Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of female genital mutilation in Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I am not aware of any recent cases of female genital mutilation being reported in Northern Ireland.

    Female genital mutilation is a horrific form of child abuse and violence against women and girls, and the Northern Ireland Executive has put in place a number of safeguarding structures, policies and procedures designed to protect females.

    The Civil Law Reform division of the Northern Ireland Executive Department of Finance & Personnel consulted on draft multi-agency practice guidelines on female genital mutilation earlier this year which were based on the Home Office’s Guidelines.

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what target she has set for the time in which applicants should receive a call back from the Passport Office when making enquiries about applications.

    James Brokenshire

    Her Majesty’s Passport Office’s current guideline for returning calls is to do so within 48 hours. Her Majesty’s Passport Office gives priority to those with the most immediate travel plans.

  • Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen O’Brien on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in which circumstances he uses a calculation of the (a) value of preventing a fatality, (b) willingness to pay and (c) cost-per-quality adjusted life year approach to quantify the value of a policy intervention; what other tools he uses to quantify the benefit of a policy intervention; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Green Book and associated supplementary guidance is publicly available on the Treasury web site. It sets out a range of approaches and methods that may be appropriate in a number of different appraisal circumstances.

  • 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 2014-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many 16 year olds claimed employment and support allowance in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013.

    Esther McVey

    The information as requested is shown in the table below:

    Number of Employment and Support Allowance claimants aged 16 Great Britain, 2010 – 2013

    Total

    Nov-10 1,220

    Nov-11 1,210

    Nov-12 1,120

    Nov-13 1,030

    Source: DWP Information Governance and Security Directorate 100% WPLS.

    Notes:

    1. Figures are rounded to ten.

    2. Incapacity Benefit was replaced by Employment Support Allowance (ESA) from October 2008.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance he has issued to jobcentres on how claimant commitments should take into account the caring responsibilities of single parents.

    Esther McVey

    All Advisers have access to comprehensive and clear procedures, guidance and extensive learning which equips them to agree a Claimant Commitment, taking account of each claimant’s individual circumstances, including the caring responsibilities of single parents.

    As with other claimants, lone parents are still expected to be Available and Actively Seeking Employment. However, there are restrictions that can be applied to the requirements of this group, in order to take into account their caring responsibilities.

  • Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many 18–21 year olds and 22–24 year olds in England are (1) employed, (2) employed and claiming housing benefit, and (3) employed and claiming housing benefit and on an apprenticeship.

    Lord Freud

    Since May 2010, the number of out-of-work Housing Benefit claimants has fallen. Action this Government has taken is bringing the ballooning housing benefit bill under control – saving the taxpayer around £6bn by the end of this Parliament

    Housing benefit has always helped those in and out of work. The average rate of increase of housing benefit claimants in work has slowed under this Government, having increased by more than 50% in just 18 months under the last Government. And we have seen a fall in the number of housing benefit claimants in the last year.

    (1) Analysis of the Labour Force Survey for the most recent period Jan-Mar 2014 shows that:

    Of those aged 18-21 in England, around 1,567,000 are employed.

    Of those aged 22-24 in England, around 1,242,000 are employed.

    (2) (3)The information for those in work or undertaking apprenticeships, is only available for HB recipients whose claim is not passported: that is for those who do not receive the following benefits: Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance (Income-Based), Employment and Support Allowance (Income-Based), or Pension Credit (Guaranteed Credit).

    The information that shows those in work for HB recipients whose claim is not passported can be found at:

    https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk

    Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:

    https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm

    Those in apprenticeships are recorded as being in work and cannot be separately identified.

    The economic status of all Housing Benefit (HB) recipients is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    “

  • Jim McGovern – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jim McGovern – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McGovern on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many sanctions were applied to jobseeker’s allowance claimants in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Dundee in each of the last three years.

    Esther McVey

    Statistics on the number of Jobseeker’s Allowance benefit claimants, who have been sanctioned in Great Britain, Scotland and Dundee, are published and can be found at:

    https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

    Guidance for users is available at:

    https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm

    Information for Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Department for Social Development. Northern Ireland statistics can be found at:

    http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/stats_and_research.htm

    “

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with their European partners with regard to listing Israeli settler groups such as Hilltop Youth as terrorist groups, following the United States State Department’s description of recent settler acts of violence as terrorist incidents.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    We do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription.

    A decision to proscribe an organisation must be based on a belief that it is concerned in terrorism as defined in the Terrorism Act 2000, and it must be proportionate.

    The list of proscribed terrorist organisations can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/301777/ProscribedOrganisationsApril14.pdf.

    “

  • Diana Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Diana Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, on which date authority was given for the closure of the Hull Official Receiver’s office; and who gave such authority.

    Jenny Willott

    The decision to close the Insolvency Service office in Hull was made by the Insolvency Service Board on 18 March 2014.

  • Baroness King of Bow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness King of Bow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness King of Bow on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much funding was provided to the London Borough of Croydon in 2010–11 to host Andy Gale as a homelessness advisor and what work was required under the terms of that contract.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    Under this and the last Administration, the Department for Communities and Local Government has provided grant funding to a number of local authorities to support the provision of advice on preventing homelessness to complement the funding we provide to the voluntary sector.

    The London Borough of Croydon received £1,591,050 in grant in 2010-11 for homelessness prevention, which was intended to support a range of activities including a contribution to the costs of providing homelessness advice to local authorities in London. The payment to Croydon was made under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003 (the general power to pay grant to local authorities towards expenditure incurred or to be incurred). The grant was unring-fenced and not subject to any conditions.

    As was the position with funding provided to Newham, as set out in the answers to the noble Lady on 13 February 2013, Official Report, column WA165 and of 27 March 2013, Official Report, column WA247, there was no contract either between the Department and the London Borough of Croydon or the Department and Andy Gale.

    While departmental officials had discussions with Croydon about how the grant was to be spent, Ministers in this Administration had no involvement with local authorities on commissioning such services.

    A copy of the The Homelessness Revenue Grant Determination 2011-12 (31/1974) dated 1 March 2012 which lists the amount of funding received by 47 local authorities in 2011-12 for homelessness prevention work has been placed in the Library of the House.