Tag: 2016

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how community resolution agreements are recorded in crime statistics.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Home Office publishes the number of Community Resolutions issued and recorded by police forces as part of its Crime Outcomes in England and Wales statistical releases. These show Community Resolutions that have been delivered in accordance with the College of Policing guidance on the Use of Community Resolution Incorporating Restorative Justice.

    The latest figures show that in year ending December 2015 there were 120,002 Community Resolutions recorded by police forces in England and Wales.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will instruct Student Finance England to respond to student number 03530036915 at the University of the West of England on the submission of that student’s 2015-16 declaration form.

    Joseph Johnson

    Student Finance England has confirmed that it has recently been in contact with the relevant student, and that their 2015-16 declaration form has been processed.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to tighten cyber security, in the light of the breach at Yahoo.

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

    Cyber security is recognised by the Government as a Tier One national security threat alongside deterring state-based threats and terrorism. In response to that threat and recognising the United Kingdom’s position as one of the most digitally advanced economies in the world, the Government is publishing its new five year National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS) later this year.

    The National Cyber Security Strategy defines the government’s vision and ambition for the future: a UK that is secure and resilient to cyber threats and sets out a comprehensive plan to better protect the UK from those threats. The new strategy includes delivering a new National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), to take the lead in our ambitious plans to improve UK cyber security and involves creating a programme of active cyber defence which will have the ability to counter-attack in cyber space.

    To fund the strategy, the Government announced that it has set aside £1.9bn of investment in cyber including a new National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP).

    The Government has also put in place a wide range of cyber security guidance and support for businesses. This includes:

    • free advice and online training on the gov.uk website;
    • the ‘Cyber Essentials’ scheme, which shows all businesses how to protect against common Internet threats;
    • the ‘10 Steps to Cyber Security guidance’, which shows large organisations how to manage cyber risk strategically;
    • a cross-government National Cyber Security Programme funded campaign aimed at significantly improving the online safety, behaviour and confidence of consumers and small businesses;
    • specialist advice and support for critical national infrastructure.

    Industry must also act by ensuring staff have the right training, skills and tools to operate safely online.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the legal opinion recently commissioned by Amnesty International and Saferworld, which claims that they are breaking the law by supplying arms to Saudi

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of this legal opinion provided on instructions from certain non-governmental organisations. We are also aware of our legal obligations as regards the licensing of arms for export to Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.

    The UK operates one of the most rigorous and transparent arms export control regimes in the world. All arms export licence applications are carefully assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking intoaccountall relevant information, to ensure compliance with our legal obligations, including under international law. A licence will not be issued, for any country, if to do so would be inconsistent with any provision of the mandatory Criteria. This includes the export of arms to Saudi Arabia. The Government is satisfied that extant licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK’s export licensing criteria.

  • Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury on 2016-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which Special Advisers and Permanent Secretaries attended any meetings in which ministers from HM Treasury discussed the future of Channel 4 between May 2015 and January 2016 inclusive.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    HM Treasury Ministers and officials have both regular discussions with colleagues and meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not government practice to release details of routine officials’ discussions as to do so would be impracticable and potentially prejudice the effective conduct of public policy development. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available on the gov.uk website.

  • Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the National Referral Mechanism applies the definition of forced labour when the victim is a child.

    Lord Bates

    Data on the number of child cases of forced labour or domestic servitude recorded through the National Referral Mechanism is already publically available on the National Crime Agency website and can be found here: www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.

    The National Referral Mechanism is designed to gather evidence in order to determine whether someone is considered to be a victim of ‘slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour’ or ‘human trafficking’ in line with the offences set out in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Whether an individual is considered to be a victim of either of these offences in the form of domestic servitude or forced labour will be determined on the indicators present and the facts of each case. Additional consideration is given to the particular vulnerabilities of children and their inability to consent.

    Information on how many cases of domestic servitude have been prosecuted where the victim was a child or how many cases of domestic servitude have been recorded which involved more than one person from the same family is not recorded centrally.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to secure the long-term sustainable future of the Air Cadet Organisation and to encourage active participation in air cadet organisations.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The RAF remains fully committed to the Air Cadet Organisation and have pledged funding in the region of £300 million over the next 10 years. This demonstrates the RAF’s full and continued support to this world class youth organisation.

    All Air Cadet gliding was suspended in 2014 as a result of serious concerns over safety in the fleet. Following this extended pause, the Air Training Corps is restructuring Air Cadet Gliding, refocusing the resource on investing for the future Volunteer Gliding Squadrons and Air Experience Flights as well as building a much improved infrastructure. Where cadets have to travel longer distances, investment is being increased to include good quality residential accommodation for both cadets and staff allowing weekends and camps to take place. Glider experience will also be complemented by increased simulator opportunities on part task trainers.

    Air Cadet gliding will emerge more resilient in the long run thanks to this reorganisation, and we will get back to a position where all cadets across the country have flying and gliding opportunities every year. Furthermore, the Air Training Corps is engaged in the Cadet Expansion Programme which seeks to increase the number of cadet units in schools by March 2020.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time for the driving theory test is in each region of England.

    Andrew Jones

    The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has a target that 95% of candidates should be offered a booking for a driving theory test within two weeks of their preferred date. DVSA uses that target to measure the length of time candidates have to wait for a theory test.

    At the time of writing, the national position, broken down by region, was as follows:

    London and South East

    97.12%

    Midlands

    99.46%

    Northern

    98.30%

    Wales and Western

    98.71% (figure includes England only)

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-07-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will update the Business Tax Road Map in light of his recent proposals on the change to corporation tax.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Business Tax Road Map sets out the Government’s clear plans for business taxes to 2020 and beyond. It outlines the Government’s objectives for a competitive business tax system that is nonetheless fair and protected against multinational tax avoidance

    The Chancellor’s ambitions to cut the corporation tax rate further are entirely consistent with these principles.

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

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

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will ensure that the funds allocated for new housing are used promptly; what steps they are taking to ensure that the housing revenue account borrowing programme is fully used by local authorities and housing associations; and what assessment they have made of whether greater flexibility between allocations is now necessary.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    There are a number of government programmes that support the delivery of new homes including the biggest affordable housing programme since the 1970s.

    Government affordable housing programmes are bid-based. The Homes and Communities Agency manages programmes outside London, and the Greater London Authority in London. A programme is normally launched through a bid round with a publication of prospectus which sets out information required for bids, eligibility and assessment criteria and grant conditions. Providers can submit bids to the grant-giving body who assess bids based on the criteria set out in the prospectus, focusing on value for money and deliverability. This allows for flexibility between allocations because value for money can be assessed across products, tenures, geographies and the types of providers. The Homes and Communities Agency carries out quarterly contract reviews with each provider to ensure delivery is on track. Through this route we have delivered 193,000 affordable homes between 2011 and 2015, exceeding the target by 23,000.

    The Government also regularly monitors the additional borrowing that local authority have been allocated under the Housing Revenue Account borrowing programme to ensure delivery of the provision of new affordable homes. We also consider applications from local authorities seeking flexibility in the profiling of their borrowing allocations across years. However, flexibility is not needed between authorities’ allocations as the programme, which was time limited, is now closed, and authorities are making good progress in using their allocations to deliver affordable homes.