Tag: Lord Beecham

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-10-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of increasing reliance on district judges, what role they envisage for lay magistrates.

Lord Keen of Elie

We are committed to giving magistrates the strongest possible role in a more proportionate courts system, now and in the future.

Magistrates and District Judges bring different but valuable skills to our justice system. We are working with magistrates to review their role to make sure that the justice system is making full use of their skills, and that they are dealing with more of the crimes that affect and matter most to their communities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) local authority, and (2) housing association, supported housing schemes there are in England, and how many residents participate in each type of scheme.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

We do not hold this information. More information on the scale, shape and cost of the supported accommodation sector should be available through the evidence review jointly commissioned by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Work and Pensions. The review is due to report by April 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-12-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia in relation to the death sentence imposed on Abdullah ah-Zaher; and whether they will consider taking action in the event of representations on this, and similar cases, going unheeded.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The British Government is very concerned about the case of Abdullah al-Zaher. We have raised these cases at a senior level in the Government of Saudi Arabia. The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country, especially in cases which do not meet the minimum standards defined by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This includes the execution of a minor and the use of the death penalty for a crime which is not deemed “the most serious”. We take every opportunity to make the Saudi authorities aware of our views.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-05-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why spending on court fine collection is being cut, in the light of the value of fines that remain uncollected.

Lord Faulks

In recent years efficiency savings have been required right across HM Courts and Tribunals Service. Continuous improvement practices within compliance and enforcement have led to record totals of financial impositions collected each year for the last four years.

Following the decision to modernise the compliance and enforcement service through an in-house solution, HM Courts and Tribunals Service has been working to develop a new strategy which will lead to further investment in the service and further increased collections.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-09-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the total cost, by 2020, of the discounts available under the starter homes scheme created by the Housing and Planning Act 2016.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

The 2015 Conservative manifesto had the clear objective to build affordable homes, including Starter Homes to support young people into home ownership. They will be sold at a minimum 20 per cent discount on open market value and for no more than the price cap of £250,000 (£450,000 in London). The amount of discount will vary according to local property prices.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the impact of the changes proposed in the Housing and Planning Bill on supported housing schemes.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

A full impact assessment of the Housing and Planning Bill has already been published (attached) and can be accessed at: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/IA15-010.pdf.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-01-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to review the operation of property guardianship schemes, and if so, whether that review will include the level of charges, standard of living conditions, and impact on local authority finances.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

The Government does not have any involvement in these arrangements. We have no plans to change that.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-05-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is (1) the role, and (2) the annual cost, of presenting officers employed by the Department for Work and Pensions in relation to benefit appeals.

Baroness Altmann

The role of the Presenting Officer is to present the Department’s case effectively thereby helping the tribunal reach the right decisions and to gather feedback from the tribunal for its decision makers.

The year to date costs for existing DWP Presenting Officers (to January 2016) is approx. £1.5m.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-09-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the total untaxed capital gains that will accrue to the beneficiaries of the starter homes scheme by 2020, taking into account the discount and any anticipated rise in house values.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

The 2015 Conservative manifesto had the clear objective to build affordable homes, including Starter Homes to support young people into home ownership. They will be sold at a minimum 20 per cent discount on open market value and for no more than the price cap of £250,000 (£450,000 in London). The amount of discount will vary according to local property prices. No separate assessment on capital gains has been made.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which companies were invited to tender or to participate in dialogues for the 2015 contracts for (1) the running of Medway secure training centre, and (2) the running of Rainsbrook secure training centre.

Lord Faulks

The companies that were invited to tender for the running of the Medway secure training centre were:

• G4S Care and Justice Services (UK) Limited (now trading as Inspiring Futures);
• MTCnovo Limited;
• Sodexo Justice Services;
• Diagrama Foundation; and
• Ingeus UK Limited.

The companies that were invited to tender for the running of the Rainsbrook secure training centre were:

• G4S Care and Justice Services (UK) Limited (now trading as Inspiring Futures);
• MTCnovo Limited;
• Sodexo Justice Services;
• Diagrama Foundation; and
• Ingeus UK Limited.

Tenders to run Medway and Rainsbrook secure training centres were evaluated using a standard approach balancing quality and price.