Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Browne of Belmont – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Browne of Belmont – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Browne of Belmont on 2016-02-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the average cost to the public purse of a parliamentary by-election since 2010.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The average (mean) cost to the public purse of a Parliamentary by-election since 2010 is £228,964. This comprises two main elements: the costs incurred by Returning Officers in running the poll; and the cost of delivering election mailings produced by candidates. The costs of running the three most recent by-elections, for which the Returning Officer’s expenses have not yet been settled, have not been factored into this average figure.

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contracts her Department has entered into with charter flight companies for the deportation of non-UK citizens to their country of origin.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office has a contract for the delivery of Travel Services with Carlson Wagonlit Travel Limited, which includes the provision of charter flights. The contract runs from 1st May 2010 and expires on 30th April 2017.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his policy is on the declaration and publication by civil servants of financial interests other than gifts and hospitality.

    Matthew Hancock

    There are no plans to publish such declarations which are personal information.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether it is his policy to require social housing providers to ensure that a proportion of their properties are adapted for disabled residents.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government already has measures in place to help people with disabilities to live independently. It has committed to support disabled people to live safely in independent accommodation suitable to their needs by investing over £1 billion pounds through Disabled Facilities Grant since 2010.

    There are no plans to require local authorities to require social housing providers to ensure that a proportion of their properties are adapted for disabled residents.

    The Government is also investing over £200 million to develop over 4,000 affordable homes providing specialised accommodation for older people and adults with physical disabilities, learning difficulties or mental health needs, through the Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund. The statutory ‘reasonable preference’ requirements ensure that priority for social housing is given to those who need to move on medical and welfare grounds, including grounds relating to a disability.

  • Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the obstruction of humanitarian agencies delivering assistance to civilians and the expulsion of international NGOs in South Sudan would trigger the sanctions regime provided for in UN Security Council Resolution 2304.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The sanctions threat in UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2304 relates specifically to the obstruction of the UN Mission in South Sudan or the deployment of a Regional Protection Force. However, the obstruction of the activities of international peacekeeping, diplomatic, or humanitarian missions in South Sudan or of the delivery or distribution of, or access to, humanitarian assistance are some of the criteria set out in UNSCR 2290, which renewed the sanctions regime on South Sudan until 31 May 2017.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to implement the recommendation of the Review of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for victims of human trafficking, published in November 2014, on contacting all relevant people going through the NRM to remind them when their immigration leave expires.

    Sarah Newton

    We are committed to doing all we can to identify and support UK-based victims of modern slavery. Following the NRM, and in consultation with law enforcement and NGOs, we are piloting ways of improving the efficacy and efficiency of existing arrangements in two regions. The pilot will be evaluated and the findings will inform any reforms that we decide to roll out. Putting the NRM on a statutory footing would require secondary legislation and we will consider whether there is a need do so at the end of the pilot.

    However, following the commencement of the Immigration (Variation of Leave) Order 2016, individuals on an Overseas Domestic Workers (ODW) visa only, who are also potential victims of modern slavery, are informed of the date that their visa will expire and whether they can continue to work. They will be updated up until 28 days after a conclusive grounds decision is made.

  • Mims Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Mims Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mims Davies on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people are in receipt of a war widow or widower pension.

    Mark Lancaster

    As at 31 March 2015, the latest date for which data was available, the number of people in receipt of a War Widow or Widower Pension was 20,535.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how he takes account of the wellbeing of children in agreeing the activities which lone parents are required to undertake as part of their action plan or claimant commitment.

    Priti Patel

    The claimant commitment, which Work Coaches put together with claimants, sets requirements that are tailored for a broad range of circumstances, including for matters relating to the wellbeing of children. These reasonable requirements are recorded within the jobseeker’s agreement or action plan.

    Where appropriate, the claimant commitment may limit the hours lone parents claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance are available for work to a minimum of 16 hours a week based on their caring responsibilities.

    In addition, lone parents with children aged 12 or under have the right to restrict their availability for work and work-related activities to their children’s normal school or early education hours.

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what impact assessment his Department has carried out on the effects of reductions in the universal credit work allowance on carers.

    Priti Patel

    The impact of the work allowance change cannot be considered in isolation – it is part of a broader package of measures announced at the Summer Budget, such as the increase to the personal tax allowance and introduction of the national living wage, which strengthens incentives to find work and better paid jobs.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 27 January (HL5039), whether they are now able to say whether a stated aim of the recently approved application by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to perform genome editing in human embryos by means of CRISPR-Cas9 was, and remains, to better understand why miscarriages occur in some pregnancies; and if not, whether the description of that research that will be made public will disclose the specific assay the researchers concerned had proposed using to determine whether embryos subjected to gene editing might be either able or unable to implant in a womb.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) publishes on its website the inspection report relating to a licence renewal application and the minutes of the Licence Committee’s decision. It does not publish other information associated with a licence application.

    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended) permits the genetic modification of embryos in research, subject to an HFEA licence. As the regulator, the HFEA’s responsibility is to apply the test in the legislation, namely that the research is necessary or desirable for any of the purposes specified in the Act and that the use of embryos is necessary. The Licence Committee has added a condition to the licence that no research using genome editing may take place until it has received approval from an NHS Research Ethics Committee.