The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will bring forward proposals to relocate (a) staff and (b) offices of his Department to Brighton; and if he will make a statement.
Mike Penning
At the present time, there are no plans to relocate a) Departmental staff and b) offices to Brighton.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Murphy on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that access to safe, affordable energy in rural areas is being treated as a specific high-priority target in the formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Justine Greening
The UK is engaging fully in the UN Open Working Group where discussions on the next set of development goals are taking place. We continue to push strongly for the inclusion of targets in line with the Sustainable Energy for All initiative, including universal access to modern energy services by 2030.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Beith on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she will reply to correspondence from the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed of 2 December 2013 and 27 March 2014 on a constituent’s complaint relating to previous employment in her Department.
Karen Bradley
A reply was sent by the Home Office Shared Services Directorate on 6 May 2014.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of businesses in Brigg and Goole constituency that will be issued with staging dates for automatic enrolment between 1 April 2014 and 1 April 2015.
Steve Webb
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave the hon. Member for Skipton and Ripon Julian Smith on 30 April, Official Report, Column 729W.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent representations he has received from HM Chief Inspector of Prisons about his plans to introduce secure colleges.
Jeremy Wright
In April 2013 Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) submitted a response to the Government’s Transforming Youth Custody consultation, which set out our proposals for Secure Colleges.
The Government values the important role HMIP performs in inspecting custodial establishments. We are therefore legislating in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill for HMIP, along with Ofsted, to have a duty to inspect Secure Colleges.
On 10 March 2014, I met with the Chief Inspector of Prisons and the Government’s proposals for Secure Colleges were discussed. In addition, my officials have had, and continue to have, discussions with the Chief Inspector’s staff in order to develop, in conjunction with Ofsted, arrangements for the inspection of Secure Colleges.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann McKechin on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Prime Minister, what criteria he used to select those who he has instructed to review any bid for AstraZeneca.
Mr David Cameron
We are committed to ensuring that the life sciences sector in this country continues to flourish and grow, with the UK at the forefront of life sciences R&D, and retaining our role as a leading manufacturing base. While ultimately the potential takeover bid is a matter for the respective boards and shareholders of the two companies, Ministers and officials across Government have engaged with both companies to ensure that the outcome is positive for the long-term future of this sector in the UK.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave at Prime Minister’s Questions today.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Williamson on 2014-04-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy that a war widow’s pension is provided for life to those awarded such a pension between 31 March 1973 and 5 April 2005.
Anna Soubry
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-04-30.
To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the merits of auto enrolment of young people at the time they are given their national insurance number.
Mr Gary Streeter
The Electoral Commission informs me that it will carefully consider with the Cabinet Office any proposals such as this for improving the efficiency of electoral registration processes as it monitors the implementation of individual electoral registration during 2014 and 2015. If such proposals appear to be viable, the Commission will recommend that the Government brings forward any necessary measures to allow them to take place once the transition to individual electoral registration is complete.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-04-30.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason his Department will no longer participate in the Debt Management Plan Protocol guidance group; and if he will make a statement.
Andrea Leadsom
The Government is committed to improving standards in the debt management industry to deliver a better deal for consumers and greater transparency for creditors. The Debt Management Plan Protocol played a crucial role in meeting this objective, working in complement with the OFT regulatory framework, and paved the way for more robust regulation of the sector by the FCA.
From 1 April, responsibility for regulating debt management firms, along with all other consumer credit firms, transferred from the Office of Fair Trading to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Consumers will be better protected under the new regime – the FCA will:
· police the gateway to the market more thoroughly;
· proactively identify risks to consumers;
· focus its supervisory resources on areas most likely to cause consumer harm;
· approve individuals in influential roles in firms;
· operate a flexible and responsive regime;
· use its wide enforcement toolkit;
· and ensure consumers have access to redress.
The FCA will thoroughly assess every debt management firm’s fitness to trade as part of the authorisation process – debt management firms will be amongst the first to require authorisation.
The FCA has also introduced new requirements for debt management firms, including:
· Prudential requirements: Debt management firms often hold consumers’ money – the FCA is requiring large debt management firms to hold capital to ensure that consumers don’t risk losing their money if things go wrong.
· Guidance added that debt management firms should not allocate more than half the money received from customers in debt management plans to meeting their fees and charges.
With the new FCA regulatory regime in place which will greatly improve consumer protection in the debt management market, the Government decided following discussions with a range of stakeholders that it was the right time to step away from an active role in the Protocol.
The Government hopes that the stakeholders involved in the Protocol will continue to work together to help the FCA monitor the market and drive best practice in the sector.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-04-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effects of reductions in education funding for 18 year olds on students with severe or complex disabilities and who attend specialist schools.
Matthew Hancock
The reductions in education funding for 18-year-old students do not apply to those with severe and complex disabilities who attend special schools. From August 2014 special schools will receive a flat rate £10,000 for all their 16- to 18-year-old student places, together with top-up funding from local authorities for individual students.