Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications for her consent for disposal of school playing fields by maintained schools or academies her Department has (a) received and (b) approved in each of the last five years; and in how many such cases she has written to the school concerned to remind them of their obligations to submit an application in the correct way.

    Edward Timpson

    The data is not held in the format requested but there are layers of protection of playing field land. These include legislative safeguards in the School Standards and Framework Act 1997 and the Education Act 1998 and, in the case of academies, further safeguards in academy funding agreements. The Secretary of State must give consent prior to the disposal of public land which is currently used for any school or which has been used for a school in the last eight years. We publish a list of departmental decisions on applications for consent to dispose of school playing field land since May 2010 on GOV.UK at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-land-decisions-about-disposals.

    The Secretary of State does not routinely write to schools to remind them of their obligations; it is the land owner’s obligation to ensure that it meets its legal responsibilities.

    “

  • Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-09-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the opportunities for inward investment to the Ukraine by UK companies.

    Lord Price

    There are a number of areas of potential interest for UK investors in Ukraine, including Agriculture, Energy and Infrastructure.

    Ukraine has recently been moving up the World Bank Doing Business survey (now 83, up 5 places from 2015) but it continues to lag on the Corruption perception index (142 out of 175 countries ranked).

    Ukraine’s Government is keen to attract foreign investors and is taking steps towards improving the business climate and the UK Government is providing assistance e.g. with the recent establishment of an Anti-corruption Bureau and Business Ombudsman which has been positively received by business leaders. But more still needs to be done.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on tax credits since 25 October.

    Damian Hinds

    Treasury Ministers have regular discussions with Ministers of the devolved administrations and with politicians of all parties on a range of topics.

  • Mark Williams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mark Williams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress has been made in negotiations with Lloyd’s Bank plc about business banking services being offered through the Post Office.

    George Freeman

    The Post Office is negotiating with the major banks, including Lloyds and Barclays, with a view to extending and standardising the services available to the banks’ small business customers. These are commercial negotiations which are still ongoing. The Government is clear that completion of these negotiations should be a priority.

    The Government is keen to see continued and wider availability of banking services through Post Office branches. In this context, we welcome the recent agreement between HSBC and the Post Office to provide HSBC’s business customers with services through Post Office branches.

  • Drew Hendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Drew Hendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Drew Hendry on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how his Department will measure the progress of the roll-out of the broadband universal service obligation.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Once the new broadband USO is in place, Ofcom will monitor its implementation and feedback progress to Government.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the publication, entitled The Department for Education review, published in November 2012, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the potential benefits of departmental regional office bases to the delivery of his Department’s policies.

    Joseph Johnson

    There have been no conversations between the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Secretary of State for Education on the subjects above.

  • Angela Rayner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Angela Rayner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Rayner on 2016-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to enforce section 54 of the Pensions Act 2008.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Section 54 of the Pensions Act 2008 prohibits employers from taking any action for the sole or main purpose of inducing a worker to leave a workplace pension scheme.

    The Government takes potential inducement by employers very seriously. The Pensions Regulator (TPR) is responsible for all matters relating to employers’ compliance with their enrolment duties, including investigations into individual cases of potential inducement by employers.

    Through automatic enrolment we are delivering a fundamental shift in workplace pension saving that is changing the way that people are enabled to save for retirement. Already 100,668 employers have completed their declaration of compliance with the Regulator, resulting in more than 6 million eligible jobholders being automatically enrolled into a qualifying pension scheme.

    The law relating to inducements is an important safeguard for workers and the Regulator has statutory powers of investigation and enforcement it can use in appropriate circumstances. We are working with the Regulator to monitor the number and nature of possible inducement cases as the roll-out of automatic enrolment continues. That will enable us to judge whether the current legislation covering inducement, and the guidance and messaging provided by the Regulator, are operating effectively to protect employees, and whether change may be appropriate.

  • Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which countries his Department advises people not to visit on account of the threat to health there posed by the Zika virus.

    James Duddridge

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not advise against travel to any country on account of the presence of Zika virus. The FCO travel advice advises British nationals who are planning travel to areas with confirmed cases of locally transmitted Zika virus to follow the advice of the National Travel Health Network and Centre and to discuss their travel plans with their healthcare provider, particularly if they are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the First Report from the Women and Equalities Committee, Session 2015-16, on Transgender equality, HC 390, what consultation she has undertaken on the potential implications for single-sex provision in women’s refuges and other services for victims of domestic or sexual violence of changes to the Equalities Act 2010 recommended in that report; and if she will make a statement.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government has welcomed the report from the Women and Equalities Select Committee into transgender equality.

    The report provides a substantial number of recommendations covering almost a dozen public bodies, including several recommendations which call for significant changes to legislation and reforms to the NHS. Government is carefully considering these recommendations.

    We continually engage with stakeholders from women’s and transgender communities and we would consider their views before making any changes to legislation.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2016 to Question 41301, whether he has made an estimate of the total cost to his Department of hiring additional lawyers, financial and trade experts as a result of the outcome of the EU referendum; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 30 June given in response to PQ 41301. Structures and funding required for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are to be determined.