Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Biography information for Lord Morris of Aberavon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Biography information for Lord Morris of Aberavon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Lord Morris of Aberavon on 2014-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by the Prime Minister on 15 June 2009 (HC Deb, col 21–38) that the final report of the Chilcot Inquiry would be able to disclose all but the most sensitive information—that is

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    The terms under which the Chilcot Inquiry is operatingare set out in the Protocol between the Inquiry and Her Majesty’s Government regarding documents and other written and electronic communication. They have not changed since the Inquiry’s inception in June 2009. A copy of the Protocol is available on the Inquiry’s website:

    http://www.iraqinquiry.org.uk/background/protocols.aspx

    Each request under the Freedom of Information Act is considered on its merits and handled accordingly. The reasons for the use of the veto on the disclosure of Cabinet minutes prior to the Iraq war are a matter of public record.

    “

  • Mr David Ward – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mr David Ward – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr David Ward on 2014-02-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of (a) permanent, (b) temporary and (c) contract staff in his Department as paid the living wage or above.

    Andrea Leadsom

    100% of permanent and temporary staff at HM Treasury are paid the Living Wage or above.

    HM Treasury fully complies with EU procurement directives and awards contracts on the basis of the best value for money for the taxpayer. Nevertheless, we have encouraged contractors to commit to paying a living wage and expect all employers to pay at least the national minimum wage.

    The Government supports businesses that choose to pay the Living Wage however the Government’s main policy on wages is the National Minimum Wage, which has continued to protect the relative wages of the low paid. This is independently set by the Low Pay Commission at a level that maximises their wages without reducing employment prospect. It is for workers and employers to decide the level of wages above the minimum wage based on current circumstances. This includes the Government as a procurer and an employer. Over 95%, around 20 million employees earn above the minimum wage and the majority of public sector workers currently earn above the Living Wage.

  • Sammy Wilson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Sammy Wilson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sammy Wilson on 2014-01-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) laundering plants and (b) millions of litres of fuel were seized in the UK by HM Revenue and Customs in each of the last 10 years.

    Nicky Morgan

    Figures are only available for the years 2010-11 and onwards. The number of laundering plants and millions of litres of fuel seized in those years was as follows.

    Year

    Laundering Plants

    Fuel (millions litres)

    2010-11

    23 (20 NI 3 GB)

    2.74

    2011-12

    29 (NI figure only)

    2.44

    2012-13 to Dec 13

    26 (22 NI 4 GB)

    2.63

    HMRC fights fraud on a wide range of fronts, from special units performing thousands of roadside checks to raiding laundering plants. HMRC has also recently concluded the evaluation of a possible new marker for rebated fuel, which will make it harder to launder marked fuel and sell it at a profit.

    HMRC uses several avenues to tackle fraud: criminal prosecution, civil action (such as seizing fuel or pumps), civil penalties and strong regulatory controls.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-10-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what areas of policy were transferred from unanimity to qualified majority voting by the Lisbon Treaty; whether the United Kingdom has opt-outs from any of those areas; and, if so, from which areas.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    51 provisions were transferred from unanimity to qualified majority voting by the Lisbon Treaty. These were published in the Explanatory Memorandum on the Lisbon Treaty of 17 December 2007 as amended by a Written Ministerial Statement by the then Minister for Europe on 20 February 2008, Official Report, column 53WS. Of these, the following 16 provisions either did not apply to the UK due to its opt-outs or would only apply if the UK decided to exercise its justice and affairs opt-in:

    1) Provisions enabling repeal of the aspects of this article related to state aids policy and the effect of the past division of Germany
    2) Provisions enabling repeal of this Article (on transport policy as it affects areas of Germany affected by its past division)
    3) Appointment of European Central Bank (ECB) executive board (UK opt-out)
    4) Social security
    5) Use of the euro
    6) Measures relating to the Broad Economic Guidelines and excessive deficit procedure
    7) Procedure for entry into the euro
    8) Mechanism for peer review of Member States’ implementation of policies in this area
    9) Border checks
    10) Immigration and Frontier Controls
    11) Judicial co-operation in Criminal Matters
    12) Minimum rules for criminal offences and sanctions
    13) Crime prevention
    14) Eurojust
    15) Police co-operation
    16) Europol

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent steps he has taken to prevent pub closures.

    Anna Soubry

    This Government is committed to supporting a fair and flourishing pubs sector. We have scrapped the beer duty escalator, and at Budget 2015 we cut beer duty for the third year in a row. Through the Community Right to Bid, we are giving communities in England a fairer chance to bid to buy and run their pub by listing it as an Asset of Community Value. We are introducing a statutory Pubs Code and an independent Adjudicator to govern the relationship between large pub-owning companies and the thousands of tenants that run tied pubs across England and Wales. These measures will help to ensure the pubs industry continues to thrive, to the benefit of all those who work hard to make the pub the mainstay of our communities.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2015-10-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of limiting (a) child tax credit and (b) the child element of universal credit on parents (i) in BME communities, (ii) who are considering fostering or adoption and (iii) who are the victims of domestic violence.

    Damian Hinds

    The government is committed to a fair tax and welfare system and wants to move from a low wage, high tax and high welfare economy to a higher wage, lower tax and lower welfare society. The intended impact of these reforms is to incentivise work and ensure work always pays.

    The government has fully assessed the impacts on equalities of the measures announced at Summer Budget, meeting our obligations as set out in the Public Sector Equality Duty.

  • Julian Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Julian Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2015-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral Answer given on 19 October 2015, which moderate, non-Islamist groups with credible ground forces, other than Kurds, are fighting Daesh in Syria.

    Michael Fallon

    There are a number of moderate opposition forces focused on fighting the Assad regime. Many are also fighting ISIL in areas of strategic importance, for example north of Aleppo. The vast majority of these opposition groups are Islamist.

  • Stephen Hammond – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Stephen Hammond – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hammond on 2015-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department has taken to prepare for the implementation of the proposed General Data Protection Regulation; which non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and agencies overseen by her Department will be affected by that regulation; and what estimate she has made of the potential liability of her Department, its agencies and NDPBs in connection with that proposed regulation.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Negotiations on the proposed General Data Protection Regulation are still continuing and our negotiating position has taken into account the likely impact on Government Departments, NDPBs and agencies. Once the outcome of negotiations involving the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament and the Commission are complete, and the Regulation has been adopted, the liabilities will be further assessed. There will then follow a maximum implementation period of two years. Between now and then, Government departments who will be affected by the Regulation are closely involved in work led by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport to consider the implications of the text as it develops through the negotiating process.

  • 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 2015-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many big cat sightings have been reported in each of the last five years.

    Rory Stewart

    A total of 26 sightings of big cats in the wild have been reported to Natural England since 1 January 2010. This figure is broken down as follows:

    2010 – 6

    2011 – 4

    2012 – 4

    2013 – 6

    2014 – 1

    2015 – 5 (to date)

    Please be aware that the above are only reports received and logged by Natural England. Other parties such as the Police may hold further records.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Saudi Arabian counterparts on the case of Karl Andree.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Ministers and senior officials have raised Mr Andree’s case with the Saudi Government repeatedly since he completed his sentence in August 2015. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) raised this case at the highest levels on 29 September. I spoke to the Saudi Arabian Ambassador on 17 September and wrote to him about the case on 24 September. I had a meeting with Mr Andree’s two sons and Margot James MP on 15 September 2015 to discuss their concerns. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) also wrote a letter to the Saudi Government on 13 October. Officials at our Embassy in Riyadh have also raised the case with the Saudi authorities on numerous occasions. We are actively seeking his release as soon as possible.