Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of trade negotiators employed by the EU are UK nationals.

    Anna Soubry

    Of the 596 officials, temporary staff and contract officials working in the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission, the statistical bulletin of the European Commission from February of this year shows that 32 of these were UK nationals, i.e. approximately 5.4%.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that every apprenticeship includes formal training.

    Robert Halfon

    Apprenticeships are paid jobs which should always involve substantial and sustained training including off-the-job training inspected by Ofsted, have a minimum 12 months’ duration and develop transferable skills including in English and maths. As an employee, apprentices earn as they learn and gain practical skills in the workplace leading to full competency in an occupation to enable them to progress their career. Our reforms are improving the quality of all apprenticeships.

    The programme is underpinned by statutory standards to ensure that all apprenticeships offer substantial on- and off-the-job guided learning leading to the achievement of recognised qualifications where appropriate to the apprenticeship undertaken.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to safeguard access to the Erasmus student exchange programme (a) until and (b) after the UK leaves the EU.

    Joseph Johnson

    The referendum result has no immediate effect on students abroad under the Erasmus scheme or applying for 2016/17. Payments will be made in the usual way. Access to the programme after we leave the EU is a matter for the forthcoming negotiations.

  • Lord Birt – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Birt – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Birt on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many breaches of government websites occurred in 2014.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    For security reasons we do not comment on specific details of cyber security attacks. The Government takes cyber security very seriously; from 2011 to 2016, we have invested £860 million in a National Cyber Security Programme. We plan to almost double investment in cyber security to £1.9bn over the next five years.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many completed inspections were carried out by HM Revenue and Customs as part of its duty to enforce minimum wage legislation in 2014-15.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government is committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it. Employers who pay workers less than the minimum wage not only have to pay back arrears of wages at current minimum wage rates but also face financial penalties of up to £20,000 per underpaid worker.

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) enforces the national minimum wage (NMW) legislation on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). It does so by investigating all complaints made about employers suspected of not paying the minimum wage, and carrying out targeted enforcement where it identifies a high risk of non-payment of NMW across the whole of the UK.

    I refer the honourable member to the answer provided at UIN 28587 for information on recovery of arrears and on the number of incidences of non-compliance on 26 November 2015.

    In 2014/15, HMRC issued financial penalties on 735 employers totalling £934,660 for non-compliance with NMW legislation.

    In 2014/15, HMRC completed 2,204 investigations as part of its duty to enforce minimum wage legislation.

    Any worker who believes that they are being paid below the minimum wage should contact Acas on 0300 123 1100. HMRC reviews every complaint that Acas refer to it but these may not always lead to an investigation. In 2014/15, HMRC received 2489 worker complaints via the helpline.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how her Department plans to ensure that residents of park homes have access to smart meters; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The ways in which park home residents are supplied with energy and billed for its use, vary, usually reflecting the tenancy arrangements in place at park sites. Park home residents who are metered from the mains network and have a direct relationship with their energy provider fall within the scope of the smart meter rollout and should be offered a smart meter by the end of 2020.

    The supply of electricity to park home residents through a private network is not subject to the electricity supply licensing regime. This is often where the park home site sells energy on to residents. Park home owners have responsibility for any secondary metering equipment and in these situations may make the decision to install smart meters for their tenants.

    Park home sites that supply electricity to their residents should be offered a smart meter, as small non-domestic business sites are covered by the rollout.

  • 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 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2016 to Question 24915, which potential employment protections would protect seafarers from nationality-based pay discrimination.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Both the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011 and the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 (with the section pertaining to seafarers currently under review by BIS) offer protection from nationality-based pay discrimination.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to introduce measures to (a) improve the welfare of pheasants reared in the UK and (b) reduce the number of such pheasants that are reared in cages.

    George Eustice

    The welfare of pheasants reared for sporting purposes is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006. A Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes, made under the 2006 Act, provides keepers with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their birds, as required under the 2006 Act. The code can be used as evidence in court in support of a prosecution for poor welfare. A review of the code is due to commence later this year. At this stage there are no plans to reduce the number of pheasants that are reared in cages.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much funding was (a) allocated and (b) spent by his Department’s Democratic Engagement Team in each of the last six years; and what assessment has been made of the efficiency and effectiveness of that team.

    John Penrose

    The Democratic Engagement Team, which was created in 2013, has enabled a number of civil society organisations to make an important contribution during the transition to Individual Electoral Registration. Overall, this support has contributed to over 15 million applications to register to vote since June 2014. An overview of the maximising registration funding by year can be found below:

    2012/2013 – £56,545

    2013/2014 – £4.2m

    2014/2015 – £9.8m

  • Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will direct the Health and Safety Executive to increase transparency by publishing details of applications for emergency authorisation of neonicotinoid pesticides before a decision is taken on such applications.

    George Eustice

    Significant or technically complex applications for authorisation are considered by the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides. Their agendas and minutes are published and provide public information about the expert assessment, including details of the applications considered.