Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-06-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 6 June (HL Deb, col 627), whether they have the necessary power to pursue pension contribution payments from companies where the parent company is based in the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, or Monaco.

    Baroness Altmann

    Each case will need to be considered on its own merits but the Pensions Regulator can use its anti-avoidance powers against targets that are based abroad. Section 303 of the Pensions Act 2004, governing the service of documents abroad, is intended to operate outside the UK jurisdiction The power to enforce any regulatory action against a non-UK company is likely to require the approval or cooperation of the relevant overseas authorities. By and large, these provisions should be enforceable in other EU and Commonwealth jurisdictions.

    The Pensions Regulator has demonstrated that it is prepared to use its anti-avoidance powers against targets that are based abroad, as was shown in its handling of the cases involving Sea Containers and the Lehman Brothers group and a complex investigation into the Carrington Wire Defined Benefit Pension Scheme resulted in a £8.5m settlement with two Russian companies.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people working for her Department or its executive agencies on a (a) directly employed, (b) agency or (c) outsourced basis are paid less than the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation; and how many of those people are employed on zero-hours contracts.

    Sir Oliver Heald

    The table below shows the number of staff directly employed by the Department or its executive agencies who are paid less than the living wage (LW) as defined by the Living Wage Foundation, none of which are employed on zero hours contracts. This data is shown as at 31 March 2016.

    Number below living wage

    Headcount

    MoJ inc MoJ HQ, HMCTS, OPG, CICA and LAA.

    913

    22,539

    NOMS (including the National Probation Service)

    490

    45,909

    Information on contractors paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a LW could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with key health stakeholders on providing guidance for GPs on extending the length of appointment slots and increasing the number of appointments bookable for each GP each day.

    David Mowat

    General practitioners (GPs) are required to provide essential services to meet the reasonable needs of their patients within core hours. Length of appointment slots and number of bookable appointments is determined by individual GP practices. The Department has not had discussions with key health stakeholders on providing guidance for GPs on these matters.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what changes she has instituted to the Government’s overseas aid programme to tackle the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    To date, the UK has pledged over £1.1 billion in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the region. This includes scaling up our support for longer term stability and resilience-building work inside Syria and in neighbouring countries, alongside our humanitarian aid to meet immediate needs.

    On 23 September the Prime Minister announced that the UK will provide £14.5 million aid to countries that refugees and migrants are leaving and transiting through. The UK has offered in-kind assistance to Serbia and Slovenia, through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (CPM).

    Through the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme, the UK is helping some of the most vulnerable refugees who cannot be supported effectively in the region and whose needs can only be met in countries like the UK.

  • Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of the National Living Wage on wage growth in (a) Peterborough and (b) England; and if he will make a statement.

    Nick Boles

    The new National Living Wage is an essential part of moving to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society; it ensures that work pays, and reduces reliance on the State topping up wages through the benefits system. The Government’s target is for the National Living Wage to reach 60% of median earnings by 2020, and we have asked the Low Pay Commission to recommend the National Living Wage going forward.

    The Office for Budget Responsibility published its latest analysis of the impact on 25 November, here: http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/economic-fiscal-outlook-november-2015/

    The Government will be publishing an impact assessment for the National Living Wage in due course.

    “

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2015 to Question 20011, on animal welfare: sentencing, what steps his Department has taken in response to the concerns expressed by Ministers of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

    Andrew Selous

    The maximum penalty for any offence is set by Parliament and is designed to deal with the most serious case. The Ministry of Justice keeps under review maximum penalties for offences and considers proposals to increase penalties where there is evidence that the penalty available is insufficient for the courts to deal appropriately with the case.

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he expects the Clementi review into governance of the BBC to be published.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    We expect the independent review of the governance and regulation of the BBC to conclude shortly, and we will publish it in due course.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to secure the adequate supply of accessible homes suitable for disabled people.

    James Wharton

    In 2015 the Government updated planning policy and Building Regulations to support local authorities in meeting the housing needs of disabled and older people in their communities. This included the introduction of two optional levels of accessibility in the Building Regulations, Category 2 – Accessible and adaptable dwellings, and Category 3 – Wheelchair user dwellings which local authorities can apply to new development in their local area subject to needs and viability assessments.

    These new options work as planning conditions to planning applications. Accessibility needs are met by each project’s own finance, be it for public, social or private homes. Some adaptations by individuals are eligible for funding through disabled facilities grants.

    Accessibility to buildings has always been central to Approved Document M and greater concern and detail has been worked in since Disability Discrimination Act regulations 1995, 2005 and with the Equality Act 2010. Each update of Approved Document M further embeds government commitment to inclusivity and accessibility in guidance.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why figures for the Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS University Hospitals Trust were not included in the official figures of the number of patients waiting for treatment for more than a year.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Consultant-led referral to treatment waiting time statistics are designated as National Statistics. This means that the statistics are produced according to sound methods, and are managed impartially and objectively in the public interest.

    From time to time, for example when there are serious problems with patient administration systems, National Health Service trusts do need to temporarily suspend submissions of data for inclusion in the publication of National Statistics for reasons of data quality and completeness. Nine acute trusts did not submit data on referral to treatment waiting times for January 2016. For this reason, the published data on the number of patients waiting more than a year to start consultant-led treatment for non-urgent conditions may be understated. NHS Improvement is working intensively with these trusts so that they can begin submitting data again as quickly as possible.

  • Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2016-04-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what, if any, variables are used to determine whether main service providers of patient transport are delivering satisfactory services.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    It is the responsibility for individual clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to commission and performance manage patient transport services, in line with the national guidance Eligibility for Patient Transport Services. This guidance is attached.

    CCGs will manage performance of patient transport providers through regular monitoring performance against Key Performance Indicators and have a range of interventions to improve performance, which are available through the NHS Standard Contract.

    NHS England ultimately maintains oversight of CCG commissioning, and holds CCGs to account for their commissioning decisions. In addition, NHS Improvement has a role in ensuring that procurement, patient choice and competition operate in the best interests of patients, and to step in if anti-competitive behaviour by National Health Service commissioners or providers goes against patients’ interests.