The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many civil servants in his Department are paid through limited companies.
Justin Tomlinson
No Civil Servants in the Department for Work and Pensions are paid through limited companies.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on claimants of the (a) seven waiting days at the beginning of a universal credit claim and (b) six week period a claimant must wait before receiving their initial payment.
Damian Hinds
Many claimants come to Universal Credit with final earnings to support them until their first payment, and they often find work quickly.
The Universal Credit assessment period and payment structure is a fundamental part of the design; it mirrors the world of work, where 75% of people are paid monthly.
As with other working age benefits, Universal Credit is not designed to provide cover for brief spells of unemployment or sickness, and seven waiting days are served in Universal Credit as they are in Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance.
We have a number of safeguards in place to help claimants’ transition to Universal Credit, including Advances and Budgeting Support.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-10-17.
To ask the Attorney General, how many complaints to the Crown Prosecution Service were upheld at formal Stage 1 in each of the last three years.
Robert Buckland
The following table shows the number of complaints upheld at Stage 1 in the past three years:
|
Year |
Stage 1 Complaints -Upheld |
|
2013/14 |
150 |
|
2014/15 |
206 |
|
2015/16 |
206 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-11-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the effect on the competitive parity of the Northern Ireland energy sector with that sector in other countries of the UK of the decision not to introduce a small-scale feed-in tariff scheme.
Andrea Leadsom
Energy policy is devolved in Northern Ireland and it is for Ministers in Northern Ireland to decide on what support mechanisms they deem appropriate and to assess what impact their decisions have on the competitive parity of the Northern Ireland energy sector.
The primary focus of the current review of the Feed-in Tariffs is to ensure generators are incentivised appropriately whilst seeking views on how to control future costs. We therefore do not consider it appropriate at this moment to extend the scope of the scheme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2015-12-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to provide additional practice guidance on applying planning policy and legislation in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
James Wharton
The National Planning Policy Framework provides strong protection for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is for decision makers to apply that policy and related legislation. The local planning authorities have responsibility for determining planning applications and developing local plan policies in the first instance.
The strong protection for these valued areas is supported by planning guidance. We keep this guidance under review to ensure it reflects up-to-date planning policy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-01-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information he holds on whether the purchase of P-8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft through the US foreign military sales procedure will require US Congressional approval.
Mr Philip Dunne
All US foreign military sales cases are subject to normal US processes and procedures. As such, this will require congressional approval.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Collins of Highbury on 2016-02-01.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they made in their recent Evaluation of Gaming Machine (Circumstances of Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 of the evidence from the Gambling Commission that 633 cases of suspected money laundering were reported last year in the use of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals; and what conclusions they reached.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Government takes the issue of money laundering in gambling very seriously, including these cases. The Gambling Commission already requires operators to take measures to prevent money laundering through its Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice – and it is currently consulting on proposed regulatory changes to strengthen the fight against crime linked to gambling. In additon, the Treasury is planning to consult on the EU’s forth Directive on Money Laundering, which brings all gambling services within scope of the money laundering requirements.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-02-25.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Government’s memorandum submitted to the Lords Secondary Legislation Committee on 28 January 2016, what the evidential basis is for the statement that there will be no cash losers from the reduction of the income rise disregards for tax credits.
Damian Hinds
As announced in the combined Autumn Statement and Spending Review, the amount by which a tax credit claimant’s income can increase within the year before their tax credit award is adjusted (the income rise disregard), will be reduced from £5,000 to £2,500. The reduction to the income rise disregard will stop one family receiving a higher tax credit award over another family with precisely the same income and the same circumstances, which makes the system fairer. The household income of families before it rises will inform how they might be effected by a reduction in the income rise disregard.
The only people who will be affected are those who will see an income increase of more than £2,500 in-year.
Due to the way that tax credits are calculated, the amount an award will be adjusted by – because of an increase in income – will depend upon a claimant’s individual circumstances, such as the household’s income before it rises. No one will be a cash loser because their income will have increased. As an example, for an individual with a wage of £12,000, an income increase of £2,501 would lead to an adjustment in their tax credit award of just 41 pence. An increase of less than £2,500 would see no change at all.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sue Hayman on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much subsidy was paid to the operators of the Northern rail franchise in each financial year between December 2004 and April 2016.
Andrew Jones
Subsidies paid from 2004 to 2008:
2004/05 – 81.0 million (part year – December 2004 to March 2005)
2005/06 – 278.2 million
2006/07 – 168.5 million
2007/08 – 119.3 million
Figures from 2008 onwards are published on the Office of Rail and Road’s (‘ORR’) website at: http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/report/html/95218cca-408d-4047-83ce-a542c53b59e6. 2015-16 financial information will be made available following publication of Audited Statutory Accounts.
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-04-27.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the rate of uptake by the NHS of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent clostridium difficile.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced guidance on faecal microbiota transplant for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. NICE has recommended that the procedure is safe and effective for use in the National Health Service, but no assessment of its cost effectiveness has been made by NICE.
Data on the uptake of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile by the NHS is not collected centrally.