Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Compass contract in Scotland with Serco for asylum accommodation and the press notice issued by Serco on 21 September 2016, Compass contract in Scotland and Northern Ireland, which headings will be covered in the due diligence process.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Serco are considering the acquisition of their sub contractor in Scotland and Northern Ireland region and are undertaking analysis of all pertinent matters. The due diligence activity is a matter for Serco.

  • The Marquess of Lothian – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The Marquess of Lothian – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-11-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what response, if any, they have made to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture in the light of his comments that moves to replace the Human Rights Act 1998 would set a very bad example for the rest of the world.

    Lord Faulks

    The Government has made no formal response to these comments. The UK has a proud tradition of respect for human rights which long pre-dates the Human Rights Act 1998. Our Bill will protect fundamental human rights, but also prevent their abuse and restore some common sense to the system. The Government will fully consult on our proposals before introducing legislation and we will set out our proposals in due course.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the effect on the household income of an existing tax credit claimant family with two earners and two children in (a) 2018-19 and (b) 2019-20 of proposed changes to tax credits assuming they are migrated to universal credit at the start of 2018 and experience a change in circumstance and lose their transitional arrangements.

    Priti Patel

    At the summer budget the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out the Government’s commitment to move the UK from a high tax, high welfare, low wage society to a lower tax, lower welfare, higher wage society. This remains the case, and Universal Credit (UC) is delivering this.

    UC is a fundamentally different benefit to the legacy benefit system and provides people with support into, and to progress in work.

    Therefore there is no meaningful way of comparing an unreformed Tax Credit system with Universal Credit. The Government has committed to transitional arrangements as we reform the benefits and Tax Credit system. Those transferred by DWP from tax credits to UC will receive Transitional Protection. In addition, estimates of entitlements under UC of the sort requested will vary depending on assumptions on the level of earnings.

  • Lord Green of Deddington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Green of Deddington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Green of Deddington on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many asylum applications have been made in each of the last five years by applicants who entered the UK on a student visa; what were the nationalities of each applicant; how many of those applications were refused, and how many unsuccessful applicants were subsequently removed.

    Lord Bates

    Over the last five years there have been 15,470 cases of individuals who have entered on a student visa and subsequently also went on to claim asylum. Details by year and nationality are below.

    Unfortunately the way corresponding data is held on asylum outcome means that to obtain the numbers of cases that were granted, refused and removed could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.

    Visa Nationality

    Asylum Year

    Grand Total

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    Afghanistan

    10

    26

    63

    73

    69

    241

    Albania

    2

    6

    3

    5

    16

    Algeria

    7

    4

    2

    4

    17

    Angola

    2

    2

    Armenia

    1

    1

    2

    Azerbaijan

    4

    1

    1

    6

    Bahrain

    6

    5

    1

    12

    Bangladesh

    12

    31

    167

    318

    264

    792

    Belarus

    1

    1

    2

    Benin

    1

    1

    Bolivia

    1

    1

    Botswana

    1

    2

    1

    2

    6

    Bulgaria

    1

    1

    Burkina Faso

    1

    1

    Burma (Myanmar)

    166

    98

    42

    14

    13

    333

    Burundi

    2

    1

    3

    Cameroon

    4

    3

    9

    33

    52

    101

    Central African Republic

    1

    1

    China

    16

    25

    95

    162

    160

    458

    Colombia

    2

    3

    3

    2

    1

    11

    Congo

    3

    2

    1

    6

    Democratic Republic of Congo

    5

    7

    5

    17

    Egypt

    1

    8

    12

    15

    15

    51

    Equatorial Guinea

    1

    1

    Eritrea

    6

    2

    3

    2

    3

    16

    Ethiopia

    9

    5

    6

    11

    8

    39

    Gambia

    11

    9

    38

    39

    32

    129

    Georgia

    2

    5

    7

    Ghana

    3

    3

    2

    8

    Guinea

    3

    1

    2

    5

    6

    17

    HONG KONG

    1

    1

    India

    10

    26

    244

    320

    294

    894

    Iran

    106

    244

    464

    307

    148

    1269

    Iraq

    6

    3

    15

    17

    54

    95

    Israel

    1

    1

    2

    Ivory Coast

    1

    2

    5

    1

    2

    11

    Jamaica

    1

    2

    2

    5

    Japan

    1

    1

    2

    Jordan

    2

    4

    4

    5

    3

    18

    Kenya

    6

    5

    10

    12

    12

    45

    Kuwait

    1

    1

    2

    Kyrgyzstan

    5

    3

    3

    2

    13

    Lebanon

    1

    2

    6

    5

    14

    Liberia

    1

    1

    2

    Libya

    7

    114

    73

    57

    86

    337

    Malawi

    2

    4

    10

    15

    9

    40

    Malaysia

    1

    2

    3

    6

    Maldives

    1

    1

    Mali

    1

    2

    1

    1

    1

    6

    Mauritius

    1

    2

    3

    4

    10

    MEXICO

    2

    2

    Mongolia

    1

    2

    3

    2

    8

    Morocco

    3

    6

    6

    3

    18

    Nepal

    4

    3

    33

    37

    25

    102

    Nigeria

    6

    12

    94

    142

    136

    390

    Oman

    1

    2

    3

    Pakistan

    52

    385

    1313

    1471

    1265

    4486

    Palestinian Authority

    18

    24

    30

    25

    30

    127

    Philippines

    1

    8

    12

    11

    32

    Russian Federation

    2

    1

    4

    3

    10

    Rwanda

    9

    7

    3

    5

    5

    29

    Saudi Arabia

    4

    3

    6

    13

    Senegal

    4

    7

    4

    3

    18

    Sierra Leone

    1

    4

    9

    2

    16

    SINGAPORE

    1

    1

    Somalia

    1

    1

    3

    5

    South Africa

    1

    1

    2

    4

    SOUTH KOREA

    1

    2

    3

    SOUTH SUDAN

    1

    1

    Sri Lanka

    230

    744

    1137

    1171

    715

    3997

    St Lucia

    1

    1

    St Vincent & the Grenadines

    1

    1

    Sudan

    6

    11

    23

    11

    9

    60

    Syria

    8

    24

    256

    251

    134

    673

    Tanzania

    10

    8

    15

    17

    11

    61

    Thailand

    1

    1

    Tunisia

    2

    1

    3

    Turkey

    6

    8

    10

    5

    3

    32

    Turkmenistan

    1

    1

    1

    3

    3

    9

    Uganda

    7

    11

    42

    33

    41

    134

    Ukraine

    9

    9

    Uzbekistan

    1

    4

    5

    Venezuela

    3

    3

    Vietnam

    1

    1

    5

    9

    17

    33

    Yemen

    2

    5

    3

    5

    15

    Yugoslavia

    1

    1

    Zambia

    1

    4

    3

    4

    12

    Zimbabwe

    14

    11

    26

    15

    15

    81

    Grand Total

    781

    1901

    4350

    4695

    3743

    15470

    Note: The figures quoted have been derived from internal management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

    “

  • Stephen Hepburn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Hepburn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hepburn on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what change there has been in the length of time between a fatal accident and a prosecution over the last five years.

    Justin Tomlinson

    For fatalities in construction (Standard Industrial Classification Section F) resulting in a prosecution approval by HSE between 2010/11 and 2014/15, the average time between the date of incident and the date prosecution action was approved in each year is as follows:

    Year of approval

    Average number of days between incident and prosecution approval by HSE

    2010/11

    877

    2011/12

    841

    2012/13

    783

    2013/14

    851

    2014/15

    879
  • Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2014.

    Anna Soubry

    There are no plans to make any amendments to the Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of her Department’s reform of AS and A-level qualifications on the number of hours of study students are undertaking in post-16 education.

    Nick Gibb

    The number of guided learning hours for AS and A levels have not changed as a result of our reforms. However, with the move to linear qualifications, there will no longer be the routine and automatic external assessment of students at the end of year 12 which places unnecessary burdens on students’ and teachers’ time.

    Study programmes are funded per student rather than per qualification. Funding rates are based on an average of 600 hours per year of planned activities per student.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to support the efforts to find a cure for the Zika virus.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The UK is supporting and commissioning research to better understand Zika virus, its epidemiology and impacts, with a particular focus on the risk to developing countries, and research into interventions to address this virus. This includes:

    • DFID and Wellcome providing funding to commission Zika research on specific topics including understanding the spread of the disease and variation between Zika strains, the effectiveness of new and existing approaches to vector control.
    • A general call for research proposals jointly issued by the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, and the Newton Fund for rapid turnaround projects. These studies will include disease surveillance, epidemiology, Zika transmission, research into Zika virus and clinical outcomes.
    • The Department of Health’s UK Vaccine Network funding the University of Glasgow to develop explore a Zika vaccine.
  • Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to reduce indemnity costs on general practice.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department and NHS England committed in the recently published General Practice Forward View to review the current arrangements for indemnity cover for general practitioners. To take this review forward, a General Practice Indemnity Steering Group has been established by the Department with NHS England to look at the rising cost of indemnity, and to bring forward proposals for discussion by the end of July 2016.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether students from other EU member states who plan to start their studies in the UK in autumn 2017 will be considered eligible for student loans.

    Joseph Johnson

    The UK has a long-established higher education system that supports, and therefore attracts, the brightest minds, at all stages of their careers. Existing rules on EU and other EEA students remain in force and reassurances have been given for those starting their courses in 2016/17. Future arrangements for EU students wishing to study in the UK will need to be considered as part of wider discussions about the UK’s relationship with the EU.