Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance the Government is providing to Israel to help prevent knife attacks by Palestinians on Israeli citizens.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Since the start of the current violence we have spoken regularly to both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority on the urgent need to de-escalate the tensions. I discussed the recent violence with the Israeli Charge D’Affaires and officials from the Israeli Ministry of Defence on 24 November. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have also discussed the issue of the current violence with the Israeli Head of the Civil Department of the Office for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories on 24 November. However the Government is not providing any assistance to Israel specifically to help prevent knife attacks.

  • Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to the financial services sector of compliance with money laundering regulations in each of the last five years.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government’s Anti-Money Laundering regime has a clear aim: to make the UK financial system a hostile environment for illicit finances, while minimising the burden on legitimate businesses and reducing the overall burden of regulation.

    The government conducts an impact assessment when updating the Money Laundering Regulations, which were last amended in 2012, and will shortly publish an impact assessment alongside a consultation on the transposition of the EU’s Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive. However, the government does not make annual assessments of the cost of compliance and the FCA, as the supervisor of the financial services sector, also does not undertake such assessments on the basis that regulated firms are generally unable to provide costs specifically for compliance with the money laundering regulations given that these costs accrue in relation to systems and controls that manage a variety of operational risks, both relating to financial crime and for other conduct and prudential reasons.

    Bearing in mind to objective of minimizing burdens on legitimate businesses, the Government has launched a review of the impact of the current Anti-Money laundering and terrorist finance regime as part of the Cutting Red Tape Review programme. The Review is specifically seeking evidence on the role of supervisors in that regime, so that regulatory activity can be made as efficient as possible. A report is expected in the coming months and this will inform the work that the government is doing to reform the regime as part of the Action Plan to address weaknesses identified by last year’s National Risk Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing risks.

  • Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on benefit and tax credit demand from workers who are Royal Mail employees at franchises of former post offices; and what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost of that demand to the public purse.

    George Freeman

    Royal Mail and Post Office Limited are separate independent businesses. Post Office Limited runs and manages its directly managed Crown post offices. Employees of these offices are employees of Post Office Limited. Changes to the Crown network are an operational matter for Post Office.

  • Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, who will take the decision on whether (a) the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and (b) the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership are agreements requiring ratification by Parliament; and when such a decision will be taken.

    Anna Soubry

    The decision as to whether the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership will be mixed agreements will be taken by the EU and its Member States when each agreement is signed.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what information he holds on the number of private sector employment agencies in each of the last 10 years.

    Nick Boles

    According to the Office for National Statistics the number of employment placement agencies and temporary agencies is given in the table below.

    2015

    22,445

    2014

    19,440

    2013

    18,180

    2012

    17,865

    2011

    17,515

    2010

    18,195

    Data on number of the employment agency businesses are not available on a consistent basis prior to 2010. This is due to changes in methodology and the industrial classification system.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2016-05-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to legislate to ensure that all fees charged to pensioners by fund managers are made publicly available monthly, including transaction and research costs and all other costs that investors bear.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The Government is committed to the principle that people who have worked hard and saved should have access to appropriate and accessible investment options and understand the charges that they face. We appreciate the efforts that industry have made to fulfil this aim.

    Since last April, the Government has ensured that trustees of defined contribution pension schemes report charges levied on members in schemes used for auto enrolment.

    We are also engaging with international work on transparency, such as the legislation agreed at European Union level through the Packaged Retail and Insurance Based Investment Products (PRIIPs) and Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID). MiFID II will introduce new measures to increase transparency of research costs for clients of portfolio managers. Under these new measures, portfolio managers may only pay for research through their own funds or from a specific research payment account funded by its clients and subject to specific controls, including a research budget.

    The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is also currently conducting a market study into asset management, which covers the issue of whether the level of fund management fees charged to consumers reflects a competitive market. We await the FCA’s assessment of competition in this sector. The FCA expect to publish an interim report in summer 2016 and a final report in early 2017.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency training programme in increasing availability of motorcycle assessors.

    Andrew Jones

    The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) evaluates the effectiveness of its examiner training programme by monitoring the waiting times for both modules of the motorcycle practical test. This enables the agency to balance the demand for tests with the number of motorcycle examiners, which directly affects the availability of motorcycle test appointments. This is measured against the agency’s commitment to maintain or improve upon a six-week annual average waiting time for practical motorcycle tests.

    In addition, the progress against this commitment, the demand for tests and the examiner training programme are discussed in a wider forum at a monthly Service Management Group for Vocational and Motorcycle testing. Specific issues are escalated in this forum as necessary.

    Waiting times for last year and the first two months of this year are shown in the table below, it should be noted that motorcycle testing is affected by seasonal variation and waiting times inevitably rise in the summer months when demand is higher.

    Commitment: 6 weeks

    Year 2015/16

    Year to Date April – May 2016

    MC Mod 1

    4.7

    6.8

    MC Mod 2

    3.9

    5.5

  • – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the latest figures of how many British Islamists who have fought in Iraq or Syria for Islamic State (1) are believed still to be in those countries, and (2) have returned to the UK; of those who are known to have returned how many (a) have been prosecuted, (b) have received de-radicalisation” treatment

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Approximately 850 UK linked individuals of national security concern have travelled to engage with the Syrian conflict. We estimate that just under half have returned and approximately 15% are now dead. This number includes all those of national security concern, not just those affiliated with Daesh.

    Data from the Crown Prosecution Service shows that they have successfully prosecuted 10 cases involving 14 defendants who have returned to the UK and are suspected of having fought in Syria and /or Iraq. In compiling this answer, we have learned that the data on this subject which was included in our answer to question HL8065 (11 May 2016) was incorrect, as it included all prosecutions related to Syria and / or Iraq, rather than those related only to people who had returned from Syria or Iraq.

    All those who return from engaging in the conflict in Syria and Iraq can expect to be subject to investigation to determine if they have committed criminal offences abroad or represent a threat to our national security. Decisions to prosecute are taken, independently of Government, by the Crown Prosecution Service. Assessments are also made of the appropriateness of other forms of intervention, for example including referral to mental health services or to the Channel programme. For reasons of national security, we do not comment further on action taken with respect to returners from Syria.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to relax rules on the use of animal growth hormones in beef farming once the UK has left the EU.

    George Eustice

    There are no plans to relax rules on the use of hormones for the purposes of growth promotion, following the UK’s exit from the EU.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with shooting bodies on ensuring an effective trap is developed to replace the Fenn trap.

    Rory Stewart

    Defra officials have held discussions with representatives of the shooting bodies, trap manufacturers and retailers to discuss alternatives to the Fenn trap. Defra is in the process of approving a replacement trap and has funded testing on a further two traps.