The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many deaths were recorded for which an eating disorder was mentioned on the death certificate in (a) the UK and (b) England in each year since 2010-11.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support her Department provided to the Sovereign Base Area police force in Cyprus for the investigation of serious crimes.
James Brokenshire
The ACRO Criminal Records Office, which operates the UK Central Authority for the international Exchange of Criminal Records, has signed an information sharing agreement with the Sovereign Base Area of Cyprus. This allows for the exchange of criminal records, including access to UK criminal records for the purposes of checking the records of those arrested in the Sovereign Base Area.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-04-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Mr David Lidington
The UK is deeply concerned about the recent upsurge in fighting on the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact. I issued a statement on 2 April calling for the sides to halt the fighting and to exercise restraint. After four days of intense fighting, a ceasefire was announced on 5 April; although the situation remains tense. While the UK has no direct role in negotiations, we strongly support the work of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chairs, who have recently visited the region. We will continue to urge the sides to work with the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to reach a negotiated peace settlement.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2016-05-23.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the role of financial technology in encouraging consumers to switch their current account.
Harriett Baldwin
The government is committed to increasing competition in banking to improve outcomes for consumers. This includes delivering the Current Account Switch Service (CASS) which allows customers to switch their personal or business current account where they see a better deal – simply, quickly and reliably. Consumers have switched over 2.8 million times since the service was launched in 2013.
Making it easier for people to understand and compare banking products and services can help drive consumer engagement and could lead to an increase in switching. Financial technology is an important part of this.
In its recent provisional decision on remedies, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) proposed requiring the largest retail banks in Great Britain and Northern Ireland to develop and adopt an open API banking standard by early 2018.
This will make it easier for financial technology firms to make use of customer bank data in a variety of innovative ways, including providing services that make it easier for consumers to compare products and shop around for a better deal.
The government welcomes the CMA’s ongoing work as a crucial step towards the goal of a highly competitive banking sector, and stands ready to take action as necessary once the CMA publishes its final report in the summer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to ensure that the (a) devolved administrations, (b) local government and (c) regional bodies are represented in negotiations to exit the EU.
George Eustice
Until we leave the EU, current arrangements for farming, fisheries, food and drink, rural affairs and our environment remain in place.
We are now preparing to negotiate our exit. Defra officials will be working with the new Department for Exiting the European Union to look at future arrangements. The Government will work very closely with the Devolved Administrations, local government and regional bodies on this approach.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what proportion of staff on the payroll of his Department who work in Westminster are (a) British nationals and (b) nationals of another country.
David Mundell
The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly; all staff that join do so on an assignment, loan or secondment from other Government bodies, who remain the employers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-11-19.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many jobs will be created at each of the 13 new HM Revenue and Customs regional centres by 2021.
Mr David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) announcements about the move to regional centres focus on where it will deliver its business from in the future. HMRC expects that most of its current staff will be able to travel to one of the new sites. HMRC has quoted the expected sizes of its regional centres. The smallest will hold 1,200 to 1,300 full-time equivalent (FTE) members of staff and the largest will hold more than 6,000. More details will be available when final staffing levels are agreed.
The plans are part of HMRC’s long-term transformation into a smaller, more highly-skilled operation offering modern, digital services.
The number of people relocating from individual offices will be known when lines of business have finalised their plans and individuals have had the opportunity to discuss their personal circumstances in one-to-one meetings with their manager.
Overall, HMRC has planned on the basis that it is likely to have about 50,000 FTE posts by 2021.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-12-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they plan to make to the state government of Telangana about following the example of the state government of Andhra Pradesh in introducing rules to prevent the sexual exploitation of Dalit women and girls through the Devadasi and Jogini systems of ritualised prostitution.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
This is ultimately a matter for the Union Government of India and state governments. Nevertheless, the British Government has worked closely with the Union and state governments in India to strengthen the protection of women’s rights and would welcome any legislative change that provided further protection to women and girls.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McAvoy on 2016-01-28.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Joint Exchequer Committee’s negotiations will conclude, and when the fiscal framework will be published.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
Whilst there is no set date for the Joint Exchequer Committee to conclude negotiations on the fiscal framework, the UK government is doing everything it can to achieve an agreement.
The Business Managers and usual channels have agreed to move the final day in Committee on the Scotland Bill to Monday 22 February to allow more time for negotiations between the Scottish and UK Governments to progress.
The UK government is working towards a deal that is fair for Scotland, fair for the UK and meets all of the principles of the Smith Commission Agreement.
The fiscal framework document will be published shortly after it is agreed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of asylum seekers who have been found to have fraudulently claimed to be under the age of 18 in each of the last years.
James Brokenshire
We publish statistics on cases where the claimant’s age has been disputed and a formal age assessment has been carried out. The table below shows the number of cases in each of the last 3 years.
|
Asylum Claims by Year with a disputed age |
|
|
Year of Claim |
Totals |
|
2012 |
337 |
|
2013 |
323 |
|
2014 |
318 |
Data is taken from published statistics https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2015/asylum
Whilst we do hold information on the results of these assessments and whether they were found to be under the age of 18 the way corresponding data is held means that to obtain the data could only be achieved at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files.
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