Tag: 2016

  • Rehman Chishti – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Rehman Chishti – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rehman Chishti on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 9 February 2015 to Question 222936, when he plans to announce which of the 5,000 ships under consideration will be designated under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.

    Mark Lancaster

    The consultation process as to which ships under consideration will be designated under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 is at its later stages, and an announcement will be made in due course.

  • Baroness Lister of Burtersett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Lister of Burtersett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they propose to take, if any, to reduce the complexity of the admission arrangements employed by religiously selective schools, as highlighted in the report An Unholy Mess published by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year, and the 2014–15 annual report of the Chief Schools Adjudicator, so that all parents are better able to understand what is required to gain admission to their local school.

    Lord Nash

    The Government will shortly consult on a package of changes to the School Admissions Code which will both respond to concerns from parents and to the findings in the Chief Adjudicator’s Annual Report. That package will include measures to improve fairness and transparency.

    Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, are required to comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code and other admissions law.

    When constructing faith-based oversubscription criteria, including deciding how membership or practice of the faith will be determined, admission authorities must have regard to the guidance of their relevant religious authority, and their arrangements must comply with the statutory School Admissions Code. They must consult with their religious authority when proposing any changes to their admission arrangements.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2016 to Question 26564, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that schools in conflict zones are protected from being attacked or occupied for military purposes.

    James Duddridge

    The UK is committed to the proper implementation of International Humanitarian Law. We comply fully with our obligations under it, including rules prohibiting civilian objects from being attacked. The UK also works closely with other states and the Red Cross Movement to promote compliance with International Humanitarian Law. We urge all states and non-state actors engaged in armed conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law and to act in accordance with their obligations under it.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what information her Department holds on the number and severity of incidents involving trains carrying nuclear material on the rail network.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Details of safety events involving the transport of nuclear material both by rail and on the strategic road network can be found in the following report:

    Events reported to Nuclear Safety Regulator 2001-2015:

    http://news.onr.org.uk/2016/02/events-reported-to-nuclear-safety-regulator-2001-15/

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-05-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what sub-departments HMRC has in addition to the Tax Capacity Building Unit, the Large Business Service/Directorate, the Compliance Unit, the Transfer Pricing Unit, the Business International Directorate, and the Anti-Money Laundering Supervision Team; and (a) what funds were allocated to and (b) how many FTE staff were employed by each sub-department in each year since 2009-10.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is split into four sub-departments, or business areas, for delivery purposes, which are supported by corporate areas.

    Please see below the expenditure and full time equivalent (FTE) staff for each of those areas for the period 2009/10 onwards.

    Net expenditure (£m)

    09/10

    10/11

    11/12

    12/13

    13/14

    14/15

    Enforcement and Compliance

    1,033

    1,004

    991

    1,028

    1,037

    987

    Business Tax

    222

    248

    181

    185

    156

    201

    Personal Tax

    763

    682

    726

    728

    670

    531

    Benefits & Credits

    169

    164

    154

    157

    153

    154

    Corporate

    1,760

    1,477

    1,647

    1,566

    1,629

    1,595

    HMRC

    3,947

    3,575

    3,699

    3,664

    3,645

    3,468

    HMRC has not yet published accounts for 2015/16.

    FTE staff

    09/10

    10/11

    11/12

    12/13

    13/14

    14/15

    15/16

    Enforcement and Compliance

    26,864

    25,475

    25,334

    26,601

    26,923

    26,223

    26,798

    Business Tax

    3,776

    3,877

    3,695

    3,410

    3,160

    4,415

    4,582

    Personal Tax

    27,307

    25,975

    26,858

    24,444

    20,558

    14,949

    15,661

    Benefits & Credits

    6,307

    5,834

    5,301

    5,157

    4,983

    5,193

    5,459

    Corporates

    6,445

    5,720

    5,279

    4,865

    6,376

    6,358

    7,356

    HMRC*

    70,699

    66,881

    66,467

    64,477

    61,370

    57,138

    59,856

    *this total for HMRC includes Civil Service Resourcing.

    The question mentions specific teams within HMRC and those teams are within the Business Areas above, as follows:

    Large Business – Business Tax

    Compliance Unit – Enforcement and Compliance

    Transfer Pricing Unit – Business Tax

    Business International – Business Tax

    Anti-money laundering – Enforcement and Compliance

    HMRC does not publish accounts information at a level of detail that includes expenditure or allocations by specific teams.

  • Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Viscount Waverley on 2016-06-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether gas supplies to the UK are secure and will remain competitively priced following the vote to leave the EU, and what contingency plans they have in place; what percentage of UK gas supplies originate from Russia; and what assessment they have made of whether the devaluation of sterling against the rouble following the vote to leave the EU will adversely affect gas prices.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    Energy security is my top priority. The Department will take the steps needed to ensure hard working families and business have the energy they need, including from overseas where this adds to the diversity and cost effectiveness of our energy supplies.

    The UK has high levels of gas security from a diverse supply mix including storage facilities; pipelines from Norway, Netherlands and Belgium; and LNG terminals. This is in addition to domestic production which met over half our annual demand of 773TWh in 2014. Gas shippers in the UK purchase gas from hubs across Europe without HMG intervention in a competitive market.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans she has to increase investment in decentralised renewable energy in developing countries.

    James Wharton

    The UK Government is playing a leading role in improving energy access in developing countries. DFID has a range of programmes which are working with developing countries to ensure renewable energy markets work effectively as well as supporting energy businesses to grow, and providing consumers with access to funding to buy solar goods. For example, our Energy Access Ventures programme is investing in off-grid electric and we are delivering green mini-grid solutions across Africa.

    Through the UK Government’s Energy Africa campaign we are working with solar firms to help them access the finance they need to expand their businesses, create jobs and help reach millions of people in Africa without electricity access.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy that personal social health, economic and education be compulsory in all schools.

    Edward Timpson

    The Government wants all young people to leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. High quality personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) teaching has an important role to play in providing young people with a curriculum for life, which equips them with the skills and understanding they need to manage their lives, succeed and stay safe. We have made it clear in the introduction to the framework of the national curriculum that all schools should teach PSHE.

    We have committed to improving the quality of PSHE and intend to make significant progress on this issue during this Parliament. The Department for Education is currently working with headteachers and other experts to identify how we can continue to improve the quality of PSHE for every pupil.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park on 26 January (HL5024), what systems are in place to ensure that a standardised approach is taken by higher education institutions in relation to dealing with cheating, and to encourage best practice relating to plagiarism.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    Higher education institutions are independent and autonomous bodies and are required to comply with the UK Quality Code for Higher Education, which requires that ‘assessment is equitable, valid and reliable’. As such, institutions are expected to have clear policies on cheating and plagiarism.

    As part of its cyclical review of UK universities and colleges, the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) reports publicly on its findings, including if there are concerns relating to plagiarism.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what average amount of time a prisoner spends on education or work-related activities at each (a) young offender institution and (b) secure training centre.

    Andrew Selous

    Under-18 YOIs

    Since 16 August 2015, education providers in public sector under-18 Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) have been required to provide 27 hours of education a week, supplemented by three hours of physical education. Whist the majority of education time is protected, young people will miss some lessons to attend appointments such as court appearances, medical appointments and legal visits and therefore the average hours of educations received will be less than the 27 provided.

    Although youth crime is down, reoffending rates are far too high and the care and supervision of young offenders in custody is not good enough. That is why the Justice Secretary has asked Charlie Taylor to conduct a review of youth justice.

    The following table provides the average number of classroom based education hours, alternative activities hours and physical education hours accessed by under-18 public sector YOIs since 16 August 2015.

    Table 1: Average hours of education or alternative activities and physical education at public sector under-18 Young Offenders Institutions since 16 August 2015

    Feltham

    Cookham Wood

    Werrington

    Wetherby

    Average hours accessed by young offenders

    23.15

    17.07

    24.78

    20.44

    Notes

    (1) Average hours includes alternative activities (interventions relating to offending behaviour, focus groups, release on temporary licence, unit cleaning and catering etc) and physical education.

    (2) Data are provided by the National Offender Management Service. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time.

    (3) This table does not include outreach education provision, which is provided to young people who are not able to engage with class room based education. The YJB currently commissions up to 15 hours of this type of provision for a set number of young people at each YOI.

    Under-18 YOI Parc

    YOI Parc is operated by G4S and is currently contracted to provide 25 hours of education and 5 hours of interventions each week. The average number of hours of education or vocational training delivered per young person per school week at Parc YOI in calendar year 2015 was 23.7 (see notes below).

    Secure training Centres (STCs)

    STCs are currently contracted to provide 25 hours of education and 5 hours of interventions each week. From 1 April 2016 at Medway STC and 5 May 2016 at Rainsbrook STC new contracts will require 30 hours education and interventions a week, of which 25 hours must be education.

    Table 3: Average number of hours of education or vocational training delivered per young person per school week in each Secure Training Centre in calendar year 2015

    Medway

    Oakhill

    Rainsbrook

    Average hours accessed by young people

    24.9

    24.8

    24.9

    Notes

    (4) Data for YOI Parc and Medway, Oakhill and Rainsbrook STCs is taken from YJMIS from the figures submitted by secure establishments.

    (5) These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time.