Tag: Parliamentary Question

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 had the lowest turnout for voting in person at the last General Election.

Mr Gary Streeter

The Electoral Commission informs me that it does not hold the data requested at ward level.

The Commission collects electoral data at each set of polls. In nearly all cases this is collected down to the level of individual contests, which means that it only holds ward level data for local elections.

November 1, 2022
Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the recent medical evaluation by Dr Emily Keram of the British Guantánamo Bay detainee, Shaker Aamer, whether they will make further representations to the government of the United States concerning Mr Aamer’s release; and whether they intend to provide an amicus curiae brief in support of Mr Aamer’s motion for release, as requested by his lawyers.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire

Mr Aamer’s case remains a high priority for the Government. We take Mr Aamer’s welfare very seriously and continue to make clear to the US at the highest levels that we wish to secure his release, and return to the UK, as a matter of urgency. Most recently, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised Mr Aamer’s case in a meeting with the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, in February this year. We are currently considering Reprieve’s request for the Government to provide an amicus curiae brief and will respond in due course.

November 1, 2022
Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people started to receive universal credit in March 2014.

Esther McVey

Statistics on how many people started Universal Credit in March 2014 can be found at:

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

“

November 1, 2022
Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he has taken to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has put in place a robust framework to reduce the burden of regulation on all businesses, particularly small business.

In January 2011, we brought in the One-in, One-out rule. This required departments wanting to introduce new regulation which generated costs for business to first identify a corresponding cut in regulation elsewhere with the same value. In January 2013 this was increased to a more demanding One-In, Two-Out rule so that departments now need to find £2 of savings for every £1 cost they introduce. To date, as set out in the 7^th Statement of New Regulation published on 17 December 2013, we have cut the annual cost of domestic regulation by £1.19 billion.

We are also reducing the stock of regulation through the Red Tape Challenge, with over 3,000 regulations now having been identified to be scrapped or improved. When fully implemented, we expect that these changes will bring estimated annual savings to business of over £850 million.

Specifically to help small business, in April 2011 we introduced a moratorium exempting micro and start-up businesses from new domestic regulation for three years. From 1 April 2014 this was extended to include small businesses (with up to 50 employees) through the introduction of the Small and Micro Business Assessment (SaMBA).

Measures that this Department has introduced specifically to reduce the burden of regulation on small businesses include giving small and medium-sized enterprises the flexibility to determine the most appropriate set of accounting rules for them, along with flexibility in how they submit their company reports through regulatory changes to audit rules. We have also extended the qualifying period of unfair dismissal to two years and introduced a new employment status of employee shareholder.

November 1, 2022
Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-06-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he last reviewed the level of income disregard threshold for employment and support allowance.

Esther McVey

The occupational pension income threshold for Employment and Support Allowance was last reviewed as part of the 2014/15 annual uprating exercise. It was decided that no change would be made.

November 1, 2022
Margaret Ritchie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2014-04-09.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received on the future of HM Revenue and Customs’ centres in Northern Ireland.

Mr David Gauke

HMRC has recently announced its intention to consult on the proposed closure of 12 of its general offices across the United Kingdom. This process will start in June 2014 and will include one office in Northern Ireland; Custom House, Newry.

HMRC officials and I met with you and three parliamentary colleagues representing Northern Ireland interests on 15 January 2014. At this meeting HMRC officials advised that none of its general offices will close until at least 2015.

As already announced on 12 February, HMRC will be closing its 10 Northern Ireland Enquiry Centres later this year. This is as a result of HMRC introducing a new service, supporting customers who need extra help getting their tax and benefits right. This service will offer customers who need extra help more in-depth support on the phone and a mobile advisory service if they need a face-to-face appointment. HMRC will roll out the new service across the UK from 31 May 2014, followed by the closure of Enquiry Centre network by 30 June 2014.

HMRC has widely consulted with third parties on the Enquiry Centre closures and piloted the new service in the North East of England

November 1, 2022
Stephen Metcalfe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Metcalfe on 2014-06-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal measures he has introduced to reduce taxes on families.

Mr David Gauke

This government appreciates that times are tough and budgets are squeezed for families, which is why we have taken continued action to help ease the burden on hard working families.

Measures have included raising the Personal Allowance to £10500; abolishing the previous government’s fuel duty escalator, and introducing a further 2 years of Council Tax freeze funding in 2014/15 and 2015/16 for local authorities which choose to freeze Council Tax.

November 1, 2022
Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the names and causes of death of all UK service personnel who died in the course of or in connection with operations in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 2007.

Mr Mark Francois

A definitive central list of those Service personnel who lost their lives on operations in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 2007 has not been formally produced to date, though the respective regimental or service histories and records are available, together with Defence’s central data and the Armed Forces Memorial lists maintained by the tri-Service Joint Casualty and Compassionate Cell. The Department intends to produce a single centrally collated document in due course, however, which will be made available through gov.uk once complete.

November 1, 2022
Thomas Docherty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thomas Docherty on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether export licences to Syria have been granted for the period since 1 July 2012; and if he will describe any such material so exported.

Michael Fallon

Five Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) and one Open Individual Export Licence (OIEL) have been granted.

The information provided relates to goods or services that have been licensed for export. The licences were granted to international and humanitarian organisations to support and protect staff working in these organisations. The six licences granted authorise export of the following:

SIEL for: components for body armour;

SIEL for: NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) protective/defensive equipment;

SIEL for: body armour, components for body armour, military helmets;

SIEL for: body armour, military helmets;

SIEL for: components for all-wheel drive vehicles with ballistic protection;

OIEL for: cryptographic software; equipment employing cryptography.

The licences were granted to international and humanitarian organisations to support and protect staff working in these organisations.

November 1, 2022
Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) Palestinians and (b) Jews displaced from their country of origin in the Middle East since 1984.

Hugh Robertson

We have not made an estimate on this issue and do not keep records of this type.

November 1, 2022