UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Nick Gibb – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Nick Gibb – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Gibb on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what current contracts (a) his Department and (b) each of his Department’s executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies hold with the Educational Testing Service or any of that organisation’s subsidiaries.

    Mrs Helen Grant

    The Department does not hold any contracts with the Educational Testing Service or any of its subsidiaries. We do not hold information centrally on our executive agency or non-departmental public bodies.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Doughty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond to the letter of 5 May 2014 from the hon. Member for Cardiff South and Penarth on British Army processes of justice and requesting an urgent meeting.

    Anna Soubry

    I responded to the hon. Member today.

  • Mark Reckless – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mark Reckless – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Reckless on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many of the graduates receiving bursaries to teach physics in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15 at each of the four tiers had (i) a physics degree, (ii) a relevant degree in respect of physics as defined by the School Workforce Survey and (iii) any other degree.

    Mr David Laws

    Information in relation to 2013-14 is not held in the form requested and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

    Data on 2014-15 participants has not yet been collected.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many herd owners have (a) failed to complete TB surveillance tests on time and (b) received reductions in their Single Payment Scheme payments since the introduction of a revised TB testing regime in January 2014.

    George Eustice

    Owners of cattle herds are given a two or three month window to complete their TB surveillance tests, depending on whether they are subject to annual or four yearly surveillance testing. The enhanced cross compliance rule for overdue surveillance tests applies to cattle keepers with a testing window that started on or after 1 January 2014. In April 2014 (the most recent date for which we have data) 264 herd owners had failed to complete their TB tests on time, which compares to 689 overdue tests in April 2013. All of these herd owners who are Common Agricultural Policy scheme recipients will be liable to reductions in their payments once these become due, unless they can show that the late testing was beyond their control.

  • Emma Lewell-Buck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Emma Lewell-Buck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Lewell-Buck on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff employed by his Department received each level of performance rating in their end of year performance assessment for 2013-14.

    Hugh Robertson

    The 2014 validation process for staff performance ratings is not yet complete for 2013/14.

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) takes seriously its obligations to collect diversity data as required by the Equality Act 2010. Information about the diversity and makeup of our staff is listed in the FCO’s Diversity and Equality Report.

    All staff have been asked to provide personal disability data to be held anonymously. We continue to encourage increased declaration by staff as current declaration rates are below the level necessary to give meaningful statistical information. I will write to the hon Member (and place a copy of the letter in the library of the House) when the validation process is complete to answer her question.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he plans to take to reduce the number of rebukes his Department receives from the UK Statistical Authority.

    Esther McVey

    Since May 2010 the DWP has led the way in openness and transparency of statistical releases by publishing over 770 releases and datasets.
    Great care is taken to get things right, and in this time the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) has only written directly to DWP Ministers on two occasions about issues raised with it about DWP statistics. The Department has responded to these points and taken on board the UKSA suggestions.

    DWP Statistical releases are produced and published separately to and independently from other Departmental comment or publications.
    Great care is taken by DWP statisticians to ensure the Statistical releases are easy to read and understand, and are balanced and impartial.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Nicholas Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for what reasons he decided against change following his review into his Department’s check-off system for employees’ trade union subscriptions.

    Jo Swinson

    I have not reviewed, and have no plans to review, this Department’s check-off arrangements.

    I have not reviewed these arrangements, as I believe that Trade Unions have an important role to play in creating a positive employment relations climate from which all organisations can benefit. I also believe that the check-off system does not create a distinguishable burden on the administration of the HR function in this Department.

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people were employed by the Defence Vetting Agency in (a) York and (b) total on 1 April in each year since it was created.

    Anna Soubry

    The figures in the following table represent people employed by the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting for 2012, 2013 and 2014 and its predecessor the Defence Vetting Agency until 2011, in York and total, on 1 April each year.

    Staff based in York

    Overall total

    2003

    220

    320

    2004

    220

    340

    2005

    230

    350

    2006

    230

    350

    2007

    230

    360

    2008

    250

    390

    2009

    300

    450

    2010

    310

    470

    2011

    260

    430

    2012

    220

    350

    2013

    180

    310

    2014

    162

    297

    Notes:

    Although the Defence Vetting Agency was founded in 1996 reliable figures are only available from 2003.

    Figures are for Full Time Equivalents.

    Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which office in his Department or its arms length bodies has responsibility for the oversight of outsourcing QTS numeracy and skills tests to Pearson VUE.

    Mr David Laws

    The skills tests for prospective teachers were developed under a contract let by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) to Pearson VUE in 2009. The Teaching Agency took over responsibility for oversight of contract management in 2012 when the TDA was abolished. Since November 2013, responsibility has rested with the Standards and Testing Agency, an executive agency of the Department for Education.

  • Priti Patel – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Priti Patel – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Priti Patel on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that the Gloria Greenwood murder and trial of the suspects is discussed during any future visit to the UK by government ministers from St Lucia.

    Mark Simmonds

    Consular officials remain in regular contact with the St Lucian authorities about the investigation into Mrs Greenwood’s death. We will continue to use all appropriate opportunities to press upon them the importance we place on bringing this case to trial, including Ministerial visits to the UK and to St Lucia. Consular officials are keeping Mrs Greenwood’s family updated and continue to provide full consular assistance