and analyse the Panama papers, and take rapid action where there is evidence of any wrongdoing and regulatory breaches. The taskforce will look beyond tax into all potential areas of financial crime and other regulatory breaches. It will be jointly led by HMRC and the National Crime Agency.

    Information on the structure and organisation of HMRC is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrcs-annual-report-and-accounts

    “

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much new funding has been given to SMEs across the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to develop their workforces since the publication of the Long-Term Economic Plan for Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire in February 2015.

    Anna Soubry

    The Leeds City Region Skills Service has, to date, supported 620 businesses, with 3,300 pieces of training completed and 1,595 more underway. The value of this support to SMEs is £2.12m.

    In 2016/17 the Skills Service is expected to support skills diagnostics for 800 businesses, help 1,100 SMEs to offer apprenticeships and upskill 5,600 employees.

    Grants between £500 and £50,000 are available to match business investments in workforce training.

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what consultation the Oil and Gas Authority has undertaken on nuclear decommissioning; and whether that authority is subject to the Cabinet Office’s Consultation Principles, published in January 2016.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is responsible for decommissioning and clean-up of UK’s nuclear legacy sites. The Oil and Gas Authority has no remit for nuclear decommissioning. ­

    All OGA consultations will consider the Cabinet Office’s consultation principles where relevant.

  • Gavin Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gavin Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Robinson on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effect on children of the suspension of child tax credit when investigations are carried out.

    Jane Ellison

    In most cases, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not suspend the payment of tax credits payments during checks on tax credit awards. It only does this where information held indicates that this is a reasonable step to prevent payments being made in error. In these circumstances, making further payments would therefore result in increased overpayments of tax credits overall which the customer would have to repay. Nevertheless, if a customer demonstrates that the claim is correct, HMRC reinstates payments immediately.

    HMRC has not carried out research into the specific aspect of the tax credits system related to suspension of Child Tax Credits.

  • Baroness Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Crawley on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what the terms of reference are for the HMRC pilot of the tobacco industry’s Codentify system for product authentication; how long that pilot will last; on what tobacco products that pilot is being undertaken; and with which tobacco companies that pilot is taking place.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    HMRC is piloting the Codentify system, a product authentication tool that is currently used on tobacco packaging.

    The objectives of HMRC’s pilot are to use and test Codentify as a product authentication tool that could help tackle illicit tobacco.

    There is currently no specified end date to the pilot but HMRC will review its use of Codentify within 2016.

    Codentify is being used to authenticate cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco that carry the code, which are those produced by Phillip Morris International, Japan Tobacco International, Imperial Tobacco and British American Tobacco.

    No discussions have taken place with these companies on the scope or format of HMRC’s planned review.

  • Caroline Nokes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Caroline Nokes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Nokes on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to make sex and relationship training mandatory for all the teachers.

    Edward Timpson

    This Government believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive a high quality and appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE). SRE is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools and many primary schools also teach it in an age-appropriate way. The Government also expects academies and free schools to deliver SRE as part of their provision of a broad and balanced curriculum.

    Any state-funded school teaching SRE must have regard to the Secretary of State’s SRE guidance (2000). The Department does not collect data about the number of schools that follow the guidance. The Department has received requests about updating the existing SRE guidance which we will carefully consider.

    Ofsted does not inspect individual curriculum subjects. However, aspects of Personal Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education and SRE will inform its judgment on personal development, behaviour and welfare. Inspectors must also consider the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. Schools have responsibility for acting upon the inspection reports they receive and any weaknesses will be considered when the school is next inspected.

    Initial Teacher Training is currently determined by the Teachers’ Standards, which all trainee teachers must be able to demonstrate by the end of their training. The Standards set out the key principles of good subject pedagogy and the importance of subject knowledge development across the curriculum. Schools and headteachers are best placed to determine which staff learning activities will be most beneficial for their schools and we expect them to lead the personal development of their teachers to improve the quality of all round teaching.

    The Department supports schools’ efforts to improve PSHE teaching, by drawing schools’ attention to a range of high quality PSHE education teaching resources, including quality resources, lesson plans, a programme of study, factsheets and case studies. These resources are kite-marked by the PSHE Association to ensure that schools can trust the materials they use and improve their teaching.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2016 to Question 26815, what the job titles are of those people in receipt of paid car allowances.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Please note: this list excludes those in receipt of the essential car user allowance (29 people as of 23 February). This is allocated to those that require considerable business travel at a particular point in time, where a car is the most appropriate and cost efficient form of transport. The job titles will therefore vary.

    The job titles of those in receipt of paid car allowances are in the attached.