Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the rate of pay is for cleaners in his Department.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The cleaning service at HM Treasury is provided by through a service contract, let by the landlord for 1 Horse Guards Road (Exchequer Partnership). HM Treasury does not directly employ cleaners.

    However, the contracted cleaners that work within 1 Horse Guards Road are paid £9.15 per hour which will increase to £9.40 in April 2016.

  • 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 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether an impact assessment has been carried out on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Survey and Inspection Transformation Programme.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Guidance from Cabinet Office indicates that there is no requirement to complete a Business Engagement Assessment on this activity.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to encourage US-based IT companies to make customer use data available to UK intelligence services to help tackle international terrorism.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Government works with IT companies around the world to ensure that we have the information required to tackle threats to the UK.

    UK law grants warrants issued in pursuit of such data extra-territorial jurisdiction. The Government is also in the process of negotiating a bilateral agreement with the US which will aid the ability of US companies to respond to UK warrants.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on GP services of increasing medical indemnity costs for GPs.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department and NHS England committed in the recently published General Practice Forward View to review the current arrangements for indemnity cover for general practitioners. To take this review forward, a General Practice Indemnity Steering Group has been established by the Department with NHS England to look at the rising cost of indemnity, and to bring forward proposals for discussion by the end of July 2016.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when her Department plans to consult on Government proposals to increase the Small Claims Track limit to £5,000 for low value personal injury claims.

    Sir Oliver Heald

    We are currently looking at the whiplash proposals and will set out our plans in due course.

  • Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proposals the Government plans to put forward at the Marrakesh Climate Change Conference in November 2016 to try to protect people who are most vulnerable to loss and damage caused by climate change.

    James Wharton

    Protecting those who are vulnerable to loss and damage due to climate change includes responding to disasters, helping people adapt to climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to keep global warming to manageable levels.

    The UK Government has committed to increase the UK’s climate finance by at least 50%, and will provide £5.8 billion over the next 5 years, of which half will be focused on helping people adapt to climate change including the most vulnerable. We have also committed to contributing to the G7 InsuResilience target of an additional 400 million people gaining access to insurance by 2020. The UK is actively engaged on these issues within the United Nations, including through its seat on the Executive Committee that is responsible for guiding action on loss and damage.

  • Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-11-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effect on the viability and competitiveness of UK oil refineries of the imposition of VAT and duty on products shipped by such refineries to another UK customs bonded oil storage location at the point of departure from the refinery.

    Damian Hinds

    Hydrocarbon oil becomes liable to duty and VAT when it is released for consumption in the UK. This is either: when it is imported; or when it is produced in the UK and delivered for home use from a refinery. Where hydrocarbon oil is imported to an excise warehouse, the duty and VAT is due when the oil is released for home use from the warehouse.

    This administratively simple fuel duty system reduces the number of taxpayers and ensures that there is minimal fraud by reducing opportunities for criminals to infiltrate the supply chain. As a result, fuel duty is a large and stable source of revenue for the Exchequer, raising £27.2 billion in financial year 2014/15, with a very low tax gap of less than £100m. Allowing the movement of fuel on which duty and VAT has not yet been paid within the UK would add complexity to the administration of the tax and increase the opportunities for tax evasion. For these reasons the government has no plans to change the fuel duty or VAT point.

    One of this government’s key priorities, as we transition to a low carbon economy, is to ensure a secure and resilient oil supply at affordable prices, whilst supporting investment and jobs. Following a review of the refining and import sectors by the previous government in 2014, a package of actions was developed, designed to help improve the operating environment for the refining and import sectors. These actions focus on three areas: a partnership approach with industry; removing market distortions; and tackling regulatory burden.

  • Ms Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Ms Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the report published by Ofcom on 1 December 2015 into broadband speeds in Northern Ireland.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Ofcom’s Connected Nations 2015 report shows that average download broadband speeds in Northern Ireland have improved over the last year. Work is underway to further improve broadband availability and speeds, and the impact of two additional schemes will be measured in due course.

    Meanwhile, this Government is working closely with Ofcom to implement the broadband Universal Service Obligation by 2020, as recently announced by the Prime Minister. This will give people a legal right to request a broadband connection no matter where they live. A consultation will be launched early next year.

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether training in celestial navigation is provided for new recruits to the Royal Navy.

    Penny Mordaunt

    For new recruits, celestial navigational training is only undertaken by Royal Marine recruits in weeks eight and 10 of their training as part of the Royal School of Military Survey lessons. However, celestial navigational training (referred to as Astro(navigational) training within the Service) is taught to Naval Officers as part of targeted career training courses at the Maritime Warfare School at HMS Collingwood. These include: Initial Warfare Officers, the Fleet Navigation Officers Course and in a Specialist Navigation Course (for those officers undertaking specialist training in navigation at Lieutenant/Lieutenant Commander rank with a view to navigating larger vessels such as carriers and amphibious assault ships).

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 19 January (HL4894) concerning the Belfast Agreement 1998, what is meant by mutual interest and concern”.”

    Lord Dunlop

    Mutual interest and concern refers to matters that are of shared relevance or importance to the participants in the discussions, in this case the UK and Irish Governments.