Tag: Parliamentary Question

Alan Duncan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Duncan on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what obligations Openreach and BT have under contracts with the Government to provide prior warning to residents of planned maintenance or improvement work to junction boxes and other infrastructure that involves the temporary disconnection of services.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The same regulatory and communication code conditions apply to Openreach in BDUK contracted areas as would apply to their commercial deployment areas.

The contracts between BT and government relating to broadband are for the provision of the design and build of infrastructure. Once this infrastructure is in place, it forms part of BT’s network and maintenance and improvement works will be carried out by Openreach in the same way as on the rest of the network. Although there is no obligation to inform residents of any planned upgrades or essential maintenance, these activities are scheduled to be carried out when usage is at its lowest, in order to minimise disruption.

01/01/2023
Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-03-01.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the maximum reduction in tax credits is that an individual could be subject to as a result of the reduction in the income rise disregard implemented through the draft Tax Credits (Income Threshold and Determination of Rates) Amendment Regulations 2016.

Damian Hinds

From April 2016, the income rise disregard – the amount by which a tax credit claimant’s income can increase within a year before their tax credit award is adjusted – will be reduced from £5,000 to £2,500.

The only people who will be affected by this will be those who see an increase in their in-year income by more than £2,500. There will be no net cash losers because their income will have increased.

In the subsequent tax year, a claimant’s tax credits award will be calculated in the usual way, using their full annual income for the previous year to determine their tax credit entitlement. This means that after the change in the tax year, whether the claimant’s increase in income was above or below the disregard level, their tax credit award for the following year will be adjusted to what it would have been had no disregard existed.

01/01/2023
Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

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 estimate his Department has made of the number of housing development sites which were previously seen as financially unviable that may now be developed under the Starter Home initiative.

Brandon Lewis

The Department does not hold this information. The Housing and Planning Bill and national planning policy changes will set the framework to deliver our starter homes commitment; and once in force will apply to all housing development planning applications. Section 106 agreements may of course be re-negotiated at any time by mutual consent. Planning guidance is clear that local planning authorities should be flexible in their requirements, taking into account site specific circumstances and changing circumstances, including regarding viability.

01/01/2023

Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-05-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many confiscation orders were issued under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in each year since 2009-10; how many of those orders were not enforced; and of those orders not enforced how many people subject to those orders were in prison.

Mr John Hayes

The value of assets subject to restraint orders between 2009-10 and 2015-16 is shown in the tables below.

Orders are counted as fully paid where the outstanding balance, including any interest payable, is nil. There is no central record which would show how many people subject to unenforced orders were serving prison sentences.

Data is extracted from reports run on 4 May 2016 using the Joint Asset Recovery Database (JARD). JARD is a central repository of information relating to the seizure of the proceeds of crime.

JARD is a live database which is continually updated. As such, the data provided may vary from reports run on earlier dates.

Restraint Orders issued in England & Wales	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-2015	2015-16
Values (in millions)	£648.68m	£873.40m	£500.78m	£463.75m	£393.70m	£368.18m	£448.10m

Gross confiscation receipts – includes compensation paid to victims and receiver’s fees	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-2015	2015-16
Values (in millions)	£110.39m	£113.55m	£124.58m	£134.85m	£139.20m	£155.67m	£206.30m

Year	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-2015	2015-16
Number of confiscation orders issued	5592	6425	6268	6401	6043	5926	5900

01/01/2023

Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on whether the National Crime Agency plans to investigate the UK office of the law firm Mossack Fonesca.

Mr John Hayes

On 10 April 2016 the Prime Minister announced a new cross-agency taskforce to obtain, analyse and take action on the information that has been made available from Mossack Fonseca and to take rapid action on any form of illegality that emerges.A number of investigations are underway, and the taskforce, which is led by the National Crime Agency and HM Revenue & Customs, and which is accountable to the Home Secretary and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, will report on its progress later this year.

01/01/2023
Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2016 to Question 42791, if she will publish the list her Department holds of the registered social landlords being used as at 30 August 2016 for the provision of compass accommodation to asylum seekers.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Since 2012 UKVI has discharged their statutory duty to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and transportation via a suite of contracts known as COMPASS Contracts.

There are six COMPASS Contracts delivered by three providers: G4S deliver services in the North East, Yorkshire & Humberside Region and the Midlands and East of England Region; Serco deliver services in the North West Region and Scotland and Northern Ireland. Clearsprings Ready Homes (formerly known as Clearel Ltd) deliver services in London and the South of England Region and Wales.

Whilst none of the COMPASS accommodation providers are registered social landlords, all are contractually required to provide safe, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped accommodation to comply with the standards outlined within Housing legislation (regardless of whether the provider is registered as a social landlord).

01/01/2023
Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it remains Government policy to introduce a two per cent social care precept on council tax and additional funding for the Better Care Fund in 2017-18.

David Mowat

Yes. Local authorities who are responsible for social care will still have the flexibility in 2017-18 to raise council tax in their area by up to 2% above the existing threshold. This new funding for adult social care will be pooled with additional funding from the Better Care Fund.

01/01/2023
Steven Paterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2015-11-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the seaworthiness is of (a) HMS Torbay, (b) HMS Trenchant, (c) HMS Talent and (d) HMS Triumph.

Mr Philip Dunne

The safety of the UK submarine fleet is of paramount importance. The Ministry of Defence assesses seaworthiness for submarines through a robust sea clearance process. This assessment is kept under continuous review.

I am withholding the seaworthiness state of each submarine as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

01/01/2023
Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much (a) capital funding and (b) funding in total has been allocated by (i) his Department and (ii) bodies funded by his Department to support Hull City of Culture 2017.

Mr Edward Vaizey

DCMS is investing £1.5 million in the Ferens Gallery to help them host the Turner Prize; plus £0.5 million to help create a lasting cultural legacy for Hull. The Gallery will receive a further £0.5m from ACE for refurbishment. My department is also providing £3.1 million to three ACE-funded organisations -Artlink, Freedom Festival and Hull Truck Theatre – who will play a key role in the 2017 events. Hull Museums, now among ACE’s Major Partner Museums, have been awarded £2.5m between now and 2018; and an additional £3 million from ACE will help raise the profile of culture in the city and promote new partnerships throughout 2017. This amounts to over £11 million and does not include additional investment that might come from other bodies such as the BBC.

01/01/2023
Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-01-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Mauritania.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We last assessed the human rights situation in Mauritania in November 2015 before Mauritania’s Universal Periodic Review ahead of the UN Human Rights Council. Officials continue to monitor human rights in Mauritania and raise our concerns with the Mauritanian authorities at the highest levels.

01/01/2023