The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timetable is for the introduction of proposals for a British Bill of Rights.
Sir Oliver Heald
We will set out our proposals for a Bill of Rights in due course. We will fully consult on our proposals.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Allen of Kensington on 2016-09-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to appoint a new Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The process of identifying and appointing a successor Chief Executive will begin immediately.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to business rate relief on the charity sector.
Mr Marcus Jones
The Government is continuing to consider representations, including on business rates reliefs, to inform decisions on reform of the business rates system. The Government has confirmed the review will conclude by the end of the year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2015 to Question 18261, if she will make an assessment of the net contribution to the UK economy made by immigration from Australia, Canada and New Zealand in the last five years before proceeding with her Department’s proposals to restrict access to Tier 2 visas for Australian and New Zealand citizens.
James Brokenshire
There are no plans to introduce Tier 2 restrictions specifically aimed at Australian, New Zealand and/or Canadian citizens.
The Government has commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise on restricting Tier 2 to genuine skills shortages and jobs which require highly-specialised experts, but with sufficient flexibility to include high value roles and key public service workers. The MAC is looking at selection criteria such as, but not limited to, salaries, particular attributes, economic need and skills level. The Government has asked the MAC to consider the economic impact of potential changes.
The MAC is still finalising its report and we do not yet know what its findings and recommendations will be. We await the report with interest and will consider the potential economic impacts carefully before making any significant changes to the Tier 2 route.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-01-22.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessments he has made of the effect of the level of the current account deficit on the future strength of the pound sterling.
Harriett Baldwin
The widening in the UK current account deficit in recent years has been driven by a deterioration in the UK’s net investment income from abroad, while the trade deficit has continued to improve. The Office for Budget Responsibility expect factors that have depressed the returns on the UK’s net assets, such as the relative weakness in economic activity in the UK’s trading partners, to recede. The current account deficit is forecast to narrow to -2.1 per cent by 2020, limiting any impact on the exchange rate. Furthermore, the government’s plan to complete the repair of the public finances will support a gradual narrowing of the current account deficit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-02-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time between (a) offence commission and charge, (b) charge and first court appearance and (c) first court appearance to sentencing or acquittal was for all completed sexual offence cases in (i) 2013, (ii) 2014 and (iii) 2015.
Mike Penning
Our courts system is in need of urgent reform, which is why we have committed to building a justice system that is swifter and more certain.
We are investing £700 million over the next five years to create a more effective service. We will utilise modern technology to meet the needs of everyone who uses our services.
MOJ do not hold figures on dates of sentencing or acquittals and have instead provided the time from first listing to completion.
The age of a victim is only known where specified as part of the wording of an offence in statute. Figures for sexual offences cases where the victim was a minor are based on cases where the victim was known to be a minor, and figures where the victim was an adult include cases where the age of the victim was not known.
Data included in the attached tables.
Table 1 – the average duration from offence to charge, from charge to first listing, and from first listing to completion for sexual offences cases in Greater Manchester LCJB and in England and Wales, for cases completing in 2013, 2014 and January to September 2015.
Table 2 – the average duration (days) between offence to charge, charge to first listing, and first listing to completion for sexual offence cases completed in England and Wales where the victim was a minor or an adult, 2013 to Q1-Q3 2015.
Table 3 – the average durations for sexual offences cases in England and Wales. These are an update of Tables 5.1 and 5.2 in the ‘Overview of Sexual Offending in England and Wales’ publication. Figures are for the last 12 months available, from October 2014 to September 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2016-03-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of those individuals who previously claimed a motability allowance under the Disability Living Allowance and have lost that allowance after being reassessed for Personal Independence Payments, have (1) appealed that decision, and (2) succeeded at appeal.
Lord Faulks
The First-tier Tribunal – Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service hears appeals against decisions by the Department for Work and Pensions on a range of benefits including Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
Information about the number and success rates of SSCS appeals by benefit type, including PIP, is published in the Tribunal and Gender Recognition Certificate Statistics Quarterly. The most recent report can be located on the government website.
The specific information requested is not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-04-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 1 April (HL7086), why the Office for National Statistics Pink Book cannot be used to establish the UK’s gross and net contributions to the EU; what Government sources provide a more accurate picture, and why.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
Data published in the Office for National Statistics Pink Book represent only those transactions that are administered by official bodies, in accordance with the European System of Accounts 2010 for the purposes of producing statistics on the UK’s balance of payments. These do not include all receipts from the EU. Table 3B, page 16, of European Union Finances 2015 (CM 9167) provides complete outturn figures, including receipts administered by public sector bodies and those received directly by beneficiaries. The difference between these, and other figures, are explained further in Annex B of the Treasury analysis of the long-run economic impact of EU membership and the alternatives.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the proportion of farmers who have received (a) a payment and (b) full payment from the Rural Payments Agency under the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015.
George Eustice
The Rural Payments Agency estimates that as of 22 May 2016, 86375 (99%) claimants have received a payment on their 2015 BPS claim. Of these 79,633 have received a claim payment; 6561 bridging payments; and 181 a manual hardship payment. There are a number of claims where processing has been completed successfully but they have not resulted in a payment for reasons such as the claim being under minimum claim size, or the Agency awaiting information on probate cases.
The Rural Payments Agency will continue to make full payments throughout the remainder of the payment window up to the end of June 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the construction of High Speed 2 from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The negotiation for Britain’s future relationship with the European Union will begin under the new Prime Minister, and we now have to look at all the detailed arrangements. In the meantime, the Department will continue to work to deliver the Government agenda, including HS2.