Tag: Gareth Thomas

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether RAF personnel have attended any civilian aviation trade conferences or exhibitions to promote civilian flights at RAF Northolt over the last five years; which events were so attended; how many RAF personnel attended each such event; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne

The following personnel have attended the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition:

	Military	Civilian
May 2012	3	0
May 2013	3	0
May 2014	3	2
May 2015	3	1

The information for 2011 is not available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will require the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA, AQA and Edexcel examinations boards to offer GCSE and A-level Bengali examinations beyond September 2018; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb

Exam boards are independent organisations and the department continues to work closely with them to secure the future of all the existing GCSEs and A levels in less-taught languages, including Bengali.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-05-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the effect of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We consider a range of information from government sources, foreign governments, the media and international non-governmental organisations regarding reports of potential breaches of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). We regularly raise the importance of compliance with IHL with the Saudi Arabian Government and other members of the military Coalition. We also praise the importance of compliance with IHL with the Houthis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the general aviation risk assessment tool form has been amended in response to the recommendations made in the report by the Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, An Inspection of General Aviation and General Maritime, published in January 2016; whether additional training has been provided to Border Force officers responsible for completing those forms; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire

Border Force fully accepted the recommendations of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration regarding General Aviation and General Maritime and is implementing changes as quickly as practicable. Border Force is working with other government departments and partners to deliver improvement during 2016-2017 and is closely monitoring progress.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-06-09.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the level of accuracy of the credit records held by credit reporting agencies; and if he will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin

When consumer credit regulation transferred from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on 1 April 2014, the Government decided that, given their central role in helping to inform responsible lending decisions, CRAs should be directly regulated by the FCA. As such, every credit reference agency’s fitness to trade is being assessed as part of the FCA’s robust authorisation process

Information on a credit report should be purely factual; for example, if arrears were incurred, those lenders who share data through the credit reference agencies will have recorded them.

A credit reference agency is able to correct factually inaccurate information. However, it is the original lender or organisation that supplies credit to a consumer that provides the agencies with the information held on a credit report. Where inaccurate information has been reported to a credit reference agency, a consumer must contact the lender in the first instance.

If a problem with inaccurate data is not resolved satisfactorily with a lender, consumers are able to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which is able to investigate and take action where necessary. The ICO is the UK’s independent body set up to uphold information rights, and it enforces the Data Protection Act.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to encourage people with ability to seek election to local councils; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones

Strong and effective democratic local governance requires the best possible candidates to stand for election.

Whilst encouraging and fostering suitable candidates is largely a matter for political parties and the local government sector itself, rather than government, we have, through the Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government, provided support for such programmes as ‘Be a Councillor’ designed to encourage ambitious and talented councillors.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-11.

To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, which local authorities have asked the Local Government Boundary Commission to consider changes to their boundaries; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Gary Streeter

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England informs me that it has no plans to conduct any Principal Area Boundary Reviews, but their current programme includes 13 electoral reviews requested by:

• Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
• London Borough of Croydon
• Harborough District Council
• Tendring District Council
• West Berkshire District Council
• Babergh District Council
• Forest of Dean District Council
• South Gloucestershire Council
• Cheshire West & Chester Council
• Forest Heath District Council
• St Edmundsbury Borough Council
• Scarborough Borough Council
• Carlisle City Council

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which devolution deals have been agreed between his Department and local authorities; when each such deal will come into force; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Percy

Devolution deals are a key part of our plan to support growth up and down the country as we build an economy that works for everyone.

The Government has agreed and announced nine ground-breaking devolution deals with areas all across the country: Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Midlands, Sheffield City Region, Tees Valley, West of England, Cornwall, Greater Lincolnshire & East Anglia, all of which need to provide local consent before final orders are laid.

The Government is working with local areas to bring forward the secondary legislation necessary to deliver devolution deal commitments by establishing and conferring powers on local institutions. This includes orders to create elected mayors, who will provide a single point of accountability for residents and a powerful voice for local areas, boosting their profile and helping to attract investment.

The Government will never impose a devolution deal on an area. Government is clear that this is a locally led process and will work with areas to negotiate and deliver deals which are right for them.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which agreed EU directives have not yet been transposed directly into UK law; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James

Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. During this period the government will continue to negotiate, implement and apply EU legislation.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is responsible for transposition of the following agreed Directives: 2013/30/EU, 2013/55/EU, 2013/53/EU, 2014/33/EU, 2014/34/EU, 2014/29/EU, 2014/30/EU, 2014/35/EU, 2014/31/EU, 2014/32/EU, 2015/13/EU, 2014/53/EU, 2014/68/EU, 2014/95/EU, 2014/104/EU, 2015/2302/EU, 2015/2436/EU, 2014/87/EU, 2013/59/EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of demographic changes in the last ten years on the demand for local authority services, and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Spending Review took account of the demographic pressures facing local authorities and set out a sustainable basis for local authorities to discharge their functions over this parliament.

The Department is also conducting the Fair Funding Review which is a thorough assessment of the relative needs and resources of local authorities. The treatment of demographic changes is a key part of this. The Review will determine the funding baselines for individual local authorities under 100% business rates retention.