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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government is taking to strengthen the Northern Ireland economy.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The Government’s long-term economic plan is strengthening the Northern Ireland economy.

    Last year legislation was passed to allow the devolution of corporation tax rate-setting powers.

    This could bring benefits for an estimated 34,000 companies of all sizes in Northern Ireland.

  • Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of introduction of a tobacco licensing regime on small retailers and convenience stores.

    Anna Soubry

    My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has not made an assessment of the impacts of introducing a tobacco licensing regime or an estimate of annual cost. Under the Government’s Better Regulation framework, where regulatory measures that impact on business are being considered, it is the responsibility of the Secretary of State of the Department introducing the measure to ensure that an assessment is undertaken. This allows decisions to be taken with a clear understanding of the likely impacts of any measure. As announced in the 2015 Autumn Statement, HM Revenue and Customs are currently consulting on whether to introduce a tobacco licensing regime and responses to this consultation should inform any assessment, including the potential effect on small retailers and convenience stores.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Government’s guidance entitled Apprenticeship levy: how it will work, published on 21 April 2016, whether levy-paying employers wishing to recruit above their levy amount and 10 per cent top-up will be required to make a cash contribution towards the cost of training rather than an in-kind contribution.

    Nick Boles

    Where an employer has spent all of their levy contributions and 10% top-up, and wishes to spend more on additional apprenticeship training, they will be required to make a cash contribution towards the cost. The Government will provide generous support to help meet the additional training costs. Further detail on funding rates will be published shortly.

  • Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to (a) encourage police officers and police community support officers (PCSO) to report assaults sustained in the line of duty, (b) standardise the procedure for reporting assaults across the 48 police forces and (c) standardise the procedures for investigating and responding to an alleged assault on an officer or PCSO.

    Brandon Lewis

    I want to be clear that an assault of any kind on a police officer or police community support officers is wholly unacceptable. Chief Constables, working with directly elected police and crime commissioners, have a duty to manage and support the police workforce effectively, ensuring the welfare of all officers and staff.

    The College of Policing develops standards and guidance for policing and works with forces to manage and prevent assaults.

    Last year we published figures on assaults on police officers for the first time since 2009/10 and developed this further in 2016. We continue to work with forces to improve the data.

    Sentencing guidelines already provide for assault on a police officer to be treated more severely in appropriate cases. The courts need to be able to take into account all the circumstances of each case.

  • Matthew Offord – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Matthew Offord – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many L86A1-SA-80 light support weapons have been returned from the Middlesex North West London Army cadet force to his Department’s Donnington barracks since 2003.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Since 2003 the Middlesex North West London Army Cadet Force have returned L86A1-SA-80 light support weapons to Ministry of Defence Donnington on one occasion. Four L86 A1-SA-80 weapons were returned in January 2011.

  • 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 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of those listed in table P.04 of the September 2015 Statistical Bulletin 04/15, Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent legislation: Arrests, outcomes and stop and search, Great Britain, financial year ending 31 March 2015, were (a) charged with and (b) convicted of offences.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Home Office does not hold the requested information on the number of persons in custody for terrorism-related offences and domestic extremism/separatism who were (a) charged with and (b) convicted of offences, broken down by self-declared religion.

    Table P.02 of the statistical bulletin ‘Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent legislation: Arrests, outcomes, and stop and search, Great Britain, quarterly update to September 2015’ contains statistics on the number of persons in custody for terrorism-related offences and domestic extremism/separatism by type of prisoner. This includes those who have been remanded, convicted, as well as deportation cases, broken down by self-defined ethnicity.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department or Ofcom has made an assessment of the cost drivers behind BT’s recent 50 per cent increase in charges for non-payment by direct debit.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    BT’s charges to business customers for payments made other than by direct debit increased on 1 October 2015. It a commercial decision for providers such as BT to determine these charges, however, telecoms providers are regulated and monitored by Ofcom, who review customer satification on a rolling basis. Since January 2014, small business customers (with ten employees or fewer) affected by a mid-contract price increase may be able to leave their contract without penalty under Ofcom rules. Further information about this is on Ofcom’s website (http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/ofcom-for-business-consumers/business-contracts).

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  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Leader of the House, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 9 February (HL5480), what discussion she has had with the Northern Ireland Office about answering parliamentary written questions in full.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    As Leader of the House, I regularly stress to departments the importance of giving full and timely answers to Questions for Written Answer. The content of each answer is a matter for the Minister concerned, and each Minister is responsible to the House for the answers they provide. That direct accountability is important: that is why Ministers in this House must provide personally signed answers to members.

    The Ministerial Code says that “It is of paramount importance that Ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament”. It also makes clear that “Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament and the public, refusing to provide information only when disclosure would not be in the public interest”. In addition, there is a longstanding rule of this House that all answers should be complete and comprehensible. I shall continue to make this guidance clear to all Ministers.

  • John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will now consider acknowledging mass atrocity prevention or the prevention of identity-based mass violence to be a matter of national interest and a national priority.

    James Duddridge

    The UK continues to be strongly committed to early and effective international action to prevent mass atrocities. The National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 underlined the importance the Government attaches to upholding international humanitarian law and to the prevention of mass atrocities through effective implementation of the UN agreed principle of the Responsibility to Protect.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2016 to Question 27866, whether all other EEA members would be required to agree to the UK retaining membership of the EEA on a basis other than that which applies to Norway.

    Anna Soubry

    If the UK left the EU and sought to retain its membership of the EEA, as the UK would be changing its relationship with the EEA, the EEA Agreement would need to be modified. This would require the unanimous agreement of all EEA members.