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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-04-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports of the recent arrival at Port Sudan of land cruisers, tanks and heavy artillery to be delivered via the Sudanese authorities to Malian fighters in Western Darfur in camps around al-Geneina and Kutum.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    We have not seen any reports of a recent arrival at Port Sudan of land cruisers, tanks and heavy artillery to be delivered via the Sudanese authorities to Malian fighters in Western Darfur in camps around al-Geneina and Kutum. The UK remains deeply concerned about the escalation of violence in Darfur. We continue to monitor developments in Darfur and call for all sides to immediate cease the violence.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of staff employed (a) directly and (b) indirectly by his Department were employed on (i) short term and (ii) zero hours contracts in each of the last 10 years.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    We are unable to provide the number of staff and proportion of those employed by a third party to work indirectly by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). This information is partially held centrally and to collate all of this information as a whole would incur disproportionate costs.

    However figures that are held on the MoJ central systems on staff directly employed by the MoJ and its agencies from 2008 to 2014 on (i) short term and (ii) zero hour contracts can be found in the tables below.

    MoJ Staff with Fixed Term Contracts (SFTC) of 12 months or less as per the Office on National Statistics definition can be found below.

    SFTC

    % of SFTC Workforce in MoJ

    31-Mar-08

    2,087

    3%

    31-Mar-09

    1,489

    2%

    31-Mar-10

    1,305

    2%

    31-Mar-11

    1,025

    1%

    31-Mar-12

    409

    1%

    31-Mar-13

    1,372

    2%

    31-Mar-14

    637

    1%

    MoJ Staff recorded as having no fixed hours of employment i.e. zero hour’s contracts.

    Staff on Zero Hours contract

    % of ‘Zero hour’ Workforce

    31-Mar-08

    158

    0.25%

    31-Mar-09

    208

    0.29%

    31-Mar-10

    188

    0.26%

    31-Mar-11

    204

    0.26%

    31-Mar-12

    158

    0.21%

    31-Mar-13

    133

    0.17%

    31-Mar-14

    123

    0.16%

    The percentage of MoJ staff on zero hour contracts has been decreasing since 2009.

  • Lord Chidgey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Chidgey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2014-04-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they co-ordinate the United Kingdom’s emergency aid efforts and expenditure with those of non-governmental organisations and bilateral donors to avoid duplication and waste.

    Lord Bates

    Information is consistently shared by the UK with NGOs and other donors at headquarters and field level, and the level of funds pledged or committed are regularly updated on the UN’s Financial Tracking Service. The UK also plays a key leadership role during responses, encouraging all humanitarian actors to co-ordinate and to do so in partnership with the affected Government wherever appropriate.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, which 100 wards in which town, county and constituency in Northern Ireland had (a) the highest electoral registration rate and (b) the lowest registration rate in the latest period for which information is available.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that it does not hold information about ward electorates for Northern Ireland. This information is held by the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2014-04-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 7 April (WA 249), in the light of HM Prison The Verne being used to take immigration detainees exclusively and the number of persons held under Immigration Act powers within HM Prisons, what plans they have to extend Rule 35 to the prison estate by an amendment to the Prison Rules; and, if there are no such plans, how a prison doctor’s concerns that a prisoner may be a victim of torture may be made known to the Secretary of State for the Home Department.

    Lord Faulks

    Prison Rule 21 provides that a medical practitioner shall report to the governor on the case of any person whose health is likely to be injuriously affected by continued imprisonment or any conditions of imprisonment. The governor is required to send any such reports to the Secretary of State. Although Prison Rule 21 does not replicate Detention Centre Rule 35 it performs a similar function. We therefore have no plans to amend Prison Rules in this case.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has given to the tribunals service of how many appeals will be brought by universal credit claimants in each of the next five years.

    Esther McVey

    We announced our plans for the implementation of Universal Credit on 5 December, and these were set out in a written ministerial statement Official Report 5 Dec 2013, Column 65WS. The WMS can be found here:

    http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm131205/wmstext/131205m0001.htm#13120551000006

    Official statistics on Universal Credit were most recently published on 14th May and can be found at

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-statistics

    Our estimates of the number of appeals will depend on the details of the migration schedule which will be determined in due course.

    “

  • Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, whether UK Trade & Investment has produced the marketing plan and collateral.

    Michael Fallon

    UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has developed a professional and business services marketing plan in support of the strategy, setting out marketing messaging which will be used to promote the sector at high profile events such as the Liverpool International Festival of Business in July 2014 and the Global Law Summit in 2015. UKTI has produced images for use in marketing material under the GREAT campaign, is producing a promotional film and is developing a toolkit for reference and use by UKTI in the UK and overseas as an aid to promoting and supporting the sector. UKTI is working to identify case studies and develop messaging for use by stakeholders in their marketing activities.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls the Child Maintenance Options Service received in each month in the last year.

    Steve Webb

    The number of successful inbound calls received by the Child Maintenance Options Service in each month of the last year is available in the table below.

    Month

    Number of calls received by the Child Maintenance Options Service

    May-13

    7,845

    Jun-13

    8,915

    Jul-13

    10,360 1

    Aug-13

    11,990

    Sep-13

    13,835

    Oct-13

    14,835

    Nov-13

    21,375 2

    Dec-13

    22,760

    Jan-14

    26,515

    Feb-14

    25,875

    Mar-14

    26,865

    Apr-14

    24,565

    Notes:

    – Data Sourced from CMO Monthly MI Service Pack

    – Data rounded to nearest 5

    1 Child Maintenance Options started providing a ‘soft gateway’ to the 2012 statutory child maintenance scheme, offering parents applying to the 2012 Scheme the opportunity to explore the full range of options before making an application, including considering making their own arrangements.

    2 Child Maintenance Options became the automatic ‘gateway’ to the statutory 2012 child maintenance scheme, ensuring all parents who wish to access the 2012 Scheme are making a fully informed decision and have considered making their own arrangements first.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-04-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the increase in ISA limits announced in the 2014 Budget allow those with current ISAs to take advantage of the new limit between the present time and March 2015.

    Mr David Gauke

    The 2014 Budget announced that the annual ISA subscription limit for 2014-15 will stand at £15,000. The new £15,000 limit will take effect on 1 July 2014. From that date, for the first time ever, ISA savers will be permitted to deposit their full ISA allowance into either a cash ISA, a stocks and shares ISA, or split in any combination between the two.

    Between now and the 1 July 2014, savers are permitted to deposit up to £11,880 into a stocks and shares ISA and up to half of this amount into a cash ISA. From the 1 July, subject to the terms and conditions of their accounts, they will be permitted to add additional funds up to the new £15,000 limit.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of the use of zero hour contracts on workers’ wellbeing.

    Jenny Willott

    No assessment of the effects of zero hours contracts on worker’s wellbeing has been made by this Department. However the Workplace Employers Relations Study (WERS) found that overall well-being of employees increased between 2004 and 2011 despite the recession. Overall job satisfaction also increased and is very high by international standards.

    Zero hour contracts have a place in today’s labour market, supporting business flexibility, making it easier to hire new staff and providing pathways to employment for young people.

    Following a public consultation, which closed in March this year, this Government has introduced legislation via the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill to ban the use of exclusivity clauses in contracts which do not guarantee any hours.