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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Robert Syms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Robert Syms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Syms on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will postpone the start date for the introduction of standardised packaging on tobacco products in order to undertake an assessment of the implications of the post-implementation review of a similar measure in Australia on his policies in this area.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government has no current plans to postpone the introduction of standardised packaging of tobacco products. The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 come into force on 20 May 2016. Standardised packaging is an important public health measure and any delay in implementing the policy would also delay the health benefits from accruing. The Government continues to consider relevant information and evidence on standardised packaging, including the Post-Implementation Review of Tobacco Plain Packaging published by the Australian Government last month.

  • Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to restrict the amount that mobile telephone companies and other communication providers can charge for the provision of a Porting Authorisation Code to customers; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Industry rules require mobile telephone companies to provide mobile number portability (the ability to transfer a mobile phone number) to customers within the shortest possible time, and the Porting Authorisation Code (PAC) must be issued over the phone, or by text message, within two hours of a customer’s request. Companies are permitted to make reasonable charges for providing number portability, but those charges should be based on the costs of providing the PAC and should not disincentivise customers from switching. In general, mobile telephone companies do not charge customers for requesting or issuing a PAC, nor for the process of switching a customer to another provider. However, some service providers may make a termination charge, if for example a customer terminates a contract before the expiry of the minimum contract term, or if the customer changes provider before they have served out any required minimum notice period for termination (usually 30 days). The Government is committed to making it easier and quicker for consumers to switch services enabling more customers to obtain better value from their mobile service provider and fully supports Ofcom’s interim findings in the recent digital communications review. This includes Government efforts encouraging industry on a voluntary basis to remove/reduce charges for handset unlocking for consumers at the end of their contracts.

  • Richard Burgon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Richard Burgon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burgon on 2016-06-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the systemic financial risk from tranching of securitised assets.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government welcomed the development of international and EU standards to revitalise the regulatory framework for securitisation by encouraging the use of simpler and more transparent products. We agree with the Bank of England that a well-functioning and stable securitisation market will benefit financial stability and the wider economy. We support the Basel standards for securitisation, set with the intention of enhancing financial stability, which see features such as tranching and synthetic structures as being legitimate activity. We also support the need for all securitisations to adhere to appropriate rules on transparency and investor due diligence, and that they must be afforded sensibly calibrated capital requirements. Following the financial crisis it was Basel, working with the Financial Stability Board and the International Organization of Securities Commissions which, set the 5 percent risk retention standard.

    In the development and delivery of policy, Treasury Ministers and officials are in regular contact with relevant institutions, regulatory authorities, other governments, industry and other civil society groups including think tanks such as Finance Watch.

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many officials in his Department have applied for career breaks in the last 12 months.

    Ben Gummer

    Records of applications for career breaks – approved and rejected – are not held centrally and would incur disproportionate costs to determine.

    I can confirm, however, that at 31st August 2016, 26 officials in my Department had commenced an approved career break in the last 12 months.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-10-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have indicated that they have non-domiciled status on their tax returns in each of the last five years for which such data is available.

    Jane Ellison

    The information requested is set out below :

    Tax Year

    Number of Non-Domiciled Individuals

    Number of UK Resident Non-Domiciled Individuals

    Income Tax Paid by UK Resident Non-Domiciled Individuals (£bn)

    Proportion of Total UK Income Tax (%) paid by UK Resident Non-Domiciled Individuals

    2010/11

    115,100

    80,900

    6.09

    4%

    2011/12

    113,200

    80,200

    6.20

    4%

    2012/13

    116,600

    81,700

    6.29

    4%

    2013/14

    118,200

    83,000

    6.56

    4%

    2014/15

    118,100

    83,400

    6.44

    4%

  • Fiona Mactaggart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Fiona Mactaggart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has conducted an investigation into how Demie Omol was able to travel through the UK to the Republic of Ireland; and what steps she is taking to prevent further victims of trafficking being similarly transported by the same agents and through the same routes.

    Karen Bradley

    We do not routinely comment on individual cases. With regard to onward travel through the UK, we have rolled out Safeguarding and Trafficking teams at a number of major UK ports so that trained officers can help identify victims, disrupt organised criminal groups, collect intelligence and provide a point of expertise and guidance for other frontline officers.

    With regard to Ireland, the Police Service of Northern Ireland also works closely with An Garda Siochana on an operational basis to tackle cases of suspected cross border human trafficking and exploitation.

  • Catherine West – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Catherine West – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time is for an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

    Karen Bradley

    The average time taken to process an enhanced disclosure and barring service check over the last 12 months for which figures are available (November 2014 – October 2015) is 14.92 calendar days.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals on the introduction of (a) call-in and (b) scrutiny arrangements for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill, when enacted, will require all combined authorities to establish at least one overview and scrutiny committee to scrutinise decisions and actions, and make recommendations to the authority. Such a committee will be able to call-in decisions of the combined authority and mayor and recommend that the decision be reconsidered.

    The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has – ahead of the legislative requirement – established such an overview and scrutiny committee. The Bill also requires the Secretary of State to make secondary legislation about membership of overview and scrutiny committees, which the Secretary of State intends to do as Parliamentary time allows. We are confident that with these legislative provisions each combined authority will have robust scrutiny arrangements commensurate with the powers the authority will exercise.

  • Karen Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Karen Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Buck on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will rank primary schools in each London borough by the proportion of children who are eligible for the purpose of determining the pupil premium; and what type each such school is.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Information on the number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is available in the final school level pupil premium allocations, which are published on the department’s website.[1] These figures can be used with the total number of pupils in each school (information which can also be found in the same publication) to calculate the proportion eligible for the pupil premium.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-2015-to-2016-allocations – please click on ‘Pupil premium final allocations 2015 to 2016 by school in England’

    “

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with representatives of the government of Malawi on the content of the new tax treaty with that country in the last 12 months.

    Mr David Gauke

    Discussions with Malawi over a new tax treaty began some years ago, and substantive agreement has been reached at official level. We expect that the treaty will be concluded shortly.