Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lucas on 2015-11-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of recent reports about VAT fraud by online traders operating from abroad, what is their estimate of the impact of such tax evasion on (1) the public purse, and (2) UK businesses.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Any UK VAT losses arising from online traders operating from abroad are already included within the published UK Tax Gap.

    The estimate of the VAT Gap published in “Measuring Tax Gaps 2015 edition” on 22 October 2015 is £13.1 billion. Overall, the UK Tax Gap was 6.4 per cent in 2013-14,down from 6.6 per cent in 2012-13. As part of that, the VAT Gap is calculated as 11.1 per cent in 2013-14, a reduction from 11.9 per cent in 2012-13.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Saudi Arabia about the sentencing of a Sri Lankan female domestic worker to death by stoning in that country.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We continue to be concerned by the case of Waleed abu Al-Khair and have raised it at a senior level with the Saudi authorities. We will continue to follow this and other cases closely.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to honour the humanitarian commitments set out in paragraphs 17 and 18 of the 20 August 2015 Anglo-French agreement Managing Migratory Flows in Calais: Joint Ministerial Declaration on UK/French Co-operation.

    Lord Bates

    The UK Government is not providing funding to support the migrant camps in Dunkirk or Calais. Instead, and in line with the joint approach of the UK and France as set out in the Joint Declaration of 20 August, the UK has committed to providing £3.6 million (or €5 million) per year for two years to help provide support and facilities elsewhere in France. This is so that migrants can be helped to enter the French asylum system in a safe, systematic and humane manner. Additionally, the UK has provided £530,000 (€750,000) to fund a project to identify those in the camps at risk of trafficking and exploitation, to transfer them to places of safety and to provide them with appropriate support within the French system.

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what protocols his Department has in place for supporting and communicating with UK citizens who (a) survive and (b) witness terrorist attacks overseas.

    James Duddridge

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s crisis response mechanisms aim to ensure British nationals affected by a crisis overseas receive rapid and professional assistance. During crises, we communicate with affected British nationals through Travel advice and via consular officials in country and in London. Alongside the support offered to all British nationals overseas during a crisis, victims of terrorism may be offered additional assistance according to the circumstances of each situation through our Exceptional Assistance Measures policy. Consular officers work closely with police family liaison officers and overseas authorities to provide support, assistance and information to bereaved families. Through our partnerships with victim support organisations in England, Wales and Scotland we can refer bereaved families to specialist support on return to the UK.

  • Baroness Parminter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Parminter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Parminter on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have (1) to develop a new strategy for the implementation of the European School Milk Scheme from 2017, and (2) to involve stakeholders in developing that strategy.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    If the European Parliament formally endorses the proposal for a revised EU School Milk Scheme in Plenary on 8 March 2016, it is likely to enter into force in spring 2016 and apply in schools from August 2017. We will use this period to consider the new requirements and consult with interested parties. Member States that wish to participate will be obliged to submit a multi-annual national strategy setting out their priorities for implementing the new Scheme. Detailed rules for the drawing up of national strategies will be adopted by the Commission in a delegated act which will be negotiated in the coming months.

  • Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what comparative information his Department holds on the rate of pregnancies affected by neural tube defects in the UK and in other EU member states.

    Ben Gummer

    The prevalence of neural tube defects in live births, fetal deaths (over 20 weeks’ gestation) and terminations of pregnancy for fetal anomaly in 2012 in the British Isles Network of Congenital Anomaly Registers, registers (covering 36% of the births in England and Wales) was 12.5 per 10,000 births (source: Congenital anomaly statistics 2012, England and Wales (2014)).

    In European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies registries (covering 25.8% of the births in the United Kingdom) the prevalence of neural tube defects in 2012 for the UK was 12.53 neural tube defects per 10,000 births. By comparison, other European Union member states ranged from 1.75 per 10,000 births to 17.37 per 10,000 births. Differences in total prevalence rates may reflect a number of factors including genetic and environmental differences.

    Data on prevalence is available at:

    http://www.eurocat-network.eu/AccessPrevalenceData/PrevalenceTables

    “

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment she has made of the potential effect on the economy in Northern Ireland of the UK leaving the EU.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    The Government is clear that we are safer, stronger and better off in the EU.

    Reports by HM Treasury are clear that leaving the EU would bring serious economic costs that would affect businesses, jobs, living standards and public finances for decades to come.

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how her Department plans to measure progress of the implementation of its sports strategy.

    Tracey Crouch

    Progress will be measured against the five outcomes set out in Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation. Information will be collected about the key performance indicators the strategy sets out, drawing on data from a range of sources. We will submit an annual report to parliament on the progress.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2016 to Question 44488, what the implications for councils are of failure to determine planning applications in a timely and efficient manner; and what plans he has to provide extra funding to councils to assist them with implementing his Department’s plans to tighten the Planning Guarantee for minor planning applications.

    Gavin Barwell

    Councils are at risk of being designated as underperforming where they persistently fail to determine planning applications for major development within statutory timescales or an agreed extended period with the applicant. In an area where the council has been designated as underperforming, applicants can choose to submit their application directly to the Planning Inspectorate for determination, instead of the council. We are extending this regime to applications for non-major development. Where applications are not determined within 26 weeks, councils have to refund the application fee under the Planning Guarantee.

    We do not intend to provide any additional funding to local authorities with regard to tightening the Planning Guarantee. Earlier this year we consulted on proposals to increase planning fees and will publish our response in due course.

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to prepare for the outcome of the EU referendum.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in Britain – so we get a better deal for Britain and secure our future. The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU.