Tag: 2016

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2016 to Question 25009, what proportion of people in the Senior Civil Service were based in London in each year since 2010.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Civil Service requires a variety of skills and professions within its workforce and many senior civil servants, by nature of their remit, work closely with Ministers, which is why the majority of these positions are based in London.

    The proportion of SCS based in London has remained relatively stable from 2010 to 2015.

    1st April 2010

    65.1%

    1st April 2011

    65.0%

    1st April 2012

    65.5%

    1st April 2013

    63.9%

    1st April 2014

    65.4%

    1st April 2015

    67.0%

    Although the proportion has increased, this represents an overall decrease in headcount, from 2,840 at 1st April 2010 to 2,660 at 1st April 2015.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-03-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what processes are in place to ensure that wholesalers sign up to the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme by the end of March 2016.

    Damian Hinds

    The application window for the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme (AWRS) closes on 31 March. HMRC is using appropriate channels to ensure customers who need to apply are aware of their obligations in good time to enable them to meet that deadline.

    Once the application window has closed, HMRC will assess the applications it has received. Appropriate action will then be taken to enforce the requirements of the new scheme.

    HMRC has been ramping up communications for AWRS over the last 12 months. It has issued several press notices and articles including regional and national media as well as specialist press and social media. HMRC is also working through key stakeholders and representative bodies associated with the alcohol business sectors to issue partnership marketing, giving a reach of 55,000 businesses. In February I wrote to individual businesses that may need to apply for AWRS to remind them of the deadline.

    The HMRC communications approach to this scheme is designed to ensure messages reach everyone who needs to receive them. If, however, analysis of applications after the deadline reveals a particular category of customers ‘missing’ to a significant degree from the applications received, and there is evidence that the programme of extensive communications failed to reach them, HMRC will explore whether there are any implications for the way in which follow up action is taken for that particular group.

  • Chris Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Chris Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Green on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to encourage innovation by defence suppliers.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    This Government announced a step change in our approach to innovation in the Strategic Defence and Security Review. We are developing plans to work with existing defence and non-traditional defence contractors, as well as international partners, to develop new technologies and innovations to stay ahead of our adversaries as technological advance becomes more widely accessible.

    We have also refreshed our policy to help small and medium enterprises as vital defence innovators, and we invest 1.2% of a growing defence budget in scienece and technology.

  • Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information he holds on the average number of small independent retail shops that closed in each (a) week, (b) month and (c) year of the most recent period for which figures are available.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans he has to gather data on the prevalence of paid and unpaid internships.

    Nick Boles

    The Government has no current plans to quantify the number of paid and unpaid interns. There is no legal definition of an intern, but all those who qualify as ‘workers’ are entitled to the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on how many babies were born in transit between Stafford and Stoke Royal University Hospital in each of the last six years.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    This information is not held centrally.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to assist people with restricted visibility pursuing careers and training opportunities.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The government has a wide variety of measures to help visually impaired and other disabled people prepare for, enter and remain in employment. These include:

    • Work Choice and Specialist Employability Support (SES), which help to prepare participants for work and move them into employment;

    • New Enterprise Allowance (NEA), which offers support to unemployed people who wish to start their own businesses. Disabled jobseekers who are accepted onto the NEA scheme may also be entitled to receive an Access to Work grant; and,

    • Access to Work, which provides practical and financial support with the additional costs faced by individuals whose health or disability affects the way they do their job, including some costs associated with new employment opportunities and supported internships. Access to Work has recently set up a specialist team visual impairment to further improve the service offered to the visually impaired people, who comprise the second largest group of Access to Work users.
  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding the Government is providing to local authorities for each refugee for housing under the Syrian resettlement scheme (a) in London and (b) outside London.

    Richard Harrington

    The first 12 months of local authorities’ resettlement costs are centrally funded using the overseas aid budget. In years 2-5, local authorities receive a per person tariff tapering from £5,000 to £1,000 over the four years. This is unringfenced funding and it is for local authorities to decide how best to use it to support refugees.

  • David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he has been notified of any funding applications from Lancaster City Council for the West End of Morecambe; and what information his Department holds on progress being made on (a) the Chatsworth Gardens project and (b) any other new housing projects in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Chatsworth Gardens project, known as West End One, is a flagship private rent project involving refurbishing and remodelling 27 empty properties to create 51 (1, 2, 3, & 4-bed) homes. Work on site commenced in early 2015 and, to date, ten 4-bedroom houses have been completed. The project is supported by £8.3 million of funding from the Homes and Communities Agency and £1.9 million of empty homes funding.

    The next release of new homes is expected later this month, with completion of all units by Autumn 2016. West End Two, the adjacent site is to follow on directly creating a further 50 homes for private rent.

    The Department does not collect data on all housing developments across the country, but 13 developments, either completed since 2014 or are currently on site, across the Lancaster City Council area have received Social Housing Grant via the Homes and Communities Agency, totalling £8.0 million and are providing a total of 231 new affordable homes.

  • Jo Stevens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jo Stevens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many people were employed in the Student Loans Company Cardiff office in each year since 2010.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Student Loans Company’s (SLC) office in Wales is located in Llandudno Junction and currently employs 132 staff. This site primarily delivers services for Student Finance Wales on behalf of the Welsh Government, including the provision of financial support for Welsh students undertaking further or higher education studies. Prior to 2015, the SLC’s office in Wales was based in Colwyn Bay. The table below sets out the number of people SLC has employed in its Wales office each year since 2010.

    Year

    No. of employees

    2015

    127

    2014

    85

    2013

    26

    2012

    32

    2011

    29

    2010

    30