Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Jo Churchill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jo Churchill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Churchill on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many decisions taken on claims for (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payment have been appealed in (i) Bury St Edmunds (ii) Suffolk and (iii) the UK in each of the last five years; and how many of those appeals have been successful.

    Sir Oliver Heald

    I refer the honourable member to the answers given to PQ 43251 on 18 July 2016 and PQ 44405 on 12 September 2016.

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support greater diversification in forms of lending in the UK banking sector.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government is committed to competition and diversity in financial services and would like to see firms with a range of business compete and succeed.

    The Government has supported both the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) and Crowdfunding sectors, which provide alternative sources of finance for both businesses and individuals, by introducing a proportionate regulatory regime as well as other policies, such as the inclusion of P2P loans in ISAs.

    The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 contained two policies to support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in accessing finance. The first requires the major banks share information on their SME customers with other lenders through designated Credit Reference Agencies. This will improve the ability of challenger banks and alternative finance providers to conduct accurate risk assessments and level the playing field between providers. The second requires major banks to refer SMEs they reject for finance, with the SMEs permission, to ‘finance platforms’ that can match SMEs with alternative finance providers.

    The Government has established the British Business Bank to support the development of diverse finance markets for smaller businesses in the UK. The British Business Bank’s £950m Business Finance Partnership aims to diversify the sources of finance available to smaller and mid-sized firms and reduce their dependence on bank finance. £863m has been allocated to funds supporting mid-sized firms, with £333m already invested alongside private money, generating over £1bn of lending to businesses.

    The Government has also continued to support the building societies sector through a number of measures including: carving out building societies from the Independent Commission on Banking ring-fencing regulations, extending ISA eligibility to Core Capital Deferred Shares, and applying a £25m sector-specific allowance to carried-forward losses for Corporation Tax. More recently, the Government listened to the concerns of smaller organisations, including building societies, when taking steps to remove the reverse burden of proof from the senior managers regime.

    The Government has also taken significant steps to support the credit union sector by investing £38m in the sector through the Department of Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Credit Union Expansion Project, changing legislation to allow credit unions to admit corporate members, providing £500,000 to help armed forces personnel access credit union services and launching a Call for Evidence which allowed all credit unions, regardless of size or influence, the opportunity to contribute their vision for the future of the sector to the wider debate.

  • Lord Watson of Invergowrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Watson of Invergowrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Watson of Invergowrie on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, under the proposed definition of a coasting school in the Education and Adoption Bill, an academy cannot be found to be coasting until the fourth year after it has been established despite three years of performance data being available.

    Lord Nash

    An academy will be subject to the same coasting definition as a maintained school. Our proposed definition would identify a school as coasting where data shows that it is failing to fulfil its pupils’ potential over a three year period. As long as the academy has three years of validated results, which may date from before the school converted to an academy, it may be notified it is coasting before the fourth year of its operation as an academy.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many deaf students achieved three A* to A grades or better in their A-levels in 2015.

    Edward Timpson

    Information regarding the attainment of students with special educational needs (SEN) in England is broken down by type of SEN and published in the “Phonics screening check and key stage 1 assessment: England 2015”[1], “National curriculum assessments at key stage 2: 2015”[2] and “GCSE and equivalent results in England: 2015”[3] statistical first releases.

    A wider summary of available SEN information is provided in “Special educational needs – an analysis and summary of data sources”[4]

    Information on the average points score of students with a hearing impairment or the number that achieve three A* to A grades or better at A level is not held by the Department. The Department also does not hold information on the number of students with a hearing impairment who have not achieved a level 2 qualification in English by the age of 19.

    Currently, there are no plans for the Department to publish A-level data split by type of special educational need or to collect additional data on the outcomes achieved by students who have a disability but not an identified special educational need, although this is reviewed every year as part of the collection process.

    [1] Phonics and KS1 assessments for 2014/15: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/phonics-screening-check-and-key-stage-1-assessments-england-2015

    [2] KS2 for 2014/15: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2-2015-revised

    [3] KS4 for 2014/15: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2014-to-2015

    [4] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/472575/Special_educational_needs-_an_analysis_and_summary_of_data_sources.pdf

    “

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) proportion of vacancies listed on Universal Jobmatch that are within 20 miles of Birkenhead are unfilled and (b) wage levels those vacancies are listed at; and for how long those vacancies have been unfilled.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not available, as Universal Jobmatch is a self-service job posting and matching service. Outcomes of vacancies posted on the site are not monitored.

  • Lord Ahmed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Ahmed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2016-03-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Iraq and Kurdish Peshmerga forces in relation to defending Turkmen civilians.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of reports that Turkmen civilians have been targeted by Daesh in Iraq, as well as Christians, Yazidis, Muslims and others. In October the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), met the President of the Iraqi Turkmen Front to discuss the situation for Turkmen in Iraq.

    We condemn in the strongest terms the targeting and persecution of all communities by Daesh. We continue to urge the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional government to do all they can to ensure the security and rights of all Iraqis.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-04-12.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on Taiwan’s proposed application to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; and if he will make a statement.

    Greg Hands

    The UK and Taiwan enjoy a constructive relationship in a range of multilateral organisations for which statehood is not a requirement, such as the WTO and European Bank of Reconstruction and Development. A decision on whether to apply to be a member of the AIIB is a matter for Taiwanese authorities. Should an application be made the UK will, as for other countries or territories, consider at the time.

  • Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2016-05-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for recording proceedings at Personal Independence Payment assessments.

    Baroness Altmann

    The recording of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) consultations by assessment providers is not currently part of the contractual specification for PIP assessments.

    However, claimants can ask to record their own assessment, provided they comply with the conditions put in place: they must::-

    • Inform the provider in advance;
    • Be able to provide a complete and accurate copy (CD / audio cassette only) of the recording to the health professional at the end of the consultation; and
    • Sign a declaration agreeing that they will not use the recording for any unlawful purpose.
  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on funding for charities of the outcome of the EU referendum.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The UK has a strong and diverse charitable sector. It is too early at this stage to make a full assessment of the potential effects for charities resulting from the outcome of the EU referendum. We will continue working with charities and their representative bodies to understand the potential effects on charities and the potential impact on funding for charities. These will depend on the arrangements agreed for exiting the EU, and different types of charity are likely to be affected in different ways.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what advice his Department provides to local authorities on the issuing of Hackney carriages and private hire driver licences to individuals based outside their own local authority.

    Andrew Jones

    Local authorities can issue licences to prospective Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle drivers irrespective of where the driver lives. The Department provides Best Practice Guidance for local authorities to help them develop their own standards for taxi and PHV operators, drivers and vehicles.