Tag: 2016

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what the criteria are for payments to be made from the Contingency Fund.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The criteria for access to the Contingencies Fund are set out in the Treasury publication “Supply Estimates: a guidance manual” which can be found on the gov.uk website. The Contingencies Fund enables the Treasury to make repayable cash advances to departments for urgent services, in anticipation of provision for those services being provided by Parliament.

    The main criteria against which any application is judged is genuine urgency in the public interest and – in cases of new services – near certainty that any related Bill will become law. However, not all advances are dependent upon the passage of enabling legislation: existing legislation may already exist. Advances are generally made in anticipation of the relevant Supply and Appropriation Act.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will press to agree a definition of the term foreign fighter with his EU counterparts.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    I and the Home Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), have been actively working with our EU counterparts to agree an appropriate definition of the term foreign fighter. All member states agree on the need to tackle this threat and the Presidency is seized of the importance of agreeing a definition within the coming months.

  • James Berry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    James Berry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Berry on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps Border Force has taken to identify and assist potential victims of trafficking and modern slavery at ports across the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    Combating modern slavery, which includes human trafficking, slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour, is a leading priority for Border Force. All frontline Border Force Officers have access to comprehensive guidance on modern slavery and must complete mandatory training on identifying victims of modern slavery.

    Additionally, Border Force has specialist teams at ports across the country which receive additional, in depth, training to increase their levels of expertise. This allows Border Force to maintain a high degree of vigilance to identify and protect those who may be a victim of modern slavery and to identify those seeking to exploit them. Border Force officers follow established processes and referring all identified child and consenting adult potential victims to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), which acts as the UK’s identification and support process for victims.

    Border Force staff also receive mandatory training also takes places on how to refer potential victims to NRM. Working in close partnership with police forces, social services and the UK Human Trafficking Centre, Border Force also carries out intelligence led exercises to tackle the threat of trafficking at the border.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the Government’s policy is on access to the European Economic Area; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robin Walker

    Our economy is fundamentally strong, and the UK is open to business and investment. The Government has been consulting, and will continue to consult, with a broad range of stakeholders and we will need to consider all factors carefully in implementing the decision of the British people. This is clearly a very important issue for UK business and we will want the strongest possible economic links with our European neighbours.

  • Lord Hay of Ballyore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Hay of Ballyore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hay of Ballyore on 2016-10-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with ministers of the government of the Republic of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Executive on cross-border efforts to tackle organised crime.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Home Office Ministers have regular discussions with Ministerial colleagues in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland Executive. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings.

    UK and Irish law enforcement work together closely to combat serious and organised criminality. Since 20 May 2015, the National Crime Agency has been operating with full powers in Northern Ireland. The National Crime Agency has put in place dedicated resources to work with Ireland’s law enforcement agencies to tackle the threat from organised crime affecting both countries.

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-01-05.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what provision his Department has made for public sector employers to pay the (a) national living wage, (b) 3.4 per cent increase in Secondary National Insurance Contributions (NICs) from 2016-17 following the abolition of Contracted Out NICs and (c) Apprenticeship Levy.

    Greg Hands

    It is the responsibility of each Department to ensure they have sufficient funding available to cover any additional costs associated with either the National Living Wage, the 3.4 per cent increase in Secondary National Insurance Contributions (NICs) from 2016-17, or the apprenticeship levy. HM Treasury has only made provision for the costs that it will incur in respect of its own staff as a result of these changes.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 14 September 2015 to Question 9202, what steps he has taken to reduce the number of peers.

    Mr David Cameron

    The Leader of the House of Lords has convened cross-party talks to consider the best way forward in addressing the size of the House. Those talks are ongoing.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many full-time equivalent officials are (a) budgeted for and (b) actually employed in each African country in which the UK has an Embassy or High Commission.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The attached spreadsheet (PQ 28132 – FTE Africa v0.3) details the number of UK based FCO staff budgeted for and employed in each African country which the UK has an Embassy or High Commission.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-03-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many press officers are employed by his Department.

    Harriett Baldwin

    As stated in the most recent HM Treasury annual report and accounts (2014-15), the department’s communications during 2014-15 focused on ensuring the public and stakeholders understood changes to government economic and fiscal policy. The department continues to pursue a low cost communications approach, making full use of media relationships and social media.

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of Better Care Fund funding was allocated to social care in England in the first quarter of 2015-16.

    Alistair Burt

    The information requested is not collected nationally. The overall size of the Better Care Fund (BCF) in 2015-16 is £5.3 billion. A published analysis of the BCF plans indicated that local areas were planning to allocate £2.3 billion to social care (43% of total planned expenditure) over 2015-16.