Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the Government will consider making young adult carers eligible for the vulnerable groups component of the bursary which provides financial support for 16 to 19 year olds.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The Government recognises the valuable service that young carers provide both to their community and their families. It is vital that they are not disadvantaged in their education, and have the same access to education, career choices, and wider opportunities as other young people.

    In November 2015, officials from the Education Funding Agency met representatives from the Carers Trust to discuss how best to support young carers through the 16-19 bursary fund. We will work with the National Association of Managers of Student Services to review the use of the discretionary bursary fund and amend our funding guidance to ensure that institutions prioritise the needs of young carers.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans his Department has to ensure that a privatised Green Investment Bank will support the UK’s cities, regions and nations in creating robust low carbon economies.

    Anna Soubry

    The Green Investment Bank (GIB) can best contribute to UK green policy objectives by doing what it does best – achieving the demonstration effect and mobilising much needed private capital into green sectors.

    GIB will continue to perform that role in private ownership – getting more investment into green sectors that are relatively mature but nevertheless suffer from a lack of investment

    In private hands, GIB will have access to much more capital than if it remained in Government hands – and will be able to have a bigger impact.

  • Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Susan Elan Jones on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to improve access to parental leave for self-employed people.

    Nick Boles

    In July 2015 my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister appointed Julie Deane OBE to look at what more could be done to support the self-employed. Julie Deane’s report ‘Self-Employment Review’ was published on 14th February and can be viewed at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/500358/ind-16-2-self-employment-review.pdf

    The Government is reviewing her recommendations in regard to this area carefully.

    “

  • Lord Stunell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Stunell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stunell on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review animal welfare policy and regulations, in particular with regard to the welfare of ducks in the production of foie gras overseas that is then imported and sold within the UK.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Foie gras using force feeding gives rise to serious welfare concerns, which is why its production is banned in the UK under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The EU has already introduced controls on the production of foie gras and, therefore, as a matter of EU law, any further action must be taken at an EU level, and not individually by Member States. Additionally we have to be mindful of our obligations under the EU Treaty in relation to the free movement of goods. Ultimately, it is for the consumer to decide whether or not to purchase foie gras.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2016 to Question 31494, what information his Department holds on the potential percentage change in GDP which would result from estimated levels of immigration in the next 10 years.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Treasury has not made any formal assessment of the effect of immigration on GDP in the next 10 years.

  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the performance of those train companies that scored low marks in the Office of Rail and Road’s mystery shopping exercise on delay compensation, reported on in March 2016.

    Claire Perry

    The Department is already working closely with the ORR and the Association of Train Operating Companies to bring about improvements to passenger compensation arrangements.

    The Department will consider the results of the mystery shopping as part of its response to the ORR’s report into the Which? super-complaint in the summer of 2016.

    I also understand the ORR has followed up the results of the mystery shopping exercise with each Train Operating Company. It intends to assess the level of improvement by carrying out a further survey in due course, as set out in its March 2016 report. The ORR will publish the mystery shopper results alongside its first annual report on consumers, titled ‘Measuring Up’, shortly.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-07-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the British pound in the light of the result of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The UK does not have an exchange rate target. The UK’s monetary policy framework gives operational responsibility for monetary policy to the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). The MPC has the primary objective of maintaining price stability, defined as an inflation target of 2 per cent as measured by the twelve month increase in the Consumer Prices Index. Under the Government’s macroeconomic framework, the exchange rate is allowed to adjust flexibly, and movements in sterling are determined by market forces.

    Action by the government and the Bank of England over the last six years has substantially strengthened the resilience of the financial system. The contingency plans that the Treasury, Bank and Financial Conduct Authority put in place prior to the referendum have proved effective to date, and we will continue to monitor financial markets closely.

  • Baroness Quin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Baroness Quin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Quin on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to hold meetings with representatives of the audio-visual industry about the effects of the UK leaving the EU; and if so, which government departments will be involved in such meetings.

    Lord Ashton of Hyde

    The Government is determined to ensure the UK audio-visual industry thrives outside of the EU. The Secretary of State held a roundtable with key stakeholders to discuss implications for the industry, and over the coming weeks and months government will be engaging in further discussions with the businesses and key stakeholders.

  • Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the age-standardised mortality rate of people declared fit for work by his Department since December 2011.

    Priti Patel

    The information as requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the dependency that hen welfare has on the frequency of human attention regardless of the position of the cages in which they are kept.

    George Eustice

    The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) enforces the relevant welfare legislation and carries out welfare inspections on farms to check that the UK legislation, which implements European law, is being followed. This includes spot checks and planned risk based inspections.

    In addition, a programme of inspections is carried out under EU cross compliance legislation to farmers that claim cross-compliance subsidies. The APHA also enforce the requirement for owners or other responsible persons to inspect their hens at least once a day.

    Our expert advisory committee, the Farm Animal Welfare Committee, has concluded that stockmanship, and the correct application of husbandry standards, whatever the system of production, is key to ensuring good welfare for farmed animals. This view is relevant to all livestock, whether in intensive or extensive production systems. The EU Commission’s Scientific Panel on Animal Health and Welfare recognised that there is a wide variety of enriched cage designs for laying hens, and that the layout of some cages can affect bird inspection. Both the EU Commission in its 2008 report on the welfare of laying hens in various systems and the Farm Animal Welfare Committee recognise the welfare benefits of enriched cages and have given their support to this system of production.