The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many UK-based consultancy firms receive funding from her Department.
Mr Desmond Swayne
Detail on all DFID supplier funding is available via our departmental website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-05-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration officials of her Department are based in refugee camps in Greece; and by what means refugees are expected to make contact with those officials.
James Brokenshire
As notified in my statement of 21 April, HCWS687, 75 UK personnel will be deployed to Greece to support implementation of the EU-Turkey Migration Agreement. They will work alongside the Greek Asylum Service to process cases through the admissibility procedure. They will also provide expert support to the Greek authorities on overall co-ordination of the response.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-07-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the possible long-term exchange rate fluctuations resulting from the outcome of the EU referendum on the viability of the IceLink project; and if he will make a statement.
Jesse Norman
The UK Government is not considering the Ice Link project.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to maintain the level of UK and EU funding for the fishing industry and communities as part of the UK’s negotiations on leaving the EU.
George Eustice
The Chancellor has set out that the guarantee for European Structural and Investment Fund projects announced in August will be extended to the point at which the UK departs the EU. This guarantee includes the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and provides further certainty to those fishers, seafood businesses and other organisations seeking support. Where projects secure EMFF funding before we exit, payments will be guaranteed even after the UK has left the EU.
Defra officials will be working with the Department for Exiting the EU to look at future policies for fisheries. We will continue to work closely with relevant industry and other key stakeholders to develop these new arrangements.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-11-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Prime Minister’s recent assertions at the CBI Annual Conference on 9 November that the UK’s security is provided through membership of the EU, what assessment they have made of the impact of NATO membership on the UK’s security and whether they will continue to oppose any proposals for an EU army or other EU armed forces.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is the cornerstone of our national security, and the ultimate guarantor of our defence. But the EU can play a useful complementary role, for example in missions in the Western Balkans and off the coast of Somalia. We always have, and always will, resist any proposal for an EU army.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-12-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recent Inspectorate report of HM Prison Maghaberry.
Andrew Selous
Prisons are a devolved matter and responsibility for HMP Maghaberry lies with the Northern Ireland Department of Justice.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2016-01-19.
To ask the Attorney General, how many prosecutions have been brought under the Fraud Act 2006 in each year since 2009.
Robert Buckland
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of prosecutions brought under the Fraud Act 2006. However, records are held showing the overall number of offences charged in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ courts (the distinction being that some prosecutions involved multiple offences). These figures are detailed in the following table:
|
Year |
Number of offences charged under the Fraud Act 2006 in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ court* |
|
2009-10 |
27,759 |
|
2010-11 |
29,592 |
|
2011-12 |
28,164 |
|
2012-13 |
26,581 |
|
2013-14 |
25,832 |
|
2014-15 |
26,113 |
* Data Source: CPS management information system
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigates and, where appropriate, prosecutes the topmost tier of serious or complex fraud cases. The SFO charges offences under the most appropriate legislation in each investigation, and not only the Fraud Act.
The number of individuals charged by the SFO for offences under the Fraud Act (2006) is shown in the table below.
|
Year |
Number of individuals charged under the Fraud Act 2006* |
|
2009 |
5 |
|
2010 |
7 |
|
2011 |
2 |
|
2012 |
2 |
|
2013 |
4 |
|
2014 |
1 |
|
2015 |
6 |
* This type of casework information for the years prior to 2012 was not collated centrally in the same way and so the information for these years reflects the records from the time.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hepburn on 2016-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken was between a fatal accident in construction and a conviction on the latest date for which data is available.
Justin Tomlinson
For fatalities in construction (Standard Industrial Classification, section F) reported to HSE between 2006/07 and 2014/15, the average time between the date of the incident and the date of the first hearing where a conviction is recorded is 1208 days. The time between the incident and conviction dates by yearly time bands is as follows:
|
Date of Conviction |
Average number of days between incident date and conviction date |
|
2006/2007 |
985 |
|
2007/2008 |
1234 |
|
2008/2009 |
1153 |
|
2009/2010 |
1214 |
|
2010/2011 |
1251 |
|
2011/2012 |
1251 |
|
2012/2013 |
1336 |
|
2013/2014 |
1185 |
|
2014/2015 |
1267 |
Within the overall time frame from fatal incident to conviction a number of discrete stages may be involved and these are performed by different agencies largely out of HSE’s control:
Recognising the importance to victims of ensuring all stages of the process are concluded as quickly as possible, the WRDP National Liaison Committee recently agreed that any decision to prosecute should be made within 3 years of the date of death other than in exceptional circumstances – currently approximately 85% of investigations are completed within this timescale.
For its part HSE has an internal target of completing 95% of fatal accident investigations within 12 months of assuming primacy – attainment is now at 70% and the trend is improving.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-03-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made on behalf of the 12 Christian leaders tried in Zhejiang Province of China in February and what assessment they have made of (1) the impact of that trial and the sentences handed down on the right to freedom of religion or belief in China, and (2) how those events have been received in China.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We pay close attention to the human rights situation in China and regularly raise our concerns about freedom of religion and the restrictions placed on Christianity. We make representations on specific cases during the annual UK-China Human Rights Dialogue. The next Dialogue is scheduled for April 2016. We also raise our public concerns about freedom of religion and belief in China in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy.
Regarding the recent trial of Christian leaders in Zhejiang, we remain concerned about the application of due legal process and transparency of justice in China. We are particularly concerned that people seeking to peacefully exercise their right to freedom of expression or belief are being prevented from doing so. We urge China to protect civil and political rights in line with its constitution and international human rights commitments.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-04-18.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on how many occasions in the last five years HM Revenue and Customs officials have raised concerns internally that UK taxpayers who are customers of the (a) High Net Worth Unit and (b) Large Business Unit have received preferential or inappropriate tax treatment as a result of their position.
Mr David Gauke
HMRC has a Whistleblowing and Raising a Concern Policy. Since April 2014 concerns raised under this policy have been captured centrally but the data has been captured at a high level and does not have sufficient detail to enable HMRC to reliably identify concerns relating to customers of the High Net Worth Unit and Large Business Unit over the last 5 years.
HMRC does not offer preferential treatment to any tax payer or group. HMRC is even handed in its treatment of all customers, and manages different customers by allocating its resources to those groups which need more support or present higher risks of not meeting their tax obligations.