The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of staff within his Department who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.
Andrea Leadsom
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 16 June 2014, Official Report, column 433W, by the Minister for the Cabinet Office.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what targets the Cabinet Office has for increasing diversity; and what progress has been made on meeting those targets in the last year.
Mr Francis Maude
To win the global race we need the best civil servants regardless of their background so we must recruit, retain and promote on the basis of merit. We want to see more talented people, whatever their background, reach the very top roles.
There has been for many years a majority of women in the Civil Service but this was not reflected into the Senior Civil Service.
Although there has been a small increase in the proportion of women in the Senior Civil Service since 2010, and in the proportion of civil servants who declare that they are from an ethnic minority background, there is still much to do.
We know that for too long talent management in the Civil Service has been weak. That’s why I have commissioned research to examine the blockages preventing women from reaching the most senior levels of the Civil Service.
A plan to address these issues will be published this summer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of staff within his Department who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.
Hugh Robertson
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 16 June 2014, Official Report, column 433W.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of staff within her Department who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years were white British.
Mr Alan Duncan
Declaration of ethnicity for staff at DFID is voluntary and it is therefore not possible to confirm the ethnicity of any staff who have been subject to disciplinary proceedings.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many employed people worked from home in each of the last five years.
Mr Nick Hurd
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2014-06-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much has been spent in each of the last five years to adapt National Health Service hospitals for obese people.
Earl Howe
This information is not collected centrally. Decisions on spending are a matter for local National Health Service organisations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2014-06-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many schools will not have the facilities to provide hot meals in September.
Lord Nash
The Department for Education is providing funding, expert advice and support to assist schools in offering hot meals to all infant pupils from September.
There will be a range of ways that hot meals are provided in schools, with some being fully prepared on site and others transported in. The vast majority of schools are on track to offer free school meals to all their infant pupils in September, and we have made it clear that we expect them either to offer hot options immediately, or to work towards doing so as soon as possible.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2014-06-16.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken to address transgender patient discrimination in the National Health Service.
Earl Howe
We expect people with transgender issues to have the same access to National Health Service treatment, including mental health services, as anybody else in the population. Mental Health has been a priority for this Government for several years now. We made this commitment explicit in the Health and Social Care Act 2012 which, for the first time, creates equal status for mental and physical health across Government and for the NHS and social care.
Since April 2013, gender identity services have been commissioned by NHS England. NHS England will continue to work with the transgendered community, clinical experts and stakeholders through the clinical reference group for gender identity services, to produce a single and consistent policy for the whole of England.
In order to ensure equitable access to services, an England-wide Interim Protocol was consulted on, developed and became operational on 1 November 2013. The Protocol is based on the previously published and well received Scottish Protocol. The Protocol relies on the publication of the Inter-Collegiate “Good practice guidelines for the treatment of adults with gender dysphoria” published at the end of October 2013. A fully consulted policy document and service specifications will be published during 2014.
In addition, NHS England has commissioned a review of transgendered patients’ access to the NHS. This review has considered all aspects of access to NHS services and is currently being finalised in readiness for publishing.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2014-06-16.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to G4S about the legal implications of its remaining involvement with the Israeli Prison Service until 2017, in the light of Article 76 of the 4th Geneva Convention and its application to the detention of Palestinians.
Baroness Warsi
The UK considers that Israel’s detention of Palestinian prisoners within Israel is contrary to Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and have clearly stated this position to Israeli officials. We have also made clear our concerns about Israel’s treatment of Palestinian detainees in meetings with G4S. International law does not impose direct obligations on corporations. However, the Government encourages British companies to show respect for human rights in their operations in the UK and internationally.
In September 2013, we launched the UK Action Plan based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This is voluntary guidance which British businesses can consult on doing business in Israel and OPTs, but ultimately it is the decision of an individual or company concerned.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-06-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many complaints the Government has received on the England and Wales personal insolvency regime in relation to (a) bankruptcy, (b) individual voluntary arrangements and (c) debt relief orders in each year since 2010; and what the nature was of such complaints.
Jenny Willott
The Insolvency Service (Agency) does not hold records that categorise complaints in this way for 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12. The Agency’s records are held in relation to complaints received in respect of the official receiver’s administration of bankruptcies and debt relief orders (DROs) from 2012/13 onwards.
Since June 2013, following introduction of the Insolvency Practitioner Complaints Gateway, the Agency has maintained records of complaints made against Insolvency Practitioners (IPs) and their administration of individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) and Trust Deeds (a Scottish equivalent of IVAs) – no records are held for IVAs alone.
The following table summarises complaint numbers in respect of the official receiver or IP’s administration of bankruptcies, IVA/ Trust Deeds and DROs.
|
Year |
Bankruptcy |
IVA & Trust Deeds |
Debt relief orders |
|
2012/13 |
193 |
– |
0 |
|
2013/14 |
154 |
183 |
7 |
Records detailing the nature of complaints received in relation to the official receiver’s administration of bankruptcy and DRO cases have only been held since 2013/14. The complaints are categorised as follows:
Delay in taking action;
Delay in replying to correspondence;
Delay in returning telephone calls;
Personal conduct (of a member of staff);
Misleading/ incorrect information;
Failure to inform/ reply;
Failure to act;
Incorrect action; and
Quality of service by 3rd party acting for the Agency.
The nature of complaints received in respect of an IP’s administration of IVAs are categorised as follows:
Complainant not receiving a completion certificate;
IP’s failure to deal with correspondence;
Complainant disputing payment protection insurance compensation is asset in IVA;
Complainant believes they were given poor advice; and
IP failed to deal with an IVA/ Trust Deed in a timely way.