The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerald Jones on 2016-10-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the sale of ex-emergency service vehicles.
Mr Philip Dunne
No such discussions have taken place between my Rt. hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-11-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international partners on Syrian representation at the talks in Vienna on 30 October 2015.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
At the Vienna talks on 30 October Foreign Ministers discussed the crucial role of the Syrians in any political process. The UN has been asked to launch a new political process which will convene Syrian representatives for a political process on future governance, a new constitution and elections. As the Vienna Communiqué noted: “This political process will be Syrian led and Syrian owned, and the Syrian people will decide the future of Syria.”
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-11-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many special advisers were employed on 1 November 2009, and at what total annual cost, and what were the figures on 1 November for each year thereafter.
Lord Bridges of Headley
Information on the number and cost of special advisers for 2009 and subsequent years is available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2015 will be published shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-04.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people in Northern Ireland were (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for their part in offences connected with fuel laundering between 1 January and 30 June 2015.
Damian Hinds
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is not a prosecuting authority. Where cases do proceed to the criminal courts in Northern Ireland the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPSNI) carries out the prosecution.
HMRC’s records do not differentiate between the forms of fuel fraud it investigates and so they cannot identify arrests and convictions solely for fuel laundering. In the period between 1 January and 30 June 2015, there were 4 successful prosecutions and convictions relating to oils fraud.
HMRC fights fraud on a wide range of fronts, from special units performing thousands of roadside checks to raiding laundering plants. The UK has recently introduced, jointly with the Republic of Ireland, an improved new marker for rebated fuel, which will make it much harder to launder marked fuel and sell it at a profit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-28.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether tribunal awards made to employees will be included when calculating the proposed exit payments cap for those workers.
Greg Hands
The Government consulted on implementing a public sector exit payment cap in July 2015. The Government response to this consultation was published on 16 September 2015. This response provides detail on which organisations and types of payments the Government intends to capture within the scope of the public sector exit payment cap. This accords with the Government’s manifesto commitment to end tax payer funded six figure payoffs for public sector workers.
The response document can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/464367/Public_sector_exit_payments_response.pdf
The exit payment cap will apply to payments made as a result of an employee leaving their employment. It will not affect any pension a person has earned through their years of service or have any impact on accrued pension rights or pension lump sum entitlements on retirement. It will capture contributions, made by the employer, to fund early access to an unreduced or partially reduced pension. This is because such costs are ultimately funded by the tax payer.
The Government has been clear that early retirements relating to ill health are outside the scope of the cap and will not be affected. Additionally, any payments directed by a Court or Tribunal will not be included in the scope of the cap.
Exits on compassionate grounds are not such a clearly defined concept as exits related to ill health or redundancy. There will generally be a large degree of employer discretion on the terms of such exits, and on any payments. In these cases there will be discretion available to relax the cap in individual cases, subject to relevant Ministerial or local council approval, as will be set out in further detail in forthcoming Treasury guidance and directions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many officials of his Department undertook language classes at (a) his Department and (b) post in (i) 2001 and (ii) 2010.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
I refer my rt hon. Friend to my answer of 10 February 2016 set out in PQ 25525.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-03-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Office for Budget Responsibility has produced its own forecast of the consequences of the UK leaving the EU.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) prepares its forecasts on the basis of the current Government policy and does not look at alternative policy scenarios. Government policy is to remain within the EU. Therefore the OBR has not factored into its forecast the impact of a UK exit from the EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-04-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will propose that the three billion euros offered to Turkey from the EU be transferred to the UNHCR World Food Programme for work in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan for refugees and displaced people, in particular for continuing child and adult education.
Baroness Verma
The purpose of the EU-Turkey Refugee Facility is to provide support to refugees and host communities in Turkey. We expect that the Facility will provide immediate humanitarian support, as well as help meet longer-term development needs, such as education.
The first projects funded through the Facility are starting to be implemented, for example through the World Food Programme and UNICEF.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2016-06-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons people who have leave to remain in the UK while seeking permanent residence do not have the right to work.
James Brokenshire
Those with temporary leave to remain keep the conditions of that leave, including any associated work rights, until a new application is decided.
Those whose leave to remain has already expired do not have permission to work and must normally make an application to regularise their stay within 28 days.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-07-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employers have been advised that their pay cycles might affect universal credit payments; how many employers have altered their pay cycles as a result of that advice; and how many employees have been affected by such alterations.
Damian Hinds
Throughout the life of Universal Credit, officials and Ministers have consulted and liaised with employers about Universal Credit and its interaction with labour market and employers’ processes.
We are currently implementing a test and learn approach to understand the interaction of Universal Credit and employer pay cycles and its effect on awards. This work will include discussions with employers.