Tag: Parliamentary Question

Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his assessment is of the trial publication online of the Red Book for expectant mothers.

Dr Daniel Poulter

The Personal Child Health Record, commonly known as the Red Book, is not a Departmental publication but has been part of children’s services in the National Health Service for the last 20 years. Its content and format are overseen by a multi-disciplinary group hosted by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). The RCPCH is working in partnership with Sitekit Ltd, the developers of the online Red Book, and will undertake an assessment of the product on its completion.

November 2, 2022
Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Murphy on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will support proposals to amend the goal on education to provide free, equitable and inclusive quality education and life-long learning opportunities for all in the Sustainable Development Goals.

Justine Greening

The UK supports a stand-alone education goal in the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and life-long learning opportunities for all.

The final goal and targets in the post-2015 development framework will be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

November 2, 2022
John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John McDonnell on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is on devolving responsibility for tagging contracts to police and crime commissioners.

Andrew Selous

On 15 July the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice announced that the Ministry of Justice will be awarding contracts to four companies for delivery of the next generation of electronic monitoring services.

These national contracts will be managed by the Ministry of Justice. Within the existing legislative framework, there are opportunities for Police and Crime Commissioners to make use of the capability within national contracts to support their local priorities in order to ensure that the taxpayers money is used efficiently. Police and Crime Commissioners may however make local arrangements depending on local priorities.

Separate to these national contracts, the Secretary of State has agreed to allow the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime to enter into arrangements to pilot the effectiveness of the Alcohol Abstinence Monitoring Requirement under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

November 2, 2022
Pete Wishart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pete Wishart on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what (a) external organisations and (b) officials in the Office of the Advocate-General for Scotland he has engaged with as part of the Scotland Analysis programme; and what was discussed at each such consultation.

David Mundell

The Scotland analysis programme has been the most detailed examination ever undertaken of Scotland’s contribution to the UK and the benefits that Scotland gets from being part of the UK. The UK Government has engaged with a wide range of organisations in the development of and distribution of the analysis, including business organisations, academics and lawyers. The Office of the Advocate General for Scotland provides the UK Government with advice on Scots law and has been involved throughout the production of all of the Scotland analysis papers, along with officials from across Whitehall.

November 2, 2022
Rosie Cooper – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the main reasons for the time taken to process personal independence payment claims.

Mr Mark Harper

Claimants to employment and support allowance (ESA) are not being asked to claim personal independence payment (PIP). PIP was introduced in April 2013 to replace disability living allowance (DLA) for working age people (between 16 and 64 years old) and operates an entirely separate assessment from the work capability assessment used for ESA claims. From October 2013 we have begun inviting some existing claimants of DLA to claim PIP. The current arrangements for this can be found on the gov.uk website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-personal-independence-payment-toolkit-for-partners/the-personal-independence-payment-pip-toolkit-for-partners .

We are continuously looking at ways to increase the number of decisions made on PIP claims and to improve the claims process.

Internal DWP processes and the assessment part of the process are taking longer than expected and some claimants are taking longer than anticipated to return their claim forms but we are working closely with both PIP assessment providers as part of our plans to speed up the end to end claimant journey. We have introduced improvements in communications to claimants about the type of evidence they can supply to speed up their claim and we are taking action to support the assessment providers in clearing backlogs of work.

“

November 2, 2022
Seema Malhotra – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the situation in Israel and Palestine.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

As the Prime Minister said in his comprehensive statement yesterday, we are clear that Israel has a right to defend itself against these attacks. No country would stand by as rockets are fired or terrorist tunnels are constructed into their territory. We are equally clear that Israel’s response must be proportionate, taking all necessary steps to minimise civilian casualties in line with International Humanitarian Law.

November 2, 2022
Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he, Minister and officials in his Department have had with Ministers or officials in the (a) Department of Culture, Media and Sport and (b) Home Office about the resale of tickets and the Consumer Rights Bill.

Jo Swinson

My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has not received any direct representations from representatives of the secondary ticketing websites on amendments tabled to the Consumer Rights Bill or about the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills’ guidance on them.

Neither my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State nor other Ministers in the Department for Business Innovation and Skills have had meetings with the secondary ticketing websites about the implementation of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 or the Department for Business Innovation and Skills’ guidance on them.

The draft Regulations and the contents of the Bill were widely consulted on and the Department received a range of comments in response. Officials from the Department have also had discussions with a wide range of stakeholders (including with secondary ticketing websites) on the implementation of those Regulations and the guidance on them.

Following a consultation on the draft regulations, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills has produced guidance on the requirements of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. This guidance is easily accessible on the gov.uk website. Officials have also worked with the Business Support Helpline, which offers free advice to business on a wide range of issues, including regulation, and with the Trading Standards Institute (TSI), as the primary body responsible for educating businesses on consumer law. TSI has also produced guidance which is available on their website. Consumers themselves are important in driving compliance and officials have worked with Citizens Advice to raise consumer awareness so that they can see when businesses are not abiding by the requirements of the regulations.

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has also actively promoted the changes in the Regulations across all sectors through seminars, presentations and communications to businesses.

Ministers in the Home Office, Department for Culture Media and Sport and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills have discussions and correspond together on a wide range of issues, and this has included agreeing the content of the Consumer Rights Bill. Officials from those Departments are in regular contact, including regarding the issue of resale of tickets.

November 2, 2022

Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-07-15.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost in salaries was for those officials in his Department employed in tackling tobacco smuggling (a) in total, (b) in detection, (c) in investigations and (d) on intelligence matters in each year since 2010-11.

Priti Patel

It is not possible to provide the requested breakdown of the total HM Revenue and Customs spent on salaries for staff employed on tackling tobacco smuggling in the way requested. The total costs for each year are as follows:

Salary Cost

(millions)

2010-11

Salary cost

(millions)

2011-12

Salary cost

(millions)

2012-13

Salary cost

(millions)

2013-14

Total

£37.044

£36.882

£35.734

£37.731

HM Revenue and Customs does not operate any x-ray scanners. Border Force has responsibility for the operation of x-ray scanners as part of the joint strategy to tackle tobacco smuggling.

HM Revenue and Customs total expenditure on tobacco work since 2010-11 is detailed in the table below. This includes administration and policy, as well as enforcement.

HMRC Activity

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

Total expenditure on tobacco work (millions)

£65.750

£68.918

£67.641

£76.000

It is not possible to provide the staff information in the format requested. However, the total figures are set out below:

HMRC Activity	2010/11 Full Time Equivalent	2011/12 Full Time Equivalent	2012/13 Full Time Equivalent	2013/14 Full Time Equivalent



Total	758	777	777	832

For the year 2012/13, the UK cigarette illicit market was reported at 9%, which is half the level seen a decade ago. The illicit market share for hand-rolling tobacco is 36%, lower than in 2010/11 and significantly lower than the level seen in 2008/09, when it was 50 per cent.

November 2, 2022

Lyn Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the suitability for other negotiations of the accrual rate for pension entitlement used within the offer agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive in negotiations on firefighter pensions.

Penny Mordaunt

The pension arrangements to apply to firefighters in Northern Ireland are a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. Northern Ireland is not covered by the Public Service Pensions Act 2013 which requires a Normal Pension Age of 60 to apply to firefighters in England, Scotland and Wales.

November 2, 2022
Stephen Barclay – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Barclay on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many masts are operational in Cambridgeshire as a result of the Mobile Infrastructure Project.

Mr Edward Vaizey

There are not yet any masts operational in Cambridgeshire. We estimate that work will commence on Cambridgeshire masts over the coming months. The build of all masts under the Mobile Infrastructure Project is dependent on a number of unknown factors for each potential mast, including finding a willing landlord for the mast and obtaining planning permission.

November 2, 2022