Tag: Lady Hermon

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-05-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans are in receipt of war disablement pension; and what steps his Department takes to notify recipients of changes in the level of that pension.

Mr Julian Brazier

As at 31 March 2015, there were 116,049 disablement pensioners in receipt of a War Pension administered by Veterans UK. Whenever there is a change in an individual’s rate of war pension, Veterans UK will write to inform them. For 2016, Veterans UK elected not to issue an annual uprating letter to individuals as there was no change to payment levels. Instead, an alternative communication plan was put in place utilising automated messages on the Veterans UK helpline, letters to Third sector organisations for publication, and articles in Veterans World magazine, the Armed Forces pension newsletter, social media and on the gov.uk website.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the contribution by the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise, of 2 February 2016, Official Report, column 884, what steps he is taking to ensure the national advertising campaign for apprenticeships extends to Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Boles

Education and skills policy (including Apprenticeships) is a devolved matter. It is for the devolved administrations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to determine how they manage their own programmes. This includes any advertising campaigns.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-05-03.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has accrued to the public purse from use of fixed-odds betting terminals in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) England in each of the last six years.

Damian Hinds

This information is not available. This is because HMRC do not ask for a country-by-country breakdown on the taxpayer’s return.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the oral contribution by the Minister for the Cabinet Office, of 26 January 2016, Official Report, column 231, what steps he has taken to contact the Northern Ireland Executive in relation to the reform of charities legislation to include social investment; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Rob Wilson

Charity law is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. Officials in the Office for Civil Society kept their counterparts in the Department for Social Development, Northern Ireland, informed of progress as the measures which are now contained in the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill were consulted on and developed.

I have written to Lord Morrow MLA, Minister for Social Development, following the Third Reading of the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill, to draw his attention to the debate and the provisions of the Bill.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-05-03.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of fixed-odds betting terminals operating in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years.

Damian Hinds

Regulation of Fixed Odds betting Terminals is devolved and in Northern Ireland it is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Department for Communities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 25652, whether people resident in Northern Ireland are able to apply for apprenticeships in England.

Nick Boles

The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) funds apprenticeships training in England. The devolved administrations of Northern Ireland (NI), Wales, and Scotland have their own funding arrangements for apprenticeships. Employers and training providers must not actively recruit learners who live or work outside of England.

Residents in NI can apply for English Apprenticeships provided they want to live in, or travel to, England to work and study. The SFA will only apply funding under these circumstances.

The SFA will not fund individuals whose main employment or normal place of work is not in England.

Skills is a devolved matter to NI and are funded by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) in NI.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-05-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, for what reasons the triennial review of (a) stake and (b) prize limits in fixed-odds betting terminals has not yet been published; and if he will make a statement.

David Evennett

In April 2015 the previous Government introduced regulations which require authorisation of stakes over £50 on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals through a “verified account” or staff interaction. The Government published its evaluation of the £50 regulations on 21 January. The evaluation paper can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-gaming-machine-circumstances-of-useamendment-regulations-2015.

We will now consider the findings of the evaluation before deciding if there is a need for further action.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 25652, whether EU nationals are able to apply for apprenticeships in England.

Nick Boles

An EU national can be employed in an apprenticeship in England, and will be eligible for funding for their apprenticeship provided they meet set eligibility criteria.

These criteria are set out in the Skills Funding Agency: common funding rules for the 2016 to 2017 funding year.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, for what reasons the Government did not extend the European Union Referendum (Voter Registration) Regulations 2016 to Northern Ireland to enable late registration by any method; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ben Wallace

The registration deadline extension for the EU Referendum was implemented following system disruption to the online registration portal in Great Britain. The extension did not apply to Northern Ireland because online registration will not be available in Northern Ireland until later this year and voters there were not disadvantaged by the system disruption in GB.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 25652, what media outlets will be used to carry advertising as part of the national campaign for apprenticeships.

Nick Boles

The national campaign for apprenticeships will target a range of audiences including young people, employers and parents.

Advertising will be through a number of different media channels including television, out of home advertising (e.g. posters), radio, digital and social media.