Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, from which HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) offices staff will be redeployed to the proposed new Liverpool HMRC office.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced the planned locations of its future Regional Centres based on a number of key principles that will enable it to deliver more for less. In addition to cost, HMRC has taken account of the quality of local transport links, the local labour market and future workforce supply, and the need to retain the staff and skills it requires to continue its transformation. These changes will reduce HMRC’s estates costs by around £100 million a year by 2025.

    HMRC estimates that Liverpool will be home to between 2,800 and 3,100 full time equivalent employees. Consolidation into the Regional Centre is expected to begin in 2019-20. HMRC plans to open the Regional Centre in Cardiff in 2019-20. It is likely that the office at Plas Gororau in Wrexham will close in 2020-21. HMRC will be holding one-to-one discussions with each of its people to discuss the next steps.

  • Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Poulter on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2015 to Question 19268, what financial penalties and other mechanisms are available to ensure that all private rented sector landlords improve their properties to a minimum energy efficiency rating of E from April 2018.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The requirement on private rented sector landlords to improve their properties to a minimum energy efficiency rating of E from April 2018, subject to certain exemptions, will be enforced by individual local authorities. The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 empower local authorities to enforce the provisions, including the power to impose compliance and penalty notices. Authorities will be able fine landlords up to £5,000 per property if they fail to comply with a compliance notice relating to a breach.

    Landlords who qualify for an exemption to meeting the minimum standard will be required to provide details to a centrally held register. Exemptions will be valid for a period of five years, after which time the landlord will once again need to try to improve the energy efficiency rating of the property. The register will be accessible to Local Authorities (and the general public) and will be audited by Local Authorities or DECC.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which of the countries listed in the Human Rights and Democracy Report have been highlighted as lacking respect for conscientious objection; and what representations he has made to his counterpart in each such country on this matter.

    Mr David Lidington

    The UK Government recognises that conscientious objection can be regarded as a human right under Article 18 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights. The UK co-sponsored a UN Human Rights Council resolution on conscientious objection to military service in 2013. It is important that all states live up to their international obligations to protect freedom of thought, conscience and religion. The UK Government does not specifically monitor respect for conscientious objection in individual countries.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the (a) policy and (b) other responsibilities are of each special adviser in his Department.

    Stephen Crabb

    I refer the hon Gentleman to the answer given by my hon Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, on 29 February 2016.

  • Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Attorney General, what estimate his Department has made of the number of its senior civil servants who will potentially fall under the provisions of the Fourth EU Money Laundering Directive, 2015/849; and what assessment he has made of which of his Department’s agencies or other public bodies will potentially be classed as holding a prominent public function for the purposes of that directive.

    Robert Buckland

    Under the Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive, which will be transposed into national law by June 2017, a politically exposed person is one who has been entrusted with a prominent public function domestically or by a foreign country. This would include some senior civil servants, such as ambassadors and chargés d’affaires. The Government’s view is that the Directive permits a risk-based approach to the identification of whether an individual is a politically exposed person and, when identified, the Directive enables the application of different degrees of enhanced measures to reflect the risks posed. The Government will be setting out this view in a consultation which will be published shortly.

    The changes proposed under the Directive should not prevent any individual in this category from gaining or maintaining access to financial services. The Treasury regularly raises these issues with financial institutions and the regulator, and encourages financial institutions to take a proportionate, risk-based approach when applying these measures.

  • Hannah Bardell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Hannah Bardell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hannah Bardell on 2016-04-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved administrations on the Government’s change to the discount rate applied to student loans.

    Greg Hands

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) applies HM Treasury’s long term discount rate to calculate the carrying value of English student loans shown in the BIS financial statements.

    Loans issued by devolved administrations are shown in their respective financial statements. The accounting treatment and discount rates applied are a matter for them.

    HM Treasury is always open to discussion with the devolved administrations about such matters.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to refer to the UN Security Council the evidence being collected by his Department on potential acts of genocide committed by Daesh.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    In August 2014, the UK sponsored UN Security Council resolution 2170 which reaffirmed the call for those who have committed or are responsible for violations of international humanitarian law in Iraq and Syria to be held accountable. UN Security Council resolution 2249, passed in November 2015, confirmed the importance of holding the Islamic State in the Levant (also known as Daesh) to account. These resolutions follow an attempt in May 2014 to have the Security Council refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court which was vetoed by Russia and China.

    We continue to discuss with partners on the UN Security Council further ways to ensure that the perpetrators of crimes committed in Syria and Iraq are held to account and face justice. We will do all we can to support gathering and preservation of evidence that could in future be used in a court to hold Daesh to account. Addition as per PQ 35349.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prosecutions have been instigated by NHS Protect in each year since 2010.

    George Freeman

    NHS Protect co-ordinates anti-crime work in the National Health Service in England. This not only includes investigations and prosecutions but also managing information and intelligence and, wherever possible, ensuring crime is deterred and prevented.

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    2015/16

    Number of NHS Protect prosecutions

    105

    41

    18

    7

    16

    9

    Note:

    1. Not all prosecutions relate to cases where the investigation commenced in the year shown as complex investigations may take more than one year to conclude and, if appropriate, prosecute.

    NHS Protect staff are employed on NHS Agenda for Change terms and conditions and the following table shows the number of NHS Protect staff by NHS pay scales.

    Number of NHS Protect staff by grade

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    2015/16

    Band 3

    3

    2

    1

    1

    1

    1

    Band 4

    22

    17

    13

    15

    16

    15

    Band 5

    23

    34

    28

    30

    30

    30

    Band 6

    11

    0

    0

    1

    1

    2

    Band 7

    106

    87

    78

    78

    85

    81

    Band 8a

    30

    32

    34

    34

    35

    30

    Band 8b

    13

    10

    11

    10

    10

    10

    Band 8c

    6

    5

    6

    6

    6

    3

    Band 8d

    1

    1

    0

    0

    0

    0

    Band 9

    1

    1

    1

    1

    1

    1

    Associates

    1

    1

    1

    2

    1

    1

    Total

    217

    190

    173

    178

    186

    174

    Note:

    1. Associates are clinical specialists employed to provide advice and guidance in their area of expertise.
  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the likelihood that (a) Syria and (b) Iraq refer Daesh acts of genocide to the International Criminal Court for an investigation without the need for UN Security Council approval; and what discussions his Department has had with representatives of each of those countries on that subject.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Neither Iraq nor Syria are State Parties to the Rome Statute. The International Crimininal Court (ICC) therefore has no territorial jurisdiction over crimes committed on their soil. In order for Daesh’s crimes to be investigated by the ICC, Iraq and/or Syria would have to declare their acceptance of the Court’s jurisdiction. We have seen no indication that either intends to do so at this time.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policy on China of the recommendations contained in the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission report, published on 28 June 2016.

    Alok Sharma

    ​I refer my Hon. Friend to the answer given by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns, to the noble Lord Alton of Liverpool, on 26 September 2016 (PQ HL1811), copied below for ease of reference: "My officials and I have read the report with interest. Although the Government was not asked to give evidence to it and the views stated within it do not reflect Government policy, there is much in the report with which we agree. We are already pursuing an approach consistent with many of the recommendations. For example my Ministerial colleagues and I regularly raise concerns about the crackdown on human rights lawyers, repressive legislation, and challenges to freedom of religion or belief. Equally, there are parts of the report which require further investigation to substantiate the claims made, for instance about organ harvesting."