The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-05-03.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which of the UK’s Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies will be represented at the Anti-Corruption Summit on 12 May 2016.
Matthew Hancock
Representatives of Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies have been invited to attend the Summit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Gambling Commission and the Remote Gambling Association in the last 12 months on the progress of the online multi-operator self-exclusion scheme.
David Evennett
Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis and can be accessed via the gov.uk website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish his Department’s response to the consultation on the Local Government Pension Scheme: investment regulations; and what steps he is taking to ensure full parliamentary scrutiny of any resulting proposals.
Mr Marcus Jones
The government’s response to the consultation will be published in due course.
The regulations will be made according to the negative resolution procedure as required by the Public Service Pensions Act 2013. The instrument will be scrutinised by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments and the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee and may be subject to additional scrutiny in either House in accordance with the procedures applicable to all negative resolution statutory instruments.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that local authorities can access cross-border, transnational and inter-regional co-operation funds from EU cohesion funding after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.
Andrew Percy
The Chancellor’s statement of 3 October 2016 set out guarantees for local authorities’ funding for cross-border, transnational and inter-regional cooperation projects subject to certain conditions. The Treasury will guarantee funding for those projects which are signed after the Autumn Statement, but before the UK leaves the EU, provided that they provide strong value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities. This guarantee will apply even where those projects continue after the UK has left the EU. The Chancellor’s statement has provided certainty for local authorities and other UK participants in European Territorial Cooperation programmes.
Leaving the EU means that we can decide how to deliver the policy priorities currently delivered by EU funding programmes. We will consult closely with stakeholders, including local authorities, to review all EU funding schemes in the round, to ensure that any on-going funding commitments best serve the UK‘s national interest, while ensuring appropriate investor certainty.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of how many taxi drivers have undergone disability awareness training since the Law Commission’s recommendation on that subject published in its report, Taxi and Private Hire Services, on 23 May 2014.
Andrew Jones
The results of the Department’s taxi survey in 2015 showed that 103 licensing authorities in England and Wales out of 313 responding authorities require taxi drivers to undergo disability awareness training. This compares to 67 licensing authorities in 2009 from 276 responses.
We do not keep statistics on the number of drivers who have undergone disability awareness training since May 2014.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-12-07.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they have given to banks concerning closing bank accounts of those NGOs supporting the Palestinians.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
The Government does not advise banks around the closure of bank accounts of NGOs: it is for a bank itself to decide whether or not to offer products or services to certain individuals or groups, and it would not be appropriate for the Government to seek to control the commercial decisions of banks and other financial institutions, nor compel them to make a specific decision about a bank account. Banks take such decisions taken in accordance with their business strategies, risk appetite and legal and regulatory requirements.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-01-18.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to protect UK businesses, the economy and the City from turbulence in Chinese stock markets.
Harriett Baldwin
The Treasury continuously monitors global economic developments, including those in China, and their impact on the UK as part of the normal process of policy development.
The Chancellor has warned that “last year was the worst for global growth since the crash and this year opens with a dangerous cocktail of new threats from around the world.” As one of the most open trading economies in the world with a large financial sector, we have to recognise that the UK is not immune to the continued problems being experienced in the world economy.
We should not let this put us off engaging with China. As the Chancellor said while leading the UK’s Economic and Financial Dialogue with China in September 2015, both countries: “have a shared commitment to laying the foundations for stronger, more productive economies that can weather periods of uncertainty. At the same time, we need to continue to pursue the longer-term reform challenges that both our governments are pursuing.”
The Bank of England’s 2015 stress tests modelled a severe slowdown in commodities and emerging markets. No banks were required to submit revised capital plans following the stress tests. This provides further reassurance that the UK’s banking system is capable of weathering future financial storms both at home and abroad.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2016 to Question 24307, if he will publish on his Departmental website the existing guidance produced by his Department for seafarers on the national minimum wage.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Guidance produced for seafarers in respect of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) is the responsibility of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
General NMW guidance, including reference to seafarers, can be found at;
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/calculating-the-minimum-wage
BIS is currently in the process of revising its NMW guidance for seafarers (in full consultation with relevant stakeholders) and expects to publish the amended guidance in early 2016.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to page 15 of the report, The process of withdrawing from the EU, published on 29 February 2016, if he will place in the Library a copy of the UK Schedules of Commitments with 161 WTO members which would have to be updated were the UK to leave the EU.
Anna Soubry
The UK’s schedules of commitments under the WTO form part of the EU’s schedules of commitments and are publicly available on the WTO website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will estimate the number of (a) UK firms based in London that trade with other EU member states and (b) people employed by those firms.
Anna Soubry
HMRC Regional Trade Statistics on the number of firms trading with the EU are publically available through the UKTradeInfo website.
HM Treasury has published estimates of the number of UK jobs linked to EU exports broken down by region. These are available through the GOV.UK website.