Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • 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 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2016 to Question 39341, on his Department’s reorganisation, how much he estimates the reorganisation of his Department’s 1 Victoria Street building will cost.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Department’s 1 Victoria Street building is actively managed to allow for routine changes to its occupancy as the needs of the Department alter over time. Those needs include any organisational change, including changes to pan-Government arrangements, and any opportunities to accommodate other public bodies which lead to estate savings elsewhere. The costs of reorganisation, which will vary by year depending on requirements, are met from the Department’s estates budget through active financial planning. The budget also allows for planned and responsive buildings maintenance where this liability falls to the tenant.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support structure they have put in place for women who are returning to the workforce after they have had children.

    Lord Freud

    We are helping women to return to the workforce after they have had children through the support provided by Jobcentre Plus. Work Coaches provide personalised support, tailored to meet the needs and requirements of parents, helping them to find work that fits with their individual circumstances. The Flexible Support Fund allows Work Coaches to address barriers to employment and support parents into work. This can be used in a variety of ways including paying for travel and childcare to allow parents to undertake training, attend interviews or start work.

    We are also putting in place a new package of government support that will make childcare more affordable and more accessible. This will build on the support already offered and will mean more parents have choice, security and peace of mind when it comes to being in work and supporting their family.

    Parents on Universal Credit have been offered more generous support from 11 April 2016, where they are able to claim up to 85% of childcare costs, compared to 70% previously. This is up to a monthly limit of £646 for one child or £1,108 for two or more children, up to the age of 16.

    The Government currently offers 15 hours of free childcare for all three and four year olds and some of the most disadvantaged two year olds in England. From September 2017, this free childcare offer will be doubled for working parents of three and four year olds in England from 15 to 30 hours per week.

    We are also introducing Tax-Free Childcare, which will be available to around two million households to help pay for childcare costs from early 2017. For every £8 parents pay into an online account, the Government will pay £2 – up to a maximum contribution of £2,000 per child each year, for children aged up to 12. Parents of disabled children will receive extra support worth up to £4,000 per year per child, until their child is 17.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold discussions with the National Association of Retired Police Officers on steps to support national security.

    Mike Penning

    Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

    Policy engagement with external organisations is a matter for Chief Constables to take locally in conjunction with their democratically elected Police and Crime Commissioners.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they still plan to progress the South East Flexible Ticketing programme; and if not, why not.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The South East Flexible Ticketing (SEFT) programme is proceeding with contractual obligations for five train operators who run commuter services into London. Together, these five train operators cover 73% of the annual season ticket market. We are discussing with the Rail Delivery Group and the remaining train operators the best and quickest way to deliver smart and more flexible ticketing for commuters in the south east.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers who have received severance or redundancy packages since May 2010 have subsequently been re-employed (a) as a prison officer or (b) in another capacity by his Department.

    Andrew Selous

    It has not been possible to answer this question within the time available. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Colombian counterpart to request that he (a) take steps to protect trade unionists who have received death threats in the Valle del Cauca region and (b) establish who is responsible for those threats.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Whilst I cannot interfere in the judicial process of another country, I raised human rights concerns with the Colombian Deputy Foreign Minister during the UN General Assembly in September and again with the Colombian Ambassador in November. I continue to urge the Colombian authorities to ensure justice for all victims of the conflict and to thoroughly investigate threats.

    Our Embassy in Bogotá takes every opportunity to urge the Colombian Government to take further measures to prevent violence and threats against human rights defenders including trade unionists. Our Ambassador in Bogota recently raised concerns about human rights defenders with both Colombian Interior Minister and the Presidential Advisor for Human Rights. Furthermore, this year we are funding a Colombian NGO to develop protection measures for human rights defenders in rural areas. Our Embassy will continue to raise these issues in regular meetings with the Colombian government.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that China maintains its commitment to the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    During his meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on 5 January and in London on 4 February, the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), stressed the importance of respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of all residents of Hong Kong. He also made clear our expectations that the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law for Hong Kong should be respected. During those meetings, China reaffirmed its commitment to the implementation of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ and Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy.

    During the visit to London by Hong Kong Chief Executive C Y Leung on 15 and 16 October 2015, the Foreign Secretary and I also discussed with him the importance of Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and the need to preserve the rights and freedoms which are enshrined in the Joint Declaration.

    The Foreign Secretary’s most recent six-monthly report to the House, published on 11 February (covering the period 1 July–31 December 2015), urged “the Chinese and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region governments to reassure the people of Hong Kong that the fundamental rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents will continue to be fully protected, and respected by all, in accordance with the Joint Declaration and Basic Law.” The report also stated that “while we assess that during the reporting period ‘One Country, Two Systems’ has, in very many areas, continued to function well, there have been some areas which have given grounds for concern. These revolve principally around the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Joint Declaration, including academic freedom and the freedom of the press.” We will continue to raise such issues with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities.

    We aim to provide consular assistance to all British citizens, and to dual nationals in their country of other nationality in exceptional circumstances, in line with our consular guidance. We acknowledge that some countries do not accept dual nationality.

    In the case of British citizen Mr Lee Po, the Government continues to call at the highest level on the Chinese Government for his
    immediate return to Hong Kong. Despite formal requests which we continue to make, we have not been granted consular access to Mr Lee. We also stand ready to provide consular assistance to Mr Lee’s family.

    The Government will continue to monitor rights and freedoms in Hong Kong through the Foreign Secretary’s six-monthly reports.

    The full report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/six-monthly-report-on-hong-kong-july-to-december-2015

    “

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on recruiting a permanent chair of the Single Source Regulations Office; and when he expects the new chair to be in place.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Each year the Ministry of Defence (MOD) publishes an analysis of all new contracts which sets out whether they were placed competitively or non-competitively. This analysis appears in the Department’s Statistical Bulletin Trade, Industry and Contracts and the most recent period for which data is available can be found through the link below. Table six in the excel tables and page 11 of the pdf refer to the relevant information.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-industry-trade-and-contracts-2015

    Figures for amendments to existing contracts are not held centrally and, due to the large number of such cases, an analysis could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    All single source procurement contracts which met the criteria set out in Part two of the Defence Reform Act 2014 (DRA) are subject to the new single source procurement framework, apart from a very small number which have been specifically exempted from the framework by the Secretary of State for Defence, using the powers granted to him under section 14(7) of the DRA. The Department does not release details of these exemptions in order to avoid influencing future decisions.

    Contracts which were signed prior to the new single source procurement framework coming into force can become subject to the regulations on amendment by agreement between the MOD and the contractor. To maximise the benefits from the regulations, the MOD intends to seek such agreement where appropriate, except where there are well founded commercial or practical reasons not to. However, the Department does not hold a central record of the number of contracts which have, on amendment, not been converted to Qualifying Defence Contracts, and the data could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    Contracts which fall under the Regulations are only referred to the Single Source Regulations Office (SSRO) when there is a disagreement between the supplier and the contracting authority which cannot be resolved through negotiation between these two parties. The subjects that can be referred to the SSRO are set out in the DRA, and include whether or not costs are allowable, attributable to the contract and reasonable. Should a referral be made by either the MOD or the supplier, the consent of the other party is not required. One such referral was made in 2015, by the MOD.

    The MOD is currently pursuing the recruitment of a Chair for the SSRO. The SSRO has an Interim Chairman in post and the Department plans to advertise this substantive position shortly.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many public engagement events to support (a) Scotland’s place in the world and (b) the reputation of Scotland internationally have been held at Dover House in the last 12 months.

    David Mundell

    A variety of events are held in Dover House, both by Scotland Office Ministers and by third parties, throughout the year.

    The events are aimed at engaging stakeholders on a wide variety of policy issues and aspects of life in Scotland.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Government Department or Executive Agency will be responsible for looking after the interests and pension rights of UK nationals working for EU institutions during the negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

    Mr Oliver Letwin

    UK nationals employed by the EU Institutions are subject to the EU Staff Regulations. The FCO and the Cabinet Office are in discussions with the EU Institutions and UK nationals employed by them to ensure that their interests are safeguarded.