Tag: Catherine McKinnell

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2015 to Question 12365, what savings have resulted from the police-led prosecution initiative in each year since 2012-13.

Robert Buckland

The police-led prosecution initiative has led to a significant reduction in motoring offences prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in magistrate courts, as the following figures indicate:

Motoring offence cases finalised in the Magistrates Court

2012-13: 229,875

2013-14: 171,517

2014-15: 112,955

While the reduction has led to a fall in expenditure on these low-level cases, the overall effect on CPS budgets has been cost-neutral. A high proportion of these cases are dealt with as summary first-time guilty pleas, in which the Court requires the defendant to pay the prosecution costs as part of any financial penalty. Therefore, whilst the CPS has benefitted from a reduction in expenditure, it has foregone the receipt of cost awards that are routinely made in motoring offence cases, as these awards are now payable to the police.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the likely average change in the amount received by workless 18 to 21 year olds as a result of the removal of housing allowance from such people in April 2017.

Justin Tomlinson

The amount of Universal Credit awarded where the housing element is payable is not being changed; this policy will simply remove entitlement from certain 18 -21 year olds. Some 18-21 year olds will be unaffected by this change as exemptions will allow support with housing costs to continue in their award.

The Department continues to liaise with a range of key stakeholders as it develops exemptions. This includes discussing this policy with landlords, housing associations and charities. Once this work has been completed we will bring forward detailed proposals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department takes to monitor and assess allegations of human rights abuses by UK-listed companies.

Anna Soubry

Where allegations are made against companies (listed or otherwise) about breaches of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, including the guidelines on human rights, these breaches are assessed by the UK’s National Contact Point in accordance with the framework set out in the Guidelines.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department plans to continue to fund (a) innovative projects on anti-corruption and transparency and (b) country-specific anti-corruption strategies.

Rory Stewart

My Department will continue to fund innovative projects on anti-corruption and transparency. The Secretary of State for International Development has confirmed that transparency and accountability are at the top of her agenda. Moreover the London Anti-Corruption Summit committed to a range of innovative approaches to fighting corruption globally, many of which DFID will support. This includes increased use of company beneficial ownership registers and improved open public contracting standards. DFID will also contribute towards a new UK-led Anti-Corruption Innovation Hub. It will establish a network across countries, businesses and civil society to share know-how, identify opportunities for collaboration and connect technology and data experts with law enforcement and civil society.

DFID has refreshed anti-corruption strategies for our priority country programmes. These take into account the issues and ambitions created by the Summit and the forthcoming UK Anti-Corruption Strategy. DFID will support our partner countries to implement their Summit commitments where appropriate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will encourage the International Organisation of Securities Commissions to bring global listing rules in line with those set out in the European Non-Financial Reporting Directive.

Anna Soubry

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is due to implement the requirements in the EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive into UK law by 6 December 2016. BIS has no plans to extend these requirements beyond those contained in the EU Directive.

Representation to the International Organisation of Securities Commissions and policy responsibility for UK listing rules falls within the remit of the Financial Conduct Authority and any further enquiries on these matters should be directed to them.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the removal of housing allowance for 18 to 21 year-olds who receive universal credit in the number of (a) homeless people and (b) claimants living on temporary accommodation.

Justin Tomlinson

The Department continues to liaise with a range of key stakeholders as it develops exemptions to the removal of automatic entitlement to housing support for 18-21 year olds in Universal Credit. This includes discussing this policy with landlords, housing associations and charities.

Once this work has been completed we will bring forward detailed proposals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to pages 49-50 of the Survey of the Provision in the UK of Access to Remedies for Victims of Human Rights Harms involving Business Enterprises, by the British Institute for International and Comparative Law, published on 17 July 2015, what assessment he has made of the merits of the report’s recommendations to (a) establish a permanent cross-government Business and Human Rights Unit and (b) extend some aspects of UK criminal law legislation to provide access to remedies to victims of human rights abuses by business enterprises overseas.

Dominic Raab

The Government has no plans to establish a permanent cross-government Business and Human Rights Unit; however, departments continue to cooperate as necessary. Victims of overseas human rights abuses by UK businesses can already seek redress through UK courts. We are one of the few jurisdictions in the world where this can happen.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she has taken to ensure that every government and organisation which her Department funds meets global transparency standards.

Rory Stewart

We require our centrally funded civil society and private sector suppliers to publish details of how they spend UK funding in line with international transparency standards. The department has also reviewed the extent to which multilateral partners are meeting or going beyond these standards, to promote transparency globally and in the countries where they work. DFID supported adoption of new international commitments relating to transparency and anti-corruption, including commitments in the “Grand Bargain” for humanitarian action, and under Cabinet Office leadership, the Open Government Partnership. DFID has increased, and continues to increase, country programming on tax and other areas supporting fiscal transparency.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress he has made in transposing the European Non-Financial Reporting Directive into UK law; and whether there will be additional reporting requirements.

Anna Soubry

A consultation will be published shortly seeking views on the Governments plans to transpose this directive into UK law. We have no current plans to implement any reporting requirements beyond those required by the Directive.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of workless 18 to 21-year olds who will be enrolled on universal credit in (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18, (c) 2018-19 and (d) 2019-20.

Priti Patel

The information requested is not available. The number of people on benefits is driven by a range of factors, and because of this the programme measures progress by the successful achievement of its delivery plan rather than numbers of claimants.