Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether any of the structures destroyed by the Israeli authorities in the South Hebron Hills on 2 February 2016 were fully or part-funded by the Government; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK government is concerned by the increase in demolitions of properties in Area C of the West Bank which are harmful to peace, and continues to raise this with Israeli authorities. According to OCHA, at least 21 of the 23 structures demolished on 2nd February in the South Hebron Hills had been funded by international donors. We are awaiting confirmation from OCHA, however we understand 10 of these structures were funded by the EU.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Attorney General, what account the CPS takes of mental health conditions when deciding whether to prosecute people under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

    Robert Buckland

    The Crown Prosecution Service is committed to taking into account the mental health condition of an offender when considering bringing a prosecution. Each case is considered on its merits, taking into account all available information about any mental health issues, and their relevance to the offence, in accordance with the principles set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors (the Code).

    The Code explains that there is a balance to be struck between the public interest in diverting a defendant with significant mental illness from the criminal justice system and other public interest factors in favour of prosecution, including the need to safeguard the public.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of the time taken in Block 3F testing of the F-35B Lightning II mission systems software on the planned commencement of formal initial operational test and evaluation development of that aircraft.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The development and associated flight testing of the Block 3F software is due to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2017. This will allow operational test and evaluation to commence in time to support the UK’s planned Initial Operating Capability of December 2018.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the options are for the location of 7 Commando Battery Royal Artillery; and by what criteria the location of that regiment will be determined.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The future basing of 7 Commando Battery Royal Artillery, stationed at Royal Marines Condor in Arbroath, is currently under review.

    It is too early to provide details of this review.

  • Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with whom on future provision of services at Warrington Hospital; and when the decision on future provisions of services at that hospital will be announced.

    Ben Gummer

    No such discussions have taken place.

    The provision of front line health services is a matter for the National Health Service locally.

  • Rachael Maskell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Rachael Maskell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachael Maskell on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how net pay deductions from the salaries of Ministry of Defence fire fighters and fire officers are calculated.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Net Pay Deduction (NPD) for Fire Officer grades, or abatement in the case of Fire-fighters, is the adjustment to the salaries of DFRS personnel to allow for the differences between their pension arrangements and those of Local Authority Fire and Rescue Service (LAFRS) employees. Ministry of Defence (MOD) Fire-fighter and Fire Officer grades are members of the Civil Service Pension Schemes and the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS), whereas LAFRS staff belong to Local Authority Fire Pension Schemes (LAFPS).

    The MOD Fire-fighter abatement is a single blended abatement figure based on a weighted comparison of member contributions rates between the PCSPS and the LAFPS. The abatement calculation makes allowance for the impact on the value of pension benefits which arises because the MOD Fire-fighter pension is based on an abated salary. The calculation of the abatement ignores differences in pension benefits between the schemes being compared.

    The pay abatement level for Fire-fighters is calculated on behalf of the MOD by the Government Actuary Department (GAD). The current abatement of 7.1% is being reviewed by GAD to take account of the introduction of the new Civil Service Pension Scheme on 1 April 2015 and the Local Authority Fire-fighters Pension Scheme 2015.

    For Fire Officer Grades the NPD has been calculated primarily by considering the differences in member contribution rates between the different pension schemes. The current NPD was implemented in 1993 and according to available information the calculation ignores differences in pension benefits accrued between the schemes but may have taken account of wider pay issues. The current NPD is 5.9% of pre-tax basic pay. In practice, an adjusted NPD, equal to 3.54% of pre-tax pay, is applied to Fire Officer salaries. This does not reduce the tax payable by the officer. For Fire Officers the NPD does not affect the salary used for pension purposes, so both pension benefits and member contributions are calculated based on salary before application of the NPD.

    The MOD is currently reviewing the rate of the NPD for Fire Officer grades.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution by the Home Secretary of 10 October 2016, Official Report, column 38, if she will write to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull North about reports that her Department has announced the doubling of asylum experts in France working on the Calais cases.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Home Office has deployed teams of officials to work alongside French officials in Calais to assist with speeding up the Dublin process and to identify and prioritise children who will be brought to the UK under the terms of the Dubs amendment to the Immigration Act 2016. Staff have been deployed flexibly to meet demand on the ground. We have also seconded an expert on Dublin cases to the French Interior Ministry – the second time we have done so this year.

  • Baroness Redfern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Baroness Redfern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Redfern on 2015-11-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether steps are being taken to amend European Union procurement rules to ensure more United Kingdom companies’ involvement in government projects.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The new EU Directive on Public Procurement was transposed in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, which came into effect earlier this year. The Regulations implement a range of reforms, including offering flexibility for contracting authorities to take into account relevant wider social and economic considerations, where consistent with best value for money, in Government procurement activities. We have also published new Cabinet Office guidance which will help steel suppliers compete on a level playing field with international suppliers for major government contracts.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the effect on the household income of an existing tax credit claimant family with one earner and two children in (a) 2018-19 and (b) 2019-20 of proposed changes to tax credits, assuming they are migrated to universal credit at the start of 2018 and experience a change in circumstance and lose their transitional arrangements.

    Priti Patel

    At the summer budget the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out the Government’s commitment to move the UK from a high tax, high welfare, low wage society to a lower tax, lower welfare, higher wage society. This remains the case, and Universal Credit (UC) is delivering this.

    UC is a fundamentally different benefit to the legacy benefit system and provides people with support into, and to progress in work.

    Therefore there is no meaningful way of comparing an unreformed Tax Credit system with Universal Credit. The Government has committed to transitional arrangements as we reform the benefits and Tax Credit system. Those transferred by DWP from tax credits to UC will receive Transitional Protection. In addition, estimates of entitlements under UC of the sort requested will vary depending on assumptions on the level of earnings.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect the investigation commissioned by NHS England into the circumstances leading up to the termination of the contract between Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group and UnitingCare Partnership to deliver urgent care for the over-65s and adult community services to be completed.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England advises that it has commissioned David Stout OBE to carry out an independent review of the contract between Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group and UnitingCare Partnership. The terms of reference are to establish, from a commissioner perspective, the key facts and root causes behind the termination of the contract in December 2015 and to draw out recommendations and lessons to be learned. This will include a review of documentation and discussion with staff members.

    Relevant individuals will be contacted during the course of the review to inform the findings. NHS England is also setting up a web page which will include an email address where comments and responses can be submitted. This will enable the public to contribute.

    The review is expected to start in January and to be completed in February 2016. NHS England plans to publish the review when complete.