The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-06-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of recent trends in employment in the private sector.
Esther McVey
There are more people in private sector jobs than ever before, up over 2 million since 2010.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-09.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to reduce taxation on small businesses; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Gauke
The Government is committed to make the UK the best place in Europe to start, finance and grow a business and has focused a number of measures specifically on small businesses.
These include a £2,000 Employment Allowance available from April 2014 to support small businesses aspiring to hire their first employee or expand their workforce; and, as set out in the Autumn Statement 2013, a £1bn package of business rates measures, 90% of which is going to businesses occupying small premises. The Government is also increasing the payable R&D tax credit for loss-making SMEs from 11 per cent to 14.5 per cent from April 2014, providing particular support for early-stage companies and start-ups, who face the greatest risks and barriers to R&D investment.
Fuel costs are also significant for many small businesses so the Government has implemented the longest duty freeze for over 20 years. In total, by 2015-16 a small business with a van will have saved £1,300 and a haulier £21,000.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John McDonnell on 2014-06-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Government expects to receive from (a) the 20 per cent deduction from the child maintenance payment of the paying parent and (b) the four per cent deduction of total payment of support to the child from the receiving parent.
Steve Webb
Paragraph 106 of the CSA Case Closure, Introducing CMS Fees, Supporting Family Based Arrangements Impact Assessment gives an estimate of the total income by year raised through the parent with care fee and the non-resident parent fee. This Impact Assessment, published on 22 November 2013, is available at
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Naomi Long on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on (a) armed forces recruitment and (b) armed forces recruitment marketing in 2012-13.
Anna Soubry
The Ministry of Defence does not report the costs of recruitment marketing separately. The costs detailed in the following table show the total cost of regular recruiting by Service and include manpower costs; marketing campaigns (specific advertising); marketing operations (provision of the recruiting process i.e. call centres and website maintenance), and contract costs (i.e. medical and fitness testing).It should be noted that despite the redundancy notice, the Armed Forces are required to constantly recruit every year to maintain the levels of young personnel entering the three services.
|
Financial Year |
Royal Navy |
Army |
Royal Air Force |
TOTAL |
|
2012-13 |
£33.2million |
£122.8million |
£35.4million |
£191.4million |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many people started apprenticeships in (a) Swindon and (b) the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.
Matthew Hancock
Information on the number of apprenticeship starts in England by geography is published in a Supplementary Table to a Statistical First Release (SFR):
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships–2
The Department does not collect further education information relating to the devolved administrations.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on renegotiating overseas fishing agreements with Guinea-Bissau and other countries along the West African coast.
George Eustice
The fisheries agreement between the European Union and Guinea-Bissau has been inactive since 2012 when the protocol was suspended due to political tensions in the country. I am unaware of any further discussion about this agreement since that time.
At present, the EU has active fisheries agreements with the following countries in Western Africa: Cape Verde,Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, São Tomé e Príncipe and Mauritania. In addition, there are a number of agreements which are currently dormant.
The UK plays an active role within the EU when these agreements are negotiated. Our views are based on the following principles: that agreements allow EU fleets only to fish against genuinely surplus stocks; that best available scientific advice is taken into account to fish sustainably; that due consideration is given to human rights issues; and that agreements be financially beneficial to the EU and thethird country in question, with sufficient controls in place to ensure funds received by third countries are used in appropriate ways. Furthermore, the UK also believes that the financial burden of agreements should be moved towards vessel operators, from the EU taxpayer, taking into account the profitability of the stock.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-17.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date each of the 25 firms named and shamed for breach of the national minimum wage by his Department on 8 June 2014 was issued with the relevant Notice of Underpayment of the minimum wage by HM Revenue and Customs.
Jenny Willott
I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The dates that the Notice of Underpayments (NoU) were issued for the 25 firms named and shamed for breach of the national minimum wage (NMW) are as follows.
| Month | NoUs |
|
December 2013 |
1 |
|
January 2014 |
9 |
|
February 2014 |
10 |
|
March 2014 |
4 |
|
April 2014 |
1 |
They were issued under the revised Naming Scheme which was introduced on 1 October 2013. It takes time for cases to work their way through the system as there is a process to follow before an employer can be named. If HMRC investigates an employer that is breaking NMW law they will be issued with a Notice of Underpayment (NOU) by HMRC. An employer has 28 days to appeal against the NOU and 14 days from when the case closes to make representations to BIS.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the written statement of 4 March 2013, Official Report, columns 55-6WS, on special mission immunity, how many special missions have been (a) consented to and (b) refused under the pilot process; and if he will make a statement.
Mark Simmonds
I refer to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), to the House on 4 March 2013, Official Report, columns 55-56WS. The Foreign Secretary announced a new process by which we would be informed of visits that may qualify for special mission status. The pilot process has improved the process for communicating and decision-making in respect of visits that may qualify for special mission status. Since the pilot’s inception, we have received six such requests. There are no requests outstanding.
The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), confirmed to the House on 12 July 2013, Official Report, columns 427W and 429W, that two of the requests which were granted, related to visits by Lieutenant General Benny Gantz of the Israeli Defence Forces and Doron Almog, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Chief of Staff for Bedouin Status improvement. In view of the confidentiality of diplomatic exchanges, we have no plans to publish further details about requests that have been granted or refused. But if those applying for special mission status wish to announce the details of their visit to the UK, they are of course at liberty to do so.
All applications for special mission status are considered carefully in view of both obligations incumbent upon the UK under customary international law and our policy of ending impunity for the most serious of international crimes and a commitment to the protection of human rights. Above this, it is for the courts to decide on the legal consequences of any decision to grant special mission status.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received on landlords who own multiple properties disguising their ownership of a property when submitting a planning application.
Nick Boles
I am not aware of representations about landlords who own multiple properties disguising their ownership of a property when submitting a planning application.
It is already a requirement that planning applications must be accompanied by a certificate which applicants must complete that provides certain details about the ownership of the application site. An application is not valid, and therefore cannot be determined by the local planning authority, unless the relevant certificate has been completed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Corbyn on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many visits she made to the Jordan Valley in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.
Justine Greening
The former Secretary of State for International Development, my Rt. Hon friend the member for Sutton Coldfield, visited the Jordan Valley in 2011.