Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether community rehabilitation companies have access to National Probation Service case records.

    Jeremy Wright

    Staff in the National Probation Service (NPS) and the Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) have, and will continue to have, necessary access to each other’s case records. NPS staff are able to read all CRC records and update any case they are working on. CRC staff will be able to see and update records that relate to offenders they are working with.

  • Lord Patel of Bradford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Lord Patel of Bradford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patel of Bradford on 2014-04-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the BBC’s decision to withdraw one of its black and minority ethnic (BME) reporter posts and its BBC UK Black weekly Podcast, whether in the negotiations with the BBC in respect of the renewal of its Charter they intend to set requirements relating to the coverage of BME issues in the BBC’s output; and if so, what requirements.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The process, scope and timing of the review of the BBC’s Charter has yet to be determined. However, the Government is committed to the issue of BAME diversity in TV, film and the Arts, both on and off screen. The Culture Minister recently met with leading figures from these sectors, including the BBC, to consider options to improve representation.

  • 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 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what new prison accommodation is planned to come on stream and in which locations before May 2015.

    Jeremy Wright

    We will always have enough prison places for those sent to us by the courts and continue to modernise the prison estate so that it delivers best value for the taxpayer. This Government has a long term strategy for managing the prison estate which will provide more adult male prison capacity than we inherited from the previous Government.

    Over 2,000 further places for adult male prisoners will become available before May 2015, including new house-blocks at HM Prisons The Mount, Thameside, Parc and Peterborough. The remainder of the places will come from re-opening refurbished or mothballed capacity

  • Lord Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lucas on 2014-04-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any risk assessment has been undertaken as to the impact on the Excise Movement and Control System, the Import Control System and the New Computerised Transit System following changes to the Government Gateway and Identity Assurance programme; and, if so, whether they will publish it.

    Lord Deighton

    The Identity Assurance programme is at an early stage in development. The programme will be subjected to rigorous consultation and testing. Any relevant documents will be published when available.

  • Christopher Chope – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Christopher Chope – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what recent estimate the Electoral Commission has made of the number of British citizens registered as overseas voters and the number of such citizens eligible for registration.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    Every British citizen who has been registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years is eligible to vote in UK Parliamentary (general) elections and European Parliamentary elections.

    The Electoral Commission informs me that the most recent figure showed that there were 15,848 registered overseas voters on the UK electoral registers.

    The most recent estimates of the total number of UK citizens living abroad are of 5.5 million (The Institute for Public Policy Research in 2006) and 4.7 million (The World Bank in 2010). However, it is not possible from this data to establish how many citizens living abroad were registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years and are therefore eligible to vote from abroad. Even in the absence of a reliable estimate, it is nonetheless clear that the number of UK citizens living abroad who are eligible to register to vote is considerably more than those currently registered.

    The Commission runs public awareness campaigns to encourage British expatriates to register to vote; the most recent took place ahead of the European elections this year.

  • Helen Goodman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Helen Goodman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Attorney General, how many prosecutions have taken place under the Obscene Publications Act 1959 for the offence of providing unrestricted access to hardcore pornography online, as set out in the 2005 Crown Prosecution Service guidelines, disaggregated by year.

    Oliver Heald

    The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)indicate the number of offences charged, in which a prosecution commenced at magistrates’ courts under Section 2 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 (publishing or having an obscene article for publication for gain), rather than identifying the number of people prosecuted.

    Section 2 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 creates the offence of publishing or having an obscene article for publication for gain.

    The table below shows, in each of the last 8 years, for which figures are available, the number of offences, charged by way of Section 2 of the OPA 1959, and which reached a first hearing at magistrates’ courts, in England and Wales.

    Financial Year

    Obscene Publications Act 1959 { 2 }

    2005-2006

    111

    2006-2007

    105

    2007-2008

    111

    2008-2009

    152

    2009-2010

    82

    2010-2011

    71

    2011-2012

    76

    2012-2013

    34

    Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

    “

  • 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 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of partners in small businesses who will apply for universal credit; and what steps such people need to take to establish their monthly income in order to do so.

    Esther McVey

    We have not produced estimates of the numbers of partners in small businesses who will apply for Universal Credit.

    Guidance on self-employment issued for Universal Credit decision makers can be found in the Advice for Decision Makers, which is available online at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-for-decision-making-staff-guide

    “

  • Martin Horwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Martin Horwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martin Horwood on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether information included in the registry of company beneficial ownership information will be available for free.

    Jenny Willott

    Companies House is a Trading Fund and must recover the costs for the services it provides where there are clear identifiable costs. However, Companies House already provides a lot of company data for free, including company appointments. It is actively working to increase the amount of data available for free and company beneficial ownership information will form part of this ongoing strategy.

  • Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of the total Child Support Agency arrears owed to parents with care is regarded as (a) potentially collectable and (b) likely to be collected in the next three years in (i) Scotland, (ii) England, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland.

    Steve Webb

    The proportion of child maintenance arrears owed to parents with care that is potentially collectable and likely to be collected is shown in the table below, as at March 2013.

    Northern Ireland does not fall within the jurisdiction of the Great Britain Child Support Agency.

    Collectability analysis looks at the likelihood of arrears being collected and does not include a timeframe for collections.

    Total Potentially or Likely to be Collected

    Potentially Collectable

    Likely Collectable

    Scotland

    26%

    13%

    13%

    England

    25%

    12%

    13%

    Wales

    26%

    13%

    13%

    Notes:

    1. Geographical breakdowns are based on the location of the non resident parent in each case.

    2. Collectability breakdowns as published in the Client Fund Accounts include an estimate for collections from future legal activity. As this has not yet occurred then it cannot be allocated to geographical areas so is not included in the figures above.

    3. Proportions have been calculated using CS2 and CSCS cases only and excludes cases administered off system.

  • Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help shops in (a) Brighton, Kemptown constituency and (b) East Sussex with their business rate bills; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    At the Autumn Statement we announced a £1 billion package of business rates support to help shops and local firms. This included a £1,000 discount for two years for shops, pubs and restaurants with a rateable value of below £50,000. We do not hold figures for numbers benefitting from that measure in the Kemptown constituency. However, based on local authority reports of the amount of relief awarded in the Brighton and East Sussex areas, we estimate that 2,270 properties will benefit in Brighton and Hove, 890 in Wealdon, 810 in Lewes, 750 in Rother, and 720 in Eastbourne. We do not yet have an estimate for Hastings.

    The support package also included a 50 per cent discount for businesses taking on long-term empty shops, the doubling of small business rate relief for another year, a 2% cap on RPI increases for 2014/2015, and allowing businesses to spread their rate payments over 12 months.