Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • 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 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what information he holds on the number of private sector employment agencies in each of the last 10 years.

    Nick Boles

    According to the Office for National Statistics the number of employment placement agencies and temporary agencies is given in the table below.

    2015

    22,445

    2014

    19,440

    2013

    18,180

    2012

    17,865

    2011

    17,515

    2010

    18,195

    Data on number of the employment agency businesses are not available on a consistent basis prior to 2010. This is due to changes in methodology and the industrial classification system.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2016-05-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to legislate to ensure that all fees charged to pensioners by fund managers are made publicly available monthly, including transaction and research costs and all other costs that investors bear.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The Government is committed to the principle that people who have worked hard and saved should have access to appropriate and accessible investment options and understand the charges that they face. We appreciate the efforts that industry have made to fulfil this aim.

    Since last April, the Government has ensured that trustees of defined contribution pension schemes report charges levied on members in schemes used for auto enrolment.

    We are also engaging with international work on transparency, such as the legislation agreed at European Union level through the Packaged Retail and Insurance Based Investment Products (PRIIPs) and Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID). MiFID II will introduce new measures to increase transparency of research costs for clients of portfolio managers. Under these new measures, portfolio managers may only pay for research through their own funds or from a specific research payment account funded by its clients and subject to specific controls, including a research budget.

    The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is also currently conducting a market study into asset management, which covers the issue of whether the level of fund management fees charged to consumers reflects a competitive market. We await the FCA’s assessment of competition in this sector. The FCA expect to publish an interim report in summer 2016 and a final report in early 2017.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency training programme in increasing availability of motorcycle assessors.

    Andrew Jones

    The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) evaluates the effectiveness of its examiner training programme by monitoring the waiting times for both modules of the motorcycle practical test. This enables the agency to balance the demand for tests with the number of motorcycle examiners, which directly affects the availability of motorcycle test appointments. This is measured against the agency’s commitment to maintain or improve upon a six-week annual average waiting time for practical motorcycle tests.

    In addition, the progress against this commitment, the demand for tests and the examiner training programme are discussed in a wider forum at a monthly Service Management Group for Vocational and Motorcycle testing. Specific issues are escalated in this forum as necessary.

    Waiting times for last year and the first two months of this year are shown in the table below, it should be noted that motorcycle testing is affected by seasonal variation and waiting times inevitably rise in the summer months when demand is higher.

    Commitment: 6 weeks

    Year 2015/16

    Year to Date April – May 2016

    MC Mod 1

    4.7

    6.8

    MC Mod 2

    3.9

    5.5

  • – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the latest figures of how many British Islamists who have fought in Iraq or Syria for Islamic State (1) are believed still to be in those countries, and (2) have returned to the UK; of those who are known to have returned how many (a) have been prosecuted, (b) have received de-radicalisation” treatment

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Approximately 850 UK linked individuals of national security concern have travelled to engage with the Syrian conflict. We estimate that just under half have returned and approximately 15% are now dead. This number includes all those of national security concern, not just those affiliated with Daesh.

    Data from the Crown Prosecution Service shows that they have successfully prosecuted 10 cases involving 14 defendants who have returned to the UK and are suspected of having fought in Syria and /or Iraq. In compiling this answer, we have learned that the data on this subject which was included in our answer to question HL8065 (11 May 2016) was incorrect, as it included all prosecutions related to Syria and / or Iraq, rather than those related only to people who had returned from Syria or Iraq.

    All those who return from engaging in the conflict in Syria and Iraq can expect to be subject to investigation to determine if they have committed criminal offences abroad or represent a threat to our national security. Decisions to prosecute are taken, independently of Government, by the Crown Prosecution Service. Assessments are also made of the appropriateness of other forms of intervention, for example including referral to mental health services or to the Channel programme. For reasons of national security, we do not comment further on action taken with respect to returners from Syria.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to relax rules on the use of animal growth hormones in beef farming once the UK has left the EU.

    George Eustice

    There are no plans to relax rules on the use of hormones for the purposes of growth promotion, following the UK’s exit from the EU.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with shooting bodies on ensuring an effective trap is developed to replace the Fenn trap.

    Rory Stewart

    Defra officials have held discussions with representatives of the shooting bodies, trap manufacturers and retailers to discuss alternatives to the Fenn trap. Defra is in the process of approving a replacement trap and has funded testing on a further two traps.

  • Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ensure that the new Cancer Drugs Fund will increase patient access to medicines for acute myeloid leukaemia.

    George Freeman

    NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence are currently consulting jointly on draft proposals on the future direction of the Cancer Drugs Fund.

    The consultation was published on 19 November 2015 and is open until 11 February 2016. It states that it is looking to put in place a solution that ensures patients have routine access to a greater range of cancer drugs, including earlier access to innovative drugs, while ensuring that cost-effectiveness is maintained. Further information is available at:

    www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/cdf-consultation

  • Jake Berry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jake Berry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jake Berry on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many applications to buy privately-owned land for residential development were made in each year since 2009.

    Brandon Lewis

    The information requested is not collected by the Department.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the estimated total cost to the public purse is of the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information review of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

    Matthew Hancock

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Sheffield Central on 19 October 2015 to UIN: 10764.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department’s most recent estimate or calculation is of the cost of each of the road projects described in the Government’s press release, Major Roads Investment in the east of England, published on 1 December 2014.

    Andrew Jones

    These projects are at various levels of maturity.

    Schemes which are now open to traffic and schemes in development/construction are shown below, with the actual out-turn cost and latest estimate respectively:

    Scheme Name

    Estimated Cost (£m)

    Source of Estimate

    A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon

    1,249 to 1,848

    In development

    A5-M1 link road

    162.1

    Under construction

    A11 Fiveways to Thetford

    104.7

    Scheme complete

    For the remaining schemes outlined in the 1 December 2014 announcement, the current costs are the cost category as quoted in the RIS Investment Plan, which can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/381496/roads-investment-strategy-summary-of-schemes.pdf

    There is currently no cost information for the Strategic Studies as they are in the very early stages of investigating options.

    “