The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Teather on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people are currently detained for immigration purposes at HM Prison The Verne.
James Brokenshire
As at 3 June 2014 there were 790 detainees held in prison establishments solely under immigration powers, of whom 174 were held in HMP The Verne.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Prime Minister, how many documents provided by the Government to the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war have been declassified; how many such documents he estimates will be declassified within the next six months; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Cameron
The Iraq Inquiry is independent of government, and should be allowed to complete its work without interference.
Neither I nor Ministers have had any discussions with or made any representations to the Inquiry. Nor have I discussed the Inquiry with President Obama.
The Inquiry has sought the declassification of material for inclusion in its report from many thousands of documents, some of which have been or will be published. Government does not, as a rule, comment on any discussions between officials and the Inquiry.
The Maxwellisation process is a matter for the Inquiry.
The Government remains committed to ensuring that the Inquiry’s final report will be able to disclose all but the most sensitive information which will be determined in accordance with the protocol governing the disclosure of documentary evidence which is available through the Inquiry website.
Timing of the delivery of the report to me is a matter for the Inquiry, but it is my hope that the Inquiry can complete its work before the end of the year. Upon publication, copies of the report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ensure proper support and welfare is available to asylum seekers accommodated in hotels and other establishments that provide lodging paid on a short-term basis.
James Brokenshire
The Home Office has a rigorous contract compliance regime in place including
monthly meetings with providers, quarterly and biannual strategic meetings.
These aim to ensure the required performance standards expected of all
providers as defined in the contracts is met. In addition, the COMPASS
contracts contain minimum standards of welfare that the provider must ensure is
provided to asylum applicants, this includes briefing applicants on services to
which they are entitled. For example giving details of how to use facilities in
the accommodation, access to essential services in the local area and contact
details for the provider and department so any concerns can be addressed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department maintains (a) mission reports, (b) guided missile firing reports, (c) weapon system videos and (d) any other munitions release records for the UK Reaper fleet following the change of operational command to US pilots.
Mr Mark Francois
Each UK Reaper sortie has a mission report produced post flight. If a weapon is fired during a sortie, a weapon report is completed detailing the engagement, as well as a video produced of the engagement itself. There are no other munitions release records for the UK Reaper fleet. US pilots have not flown UK Reaper except during the launch and recovery phase.
Outside of the launch and recovery phase, UK Remotely Piloted Air Systems have always been operated by UK pilots.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of current performance towards achieving the target of assessing all current disability living allowance claimants for personal independence payment by 2018; and if he will estimate the potential additional costs in (a) the amount of benefit claimed and (b) the cost of processing claims if the current rate of assessments were to be maintained.
Mike Penning
We continue to monitor performance in the current phase of reassessment and along with our performance on new claims, this will inform further rollout plans for natural reassessment.
Our plan is to complete reassessment within our original timescales and budget.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen O’Brien on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of people who will move home as a result of the construction of High Speed 2 because of (a) demolition for construction of the line and (b) blight.
Stephen Hammond
There are 464 dwellings within the area currently subject to surface-level safeguarding for the London to West Midlands section of HS2, of which 339 are to be demolished. Given recent Census data showing an average 2.3 occupants per property in the UK, we expect around 1,000 people will move from those homes.
We have not estimated numbers of people who may move for reasons of generalised property blight, but there are approximately 220 dwellings within the Voluntary Purchase Area for the London to West Midlands Route announced on 9 April. Our aim is where possible to avoid serious impacts on local residents and enable people to remain in their homes. We expect to consult shortly on further measures that may make that choice more attractive for homeowners.
Pending future decisions on routes and designs, we have made no similar estimates for other proposed sections of HS2.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) services and (b) jobs within the Passport Office were transferred to the private sector in the last five years; and when those transfers took place.
James Brokenshire
No jobs have been transferred from Her Majesty’s Passport Office to the private
sector in the last five years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2014-06-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the World Society for the Protection of Animals’ report Cayman Turtle Farm: A Continued Case for Change”; and what measures they are taking to protect flora and fauna in all British Overseas Territories including the Cayman Islands.”
Lord De Mauley
The Cayman Islands Government has constitutional responsibility for a large measure of self-government, including for decisions relating to the Cayman Turtle Farm. The recommendations in the publication are therefore the responsibility of the Cayman Islands Government. However, we note that the report contains inaccuracies about UK engagement in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for the Overseas Territories, Mark Simmonds, is writing to the World Society for the Protection of Animals to bring these inaccuracies to its attention.
The UK Government’s ambition is for the natural environments of the Overseas Territories (OTs) to be protected and managed to the highest international standards, as set out in our 2012 White Paper, “The Overseas Territories Security, Success and Sustainability”. OT Governments are constitutionally responsible for the protection and conservation of their natural environments and the UK Government works in partnership with them to identify where our support can be most effective. On 12 May 2014, the Government published an update to the Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy, which provides detail of the Government’s activities on biodiversity in the OTs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Uddin on 2014-06-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people with autismspectrum disorder currently receive support under the Independent Living Fund.
Lord Freud
It is not possible to calculate this because the Independent Living Fund’s systems categorise its users by their main condition only; it is not known therefore how many users may have an autism spectrum disorder in addition to the main disability or health condition recorded.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2014-06-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to enforce the National Minimum Wage, and in particular to protect the employees of agencies and those on zero-hours contracts from exploitation.
Viscount Younger of Leckie
The Government is committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it.
HMRC enforces the National Minimum Wage for all workers. This includes agency workers and those on zero hour contracts. HMRC investigates every complaint made to the Pay and Work Rights helpline. In addition, HMRC conducts risk-based enforcement in sectors or areas where there is a higher risk of workers not getting paid the legal minimum wage.
The Government is taking a tougher approach on employers that break National Minimum Wage law and has already made it simpler to name and shame employers that break NMW law. The Government has also increased the financial penalty percentage that employers pay for breaking minimum wage law.