Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the proposal to remove a panel member with direct experience of disability from appeals for Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Attendance Allowance.

    Lord Keen of Elie

    The Government is investing close to £1 billion to reform and digitise our courts and tribunals to deliver swifter and more certain justice.

    Technology will be at the forefront of our reforms but specific support will be provided to ensure tribunals remain accessible to all and physical hearings will continue to be used to resolve many cases.

    An impact assessment was published alongside the Transforming our Justice System consultation paper.

    The panel composition reforms will ensure that the most appropriate panel is always selected to hear a case. As now, relevant expertise will always be available where needed, regardless of how a case is resolved. The Senior President of Tribunals will continue to determine when panel members are used.

  • Heidi Alexander – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Heidi Alexander – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the total amount that will be spent on pay for junior doctors in 2015-16; and how many junior doctors will be employed in that year.

    Ben Gummer

    Data on the junior doctor paybill for 2015/2016 and those that will be employed over this financial year is not yet available.

    The latest data available relates to the financial year 2014/2015. For that year the substantive junior doctor paybill was £3.1 billion; and there were an average of around 53,000 full-time-equivalent junior doctors employed over the year.

  • Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what timetable he has set for tax credit claimants in Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency to migrate to universal credit.

    Priti Patel

    We are rolling out Universal Credit (UC) in a careful and controlled manner – an approach that was endorsed by the Major Projects Authority. UC is now available to single claimants, couples and families in Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency.

    Our plan is that existing benefit and tax credit claimants will be migrated to UC by 2020/21. Further details will be made available in due course.

  • Gavin Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Gavin Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Robinson on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the Armed Forces Covenant applies to Northern Ireland.

    Mark Lancaster

    Since the launch of the Armed Forces Covenant in 2011 the Ministry of Defence has worked closely with Northern Ireland Government Departments, Service charities and other groups to build on existing measures to support the Armed Forces Community. In 2013, the Select Committee on Northern Ireland Affairs reported that, less some specific areas, Covenant measures were being applied in Northern Ireland.

    I acknowledge that the Armed Forces Covenant does not enjoy the same level of awareness or appreciation in Northern Ireland as in other parts of the UK. However, I am clear that every effort is being made to implement the Covenant against the particular nuances of the Northern Irish political and legal environment. The Ministry of Defence and other parties work tirelessly to ensure good relationships help develop improved understanding of specific needs and I have been impressed by the way in which solutions to these needs are generated in a focussed and professional manner. Such provision is fully commensurate with the aims and objectives of the Covenant, whether it is branded as such or not.

    Service personnel in Northern Ireland are well-catered for under the auspices of the Covenant and are at no particular disadvantage, although more work is needed to identify the needs of those within the veterans community. This work is ongoing, well-resourced, and fully recognised as activity provided within the scope of the Armed Forces Covenant.

  • Antoinette Sandbach – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Antoinette Sandbach – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps the Secretary of State is taking to ensure supermarkets are not breaching the industry code of practice by delaying payments to suppliers and demanding extra fees.

    Anna Soubry

    The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is responsible for enforcing the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (the Code). The GCA is independent from Government. The current Adjudicator is Christine Tacon.

    The Government fully supports the GCA. We were very pleased to see the recent report of her investigation into Tesco. The GCA found Tesco had breached the Code by delaying payments to its suppliers and she made recommendations to ensure future compliance with the Code.

    The GCA’s investigation and report sent a clear message to all supermarkets subject to the Code that she will accept no less than the principle of fair dealing demanded by the Code. It put the industry on notice that any breach of the Code is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has paid to staff in overtime in each of the last 24 months.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Overtime is only payable to staff below the Senior Civil Service and is used as a last resort to help deal with exceptional or seasonal pressures of work. The values for overtime paid in each of the last 24 months are recorded below.

    Month

    Overtime Paid

    Mar-14

    £ 47,739

    Apr-14

    £ 51,400

    May-14

    £ 22,598

    Jun-14

    £ 33,375

    Jul-14

    £ 29,992

    Aug-14

    £ 54,954

    Sep-14

    £ 26,462

    Oct-14

    £ 52,607

    Nov-14

    £ 41,797

    Dec-14

    £ 46,161

    Jan-15

    £ 34,508

    Feb-15

    £ 35,047

    Mar-15

    £ 49,281

    Apr-15

    £ 25,623

    May-15

    £ 29,731

    Jun-15

    £ 38,273

    Jul-15

    £ 38,207

    Aug-15

    £ 28,062

    Sep-15

    £ 19,252

    Oct-15

    £ 33,338

    Nov-15

    £ 27,689

    Dec-15

    £ 37,385

    Jan-16

    £ 13,732

    Feb-16

    £ 33,638

    Total

    £ 850,851

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to offer childcare services to grandparents that care for grandchildren.

    Priti Patel

    The Government recognises the crucial role that working grandparents play in providing childcare and supporting working families. We have therefore announced plans to extend shared parental leave and pay to working grandparents, and will consult on these later this month.

    In addition, all grandparents who are the kinship or responsible carers for children are already able to access a universal free early education entitlement place for any three or four year old in their care, and grandparents may also be able to access a free early education place for any two year old in their care if they are eligible.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate the additional new housing required to address demand caused by immigration from (a) other EU member states and (b) non-EU member states in each year to 2030.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department has not made an estimate of the additional new housing needed to provide accommodation for immigrants from EU and non-EU countries.

    Housing needs are assessed by local authorities based on local need, and Government does not set figures.

  • Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether staff at the National Maritime Operations Centre in Fareham are required to record a reason for not calling on a lifeboat or coastguard team or another resource.

    Mr John Hayes

    Her Majesty’s Coastguard staff at the National Maritime Operations Centre and Coastguard Operations Centres around the United Kingdom are encouraged to record the rationale for decisions taken for operational reasons during the coordination of maritime search and rescue incidents.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they advised Baroness Cox and Lord Hylton not to accept the invitation of multi-faith Syrian clerics to visit Damascus, Maaloula, Aleppo and Latakia in September this year; and whether they have studied the draft report produced by the pastoral group which made that visit.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We made clear that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all travel to Syria. The situation is extremely volatile and dangerous. We also make clear that we cannot provide any consular services to British nationals in Syria.

    In addition, Asad’s regime can use visits by international groups to fuel its obnoxious propaganda. The Asad regime is responsible for atrocities against the Syrian people. More than 400,000 have died in the last five years; 85-90 per cent of civilian deaths are the responsibility of the regime.

    We continue to closely monitor the situation in Syria, including the circumstances for minorities. The independent UN Commission of Inquiry and other credible reporting from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have made clear that the Asad regime bears overwhelming responsibility for this crisis. His regime responded with brutal repression to peaceful protests by ordinary Syrians calling for more freedom. The Asad regime and extremist groups, including those allied to the regime, are the main perpetrators of suspected war crimes, and for violations of human rights.