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Tag: 2016

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of when the ban on the export of Welsh beef and lamb to the US is likely to be lifted.

    George Eustice

    Defra has recently submitted detailed evidence required by the US authorities. My Right Honourable friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was recently in Washington DC to raise the importance of this agreement. We continue to press for expeditious consideration of the UK application to allow exports of UK beef and lamb to commence as soon as possible.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the percentage of claims management companies that have faced some sort of intervention from the Information Commissioner’s Office.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) works closely with the Claims Management Regulator (CMR) and they regularly share intelligence and information about issues of mutual concern involving claims management companies (CMCs).

    There are a total of 1,752 authorised CMCs, of which 21 CMCs were placed under investigation by the ICO during 2015-2016, amounting to 1.2% of the total. Some of which resulted in formal enforcement action.

    Further information can be found in the attached Claims Management Regulation Annual Report. Details of all the ICO’s enforcement action are published on its website at: https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/enforcement/“

  • Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received of allegations that UK funding through the UN to MINURSO is being misused and that UN personnel are being overcharged by hotels at which they stay; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has received no representations on this issue. The UK contributes towards the UN Peacekeeping funds, and FCO officials have raised the alleged fraud with the UN’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The Special Representative of the Secretary General for Western Sahara and the local authorities have investigated the allegations and taken the necessary steps to address the situation and prevent a recurrence.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which agreed EU directives have not yet been transposed directly into UK law; and if she will make a statement.

    Matt Hancock

    Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. During this period the Government will continue to negotiate, implement and apply EU legislation.

    One directive within the jurisdiction of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not been transposed yet.

  • John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many miles of river and waterway bank the Environment Agency has weeded in the last 12 months.

    Rory Stewart

    The Environment Agency is responsible for 22,600 miles of main river and carries out conveyance work which includes aquatic weed management. This activity is carried out on a risk based approach which is dependent on local circumstances and associated flood risk.

    In 2014/15the Environment Agency allocated around £45 million on conveyance work to control aquatic weed in rivers, dredging rivers and removing shoals and silt, clearing screens and removing obstructions from rivers so that water can flow freely along the channel.

  • Colleen Fletcher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Colleen Fletcher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Colleen Fletcher on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appellants in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England are waiting for the Tribunals Service to list their first-tier tribunal social security and child support appeal in respect of employment and support allowance.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The First-tier Tribunal – Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service, hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions’ decisions on a range of benefits including employment and support allowance (ESA).

    There are always a number of ‘live’ appeals at the various stages of processing before being listed for a tribunal hearing, and not just those waiting for a listing date to be allocated. The data also includes appeals which may not require a final hearing; have had an initial hearing but have not had a final decision; or are stayed, pending the outcome of other proceedings.

    As at 30 September 2015 there were a total of 106 ESA appeals waiting to be heard in the Coventry venues; for the West Midlands[1] 783; and for England[2] 11,976.

    1. West Midlands includes the venues: Birmingham, Coventry, Hereford, Stoke, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Shrewsbury, Worcester (Fownes), Kidderminster, Coventry (CMCB), Worcester (Magistrates Court), Hereford (Magistrates Court), Leamington Spa, Nuneaton and Walsall
    2. Excludes SSCS Scotland processing centre and the following venues: Aberystwyth, Bridgend, Cardiff, Caernafon, Carmarthen, Colwyn Bay, Cwmbran, Haverfordwest, Llandrindod Wells, Langstone, Llandudno, Llanelli, Llangefni, Llwynypia, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath, Port Talbot, Newtown, Pontypridd, Pontypool, Prestatyn, Swansea, Welshpool, Wrexham, Bargoed and Ebbw Vale

    Data are drawn from a live administrative database. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the details are subject to inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system and are the best data available.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what her Department’s wellness strategy is.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID seeks to create a workplace where we protect the health, safety and wellbeing of staff, optimise the opportunity to promote a healthy workforce, maintain safe systems of work and proactively support the physical and emotional wellbeing of staff.​ These principles are reflected throughout DFIDs HR Policies and approach to People Management.

  • Owen Thompson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Owen Thompson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Thompson on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish further information on the science and innovation audit for Edinburgh and the Lothians set out in paragraph 1.268 of Budget 2016.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Edinburgh and Lothians audit is being taken forward in collaboration with a consortium led by Edinburgh University. Further information will be provided on GOV.UK in due course, once the first wave of audits gets underway.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with representatives of the private parking industry on the implications of the Supreme Court case, Beavis vs ParkingEye.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government is aware of the public concern at the way some private parking companies operate.

    Whilst we have not held any specific discussions with the DVLA or representatives of the private parking companies, we are currently reviewing responses to the discussion paper, “Parking Reform: Tackling Unfair Practices”.

    We will issue a response in due course.

  • Lord Ouseley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Ouseley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ouseley on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to take any action to ensure that local authorities comply with their legal duty to provide to homeless families temporary accommodation that is safe and suitable.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Housing Act 1996 requires that local housing authorities must ensure that all temporary accommodation they secure is suitable. Not to do so is unlawful. Households in temporary accommodation have the legal right to seek a review of any decision to place them in unsuitable accommodation. If households are unsatisfied with the response then they have redress to the courts.

    To help frontline decision makers make those decisions right first time DCLG fund the National Homelessness Advice Service to provide free expert advice, training and support to homelessness professionals. In December 2015 Government also provided a £5 million fund to help the 25 councils facing the most significant homelessness pressures to ensure people are moved from temporary accommodation and into suitable homes as soon as possible.

    Households leaving temporary accommodation now spend, on average, less time in temporary accommodation than they did in 2010. The numbers of households in temporary accommodation remain well below their peak, when they hit 101,000 in 2004.