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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the new junior doctors’ contract to be published; and if he will make a statement.

    Alistair Burt

    After the British Medical Association (BMA) left negotiations in October 2014, the Government asked the independent Doctors and Dentists Review Body (DDRB) to make recommendations on a new contract for junior doctors. The DDRB report published on 16 July considered evidence from employers, Government, the British Medical Association (BMA) and other interested parties and made recommendations on a new pay structure for doctors and dentists in training.

    The Secretary of State accepted the recommendations of the DDRB as the basis for implementing a new contract and invited the BMA to re-enter negotiations to take forward the recommendations with NHS Employers. Although the DDRB accepted the principles of the reforms there remained significant work to finalise and agree the details of the contract and it was expected that these would be agreed between the parties on the basis of a negotiation. It is disappointing that on 13 August the BMA announced that it would not re-engage in negotiations based on the independent report and absented itself from participating in making important design decisions on the new contract.

    The Government cannot accept that a Trade Union should have a veto on making changes to an outdated employment contract that the BMA agreed urgently needed reform. The Department has therefore asked NHS Employers to take forward the work of developing a new employment contract without the BMA. NHS Employers are arranging to consult with junior doctors and other interested stakeholders directly and will shortly launch a series of roadshows across the country. The Government would still welcome the BMA re-entering the negotiation.

    The new contract will prioritise safe care by strengthening safeguards on doctors’ working hours and reward junior doctors more fairly for the work they do. No financial savings will be made from implementing the new contract. It will be finalised in the new year and is due to be implemented from August 2016.

  • Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of funding within police budgets to deal with non-crime demands, such as cases involving missing persons.

    Mr John Hayes

    Police and Crime Commissioners, working with their Chief Officers, are responsible for allocating funding according to local priorities. This includes providing resources for cases involving missing persons. The Government is clear that the way that funding is allocated is currently opaque and out of date and have consulted on a new model to ensure fairness and transparency. The consultation closed on 15 September and responses are being analysed. The consultation drew on the recently published College of Policing report “Estimating demand on the police service” which included analysis of non crime demand. The report is available on the College of Policing website.

  • Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many meetings he has had with HM Treasury to discuss the potential effects in Scotland of a carbon price support exemption scheme in the last year.

    David Mundell

    I have had a number of meetings and discussions on the important issue of opencast restoration and in particular the proposal for a carbon price support exemption. These have included discussions with colleagues from HM Treasury, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Scottish Government and Local Authorities.

  • Meg Hillier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Meg Hillier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Meg Hillier on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to tackle fuel fraud in Northern Ireland.

    Damian Hinds

    The government is committed to reducing revenue loss due to fuel duty fraud in Northern Ireland. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has a comprehensive anti-fraud strategy in place that has driven down the estimated illicit share of the market for diesel in Northern Ireland (NI) from 26% to 13% since its launch in 2002. Autumn Statement 2013 also announced the expansion of HMRC Road Fuel Testing Unit and Criminal Investigation capacity in NI and Great Britain.

    The fight against fraud will be further enhanced by the new rebated fuel marker introduced in April 2015, which makes it much harder to launder marked fuel.

    HMRC also works closely with the Revenue Commissioners in the Republic of Ireland to fight fuel fraud on a wide range of fronts. This multi-agency approach includes regular exchange of information and joint operational activity. The Republic of Ireland have also introduced the same new marker as the UK.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2015 to Question 8779, whether the range of information sources HM Revenue and Customs uses to monitor the reported self-correction by employers participating in the new national minimum wage campaign includes speaking independently to the workforce and other relevant groups such as local trade unions.

    Nick Boles

    HMRC operate a risk based approach using a range of sources to monitor self-corrections in the national minimum wage campaign, this ‎includes contacting workers to ensure they have received the reported arrears.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2015-09-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2015 to Question 5430, on ownership of companies, what his definition is of a similarly effective system.

    Mr David Gauke

    The international standards on anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing, including transparency of legal persons, are set by the Financial Action Task Force. The British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands are members of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force and are subject to mutual evaluations of their AML/CTF regime through this body.

    At the December 2014 Joint Ministerial Council, the UK and the Overseas Territories committed to continue to work together in raising international standards to tackle money laundering, tax evasion, illicit finance and corruption, leading by example given the importance of our financial centres to the international financial system. In March, the Minister for the Overseas Territories and I wrote to the Premiers of the BVI and Cayman Islands asking them to set out plans and a timetable for the implementation of central registers of company beneficial ownership, or similarly effective systems, by the November Joint Ministerial Council.

    Any system should meet the following three criteria: UK and domestic law enforcement and tax authorities must be able to access company beneficial ownership information without restriction, subject to relevant safeguards; these competent authorities should be able to quickly identify all companies that a particular beneficial owner has a stake in, without needing to submit multiple and repeated requests; and companies or their beneficial owners must not be alerted to the fact that an investigation is under way.

    The UK Government continues to engage actively with the BVI and Cayman Islands to emphasize the importance of this agenda and to offer any technical support that might be required.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2015 to Question 9926, what steps he is taking specifically to support fibre to the premises.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    We are proposing action in a number of areas to encourage the market to invest in better fixed communications infrastructure.

    We intend to reform the Electronic Communications Code – the statutory framework governing rights of access to private premises. We will be implementing the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive to help reduce the cost of rolling out high speed broadband. We will review the effectiveness of the fixed planning changes introduced in England in 2013 to determine whether they should be made permanent. We will also encourage and support innovative approaches in street works which can lower the cost and speed up deployment of faster broadband.

    We will continue to look for new ways to support fixed infrastructure deployment in consultation with industry.

  • Sue Hayman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Sue Hayman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sue Hayman on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the Sellafield site security costs were in each of the last five years; and what those costs are projected to be in each of the next five years.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Security at Sellafield is a high priority for the Government. However, the Government does not comment on security at nuclear sites. Expenditure on security is subject to the same processes and rules as other public expenditure.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what contact his Department had with Action on Smoking and Health on the Tobacco Control Strategy 2011 before publication of that strategy.

    Jane Ellison

    Health Lives, Healthy People: A Tobacco Control Plan for England, states that the plan was developed in collaboration with local government representatives, public health advocacy groups, academics, clinicians, professional bodies and retailers.This included Action on Smoking and Health.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-09-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will estimate the number of asylum seeker applicants in the UK who were living in poverty in each of the last five years.

    James Brokenshire

    If asylum seekers are destitute they are provided with support by the UK taxpayer. The support usually consists of accommodation and a cash allowance to cover essential living needs.

    The cash allowance is also provided if the asylum seeker is living with friends or relatives but needs assistance to meet their essential living needs.