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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ensure that central government procurement policies are used whenever possible to create jobs with training for people from disadvantaged areas or with individual handicaps.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The Public Contracts Regulations (2015) allow Contracting Authorities to reserve contracts for sheltered workshops and suppliers whose main aim is the social and professional integration of disabled or disadvantaged persons, or provide for such contracts to be performed in the context of sheltered employment programmes.

  • Lucy Allan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lucy Allan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Allan on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent steps he has taken to reduce childhood obesity.

    Jane Ellison

    Our Childhood Obesity Strategy, which will be launched in the summer, will look at everything that contributes to a child becoming overweight and obese. It will set out what more can be done by all.

  • Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Efford on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the 46th Report of the Public Accounts Committee, Session 2014-15, HC971, An update on Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust, what the cost is to the public purse of Circle Holdings Plc’s withdrawal from delivery of its contract to run Hinchingbrooke Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Trust paid no management fee to Circle under the contract. Costs incurred by the Trust as a result of the termination of the franchise were agreed as £130,000 and billed directly to Circle. Costs included recruiting to new Board positions and those filled by Circle partners; an expected increase in the scope of External Audit due to termination of the contract; time of the Department’s Legal and NHS England Estates teams; and removing the Circle branding from the hospital.

    During the operation of the franchise agreement, the Trust received £5 million from Circle between 2012 and 2014 – the maximum deficit support payment required under the contract.

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of the Government’s proposed reductions in tax credits on the pupil premium.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    As my Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor announced on 25 November, the government is not proceeding with the changes to the tax credit threshold and taper announced at the Summer Budget 2015.

    We are determined to deliver educational excellence everywhere so that every child, regardless of background, reaches their potential. That is why we are delivering on our commitment to continue providing the pupil premium, protected at current rates, so schools receive additional money for pupils from the poorest backgrounds.

  • John Mann – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    John Mann – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many people in the UK were registered on a UK Parliamentary electoral register on 1 December (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014 and (f) 2015.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The number of entries on UK Parliamentary registers for the years requested, are set out in the table below. Due to the implementation of individual electoral registration revised, registers were not published in December 2013 but in February and March 2014.

    Register

    UK Parliamentary register (including attainers)

    December 2010

    45,844,691

    December 2011

    46,107,152

    December 2012

    46,353,871

    December 2013 (published Feb/Mar 2014)

    46,139,940

    December 2014

    45,325,078

    Figures for the December 2015 registers are not yet available and this data will be published as soon as possible after 1 February, once those areas that have had by-elections have published their registers.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-01-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2016 to Question 21322, what advice has been issued to UK banks and building societies offering second charge mortgages in territory outside the UK.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government is not aware of any formal advice that has been issued to banks or building societies offering second charge mortgages in territories outside the UK.

  • David Mowat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Mowat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mowat on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on reducing the proportion of the defence budget which is spent on legal fees.

    Penny Mordaunt

    A fraction of one per cent of the defence budget is spent on legal fees, most of it necessary to protect the interests of the taxpayer in securing value for money or in protecting the operational freedom and reputation of the Armed Forces. We have work in hand to reduce opportunistic litigation which is harmful to Defence and diverts funds from the front line.

  • Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tommy Sheppard on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time was for immigration cases designated as complex in (a) 2015, (b) 2014 and (c) 2013.

    James Brokenshire

    Following feedback from customers and partners UKV&I introduced new service standards in January 2014. As such statistical information for 2013 is not available.

    The table below shows the number and proportion of immigration cases designated as complex in 2014 and 2015

    Complex Case

    Total Apps Received

    % of Complex Cases

    2014 (01/04/2014 – 31/12/2014)

    87,219

    412,337

    21%

    2015

    84,435

    513,475

    16%

    Following feedback from customers and partners UKV&I introduced new service standards in January 2014. As such statistical information for 2013 is not available. Our records indicate the average waiting time (days) for immigration cases that are designated as complex is as follows.

    Average Waiting Time

    2014 (01/04/2014 – 31/12/2014)

    122

    2015

    163

    Overall Average

    147
  • 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 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his consultation on drones expected to be published before summer will include options on the classification of drones generally; and whether he has assessed existing weight categories as appropriate.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department for Transport (DfT) is currently working with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to develop consistent, EU-wide safety rules for drones.

    The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is developing new rules for all drones that are proportionate to the risk of their specific operation rather than based on weight categories.

    The Government will seek to ensure that UK regulation is consistent with this approach. EASA has conducted a consultation and impact assessment on the approach and therefore we do not currently intend to consult further on these measures.

  • Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the effect on the solar industry of the Valuation Office Agency’s proposals to increase business rates for solar PV FIT and RO installations dating back to 2010.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Business rates are calculated based on a property’s ‘rateable value’. The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is responsible for determining the rateable values in line with existing legislation and case law.

    The VOA is currently consulting with the solar industry over how those rateable values will apply to solar installations from 1st April 2017.