Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the additional staffing and resources required by the Student Loans Company for administration and postgraduate loan applications from October 2016.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Student Loans Company will open applications for the new master’s loan for postgraduate study from the end of June 2016. Around 40 additional full-time equivalent staff will support the new loan product.

    The additional staff will be required to process the applications, administer the payment of student loans and deal with any enquiries from students in relation to the new product.

  • Brendan O’Hara – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Brendan O’Hara – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brendan O’Hara on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to review the eligibility for the operational allowance for service personnel.

    Mark Lancaster

    We review eligible locations every six months as standard but Ministers have no plans to change the qualifying criteria.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authorities receive a 50 per cent discount from the public purse on the costs to them of reduced business rates since the Minister for Childcare’s address at the launch of the NDNA Annual Nursery Survey in January 2015.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government does not collect data on particular types of premises that might have benefited from local discretionary relief.

    Central Government has given local authorities wide-ranging, discretionary powers to grant business rates discounts as they see fit – they are best placed to serve the needs of their community. All local authorities which grant a local discount will receive 50% of the cost from central Government funds.

    The Minister for Childcare wrote to all local authorities in November 2014 to encourage them to apply business rates relief to nurseries and reminded them that central Government will meet 50% of the costs involved. He also encouraged nurseries to follow up with their local authorities themselves. The Department for Communities and Local Government wrote to local authorities in January 2015, reinforcing this message. This letter is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/395333/BRIL_1__-_2015__-__General_-_14_Jan.pdf

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  • Lord Black of Brentwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Black of Brentwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Black of Brentwood on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any assessment of the impact of the criminalisation of homosexuality by Commonwealth countries on economic development and business investment in those countries.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have not carried out a specific assessment of the impact of the criminalisation of homosexuality on economic development and business investment in Commonwealth countries. However, we welcomed the reports of the Williams Institute of November 2014 and the recent report from the Human Dignity Trust of November 2015 which clearly set out the economic case for the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

    We are committed to combating discrimination and violence against Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGB&T) throughout the Commonwealth. We utilised every opportunity at the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to highlight our belief that the Commonwealth must stand up for human rights, including LGB&T rights, around the world. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), made this clear during an intervention at the retreat and subsequently in his press statement. Additionally, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for International Development, the noble Baroness Verma, also spoke in favour of addressing LGB&T issues while chairing a session at the People’s Forum. We look forward to working with the new Commonwealth Secretary-General on this issue when she takes up her position in April 2016.

  • Damian Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Damian Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Damian Green on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the responses to her letter of 24 November 2015 to all local council leaders on the Dispersal of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    There have been a number of positive responses to the letter of 24 November, including concrete offers of support for Kent through the disperal of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children. We are clear that local authorities with the capacity to support Kent should do so. The Immigration Minister and the Children’s Minister chaired a round table meeting on 15 December with council leaders and directors of children’s services to consider what more can be done , and longer-term options for the dispersal of unaccompanied asylum seeking children. We hope the arrangements will remain voluntary and more local authorities will come forward. However, we have taken a reserve power in the Immigration Bill to underpin the voluntary power and act as a backstop power to mandate dispersal if the voluntary arrangements do not work.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2016 to Question 22263, what procedures, budgets and facilities are in place to compensate tax credit claimants for the cost and inconvenience of losing supporting documents confirming identity and finances lost by the Tax Credit Office.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) policy in respect of compensation payments is that they will consider refunding any reasonable costs that customers may have incurred due to their mistakes and/or unreasonable delays. If HMRC actions are judged to have affected a customer particularly badly, they may pay a small amount to acknowledge their mistake and for any worry or distress they may have caused. These payments are made out of the public purse and are not intended to put a monetary value on any worry and upset.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that proposed revisions to the sentencing guideline for guilty plea reductions do not lead to a culture of plea bargaining.

    Dominic Raab

    On 11 February the independent Sentencing Council launched a consultation on a new proposed guideline for reductions in sentence for a guilty plea. This is a consultation, and no decisions have been made. Accepting a plea is a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service. All decisions by the prosecution are made in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what scope there is for new claimants of universal credit to negotiate the terms of their claimant commitment.

    Priti Patel

    A personalised Claimant Commitment is drawn up by the Work Coach as part of a one to one discussion with the claimant. The work-related requirements detailed in the Claimant Commitment are tailored to an individual’s needs, experience and circumstances, making them realistic and achievable.

    It is reviewed with the claimant and revised where appropriate on an on-going basis.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Cashman on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ensure that the Government is represented by a Minister at the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference that will take place in Uruguay from 13 to 15 July.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As I set out to the House of Lords on the 21 March, the composition of the UK’s delegation at the Global Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and/or Intersex (LGBTI) Human Rights Conference in July is not yet finalised. It is expected to include selected officials with experience of working on LGBTI human rights issues, including from the Department for International Development and the UK’s mission to the UN in Geneva. The Chargé d’Affaires at our Embassy in Montevideo will also attend. We will continue to keep the level of proposed attendance at the conference under review, but at the moment it seems unlikely that a Minister will be able to attend. With the exception of the co-hosts, the Governments of the Netherlands and Uruguay, we judge that it remains likely that countries will be represented at official level.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2016 to Question 19259, what estimate he has made of the proportion of (a) micro, (b) small and (c) medium-size businesses that that level of take up represents.

    Mr Edward Vaizey


    A:     Details on the population of businesses in each of those groups can be found at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/467443/bpe_2015_statistical_release.pdf“