Tag: Charlotte Leslie

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department takes into account the differences in the positions of men and women in preparing for retirement when devising its policy on pensions.

    Steve Webb

    Yes. The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to fully meeting our legal obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty, which is part of the Equality Act 2010. We have embedded equality analysis into the processes we use to develop, deliver and evaluate our policies, practices and services. This ensures that we continue to assess the likely and actual effects of what we do on people with protected characteristics to help inform our decision making processes.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 18 March 2014, Official Report, column 572W, on mental health services: children, when he expects NHS England’s review of Tier 4 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to be published.

    Norman Lamb

    I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Truro and Falmouth (Sarah Newton) on 9 June 2014, Official Report, column 57W.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support people with the rising cost of funerals.

    Steve Webb

    The Social Fund Funeral Payment scheme continues to provide help towards a simple, respectful, low-cost funeral. In 2012/13, over 35,000 awards were made worth £42.7 million, with an average award of £1,225.

    Social Fund Budgeting Loans are also available to those on income related benefits to cover costs relating to funeral expenses.

    In addition, any arrears of benefit which were due to the deceased at date of death are disregarded. This means that such arrears are no longer deducted from the funeral payment award.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department owns any of the Filton Airfield site; and whether his Department will be entitled to any share of the site’s sale.

    Dr Andrew Murrison

    The Department does not own any of the Filton Airfield site and is not entitled to any share in the site’s sale.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will estimate how much Government departments have spent on filtering tap water for drinking in each of the last four years.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The information requested is not held centrally. However, as part of this Government’s commitment to reducing waste and driving down costs, we are challenging departments on the need to make savings from facilities management.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-04-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of men and women who make use of the non-earnings pension contribution limit; and if he will assess the potential effects of increasing that limit on couples saving together for retirement.

    Mr David Gauke

    As shown in HMRC’s published statistics (Table PEN3 available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/259967/pen3.pdf), in 2011-12 around 20,000 unemployed adults made or received contributions into their personal pensions. 6,000 of these individuals made use of the non-earnings pension contribution limit of £3,600 including basic rate tax relief.

    A further 10,000 children, 10,000 individuals in full time education and 10,000 carers made or received contributions into their personal pensions. Of these, around a quarter made use of the non-earnings pension contribution limit.

    Of the individuals mentioned above who made use of the non-earnings pension contribution limit in 2011-12, around two thirds were female.

    The Government has made no assessment of the effects of increasing the limit on couples saving together for retirement but keeps all tax policies under review.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect on the viability of public houses of the method by which business rates are currently calculated.

    Brandon Lewis

    Decisions on rateable values are made independently of Ministers by the Valuation Office Agency. All rateable values are based on the rental value of the property and for public houses rates are based on actual rents paid by tenants. Ratepayers should contact the Valuation Office Agency if they are concerned about their rateable value and may appeal to the independent Valuation Tribunal if their dispute cannot be resolved.

    As part of our review of business rates administration, the Government will consider options for arriving at a rental based assessment for non-domestic properties including public houses and the discussion paper, published last month, invites views on this issue.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department gives local authorities on considering the potential flooding risks to land in neighbouring local authorities when making planning decisions.

    Nick Boles

    In the new planning guidance, launched on 6 March, we have made it crystal clear that councils need to consider the strict tests set out in national policy and, where these are not met new development should not be allowed. These tests, set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, include ensuring new development does not increase flood risk elsewhere. The tests are designed to protect people and property from flooding and give councils the robust ability to reject unacceptable planning applications.

    We also expect Strategic Flood Risk Assessments, prepared by local councils to inform Local Plans, to consider flood risks to and from surrounding areas in the same flood catchment.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much each NHS trust and foundation trust spent on legal costs on individual employment cases in each of the last 10 years.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The Department does not collect data about how much each National Health Service trust and foundation trust spends on legal costs on individual employment cases.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average cost per pupil of running a pupil referral unit was in the last year for which figures are available.

    Elizabeth Truss

    The Department for Education does not routinely collect data on the average per pupil cost of running a pupil referral unit. Pupil referral units cater for a diverse range of needs and so the actual cost per pupil will vary significantly between institutions.

    The Department introduced new funding arrangements in April 2013 that take account of this variation. The new system offers stability for pupil referral units by providing £8,000 for each identified alternative provision place. This funding is supplemented by local authorities or schools when they place pupils into a pupil referral unit. The amount of top-up funding provided is determined locally to reflect the actual costs of educating pupils at that pupil referral unit.