Tag: 2016

  • Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the financial consequences of the EU sanctions on Russia on Serbia.

    Mr David Lidington

    The EU imposed sanctions on Russia in response to the annexation of Crimea and the crisis in Eastern Ukraine. Serbia has not currently imposed sanctions on Russia. No assessment on the financial consequences of EU sanctons on Russia has been made.

    Neither I, nor the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), have had any disucssions with our Serbian counterparts on the financial consequences to Serbia of EU sanctions on Russia, but the UK Government has regularly encouraged Serbia, as an accession country, to align itself fully with EU foreign policy. The UK Government has not received any represenations from the Serbian government about the impact of EU sanctions on Russia on the Serbian economy.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-04-28.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an estimate of the amount of revenue that would have been raised in 2015-16 by levying compulsory national insurance contributions on people above state pension age.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs currently estimates that the national insurance exemption for people of pensionable age in 2015/16 costs around £950m in National Insurance Contributions receipts.

    This figure is based on employee and self-employed National Insurance Contributions (Classes 1, 2 and 4).

    The estimate is based on the latest available Survey of Personal Incomes (2012-13), which has been projected in line with Budget 2015 economic assumptions from the Office for Budget Responsibility.

    The estimate includes a behavioural adjustment to reflect changes in labour supply for this age group which are subject to particular uncertainty.

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the implications are for the Government’s policy on using Overseas Development Funding aid through the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa to send Eritreans in the EU back to Eritrea of the recommendation by the Commission established by the UN Human Rights Council to refer that country to the International Criminal Court.

    Justine Greening

    There are no programmes under the EUTF that are specific to Eritrea or that are funding the return of Eritreans currently in the EU.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of physical training provided at the Infantry Battle School in Brecon; and if he will make a statement.

    Mike Penning

    In line with the requirements set out in Ministry of Defence policy, the adequacy of the physical training provided at the Infantry Battle School is wholly satisfactory. It complies with current Defence and Army physical training policy, and is conducted within an extensive framework of existing supervisory care policy and associated duty of care legislation. All physical training and fitness training must also be conducted within a safe system of training and only by appropriately qualified and competent personnel, to ensure all potential risks have been identified beforehand and steps taken to reduce these to ‘As Low As Reasonably Practicable’.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US and other NATO counterparts on the nuclear tests being conducted by North Korea; and what steps he is taking to help prevent North Korea’s development of a nuclear arsenal.

    Alok Sharma

    Following the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducting its fifth nuclear test on 9 September, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), made clear that the UK strongly condemned the test, which is a flagrant violation of binding UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions. The UK has worked closely with international partners for many years to respond to the nuclear weapons and missile programmes of the DPRK.

    The UNSC agreed wide-ranging sanctions following the fourth nuclear test in January, which contained some of the strongest measures the UNSC has ever adopted. As I said on 23 September at the UN Security Council meeting, "there is now a need to work immediately on further significant measures." The UK is working with international partners on further significant measures the UNSC can take in response to the fifth test.

  • Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Johnson on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to ensure that exams are marked accurately on the first occasion.

    Nick Gibb

    These are matters for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have therefore asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey to write directly to the Honourable Member. A copy of her replies will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

  • Baroness Massey of Darwen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Massey of Darwen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Massey of Darwen on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign in 2015, and in particular its recommendations that an independent body be established actively to monitor and enforce schools’ admissions arrangements.

    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.

    We want the Schools Adjudicator to be able to focus on objections raised by those who will be affected by admission arrangements. Local Authorities will continue to have a right to object on behalf of the local community.

    The Government supports the need for an independent body to respond to concerns raised about the fairness of school admission arrangements. The Schools Adjudicator is that body and we are confident of both the independence and rigour of the adjudication process.

  • Biography information for Lord Rennard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Biography information for Lord Rennard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Lord Rennard on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the Electoral Commission’s conclusion in its report UK Parliamentary General Election 2015: Campaign spending report, that in principle

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The Electoral Commission published its “UK Parliamentary General Election 2015: Campaign spending report” on 29 February 2016. The Government is considering the report and will respond in due course.

  • Robert Syms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Robert Syms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Syms on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will postpone the start date for the introduction of standardised packaging on tobacco products in order to undertake an assessment of the implications of the post-implementation review of a similar measure in Australia on his policies in this area.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government has no current plans to postpone the introduction of standardised packaging of tobacco products. The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 come into force on 20 May 2016. Standardised packaging is an important public health measure and any delay in implementing the policy would also delay the health benefits from accruing. The Government continues to consider relevant information and evidence on standardised packaging, including the Post-Implementation Review of Tobacco Plain Packaging published by the Australian Government last month.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of companies newly registered with Companies House have been (i) directly incorporated and (ii) set up by third parties such as trust or company service providers in each year since 2004; and in each of those years how many complaints Companies House received about the conduct of companies in each group.

    Anna Soubry

    Companies House does not hold the information requested. Newly incorporated companies are not categorised on the basis of whether they were formed directly or by a third party such as a Trust or Company Service Provider.