The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-10-27.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many existing tax credit claimants have been in continuous receipt of tax credits for (a) one, (b) two, (c) three and (d) four years or more.
Damian Hinds
This information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2015-11-24.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the draft bill setting up the Historical Investigations Unit and other legacy bodies that was presented to political parties at the recent negotiations held under the Belfast Agreement 1998.
Lord Dunlop
The recent negotiations established substantial common ground between the parties on how to establish the legacy bodies identified in the Stormont House Agreement.
The Government is currently reflecting on how we can move forward and achieve broad consensus in support of legislation to establish these legacy bodies.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to dredge rivers to prevent further flooding; and if her Department will review any current restrictions on dredging in place to permit more dredging in the future.
Rory Stewart
Dredging is one of a number of tools that can be used by the Environment Agency and landowners to manage flood risk. Dredging and clearing channels are important parts of the Environment Agency’s maintenance regime and it assess the benefits carefully on a location by location basis. This is done in consultation with local communities and organisations such as Internal Drainage Boards as appropriate.
Subject to parliamentary approval,new regulations will make it easier for farmers to maintain watercourses. Defra have worked with the Environment Agency to ensure that the necessary safeguards are in place to protect the environment. An exemption to allow farmers to dredge and clear debris from up to 1.5 kms of certain watercourses is due to be part of the new Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) for flood risk activities planned for April.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-02-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people called for Jury service were in receipt of (a) jobseeker’s allowance, (b) employment and support allowance, (c) income support, (d) working tax credit and (e) child tax credit in the most recent 12 months for which data is available; and what steps he is taking to meet the costs of undertaking jury service for such people.
Mr Shailesh Vara
The information requested is not held.
Jury service is an important civic duty. HMCTS is committed to offering support to those called as jurors. Financial provision is made for jurors who are on benefit and for those who suffer loss of earning whilst on jury service. Full details of that provision can be found at: www.gov.uk/jury-service/what-you-can-claim
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Leader of the House, what the (a) policy and (b) other responsibilities are of each special adviser in his Office.
Chris Grayling
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 29 February 2016, to Question UIN 27946.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of its senior civil servants who will potentially fall under the provisions of the fourth EU Money Laundering Directive, 2015/849; and what assessment he has made of which of his Department’s agencies or other public bodies will potentially be classed as holding a prominent public function for the purposes of that directive.
Brandon Lewis
The Government’s view is that the Directive permits a risk-based approach to the identification of whether an individual is a politically exposed person and, when identified, the Directive enables the application of different degrees of enhanced measures to reflect the risks posed.
The Government will be setting out this view in a consultation which will be published shortly.
The changes proposed under the Directive should not prevent any individual in this category from gaining or maintaining access to financial services. HM Treasury regularly raises these issues with financial institutions and the regulator, and we encourage financial institutions to take a proportionate, risk-based approach when applying these measures.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department has produced an implementation plan for the Sustainable Development Goals.
Andrea Leadsom
The Government intends to produce a report in due course that will set out how the UK is contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Colleen Fletcher on 2016-05-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the (a) efficiency of existing diagnostic tests and (b) effectiveness of current treatments for Lyme disease.
Jane Ellison
Lyme disease is a complex infection where challenges in understanding of disease progression, and consequently diagnosis and treatment, remain.
The National Health Service and Public Health England (PHE) use well established validated diagnostic tests for Lyme disease that are highly reproducible between laboratories. International External Quality Assurance schemes are in place to ensure consistency between different test centres. Commercial manufacturers and international academic groups have research programmes into improved tests and PHE continuously reviews new Lyme serology tests and will validate and implement new tests if appropriate.
All treatment for Lyme disease within the NHS should be evidence based, and targeted at the disease mechanisms underlying those symptoms. Most cases are diagnosed in primary care and PHE has published a referral pathway for general practitioners to follow to ensure problem cases are seen by an appropriate NHS specialist.
To further strengthen the evidence base we have commissioned the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop a new clinical guideline on Lyme disease, for both primary and secondary care, for publication in 2018. The Department is also commissioning three Systematic Reviews by independent academic groups to cover
― diagnosis and diagnostic tests;
― treatment; and
― epidemiology/transmission routes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-07-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department has allocated to support Sir John Parker in his report on diversity on corporate boards.
Margot James
The secretariat to Sir John’s review is provided by private sector sponsors and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have been very supportive of the review and providing support at ministerial and official level.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-10-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for Zimbabwe’s political and economic future in the event of the death of President Mugabe.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Zimbabwe faces enormous political and economic challenges. A peaceful transition to a leader willing to make reforms could move Zimbabwe towards a more democratic, prosperous future. The UK does not support parties or individuals, but rather the implementation of policies that could lead to eventual normalisation of Zimbabwe’s international relations.