Tag: 2016

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect on levels of poverty of the proposed reforms to personal independence payment in the Budget 2016.

    Justin Tomlinson

    As confirmed by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State in his statement to the House on 21 March, the proposed changes to PIP will not be going ahead.

    We spend around £50bn every year on benefits alone to support people with disabilities or health conditions, with spending on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) having increased by more than £3 billion since 2010. The government is committed to talking to disabled people, their representatives, healthcare professionals and employers to ensure the welfare system works better with the health and social care systems and provides help and support to those who need it most.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department’s Graduate Development Scheme will take place in 2016; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID will be running a Graduate Development Scheme for 2016. Recruitment is due to launch in May 2016.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with inflammatory bowel disease as their main disabling condition granted a personal independence payment between April 2013 and October 2015 were (a) new claimants, (b) expiring time-limited claimants and (c) claimants whose circumstances had changed.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The available data on the number of claimants in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), by main disabling condition and whether they are new claimants or reassessment claimants, are published on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.

    Data on the circumstances leading to a reassessment is not published and could only be produced at disproportionate cost.

    “

  • David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make representations to the Competition and Markets Authority on investigating the price of milk at major supermarkets.

    George Eustice

    The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) as the UK’’s competition authority can carry out investigations where there is evidence of abuse of a dominant position or market abuse. Whilst the Government does not generally intervene in what businesses charge consumers for their goods and services we do recognise concerns about transparency and trust in the dairy supply chain. A number of supermarkets have pledged to pay a premium over and above the current market price. This is welcome and gives some respite to farmers. Some retailers have also taken steps to increase the number of dairy products they source from the UK and improve country of origin labelling on cheese.

    The Groceries Code which has been in operation since 2010 and the Adjudicator which came into force in 2013 have had a positive impact on the relationship between retailers and suppliers in the dairy chain. The Code was a specific remedy recommended by the Competition Commission following an extensive investigation into the UK grocery market. A review of the Adjudicator is due this year and will include a Call for Evidence on the case for extending the Groceries Code Adjudicator’s remit in the UK groceries supply chain and, as part of this, we will look at how this can further help the farming industry.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what further steps he plans to take to give councils greater flexibility and control over budgets; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    We have already given councils greater control by offering a 4-year settlement, and by the end of the Parliament, local government will retain 100% of business rates raised locally. Devolution Deals have awarded Mayoral Combined Authorities with greater flexibilities over investment funding through the Single Pot; this local control will only increase with devolution of the Adult Education Budget from 2018/19, subject to readiness conditions in Deal agreements. The Government believes that these policies fundamentally change the way local government operates, to give councils greater flexibility and control over budgets.

  • Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what export licences have been granted to UK manufacturers since 2010 to export (a) military and (b) police-related equipment to Israel.

    Anna Soubry

    Information on arms export licences are published as Official Statistics (from January 2015) in the Annual and Quarterly Reports on Strategic Export Controls. These reports contain detailed information on export licences issued, refused or revoked, by destination, including the overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. They are available to view at GOV.UK.

    The most recently published information covers the period until 30 June 2015.

    All export licences are issued in strict accordance with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.

  • Carol Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Carol Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carol Monaghan on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people with spouses or partners with UK citizenship have applied to enter the UK in each of the last five years.

    James Brokenshire

    The available information is shown in the attached table.

    Information on spouses or partners of UK citizens is not available as it is not held on centrally collated statistical databases and could only be produced at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files.

    The latest quarterly Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas are published in ‘Immigration Statistics, July – September 2015’, available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statistics

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to provide certified copies of identity documents to visa applicants to support their applications to undertake an approved English language test.

    James Brokenshire

    There is no intention to change the current policy with regards to identity checks for Secure English Language Testing (SELT). Photocopies, whether certified or not, are not accepted when a candidate sits a test. Only original and valid documents are acceptable. This will allow test centre staff to confirm that the document is genuine and relates to the individual who is sitting the test.

    The only acceptable forms of identification in the UK are:

    • a passport or travel document;

    • a EU Identity Card;

    • a Biometric Residence Permit.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many companies have cited in their registration at Companies House their registered office, the address of another business or private individual which they are not authorised to use in each year for which data is available.

    Anna Soubry

    Companies House has received the following number of complaints that companies have cited as their registered office, the address of another business or private individual that they allegedly are not authorised to use.

    Year

    Number of Cases

    2013/14

    1,270

    2014/15

    1,385

    2015/16 (to date)

    1,517

    Provisions contained in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 will be commenced on 6 April. These will allow the Registrar of Companies to act in the event of a complaint of this nature about a registered office.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2016 to Question 30100, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of preparing and publishing the Shaw Report: Final Report and Recommendations, published on 16 March 2016.

    Claire Perry

    The Department’s estimated incremental cost of preparing and publishing the Shaw Report is £875,919.