Tag: Parliamentary Question

Catherine McKinnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2014-06-17.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of divorced and separated parents who will have to decide which of them should own a tax-free childcare account; how HM Revenue and Customs plans to resolve disputes over such decisions; and what additional resources will be committed for this purpose.

Nicky Morgan

It is estimated that of the families that will directly benefit from the Tax-Free Childcare scheme around 95% are couples and 5% are lone parents. Based on the best available data, we estimate that around half of these lone parents will be either divorced or separated.

Working lone parents are more likely to have lower income levels than working couples. More lone parents will therefore receive support for childcare through Tax Credits and then subsequently Universal Credit which is generally more generous than Tax-Free Childcare.

On the 18 March the Government published its response to the consultation on design and operation of Tax-Free Childcare which sets out that where adults in a family are unable to reach agreement about which of them should claim, HMRC will consider the facts of the case and make a decision.

The resource requirements of the scheme will be settled once the scheme’s details have been finalised.

01/11/2022
Andy Slaughter – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he would refuse to consent to a special mission on (a) human rights grounds and (b) where the person in question has been the subject of a UK judicial arrest warrant, European Arrest Warrant or similar judicial process.

Mark Simmonds

I refer to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), to the House on 4 March 2013, Official Report, columns 55-56WS. The Foreign Secretary announced a new process by which we would be informed of visits that may qualify for special mission status. The pilot process has improved the process for communicating and decision-making in respect of visits that may qualify for special mission status. Since the pilot’s inception, we have received six such requests. There are no requests outstanding.

The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), confirmed to the House on 12 July 2013, Official Report, columns 427W and 429W, that two of the requests which were granted, related to visits by Lieutenant General Benny Gantz of the Israeli Defence Forces and Doron Almog, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Chief of Staff for Bedouin Status improvement. In view of the confidentiality of diplomatic exchanges, we have no plans to publish further details about requests that have been granted or refused. But if those applying for special mission status wish to announce the details of their visit to the UK, they are of course at liberty to do so.
All applications for special mission status are considered carefully in view of both obligations incumbent upon the UK under customary international law and our policy of ending impunity for the most serious of international crimes and a commitment to the protection of human rights. Above this, it is for the courts to decide on the legal consequences of any decision to grant special mission status.

01/11/2022
Justin Tomlinson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that newly built residential properties have access to telephone and internet services.

Nick Boles

Developers and internet providers recognise the importance of telephone and internet provision in new builds and that customers’ expectation is these services will be available on the day they move in. My Department, with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is working with house builders and providers of telephone and internet services to ensure newly built residential properties have access to telephone and internet services.

01/11/2022
Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

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

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what projects her Department has in Lesotho.

Lynne Featherstone

Lesotho does not receive any direct development funding from the UK, but does benefit through DFID’s Southern Africa Regional programmes. UK support to Lesotho is mainly delivered through Civil Society Organisations such as Gender Links, Commonwealth Business Council and Common Ground Initiative, a joint fund with Comic Relief.

01/11/2022
Bill Wiggin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the process was by which Arqiva arrived at its decision not to proceed with the proposed Fownhope mast.

Mr Edward Vaizey

DCMS officials provided Arqiva with the latest data on notspots, updated by Ofcom for 2014 with information from the Mobile Network Operators. This shows that coverage has improved in Fownhope since the inception of the project. The Mobile Infrastructure Project can intervene in areas where there is no mobile coverage from any operator, and where the cost of the build of a mast, considered alongside the numbers of premises that would benefit from the additional coverage, provides value for money. Unfortunately this is no longer the case for the proposed mast location in Fownhope, and Arqiva made a recommendation to officials to not proceed.

01/11/2022
Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people residing in Preston constituency are (a) being monitored by an electronic tag (b) subject to a suspended sentence order and (c) subject to a community order.

Jeremy Wright

On 30 September 2013, 492 people in Lancashire were monitored by an electronic tag. A more detailed breakdown below Probation Trust area is not collected centrally.

Data on the number of people subject to a suspended sentence or community order is published in Offender Management Statistics Quarterly. The most recent report covers the period to 30 September 2013 and shows that 1,368 offenders subject to a suspended sentence order and 2,288 offenders subject to a community order were supervised by Lancashire Probation Trust. This includes people who are both monitored by an electronic tag and supervised by Probation. A more detailed breakdown below Probation Trust area is not collected centrally. The most recent Offender Management Statistics report may be found on the gov.uk website.

01/11/2022
Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many ships from the Royal Navy were present in the recent joint manoeuvres with the Ukrainian navy.

Mr Mark Francois

None.

01/11/2022
Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-04-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much has been spent on consultants working on the Youth Contract in each year since its introduction.

Esther McVey

DWP does not have any consultants working on the delivery of the Youth Contract.

01/11/2022

Roger Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Williams on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much beef was imported into the UK from (a) the Republic of Ireland, (b) the rest of the EU and (c) non-EU countries in each of the last 18 months.

George Eustice

The following tables provide details of UK imports of beef and veal as recorded in the Official Overseas Trade Statistics for the period January 2012 – April 2014.

		Thousand Tonnes				Thousand Tonnes
Imports from	Month	2012	2013	2014	Imports from	Month	2012	2013	2014
Irish Republic	January	12.3	12.1	13.3	Non EU	January	1.6	2.6	2.2
	February	13.7	10.8	12.2		February	1.3	1.7	1.5
	March	14.9	13.0	16.2		March	1.2	1.4	1.5
	April	12.9	11.9	13.5		April	1.4	2.3	2.1
	May	12.5	12.4			May	2.1	2.6
	June	11.8	14.9			June	3.1	3.5
	July	11.3	12.2			July	2.2	3.5
	August	12.4	11.7			August	2.2	3.1
	September	13.8	14.9			September	1.9	2.8
	October	15.0	15.6			October	2.2	3.5
	November	14.0	15.1			November	2.0	2.5
	December	15.1	16.4			December	1.7	2.0
Irish Republic annual total		159.7	161.0		Non EU annual total		23.0	31.7
Rest of EU	January	3.8	3.9	3.4
	February	4.1	3.2	3.4	Ó Crown Copyright
	March	4.4	2.9	3.3	Source: HM Revenue and Customs
	April	4.4	3.5	4.1	2013 & 2014 data is subject to amendments
	May	5.3	3.9
	June	4.3	3.3		EU data based on EU 28
	July	4.8	4.1
	August	4.7	3.7
	September	4.2	3.9
	October	5.1	4.4
	November	4.4	4.6
	December	3.8	4.2
Rest of EU annual total		53.4	45.6

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01/11/2022

Mike Hancock – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Hancock on 2014-04-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of post-traumatic stress disorder on the ability of former services personnel to reintegrate into civilian life.

Anna Soubry

Although mental health problems, and PTSD in particular, are no more prevalent amongst Service personnel than the broader civilian population, it is recognised that Service personnel who do experience mental health problems may find it harder to make the transition to civilian life.

The Government has therefore given priority to ensuring that Service leavers and veterans can access timely and appropriate mental health treatment, should it be necessary, both in the NHS and through other programmes delivered across Government and the voluntary sector. All of the recommendations of the ‘Fighting Fit’ report, written by the now Minister for International Security Strategy (Dr Murrison), have been implemented.

Examples of initiatives taken forward under this Government include Structured Mental Health assessment as part of routine and discharge medicals; specialist follow-on treatment after discharge; the introduction of e-learning packages for clinicians, providing information and advice on the healthcare needs of the Armed Forces, their families and veterans; funding for the Combat Stress 24 hr Mental Health Helpline; and the introduction of the Big White Wall, providing Mental Health wellbeing services to serving personnel, their families and veterans.

01/11/2022