Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of children in households whose income is below the threshold for receiving free school meals; and how many such children have at least one parent who is a national from another EEA member state.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    In January 2015 there were 1,198,494 children known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals. All these children were in households whose income was below the threshold for receiving free school meals.

    We do not hold any information on the nationality of the parents of these children.

  • Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his counterparts in the Iranian government on violations of human rights through executions, torture and arbitrary arrests in that country.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK regularly raises our human rights concerns with the Iranian authorities, both in London and Tehran, and will continue to do so. Iran’s human rights record remains a serious cause for concern, particularly its use of the death penalty, torture, treatment of prisoners (including appropriate access to medical care) and restrictions on the freedom of religion and belief. We continue to urge Iran to abide by its international commitments to ensure all Iranians enjoy the rights and freedoms they are entitled to.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) fuel efficiency and (b) journey times of buses.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department has not carried out a recent detailed assessment of trends in the level of the fuel efficiency of buses. However, information on average journey times for buses is collected as part of the National Travel Survey and can be found in table NTS0311 at the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/456304/nts0311.xls

  • Baroness Altmann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Altmann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Altmann on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that individuals who are currently working in multiple low paid jobs without receiving national insurance credits will not lose out on their future state pension relative to people who are not working and still being credited for National Insurance contributions.

    Lord Freud

    The population working in multiple low paid jobs is not static and there is little evidence that people are engaged in this type of work pattern for significant periods in their working life, or that their state pension outcomes are affected, so many of those affected are likely to build up sufficient qualifying years in the future through paid or credited contributions. There is also a very wide gateway to National Insurance cover already: the lower earnings limit, the threshold for access to contributory benefits (including the State Pension) is set at the equivalent of less than 16 hours per week at the national living wage; there is a comprehensive system for National Insurance credits; people can pay voluntary contributions to protect their State Pension position, and finally, new State Pension allows for substantial gaps in National Insurance cover – up to 15 years over a 50 year working life – without penalty.

  • Lord Bradley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Bradley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradley on 2015-10-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many places in category D prisons in England and Wales were occupied by prisoners in each month since January 2013.

    Lord Faulks

    Progression to open prisons is never automatic, and prisoners must generally be within two years of release before they can be considered for allocation. Public protection is paramount, only those prisoners who are assessed as low risk of escape/abscond and low risk of causing harm to the public are transferred to an open prison.

    The following table shows the number of category D places that were available and occupied by prisoners in open prisons in England and Wales as at the last Friday in each month since January 2013. This information is published monthly on gov.uk

    The data above does not include the number of places available and in use in category D units in otherwise closed prisons.

    Breakdown of the population and capacity of the dedicated open estate from

    January 2013 to October 2015.

    Month

    Capacity

    Population

    Jan-13

    5,131

    4,933

    Feb-13

    5,131

    4,953

    Mar-13

    5,131

    4,982

    Apr-13

    5,131

    4,993

    May-13

    5,131

    4,988

    Jun-13

    5,131

    4,981

    Jul-13

    5,131

    4,988

    Aug-13

    5,131

    4,994

    Sep-13

    5,131

    4,990

    Oct-13

    5,131

    5,005

    Nov-13

    5,203

    5,048

    Dec-13

    5,217

    4,993

    Jan-14

    5,217

    4,932

    Feb-14

    5,217

    4,994

    Mar-14

    5,217

    5,037

    Apr-14

    5,339

    5,159

    May-14

    5,339

    5,122

    Jun-14

    5,339

    5,087

    Jul-14

    5,339

    5,082

    Aug-14

    5,374

    5,011

    Sep-14

    5,374

    4,943

    Oct-14

    5,397

    4,846

    Nov-14

    5,397

    4,814

    Dec-14

    5,397

    4,759

    Jan-15

    5,405

    4,666

    Feb-15

    5,329

    4,680

    Mar-15

    5,131

    4,691

    Apr-15

    5,453

    4,922

    May-15

    5,468

    4,876

    Jun-15

    5,544

    5,020

    Jul-15

    5,569

    5,019

    Aug-15

    5,569

    5,062

    Sep-15

    5,520

    5,076

    Oct-15

    5,550

    5,127

  • Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will take action to correct the six calculation errors made in the home energy efficiency calculation software known as SAP referred to in the letter to the Prime Minister from BDP Limited, dated 12 November 2015.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We are reviewing the energy efficiency standards which underpin the national calculation methodology for assessing fuel use in dwellings, the Standard Assessment Procedure or SAP.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the humanitarian effect of the Israeli government’s policy on demolition orders.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We believe these demolitions cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians; are harmful to the peace process; and are, in all but the most exceptional of cases, contrary to international humanitarian law. The Fourth Geneva Convention is clear that the destruction of any real or personal property in Occupied Territory is not justified unless it is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations. This is why Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and officials regularly raise the matter with the Israeli Government, emphasising our concerns.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role his Department has played in advising the Sovereign on the UK’s position on the future use, style and designation accorded to UK nationals of British dual nationals of the Queen’s Commonwealth realms; and what changes there have been to established practice in the last two years.

    James Duddridge

    I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 18 January 2016 (PQ 22935). The recognition of foreign honours is a matter for the Royal Prerogative.

  • Maggie Throup – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Maggie Throup – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2015 to Question 18621, what further assessment he has made of levels of preparedness among clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) for the planned transfer of obesity surgery commissioning responsibilities to CCGs in April 2016.

    George Freeman

    NHS England is supporting the transfer of commissioning responsibilities to ensure that clinical commissioning groups are fully prepared to assume the role working through collaborative commissioning forums.

    NHS England have provided a commissioning information pack including a stocktake of local services, care pathways, waiting times and a quality overview for each local area. National clinical experts are currently finalising commissioning and clinical guidance on standards for the adult obesity surgery pathway.

    The draft service specification reflects best practice and describes the standard providers will need to meet for the surgical service.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-03-22.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of people in Solihull who will pay less income tax as a result of the increase in the personal allowance announced in Budget 2016.

    Mr David Gauke

    The £300 increase in the personal allowance announced at Budget 16 is estimated to have reduced income tax for 28.9 million income tax payers in 2017-18. Of these individuals, 2.4 million live in the West Midlands region, which includes the Parliamentary Constituency of Solihull.

    These estimates are based on the 2013-14 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected to 2017-18 using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2016 economic and fiscal outlook.

    HM Treasury does not publish this information at constituency level.