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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the percentage of claims management companies that have faced some sort of intervention from the Information Commissioner’s Office.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) works closely with the Claims Management Regulator (CMR) and they regularly share intelligence and information about issues of mutual concern involving claims management companies (CMCs).

    There are a total of 1,752 authorised CMCs, of which 21 CMCs were placed under investigation by the ICO during 2015-2016, amounting to 1.2% of the total. Some of which resulted in formal enforcement action.

    Further information can be found in the attached Claims Management Regulation Annual Report. Details of all the ICO’s enforcement action are published on its website at: https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/enforcement/“

  • Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received of allegations that UK funding through the UN to MINURSO is being misused and that UN personnel are being overcharged by hotels at which they stay; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has received no representations on this issue. The UK contributes towards the UN Peacekeeping funds, and FCO officials have raised the alleged fraud with the UN’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The Special Representative of the Secretary General for Western Sahara and the local authorities have investigated the allegations and taken the necessary steps to address the situation and prevent a recurrence.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which agreed EU directives have not yet been transposed directly into UK law; and if she will make a statement.

    Matt Hancock

    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.

    One directive within the jurisdiction of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not been transposed yet.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Catherine McKinnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of trials were ineffective due to the (a) prosecution being engaged in another trial, (b) prosecution advocate failing to attend and (c) prosecution increasing the time estimate due to insufficient time for trial to start in (i) Magistrates’ courts and (ii) the Crown Court in each year since 2007.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    Overall numbers and reasons for cracked and ineffective trials are included in our Criminal Courts Statistics Quarterly publication, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-court-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2015

    In the published data the reasons specified in the question are aggregated together into one reason in our table: “prosecution end case” for cracked trials and “prosecution availability” for ineffective trials.

    The information requested can be found in the table attached.

    “

  • Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the annual savings to be achieved by imposing a residence test for legal aid.

    Lord Faulks

    This Government believes in the principle of the residence test. It is right that individuals should have a strong connection to the UK to benefit from the civil legal aid system.

    The Government does not currently record the residence status of civil legal aid clients so cannot accurately estimate the annual savings that may be achieved by introducing a civil legal aid residence test. It is likely there will be a reduction in legal aid volumes and expenditure from imposing residence restrictions on civil legal aid, resulting in savings to the legal aid fund.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Attorney General, what steps he plans to take in response to the findings of the report, entitled Communicating with victims, published by HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate in January 2016.

    Robert Buckland

    On the day of the report the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) agreed to act on each of the three recommendations made.

    • The CPS is already conducting a review of overall support to victims and witnesses with the police and agreeing our respective roles in communication will form part of this review;
    • The CPS will ensure that the quality assurance checks of communications from the Victim Liaison Units (VLUs) are improved through guidance and training; and
    • The CPS will seek to improve both the flagging of substantial alterations in appropriate cases and the systems for notification of the VLUs.

    In addition, the CPS has already taken action to address a range of issues identified in the report. For example, they have redeployed more paralegal staff and managers to Crown Courts to ensure that there are sufficient staff to support victims and witnesses. When rollout is complete around 350 paralegal staff and managers will be based at Crown Courts across England and Wales. The CPS is also introducing new guidance on Speaking to Witnesses at Court which will improve the service provided and is currently operating in a number of pathfinder sites. It will be rolled out across the country by summer 2016.

    The CPS is also reviewing the resourcing of VLUs to ensure that sufficient staff are in place to manage the workload of those units.

  • Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2016 to Question 24173 between 2015-16 and 2019-20, to which other government departments and cross-government funds her Department plans to transfer, the amounts referred to in table 2.7 on page 85 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    As set out in DFID’s settlement letter from HM Treasury, over the Spending Review period, DFID plans to transfer the amounts referred to in table 2.7 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 to the following government departments and cross-government funds:

    Conflict, Stability & Security Fund

    Department for Business, Innovation & Skills

    Department for Culture, Media & Sport

    Department of Energy & Climate Change

    Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

    Department of Health

    Foreign & Commonwealth Office

    Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs

    Home Office

    Office for National Statistics

    Prosperity Fund

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many UK citizens currently have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC); and how many such people have used their EHIC to obtain state provided healthcare in other EU countries in each of the last five years.

    Ben Gummer

    The United Kingdom EHIC means that people living in the UK are able to travel to the European Economic Area (EEA) safe in the knowledge that they will be able to receive free or reduced cost healthcare should they need it.

    There are currently 27,570,911 cards in circulation, as of January 2016. The number of cards granted since 2006, providing such cover is:

    2014/15 – 5,414,977

    2013/14 – 5,571,060

    2012/13 – 5,240,608

    2011/12 – 6,830,734

    2010/11 – 5,703,895

    2009/10 – 4,162,170

    2008/09 – 4,269,023

    2007/08 – 4,160,935

    2006/07 – 5,163,121

    Source: Business Services Authority

    The Department does not hold information on how many people have used their UK EHIC to obtain state provided healthcare in another EEA country in any 12 month period. This is because data on UK EHIC usage is recorded by individual treatment episode rather than the card holder.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with representatives of the private parking industry on the implications of the Supreme Court case, Beavis vs ParkingEye.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government is aware of the public concern at the way some private parking companies operate.

    Whilst we have not held any specific discussions with the DVLA or representatives of the private parking companies, we are currently reviewing responses to the discussion paper, “Parking Reform: Tackling Unfair Practices”.

    We will issue a response in due course.

  • Lord Ouseley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Ouseley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ouseley on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to take any action to ensure that local authorities comply with their legal duty to provide to homeless families temporary accommodation that is safe and suitable.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Housing Act 1996 requires that local housing authorities must ensure that all temporary accommodation they secure is suitable. Not to do so is unlawful. Households in temporary accommodation have the legal right to seek a review of any decision to place them in unsuitable accommodation. If households are unsatisfied with the response then they have redress to the courts.

    To help frontline decision makers make those decisions right first time DCLG fund the National Homelessness Advice Service to provide free expert advice, training and support to homelessness professionals. In December 2015 Government also provided a £5 million fund to help the 25 councils facing the most significant homelessness pressures to ensure people are moved from temporary accommodation and into suitable homes as soon as possible.

    Households leaving temporary accommodation now spend, on average, less time in temporary accommodation than they did in 2010. The numbers of households in temporary accommodation remain well below their peak, when they hit 101,000 in 2004.