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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Rachel Reeves – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Rachel Reeves – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the effect on the number of people subject to improved incentives to work of the introduction of universal credit.

    Esther McVey

    Universal Credit will encourage claimants to move into employment by allowing individuals to keep more of their income as they move into work and by introducing a smoother and more transparent reduction of benefits.

    Once Universal Credit is fully rolled out, the number of households losing more than 70% of their earnings when starting work of ten hours per week will fall by 800,000.

    Overall it is estimated that up to 300,000 individuals will move into work as a result of Universal Credit, through improved financial incentives, increased simplicity of the system and increased conditionality.

    These estimates are consistent with the policy assumptions underpinning the Universal Credit costings published by the Office for Budget Responsibility.

  • Baroness Taylor of Bolton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Taylor of Bolton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Taylor of Bolton on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to recognise women who worked in munitions factories during the Second World War as part of the 70th anniversary commemorations marking the end of conflict.

    Viscount Younger of Leckie

    The Government fully appreciates the efforts and the often very dangerous conditions experienced by those who worked in factories producing vital equipment for the armed forces that helped contribute to winning the Second World War. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has been working with the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Recognition for Munitions Workers, which was set up in 2011 to explore ways to ensure that the valiant collective efforts of all those who worked in munitions factories are not forgotten.

    Following the very successful commemorations to mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day we will now be focussing in more detail across government on how the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in 2015 might be marked in an appropriate manner. No decisions have yet been made on how the anniversary will be marked, but we expect an announcement on the commemorations to be made by the Government later in the year.

  • Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2014, Official Report, columns 218-9W, on social security benefits, when he expects to make available the requested data.

    Mike Penning

    In the production of new statistics the Department works to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we are able to publish statistics that meet high quality standards at the earliest opportunity.

    All releases will be preannounced via the UK National Statistics publication hub at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/index.html

    “

  • Lord Rennard – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Rennard – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rennard on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that online completion of census data could be combined with online electoral registration.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    With the introduction of online registration in England and Wales on 10 June and September in Scotland, registering to vote is now more convenient and accessible.

    The Government will continue to explore the mutual benefits of collaboration between online electoral registration and preparation for the online Census.

  • 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, what estimate he has made of the potential cost of buying out the lease for the Hull Official Receiver’s office.

    Jenny Willott

    No assessment of the costs of buying out the lease have been made. The financial information considered when the decision to close the office was made assumed that the Insolvency Service would be responsible for lease payments until the lease end in September 2016.

  • 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, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stowell of Beeston on 10 March (WA 351) on homelessness, how much was awarded to each of the 47 local authorities for preventing homelessness in 2011–12.

    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.

  • Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen O’Brien on 2014-04-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, in what 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.

    Danny Alexander

    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. The valuation of preventing fatalities makes a contribution to the calculation of risk reduction in many situations and is used extensively by the Department for Transport among others. Department of Health policies are likely to impact on health and longevity. For the majority of these policies, the impacts will be quantified in terms of quality adjusted life years. The cost of producing a quality adjusted life year is used as part of the appraisal and evaluation of alternative health investments.

  • Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheila Gilmore on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what visits (a) each of the Ministers in his Department, (b) the Prime Minister and (c) the Deputy Prime Minister have made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

    Mr Francis Maude

    Details of Ministers’ visits overseas are published quarterly and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministers-transparency-publications

    “

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to give local authorities greater powers to deal with the consumption of legal highs in a public place; and what support he is providing to councils who wish to put by-laws in place to prevent such consumption.

    Norman Baker

    As stated in my answer to the Honourable Member of 7 April 2014, Official
    Report, column 112W, on 12 December 2013 I announced a review by an expert panel to look
    at how the UK’s response to new psychoactive substances, sometimes inaccurately
    called ‘legal highs’, can be enhanced beyond the existing measures. The expert panel includes
    a senior policy adviser from the Local Government Association to inform the
    work of the panel from a local government perspective, including whether
    existing by-laws may be used to tackle this damaging trade. This work is
    ongoing, and the panel is due to report its recommendations by the end of
    spring 2014.

    To support local authorities, the Home Office published guidance in December
    2013 setting out the range of legislative tools local authorities can use to
    tackle the ‘head shops’ where these substances are often sold. This was developed in
    collaboration with the Department for Communities and Local Government, the
    Local Government Association and the Trading Standards Institute and can be
    found here:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/action-against-head-shops

    The guidance covers offences head shops may be committing under the Misuse of
    Drugs Act 1971, the Intoxicating Substances (Supply) Act 1985, and various
    consumer protection regulations.

    The Home Office has also provided targeted support to local authorities with
    testing of new psychoactive substances through the Forensic Early Warning
    System, to help them take action against the sale of these products by
    identifying the contents.

  • John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John McDonnell on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department plans to take to improve equality monitoring of employment within the media industry; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Promoting greater equality of opportunity in the workforce is a matter the Government takes seriously. The Government is actively engaging with leading organisations in the media industry who are working together through the Creative Diversity Network to help address the under-representation of ethnic minorities in that sector. The industry will outline the steps it intends to take at a roundtable event in early July. Equality data monitoring is among a number of issues that will be discussed. In addition, Ofcom has a number of duties relating to equality of opportunity, as set out in the Communications Act 2003. These include requiring all UK licensed radio and television broadcasters’ licences to have in place arrangements for promoting equal opportunities in employment on the basis of gender, race and disability, and to review those arrangements with regard to any relevant guidance published by Ofcom.