Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2016 to Question 37125, whether his Department has any plans to collect data on the number of student nurses that have already studied for a degree before entering nurse training.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department has no plans to introduce a new central data collection on the number of student nurses that have already studied for a degree before entering nurse training.

  • Baroness Altmann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Altmann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Altmann on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of employers using net-pay pension schemes that are unaware that their workers who earn less than £11,000 a year are unable to receive the tax relief they could receive in a relief-at-source scheme.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The Government does not collect data on the number of workers earning less than the personal allowance who are also members of pension schemes that operate a net pay system. The Government does not hold employee level data on employees enrolled in net pay pension schemes, as such schemes are not obliged to report pension contributions to HM Revenue and Customs. The Government does not therefore hold information on the value of tax reliefs paid out to employees in net pay schemes.

    However, the Pensions Regulator provides guidance to employers on choosing a pension scheme for their staff in order to discharge their statutory obligations under automatic enrolment. This guidance covers the choice between net pay and relief at source schemes, and the implications of net pay schemes for employees who do not pay tax.

  • Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has plans for an opt-out system for organ donation across the UK.

    Nicola Blackwood

    There are currently no plans for an opt-out system for organ donation in England. Since 2008 donation in the United Kingdom has increased by 68% and transplants by 47%, by increasing the number of specialist nurses and strengthening the donation infrastructure. 2015/16 saw the highest ever deceased donor rate in the UK with 1,364 deceased donors resulting in 3,529 transplants.

    We continue to support work to further increase donation and transplantation rates, particularly promoting collaborative working amongst organisations and raising awareness of donation in the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities to become donors.

    NHS Blood and Transplant launched a new UK–wide organ donation and transplantation strategy in July 2013. Taking Organ Transplantation to 2020 identifies the action being taken to increase organ donation and transplantation.

  • Baroness Manzoor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Manzoor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Manzoor on 2015-11-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many people will work more hours as a result of the proposed four-year freeze in working age benefits from 2016.

    Lord Freud

    The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on 20th July. These are available on the Parliament website.

  • Lord Chidgey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Chidgey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which countries local FM radio stations broadcasting BBC World Service programmes in-country have been closed down by the authorities in each year from 1999 to 2014.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The BBC World Service has advised that they experienced closures to their service in the following countries: 2006 – Tajikistan 2008 – Oman 2009 –Azerbaijan 2010 – Somalia 2010 – Sudan 2008 to 2011– Israel 2014 – Rwanda

  • Lord Steel of Aikwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Steel of Aikwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Steel of Aikwood on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which countries they include in their Global Mine Action Programme, and whether they will consider adding Angola to that list.

    Earl of Courtown

    The Global Mine Action Programme which runs from 2014 to 2017 funds mine action projects in Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Further work in Burma, Somalia, South Sudan and Zimbabwe is currently being procured. The countries were selected following an inclusive consultation which took into account factors such as other donor funding and where the impact would be the greatest. In addition, DFID took the decision to shift the UK’s mine action funding to more fragile and conflict affected countries and where DFID could align mine action work with other DFID country programmes to maximise the impact. All funds have already been allocated under this programme therefore there is no scope for Angola to be included. This year DFID will reconsider the list of countries for future mine action programmes.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effects of the demolition of structures in the South Hebron Hills on 2 February 2016 on (a) future compliance with UN resolutions and (b) the peace process; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK position on demolitions is clear: demolitions cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians; are harmful to the peace process; and are, in all but the most exceptional of cases, contrary to international humanitarian law. The Fourth Geneva Convention is clear that the destruction of any real or personal property in Occupied Territory is not justified unless it is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.

  • Lord Wasserman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Wasserman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wasserman on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements are in place to regulate the activities of individuals who offer support services to victims of crime.

    Lord Faulks

    The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) currently funds a range of support services for victims of crime.

    Where appropriate, grant agreements require organisations to adhere to the Victims’ Code and the EU Victims’ Directive when providing services for victims and MoJ has the right to terminate grant funding to those who do not comply with these, or other relevant requirements of the grant agreement .

    Where organisations funded either by MoJ or PCCs are registered charities, they will also be subject to regulation by the Charity Commission.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 31078, on immigration officers, what policy, guidance or code of practice is provided to immigration officers carrying out equipment interference.

    James Brokenshire

    The Office of Surveillance Commissioners (OSC) provides independent oversight of the use of property interference powers by law enforcement, including immigration officers. The Police Act 1997 was amended in 2013 to enable immigration officers to carry out property interference. The OSC regularly inspects law enforcement use of the power and scrutinises all individual property interference authorisations. A statutory code of practice for covert surveillance and property interference which can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/384975/Covert_Surveillance_Property_Interrefernce_web__2_.pdf

    applies to all agencies with property interference powers.

    The Investigatory Powers Bill will provide enhanced safeguards for the use of equipment interference, including the requirement that equipment interference warrants are subject to the double-lock authorisation safeguard. The Bill will also create a new and more powerful Investigatory Powers Commissioner who will keep the use of this important power under close and regular review. A new Equipment Interference Code of Practice was published in draft alongside the Investigatory Powers Bill. This Code will provide further guidance on the use of equipment interference powers to all relevant agencies.

  • Marie Rimmer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Marie Rimmer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Marie Rimmer on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to maintain the current level of top-up in real terms to the Manchester and Liverpool City Regions when the planned devolution of business rates to those areas takes place in April 2017.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government is taking the opportunity to pilot approaches to 100% business rates retention in Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and London. This will help us for example to develop the mechanisms that will be needed to manage risk and reward under 100% rates retention.

    Government officials are currently working with Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and London to develop the detail around these pilots.