Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which powers he is seeking to repatriate from the EU.

    Mr David Lidington

    As the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) said in May, Brussels has got too big, too bossy, too interfering. It should be nation states wherever possible, Europe only where necessary.

    Our reform priorities are to make the EU more democratically accountable, more competitive and more flexible.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to 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 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.

    Mr Francis Maude

    The Prime Minister’s Office and the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office are integral parts of the Cabinet Office.

    Declaration of ethnicity for staff is voluntary and it is therefore not possible to provide the information requested.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what consideration his Department gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Ministry of Defence will consider the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations where they are relevant and proportionate to the subject matter of the contract, and seeking best value for money in procurement.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, 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.

    Gregory Barker

    From November 2010 a single team was established to control the process for all formal disciplinary proceedings being undertaken against Civil Servants in the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC). Therefore central records only exist from that date.

    The proportion of Civil Servants in DECC, who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings since November 2010 to date and who are white British, is less than 1% of the total number of Civil Servants in each year.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what targets her Department has for increasing diversity; and what progress has been made on meeting those targets in the last year.

    Karen Bradley

    Tables provided in Annex 1 for representation from March 2013 – March 2014

    In conjunction with Cabinet Office, the Department has agreed specific targets
    to improve representation rates. The position in the last year is as follows:

    • Three female employees have been appointed at Director General level becoming
    members of the Home Office Executive Management Board. The position generally
    was that 34.39% of staff at Senior Civil Service (SCS) were female compared
    with the target of 38%. At Grades 6 and 7 the position was that 43.93% of staff
    were female compared with the target of 45%.

    • 6.21% of staff with a disability were at SCS level compared to a target
    of 3% and at Grades 6 and 7 the position was that 5.99 % staff had a
    disability compared with the target of 6%.

    • 10.56% of staff at Grades 6 and 7 were from a minority ethnic background
    compared to a target of 10%. 4.52% of staff at SCS level were from a minority
    ethnic background compared with the target of 6%.

    • 5.66% of staff at SCS were lesbian, gay or bisexual compared to the target of
    5.0%. At Grades 6 and 7 the position was that 3.4% of staff were lesbian, gay
    or bisexual compared with the target of 5.0%.

    The position is encouraging but the Department is committed to finding further
    progress in all aspects of diversity.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much is paid out in tax relief each month for savers within the National Employment Savings Trust; and what the average amount paid out in tax relief has been to a scheme member in each month.

    Steve Webb

    The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold the information requested.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their (1) current estimate, and (2) projected estimate as of 7 May 2015, of the number of (a) 16 to 17 year-olds, and (b) 18 to 24 year-olds, in the United Kingdom; and, of their current estimate, what proportion of (1) 16 to 17 year-olds, and (2) 18 to 24 year-olds, in the United Kingdom are currently registered to vote.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    The Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) mid-2013 UK Population Estimate can be found here: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pop-estimate/population-estimates-for-uk–england-and-wales–scotland-and-northern-ireland/2013/index.html. The ONS has not made a projected estimate for 7 May 2015.

    Data on the proportion of 16 to 17 year olds and 18 to 24 year olds registered to vote is not held.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to advocate the inclusion of Millennium Development Goal 5b in the World Health Organisation’s draft health goal for the post-2015 framework.

    Baroness Northover

    As we have already made clear, the UK supports a target to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health for all. Language on this is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.

    The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

  • Lord Howard of Rising – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Howard of Rising – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Howard of Rising on 2014-06-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what value of fines remained unpaid at the end of financial years 2009–10, 2010–11 and 2011–12 (1) in total, and (2) with respect to fines issued in that financial year.

    Lord Deighton

    We have answered this question on the basis that it relates to HMRC penalties.

    1) 2009-10 £0.5 billion

    2010-11 £1.5 billion

    2011-12 £1.5 billion

    Fines and Penalties that remain unpaid are included as receivables and are reported in both the Resource Accounts and Trust Statement.

    2) It is not possible to state the value of fines issued in each of the financial years. The question is very broad in scope and covers the majority of the business of the Department. Some data is held in electronic systems and some in paper files, and records are not kept centrally of the value of fines issued across the Department and across all obligations.

  • Baroness Whitaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Whitaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Whitaker on 2014-06-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria with respect to good design they intend to establish in their new plans for the Highway Agency.

    Baroness Kramer

    It is government policy that our major road improvements should follow good design principles. For example, in "Action for Roads" we made it clear that any improvements to the network must be made in a way that supports the nation’s overall quality of life. This means that our strategy for roads, and detail requirements will need to:

    • Be designed to minimise environmental impacts and, where possible, tackle existing problems.

    • Build on existing cooperation with organisations like Natural England to find the best solutions to environmental challenges.

    • Continue to work in a planning framework which protects the wider environment.

    We are establishing the first Roads Investment Strategy, which includes a performance specification for the new strategic highways company. This will aim to ensure that the company’s design and delivery activities align with the overall goals that government has for the Strategic Road Network (SRN). Good design, including how the SRN interfaces with built environments and impacts on quality of life, will need to be an important element of both the process and the implementation.