The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-04-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many short-term benefit advances were made between April 2013 and March 2014.
Esther McVey
The total number of Short Term Benefit Advances made between April 2013 and March 2014 was 78,021.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Raynsford on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to announce the final allocation of student number controls to alternative providers.
Mr David Willetts
Provisional student numbers for 2014/15 were issued on 20 February 2014. Since then we have considered applications for a higher number and adjusted numbers issued where appropriate on 2 May 2014. However, we cannot confirm final allocations until providers have been re-designated for student support purposes for the 2014/15 academic year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the cost was of the recent triennial review of the Research Councils.
Mr David Willetts
The cost of the review primarily relates to the salary costs of review team members, who undertook the review as a corporate objective alongside their existing responsibilities. On average, the review team spent around 10% of their weekly core work hours on the review across its duration. There were additional costs associated with the extensive stakeholder engagement and in year awards to review team members to recognise their personal contribution in completing the review. These awards are consistent with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ (BIS) In-Year Awards policy of recognising and rewarding contributions to business performance and demonstrating the BIS values.
The estimated maximum total cost to BIS of the review team is £81,350, which represents 0.002% of total Research Council funding.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Halfon on 2014-04-25.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the potential cost to the public purse of raising the national insurance personal allowance for 2015-16 to (a) £10,000 and (b) £12,300.
Mr David Gauke
Raising the National Insurance Contributions thresholds for individual earners (The Primary Threshold and Lower Profits Limit) in 2015-16 to £10,000 is estimated to cost in the region of £5 billion. Raising them to £12,300 is estimated to cost around £10.5 billion.
These estimates are based on the 2011-12 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected to 2015-16 using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2014 economic and fiscal outlook.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graeme Morrice on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department has any plans to end the employee trade union membership dues check-off system.
Mrs Helen Grant
Check-off is a matter delegated to Departments and it is for them to determine the appropriateness of continuing with the current arrangements. DCMS is in the process of reviewing its current arrangements for provision of check-off.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what changes have been made to the contracts of personnel moved from DE&S to the Navy Command from 1 April 2014 as part of the Defence Transformation Programme.
Mr Philip Dunne
No contracts of employment were altered or amended as a result of the transfer of the Naval Base Operating Centre from Defence Equipment and Support to Navy Command on 1 April 2014 as part of the Defence Transformation Programme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with representatives of sixth form colleges on the effect of recent changes to sixth form funding for students who have severe or complex disabilities.
Matthew Hancock
Last year’s funding changes for students with severe and complex needs were introduced following extensive consultation with local authorities and all types of institutions, including sixth-form colleges.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the risk that meat not fit for human consumption could enter the human supply chain; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce such risks.
Jane Ellison
Food businesses have responsibility for producing safe meat. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) makes sure that meat not fit for human consumption does not enter the food chain, through the deployment of staff carrying out official controls or through the work of local authorities nationally. The provision of monitoring, sampling, surveillance and inspection across the links of the food chain are carried out in approved and registered food businesses. The legislation governing the production of meat is set out in various European Union and national regulations.
Key areas of control are:
– enforcement of strict regulatory standards and assessment of records relating to Food Business Operators’ food safety management systems;
– approval and registration of meat premises ensuring that only premises that meet the minimum standards set may operate;
– identification and labelling, animal health, animal welfare and veterinary hygiene activities;
– the enforcement of EU and national rules relating to production and processing of meat , and its storage and distribution is assessed through risk based audits and unannounced inspections;
– a network of veterinary research laboratories following sampling activities to test meat products for veterinary medicine residues, campylobacter etc.;
– close co-operation with the FSA and other Government Agencies on food safety issues;
– reporting of food fraud issues and wider cascade of topical areas of concern for focused attention and actions; and
– reporting of meat rejection results for disease surveillance and assessing the risk with a view to disease eradication and control programmes.
In slaughterhouses, official veterinarians carry out checks on live animals presented for slaughter, with inspectors carrying out post-mortem inspection checks of carcases and offal. In accordance with EU and national legislation, only meat that has passed stringent safety checks by the FSA will be health marked and allowed to enter the food chain.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what consular assistance has been given to Mr Hasnain Ali during his trial in United Arab Emirates.
Hugh Robertson
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London and our Embassy in Dubai have provided full consular assistance to Mr Hasnain Ali since we were informed of his detention, and throughout his trial. This has included regular prison visits by Consular Officials, assisting family members to visit and attending court hearings. On 15 April 2014, Mr Hasnain Ali was found innocent and his court case concluded. Consular officials are providing ongoing assistance as Mr Hasnain Ali prepares to leave Dubai.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-05-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of contracts for difference auctioning on small and medium-sized enterprises in the (a) renewable energy sector and (b) solar power industry.
Michael Fallon
The Department launched a consultation on our approach to competitive allocation of Contracts for Difference (CfDs) in January 2014. This included proposals to move to auctioning of CfDs from the first allocation this autumn. We carefully considered the responses to the consultation from small and medium-sized enterprises in the renewable energy sector and the solar power industry before confirming our policy position in the Government Response published on 13 May 2014. We will continue to engage with SMEs as we implement our proposals for competitive allocation to understand any difficulties they might face in participating in an auction for CfDs.