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Tag: 2016

  • Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time between (a) offence commission and charge, (b) charge and first court appearance and (c) first court appearance to sentencing or acquittal was for all completed sexual offences cases where the victim was (i) a minor and (ii) an adult in each year since 2013.

    Mike Penning

    Our courts system is in need of urgent reform, which is why we have committed to building a justice system that is swifter and more certain.

    We are investing £700 million over the next five years to create a more effective service. We will utilise modern technology to meet the needs of everyone who uses our services.

    MOJ do not hold figures on dates of sentencing or acquittals and have instead provided the time from first listing to completion.

    The age of a victim is only known where specified as part of the wording of an offence in statute. Figures for sexual offences cases where the victim was a minor are based on cases where the victim was known to be a minor, and figures where the victim was an adult include cases where the age of the victim was not known.

    Data included in the attached tables.

    Table 1 – the average duration from offence to charge, from charge to first listing, and from first listing to completion for sexual offences cases in Greater Manchester LCJB and in England and Wales, for cases completing in 2013, 2014 and January to September 2015.

    Table 2 – the average duration (days) between offence to charge, charge to first listing, and first listing to completion for sexual offence cases completed in England and Wales where the victim was a minor or an adult, 2013 to Q1-Q3 2015.

    Table 3 – the average durations for sexual offences cases in England and Wales. These are an update of Tables 5.1 and 5.2 in the ‘Overview of Sexual Offending in England and Wales’ publication. Figures are for the last 12 months available, from October 2014 to September 2015.

  • The Earl of Clancarty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The Earl of Clancarty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Clancarty on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will announce their response to the consultation Implementing the English Baccalaureate.

    Lord Nash

    The consultation closed on 29 January. We are currently considering the responses and will publish the Government response and final policy in due course.

  • (2) shared temporary or longer-term ownership – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    (2) shared temporary or longer-term ownership – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by (2) shared temporary or longer-term ownership on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Sajid Javid, on 11 April (HC Deb, col 50) on the steel industry that they are looking at the possibility of co-investing with a buyer on commercial terms”

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Co-investment means offers of Government support on commercial terms. Examples of where private investment and public support have worked effectively include the Green Investment Bank and the British Business Bank. The formal process for the sale of Tata Steel’s remaining UK assets commenced on 11 April and we do not yet know what support any potential investor might require. The Government will consider all options to see steel making continue, and stands ready to engage with commercial investors on a package of support, on commercial terms, to help ensure the long term future of our steel industry.

    That is why on 21 April, the Government announced that a package of support worth hundreds of millions of pounds will be made available to potential buyers on commercial terms to support the ongoing operation and deliver long term investment in the future of the business. We will also consider support in other areas such as plant, pensions and power supply, and any other areas that potential buyers believe the Governments can provide support.

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to simplify application and processing systems to expedite the processing of Dublin III asylum transfer requests.

    James Brokenshire

    We continue to work with a number of EU Member States and the European Asylum Sup-port Office (EASO) to ensure Dublin works effectively. We are in ongoing discussions with France, Italy and Greece, as well as the UNHCR, to ensure that we continue to have the right processes in place and the resources to make them work effectively.

    We have recently deployed two UK experts to the Greek Dublin Unit. We are currently providing bilateral support to the Italian Dublin Unit through a long term secondment. We are also due to deploy an additional UK expert to the Italian Dublin Unit shortly.

    Our work with France including the permanent official contact group and a recently sec-onded senior UK official to the French Dublin Unit to assist with the identification and transfer of cases has shown results of our collaborative efforts.

    The Home Office has a unit processing Dublin III asylum transfer requests from and to the United Kingdom. This unit comprises 78.34 full time equivalent managers, caseworkers and support staff. Staffing levels will remain in line with anticipated volumes.

    As announced on 4 May we are now looking to transfer children who were already present in Europe before the EU-Turkey deal came into force on 20 March, where it is in their best interests. It is important that we ensure we fulfil our obligations to children who are already in UK, as well ensuring we have the right support for those who may be brought to the UK from Europe. We are working with the relevant Member States, the UNHCR and other Non-Governmental Organisations and local authorities to establish the best way to implement the provisions of the Immigration Act 2016 for the transfer of unaccompanied refugee children from Europe to the UK.

  • Stephen Kinnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Kinnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Kinnock on 2016-07-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of his Department’s capacity to manage the appeals and review process for personal independence payments.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Departmental analysts forecast projected volumes of Personal Independence Payment Mandatory Reconsiderations and appeals; these projections are used to determine staffing requirements. The assessment of the Department’s capacity to handle volumes is determined from current deployment, planned recruitment and attrition rates. The information is updated, reported and reviewed on a monthly basis.

  • – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the recent article in the journal Science Motherless babies!”How to create a tabloid science headline in five easy steps

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Occasionally, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) engages with the Science Media Centre to deliver press briefings. When it does so, the HFEA works with the Centre to ensure that the relevant science is carefully explained.

    The terms of reference of the Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee are set out in Annex A of the HFEA’s Standing Orders, a copy is attached. The purpose of the Committee is to advise the HFEA on scientific and clinical developments (including research) in assisted conception, embryo research and related areas. The Committee’s functions are to:

    – make recommendations to the Authority on the safety and efficacy of scientific and clinical developments (including research) in assisted conception, embryo research and related areas;

    – make recommendations to the Authority on patient information relating to those scientific and clinical developments;

    – advise the Authority on significant implications for licensing and regulation arising out of such developments, and;

    – where required, work with the Authority members to consider the social, ethical and legal implications arising out of such developments.

    Many members of the Committee are experts in their own right and may comment on published research in their own capacity.

  • Maria Caulfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Maria Caulfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Caulfield on 2016-01-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to carry out an equality impact assessment of the tender decision on the universal girls vaccination programme for the human papilloma virus; and what the implications are for that programme of a decision to award it to one using the bivalent vaccine.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department has no plans to conduct an equality impact assessment on the tender decision following the on-going re-procurement of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for the adolescent girls programme. The current programme, recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the expert body that advises the government on all immunisation matters, protects girls against HPV strains 16 and 18 which are responsible for about 70% of cervical cancers.

    The Department and Public Health England are currently undertaking a procurement exercise to secure vaccine to support the girls programme and as this is a competitive tender, it would not be appropriate to pre-judge the outcome of that exercise. The procurement will take account of the costs and benefits of all vaccines offered to establish which provides best value for money for the National Health Service.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2015 to Question 18956, if he will provide details of the new Access fund for sustainable travel.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    On 15 February 2016, we announced that the new Access fund would be launched later in 2016 for delivery in 2017/18, and will be preceded by a £20m Sustainable Travel Transition Year for 2016/17.

  • Lord Wills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Wills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wills on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many meetings (1) Treasury ministers, and (2) Treasury officials, have had with the Association of British Insurers in each of the last three years.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Treasury Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of companies and organisations to discuss relevant issues.

    As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Treasury’s practice to provide details of all such discussions.

    Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available via the gov.uk website.

  • Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 11 April 2016 to Question 32551, how many reports from the dedicated reporting channel were passed on to other investigatory bodies and prosecuting authorities.

    Jeremy Wright

    The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is an intelligence led agency and follows the National Intelligence Model (NIM) when sharing information with law enforcement partners.

    Every report made to the SFO is assessed by a member of its Intelligence Unit in conjunction with other information available. The SFO passes information on to others when it has appropriate intelligence to share. This could be information from a single report, or a collated intelligence package.

    The vast majority of reports made to the SFO are not matters which it can investigate, and are more appropriate for the police or other agencies. Action Fraud is the UK’s national fraud reporting centre. Individuals are asked to report matters directly to them so that Action Fraud can make best use of their information. They will also be given a crime report number for future reference.

    The table below shows the minimum number of intelligence referrals made by the SFO to other agencies which are directly referable to reports made through the dedicated reporting channel(1) since these statistics have been recorded. It also shows the number of SFO investigations opened since 2012 where the initial report to the SFO came through its online reporting system.

    Year

    Number of referrals

    SFO investigations that originated through online reporting system

    2012

    Not recorded

    1

    2013

    Not recorded

    2

    2014

    144

    3

    2015

    154

    3

    1. The SFO does not record statistical information about all types of referrals that it makes to other agencies that are directly referable to reports made through the dedicated reporting channel, so the total number may be higher.