Tag: 2016

  • Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Eagle on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of replacing maintenance grants on the ability of the Government to reach its target of doubling the proportion of people from disadvantaged backgrounds entering higher education between 2009 and 2020.

    Joseph Johnson

    An Equality Analysis of changes to the living costs support package for full-time students in 2016/17 was published on the GOV.UK website on 3rd December 2015. Ministers considered the evidence in the analysis to assess the impact on particular groups and to inform their decisions on changes to the student support system.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the The Lord Chairman of Committees

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the The Lord Chairman of Committees

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Chairman of Committees, further to the Written Answer by the Chairman of Committees on 11 February (HL5625), whether agency staff are paid the London Living Wage for the first eight weeks of their employment; and if not, what hourly rate are they paid.

    Lord Laming

    In accordance with the terms of the House’s London Living Wage accreditation, all agency staff are paid at least the London Living Wage rate from day 1 of week 9 if they are working on parliamentary premises and employed for at least two hours of work in a week, for 8 consecutive weeks in a year.

    The Administration does not hold information about specific hourly rates paid by agencies in weeks 1-8 as we pay a rate to the agency not the individuals; however, our recruitment framework agreement contractual terms stipulate that our contractors pay a rate that is at least the national minimum wage, and wherever possible we want agency staff to receive a salary commensurate with that which would have been paid to a permanent member of staff.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the 2014 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey to be published.

    Alistair Burt

    The 2014 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey is currently scheduled to be published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre in September 2016.

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-04-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will issue a response to Early Day Motion 1339, Drought in Ethiopia.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The UK Government is extremely concerned about the impact of the current drought in Ethiopia, and is following the situation closely. We are working with the UN system, the EC and other donors to help the Ethiopian Government manage the current crisis. The UK Government has provided one of the earliest and largest commitments of support, providing £113 million in assistance to food security and other needs since July 2015.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average hourly earnings were of her Department’s (a) BME and (b) non-BME employees in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016.

    Karen Bradley

    Table 1 provides the median average hourly rates for all employees (Senior Civil Service and below within the Home Office) for (a) BME and (b) non-BME employees in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016.

    The Civil Service is changing, and our recruitment seeks to reflect the make-up and composition of our nation as a whole. Historically, BME staff were under-represented across the civil service: both in terms of previous recruitment patterns and the number and proportion in higher grades, both of these factors can contribute to the differences in average salaries.

    We are making progress, the proportion of BME staff in the Civil Service has risen from 9.2% in 2010 to 10.6% in 2015, but we recognise that there is still more to do.

    In March, the Government published its 2016 Talent Action Plan for the Civil Service. It provides a progress update on initiatives to increase diversity in the Civil Service, including cross-Government talent programmes aimed at under-represented groups.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/talent-action-plan-2016-removing-the-barriers-to-success

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of how many degree apprenticeship places will be taken up by 2020.

    Robert Halfon

    Degree Apprenticeships are designed by groups of employers working with higher education institutions and will be driven by employer demand.

    We therefore do not use a top-down estimate of how many Degree Apprenticeships will be taken up by 2020, as part of our overall commitment to 3 million starts.

    Degree Apprenticeships provide a valuable route for people to obtain a degree-level qualification alongside training for a career, with employment from day one.

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what past roles her Department has had in (a) appointing superintendents of children’s homes and (b) the inspection of such homes in the London Borough of Lambeth.

    Sarah Newton

    Prior to 1971, when policy and operational responsibility for children was transferred under machinery of Government changes to the then Department for Health and Social Security (DHSS), the Home Office included a Children’s Department. The Children’s Department had responsibilities for reformatory and industrial schools, remand homes and approved schools. It also had responsibility for supervising local authority and voluntary provision for children.

    Indexes of material held at The National Archives suggest that the Children’s Department did not appoint superintendents or heads of individual children’s homes as a part of its core business. It did however have an Inspectorate, which operated nationally.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-01-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2016 to Question 21322, what advice has been issued to UK banks and building societies offering second charge mortgages in territory outside the UK.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government is not aware of any formal advice that has been issued to banks or building societies offering second charge mortgages in territories outside the UK.

  • David Mowat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Mowat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mowat on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on reducing the proportion of the defence budget which is spent on legal fees.

    Penny Mordaunt

    A fraction of one per cent of the defence budget is spent on legal fees, most of it necessary to protect the interests of the taxpayer in securing value for money or in protecting the operational freedom and reputation of the Armed Forces. We have work in hand to reduce opportunistic litigation which is harmful to Defence and diverts funds from the front line.

  • Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time was for immigration cases designated as complex in (a) 2015, (b) 2014 and (c) 2013.

    James Brokenshire

    Following feedback from customers and partners UKV&I introduced new service standards in January 2014. As such statistical information for 2013 is not available.

    The table below shows the number and proportion of immigration cases designated as complex in 2014 and 2015

    Complex Case

    Total Apps Received

    % of Complex Cases

    2014 (01/04/2014 – 31/12/2014)

    87,219

    412,337

    21%

    2015

    84,435

    513,475

    16%

    Following feedback from customers and partners UKV&I introduced new service standards in January 2014. As such statistical information for 2013 is not available. Our records indicate the average waiting time (days) for immigration cases that are designated as complex is as follows.

    Average Waiting Time

    2014 (01/04/2014 – 31/12/2014)

    122

    2015

    163

    Overall Average

    147