The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he received a document on UK Sikhs from the Indian delegation during the Indian Prime Minister’s recent visit to the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Hugo Swire
I did not receive a document on UK Sikhs from the Indian delegation during Prime Minister Modi’s visit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-03-01.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was overpaid in tax credits in 2014-15; and what forecast he has made of the level of such overpayments in each of the next three years.
Damian Hinds
The amount of tax credit overpayments for 2014-15 were published in HMRC’s Annual Report and Accounts. The Annual Report and Accounts for 2015-16 are due to be published in June this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Starter Home scheme on the level of home ownership among people under 40 years of age.
Brandon Lewis
Over the last twenty years, the proportion of under 40 year olds who own their home has fallen by over a third from 61% to 38%, and the average house price to earnings ratio for successful first time buyers is now 4.3 compared to 2.7 in 1993.
The Government is determined to change this and ensure that more young people can afford to buy their own home. That’s why we are committed to building 200,000 starter homes to provide affordable homes for purchase with a minimum 20% discount for first-time buyers under the age of 40.
Starter homes are an important innovation to improve the level of home ownership in this age category.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-05-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (a) how much funding was allocated to and (b) how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by (i) the National Crime Agency (NCA), (b) the NCA’s Economic Crime Command and (c) each sub-unit of the NCA’s Economic Crime Command in each financial year between 2012-13 and 2016-17.
Mr John Hayes
The National Crime Agency’s Annual Report and Accounts 2014-15 sets out the Agency’s staffing numbers and funding allocations including gross expenditure for the Economic Crime Command for 2013-14, and 2014-15.
The gross expenditure of the Economic Crime Command in 2013/14, the first year of the NCA’s operation, was £10,571,000. In 2014-15 gross expenditure was £21,718,000. In June 2015, the International Corruption Unit was established in the Economic Crime Command. It brought together resources from the Metropolitan Police Service, City of London Police and the NCA into a single unit and is responsible for investigating the bribery of foreign public officials by individuals or companies from the UK, and money laundering by corrupt foreign officials and their associates.
The Economic Crime Command also leads the Joint Money Laundering Intelligence Taskforce (JMLIT) through which the financial sector, law enforcement agencies and the Financial Conduct Authority share information to prevent, detect and disrupt money laundering and terrorist financing. The NCA as a whole has around 4,000 staff. The majority of the NCA’s staff work as a flexible investigative resource, not in a particular Command, but assigned to particular operations across all areas of the NCA as needed. The agency also houses a number of deployable specialist capabilities.
The number of staff working in a particular Command is not a reliable indicator of the overall NCA resource linked to a particular type of crime. The Criminal Finances Threat Group is a multi-agency group chaired by the NCA which includes representatives from across law enforcement, meeting quarterly. As the Group is not a unit within the NCA, the information sought is not available. HMRC leads on tax evasion.
The NCA works closely with HMRC in relation to tax evasion that relates to serious and organised crime. Through the NCA’s national tasking and coordination mechanisms the Agency is able act on these cases by utilising its specialist capabilities, for example undertaking tax investigations to recover assets from serious and organised criminals under part 6 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-06-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training and assistance the UK Border Force provides to transport carriers and port operators who are required to collect Advance Passenger Information to identify false documents; and if she will make a statement.
James Brokenshire
Border Force has worked closely with carriers and port operators to ensure that Exit Checks are carried out in accordance with Home Office requirements.
Immigration Enforcement’s Risk and Liaison Overseas Network (RALON) has staff in key locations providing training and support for airlines and their handling agents operating services to the UK. Training covers UK visa requirements, security safeguards in passports, national identity cards, travel documents and visas, and how to identify cases of impersonation. In addition to the safeguards described above, RALON staff also raise awareness of current trends or specific types of abuse that the UK is encountering.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect on the self-esteem of female police officers of having to wear a uniform.
Brandon Lewis
Decisions on uniform requirements for different roles within their force are for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs).
The police remain operationally independent and it is for Chief Constables and PCCs locally to decide how to best equip their staff.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment the Government has made of the progress in implementing the commitment in the NHS Five Year Forward View to increase patient choice over where and how patients receive care; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Philip Dunne
The Mandate to NHS England, which sets the Government’s objectives for the provision of health services in England and any requirements for NHS England, includes an objective calling for the offer of meaningful choice in the National Health Service. This reflects the commitment in the Five Year Forward View. An assessment of the extent to which the Mandate objectives have been met is set out in my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State’s Annual Assessment of NHS England, which is published at the end of the financial year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-11-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Royal Navy plans to adhere to the 12-nautical mile territorial limit proclaimed by China around the Subi and Mischief reefs in the Spratly archipelago; and if he will make a statement.
Penny Mordaunt
In accordance with international law as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Royal Navy warships exercise the right of innocent passage whenever transiting in another States’ recognised territorial seas. The exercise of the right of innocent passage requires neither prior authorization nor authorization from the coastal State. When operating in the Exclusive Economic Zone of a coastal State, RN warships will exercise full freedom of navigation and overflight whilst respecting any established safety zones, up to 500 meters, around an artificial island, installation or structure.
In the South China Sea the UK has a strong interest in the maintenance of peace and stability, which is underpinned by respect for, and adherence to, international law. The UK strongly supports its right, and that of all States, to exercise freedom of navigation in accordance with UNCLOS. We urge all States to respect these very important rights.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Fox on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the outcomes were of his recent meetings with BT’s Head of Customer Care in relation to (a) billing, (b) transparency around charges, (c) customer care and (d) other issues that were discussed at that meeting.
Mr Edward Vaizey
BT have madea public commitment to answer at least 80% of calls in the UK by the end of 2016. They also have planstoinvestin new tools for call centres and customers over the next 18 months to make it easier to get help; ensurethat customers with complex issues have a UK-based case handler; work to simplify bills and charges; and to increase the UK capacity in its call centres in the evenings and at weekends. I shall be watching their progress with interest, as I am sure will be my Rt Hon friend.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what process was used for the appointment of Sir Jonathan Michael to lead the Independent Review to assess the potential benefits of aligning hospital services in Manchester.
Ben Gummer
These are matters for the local National Health Service.
The NHS needs to ensure it is delivering the highest quality care and the best clinical outcomes for patients.
Accordingly, the NHS in Manchester has commissioned an independent review of hospital services to identify where changes might be required to ensure consistently high standards of care.