The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many civil servants in his Department are paid through limited companies.
Mike Penning
No civil servants are paid through limited companies in the Ministry of Justice.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been levied in respect of financial remedies in each key performance indicator designated in respect of the contractual agreement entitled the Provision of Total Facilities Management between his Department and (a) Amey Community Ltd, (b) Carillion (AMBS) Ltd, (c) EMCOR Facilities Services Ltd, (d) Enterprise Managed Services Ltd, (e) G4S Integrated Services (UK) Ltd, (f) Mitie Facilities Services Ltd and (g) Sodexo Ltd in each of the last three years.
Mike Penning
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many meetings his Department has had with representatives of each sector of the economy on exiting the EU since he took office.
Mr Robin Walker
DExEU officials, supported by officials across Government, are engaging with business to identify the key factors that will affect our negotiations with the EU. We have a formal strategy and are engaging with companies big and small in every sector of the economy and are drawing on local and regional networks and key organisations in the voluntary sector.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-10-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his policy to set the extra resources needed for the Civil Service to plan, prepare and negotiate the UK’s exit from the EU within the parameters of the 2015 Spending Review.
Mr David Gauke
The Government is preparing for the UK to make an orderly and successful exit from the European Union. The Government will look to deliver its aggregate spending plans.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will contact those people whose personal details have been stolen as a result of the cyber security breach of the Government Gateway system.
Matthew Hancock
There are no indications of a cyber security breach of the Government Gateway.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-29.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to permit private equity-backed companies to offer tax-advantaged all employee share plans; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Gauke
The tax-advantaged Save As You Earn (SAYE) and Share Incentive Plan (SIP) limits were significantly increased from April 2014. The increases the Government have made are reasonable, given the average monthly SAYE savings and the value of awards currently made to employees under SIP, and they represent the best use of resources. The Government will continue to keep the SAYE and SIP limits under review.
In addition to increasing the SAYE and SIP limits, the rules of the schemes were substantially reviewed and simplified following the recommendations made by the Office of Tax Simplification in March 2012. Last year, the requirement that these schemes must be approved by HM Revenue and Customs to qualify for favourable tax treatment was replaced by self-certification. Coupled with other changes to simplify some technical aspects of the rules, this will make these schemes more attractive to businesses and employees.
No data is collected and no estimates are made of the income levels of the participants in SAYE schemes.
Permitting private equity backed companies to offer all-employee tax advantaged schemes would be likely to involve significant changes to the rules of the schemes, and there would be a number of other factors to consider carefully, including the increased cost and complexity of any extension.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what average time her Department took to respond to freedom of information requests in each year since 2005.
Mr Desmond Swayne
The Government publishes statistics on the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 within central government, including on timeliness. These can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Cabinet Office on proposals in the Higher Education White Paper on removing HEFCE-funded providers from the scope of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Joseph Johnson
The content of the Higher Education Green Paper ‘Fulfilling Our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice’ was discussed across Government. Our overall aim is to see a level playing field between higher education providers and, where possible to reduce burdens and deregulate. The Green Paper also makes clear that there may be a case for an exception to this general approach if it is in the interests of students or the wider public. We recognise the importance of the Freedom of Information Act and welcome views on its application to the higher education sector as part of the consultation on the Green Paper.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to extend the remit of the Care Quality Commission to include the regulation of all day centres; and if he will make a statement.
Ben Gummer
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 all providers of regulated activities, have to register with CQC and meet a set of fundamental standards of safety and quality below which care should never fall.
The Department is responsible for setting in legislation both the scope of registration and the fundamental standards that registered providers must meet. These are set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
The scope of registration is proportionate to risk and based on the activity being carried out rather than the setting. Day centres that carry on a regulated activity are required to register with CQC and to meet the fundamental standards. In most instances they will be registered to provide the regulated activity of personal care.
The Department keeps the regulated activities under review to ensure that regulation by CQC is focused on those areas where the risks to service users are greatest. The Department has no current plans to require all providers of day centres to register with CQC.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-27.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to bring forward new regulations or guidance on divestment or boycott policies pursued by local authorities.
Matthew Hancock
Cabinet Office will shortly issue guidance that reminds public authorities of their international obligations when letting public contracts. It will make clear that boycotts in public procurement are inappropriate and may be illegal, outside where formal legal sanctions, embargoes and restrictions have been put in place by the Government.
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is currently working to give effect to the recent announcement on Local Government Pension Scheme funds’ investment allocations, specifically the extent to which administering authorities should have regard to non-financial factors. Guidance will be issued to local authorities in the new year.