Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Sri Lankan counterpart (a) on that country’s duties to uphold human rights and (b) in response to recent attacks on Muslims in that country.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We regularly raise human rights concerns with the Sri Lankan government and urge them to make progress on reconciliation and accountability. The UK was a main co-sponsor of the UN Human Rights Council resolution passed in March, which establishes an international investigation into allegations of violations and abuses of international law on both sides of Sri Lanka’s military conflict. The resolution also calls upon the Sri Lankan government to end continuing incidents of human rights violations and abuses in Sri Lanka.

    We also continue to raise our concerns about attacks against religious minorities in Sri Lanka with the Sri Lankan government, including the most recent violence in Aluthgama and Beruwala. Through our High Commissioner in Colombo, we have urged the Sri Lankan authorities to take early action to promote peaceful co-existence between all communities, noting the importance of ensuring any acts of violence, intimidation or threats are thoroughly investigated and those responsible brought to justice.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to put in place a media campaign to educate the public about alternatives to antibiotics.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department is working with other Government departments to coordinate implementation of the Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy including improving public and professional understanding and awareness.

    Public Health England (PHE) is leading on work to improve public knowledge, attitudes and behaviours in relation to antimicrobial resistance in collaboration with partners across the health and social care sector in England.

    PHE is coordinating work on European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) for England. EAAD is a European initiative which takes place on 18 November each year and aims to promote prudent antibiotic use among professionals and the public.

    PHE are also working with the Department to explore the potentional for additional targeted media work.

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    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, how much his Department allocated to National Breastfeeding Week in each year since 2010.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The last year for which the Department provided funding for National Breastfeeding Week was 2010, when the contribution was £110,000.

    Since 2011 the Department has collaborated with key partners including the Royal College of Midwives, Public Health England and UNICEF UK to promote National Breastfeeding Week through material and information on the NHS Choices website that can be used locally.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that UK assistance to the Democratic Republic of Congo is not misused or misappropriated.

    Justine Greening

    DFID takes seriously tackling the misuse or misappropriation of UK Aid, and has a range of robust controls and measures in place to safeguard the UK taxpayers’ money.

    In the DRC this includes regular rigorous risk assessments of the fiduciary environment to determine the way in which UK Aid is provided. Currently this means DFID funds in DRC are channelled through United Nations agencies and NGOs, rather than provided directly to the government. All partners selected are subject to pre-funding due diligence checks and regular scrutiny during implementation.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the likely effect on prison numbers of Clause 25 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill.

    Mike Penning

    Knife crime is a scourge, and this Government has already introduced new offences of threatening with a knife in a public place or school in the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. We are also legislating in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill to place statutory restrictions on the use of adult cautions for certain offences, which includes knife possession.

    Clause 25 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill was introduced by back bench amendment in the House of Commons. On the 17 June the House of Commons passed the clause into the Bill at Report stage. The clause is now being considered in the House of Lords. We will publish an assessment of the impact of this clause on prison numbers, if it were to become law, in due course.

  • Pete Wishart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    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, how many officials of the Office of the Advocate-General for Scotland have been allocated to work on the Scotland Analysis programme; and if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of that work.

    David Mundell

    Work on the Scotland analysis programme has been undertaken in the course of normal business across Government by policy and legal experts in relevant areas. In the Office of the Advocate General, any work relating to the Scotland analysis programme and any associated costs have been absorbed by existing teams within the Office of the Advocate General in addition to their day-to-day responsibilities and from existing budgets. Therefore there have been no additional costs involved in work of the Office of the Advocate General on the programme.

  • Mark Lazarowicz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mark Lazarowicz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Lazarowicz on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what average time is taken to process an application for funeral expenses from the Social Fund from the time an application is submitted to a decision being taken.

    Steve Webb

    The clearance time for Funeral Payments, as published in the 2012/13 Social Fund Annual report, is an average of 14.76 days, against a target of 16 days

  • Eilidh Whiteford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Eilidh Whiteford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the impact assessment of the single-tier pension published in October 2013, if he will make an estimate of how many people reaching state pension age after implementation of the single-tier pension in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland would have been eligible for savings credit in (i) 2020 and (ii) 2030 had savings credit not been abolished.

    Steve Webb

    The full rate of the new State Pension will give an income above the basic means test, rewarding retirement income saving.

    It is estimated that in 2020 around 10% of pensioner households receiving the new State Pension, around 200,000 benefit units, in Great Britain would be eligible for the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit if it had not been removed for people who reached State Pension age after the introduction of new State Pension in April 2016.

    By 2030, it is estimated that 15% of the new State Pension households, around 1 million benefit units, would be in this position.

    Not all of these people would take up their eligibility to Savings Credit. The Department estimates that take-up amongst people eligible for only the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit is between 43% and 48%.

    Breakdowns of the impact analysis by country or region within Great Britain are not available.

    It is estimated that retaining Savings Credit for all pensioners and uprating it line with earnings would lead to additional annual costs in the UK of around £2bn in 20 years’ time.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    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, Ministers or officials in his Department have had with secondary ticketing websites about guidance to or implementation of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

    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.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-07-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the success of steps taken to encourage and facilitate first time buyers and young people to get onto the property ladder.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Help to Buy scheme is helping hardworking people realise their home-owning aspirations across the UK. Over 27,000 households have bought a new home through Help to Buy so far, and 85 per cent of these have been first-time buyers. Between 2011/12 and 2013/14 11,000 first time buyers were helped through the FirstBuy scheme