UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of implications for democracy and the rule of law in Macedonia of the recent presidential pardon for politicians in that country.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    As the Minister for Europe, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington) made clear in a public statement on 14 April, we are deeply concerned by President Ivanov’s decision to pardon those individuals currently under investigation in Macedonia over allegations of abuse of power. The decision protects those officials and former Ministers accused of corruption and denies justice to the people of Macedonia. Functioning rule of law means that all people must be held legally accountable for their actions and allegations fully investigated. We, together with international partners, have urged President Ivanov to reverse his decision and we have raised wider concerns about the credibility of forthcoming elections and the level of commitment to the democratic process with former Prime Minister and leader of the governing party VMRO, Nikola Gruevski.

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were prevented from travelling to the UK by the authority to carry scheme in each month of its operation.

    James Brokenshire

    The Authority to Carry Scheme 2015, made under sections 22 and 23 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, entered into force on 31 March 2015. Our records indicate that for each full month of its operation to date the number of individuals in respect of whom a carrier was refused authority to carry to the UK has been as follows:

    Month/Year

    Number of individuals in respect of whom a carrier was refused authority to carry to the UK

    April/15

    67

    May/15

    56

    June/15

    77

    July/15

    77

    August/15

    80

    September/15

    90

    October/15

    106

    November/15

    92

    December/15

    89

    January/16

    69

    February/16

    61

    March/16

    79

    April/16

    82

    May/16

    107

    Total: 1,132

    This is provisional management information that is subject to change. It has not been assured to the standard of Official Statistics.

    Individuals liable to be subject of a refusal of authority to carry include those who have been excluded from the UK, who have been deported from the UK and those who are using an invalid travel document such as a lost, stolen or cancelled passport.

    The details of the Scheme are published at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/authority-to-carry-scheme-2015

    The operation of the Scheme is just one part of the Government’s multi-layered approach to border security.

    This includes the Home Secretary’s power to excluded individuals whose presence in the UK she considers is not conducive to the public good or is justified on public security grounds; a visa regime where applicants are subject to checks before a visa is issued and applications may be refused; guidance to airlines to help them decide who is incorrectly documented and should not travel to the UK and checks on all passengers arriving at the border on scheduled services which can result in refusal of entry to the UK.

  • Andrew Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andrew Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what safety improvements have been undertaken on the A34 in the last five years.

    Mr John Hayes

    In the last five years Highways England has carried out twelve specific safety schemes on the A34.

    The Gore Hill HGV restriction scheme started as a trial in 2010 and was made permanent in September 2011 because of its success in reducing accidents.

    Between 2011 and 2012, Highways England completed four safety schemes, namely the Botley Northbound Merge Improvements, Whitchurch Directional Signing, Winnal Layby Improvement, and the Oxford Resurfacing Scheme. The layby and directional signs needed bringing up to current standards to improve safety.

    Between 2014 and 2015, Highways England completed seven safety schemes, namely Kingsworthy Layby Improvement, Whitchurch Direction Signs Upgrade, A34/M3 Junction 9 Deer Vehicle Collisions Mitigation, A34 Passively Safe Signs, A34 Roadworker Safety, A34/M40 Junction 9 Wendlebury (Phase 2), and Didcot Drainage Maintenance. The drainage maintenance scheme was necessary to reduce the risk of future flooding between the A4130 Milton Interchange and the A4185 Chilton junction.

    Numerous Renewals, Structures and Technology schemes have been delivered on the A34 in the past five years and these schemes have had an inherent safety aspect inbuilt.

  • Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-10-14.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the timeframe to implement the Apprenticeship Levy; and what steps he is taking to ensure that businesses affected by the levy are given adequate time to make adjustments.

    Mr David Gauke

    From April 2017 the government will introduce a levy to fund the step change needed to achieve 3 million apprenticeship starts and an uplift in their quality by 2020. The systems required to implement this in time for April 2017 are on track and are being tested on a regular basis. This includes progress by both HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), with regards to the collection of the levy, and from the Skills Funding Agency who are building the digital accounts for employers to access levy funds.

    The Department for Education has issued guidance for employers regarding the apprenticeship levy. Further guidance, confirming the funding policy, will be published shortly. HMRC has also issued guidance to software developers to ensure that employers’ payroll systems are ready for the apprenticeship levy and will publish further guidance for employers in December.

    The government have been working with employers and training providers since the concept of the apprenticeship levy was introduced to ensure that it works for them. These conversations have played a major part in shaping how the apprenticeship levy will work and we will continue these discussions to assist employers and providers as they prepare for the introduction of the levy.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what average time his Department took to respond to freedom of information requests in each year since 2005.

    Dominic Raab

    The Government publishes statistics on the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 within central government, including on timeliness. These can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Oral Contribution of the Chancellor of Exchequer of 25 November 2015, Official Report, column 1370, how sixth form colleges that (a) have not been involved in area reviews, (b) are currently involved in area reviews and (c) have previously been involved in area reviews which have now concluded or will soon conclude will apply for academy status.

    Nick Boles

    Detailed guidance on the criteria and application process for area reviews will be published in February 2016. All sixth form colleges in England will have the opportunity to apply as part of the relevant area review. Their applications will be considered alongside other recommendations from the review in their area.

    The Joint Area Review Delivery Unit will work with the sixth form colleges included in the first wave of reviews, which is currently under way, to ensure that they have the opportunity to develop information to support an application and to prepare applications in advance of the publication of detailed criteria in February.

    Three sixth form colleges were included in two pilot post-16 area reviews earlier this year. These reviews have now concluded and their recommendations are being implemented. We are currently considering how to ensure that these colleges have the opportunity to apply during later stages of the area reviews programme whilst maintaining current progress towards implementation of the earlier reviews’ findings.

  • Robert Jenrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Robert Jenrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Jenrick on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the level of funding per pupil at Southwell Minster School has been in each year since 2010.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    We do not estimate budgets at an individual school level for future years as they are subject to change depending on pupil numbers, characteristics and the LA funding formula. We do not hold the information requested, but we do publish the allocations at individual school level for the current academic year every October.

    The following table details the individual school budget and the per pupil funding rates for Southwell Minster School in Newark. These have been sourced wherever possible up to 2012-2013 from published Section 251 statements, which detail local authority spending at school level, and from published school and academy allocations for 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16.

    Minster Southwell School

    Total pupils

    Total Funding (£)

    Per pupil (£)

    2010-11

    1,645

    6,701,451

    4,074

    2011-12

    1,623

    7,097,554

    4,373

    2012-13

    1,599

    7,172,496

    4,486

    2013-14

    1,622

    7,397,407

    4,561

    2014-15

    1,611

    7,187,045

    4,461

    2015-16

    1,591

    7,093,649

    4,459

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the average period of time which (a) male and (b) female student radiographers who enter training at the age of (i) 19, (ii) 25 and (iii) 30 in 2017-18 will take to pay off their student loans taking into account changes to the student support system from 2016-17.

    Joseph Johnson

    The changes announced at the Spending Review will enable us to lift the cap on the number of students on nursing courses and will provide nursing students with access to around 25% additional financial support. We expect this reform will enable universities to provide up to 10,000 additional nursing, midwifery and allied health training places over this Parliament.

    The average repayment term on student loans is calculated for the total full time student population, rather than separately for students taking certain courses or their age on starting their course. On this basis, we estimate that the average repayment term for a full time student entering Higher Education in 2017-18 is around 20 to 25 years.

    This estimate includes both borrowers who fully repay their loans and those who have loans written off due to death, disability leading to permanent inability to work, or reaching the end of the repayment term. The estimate takes into account the changes to student finance announced at Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many consultants’ contracts were terminated early in each of the last six years for which figures are available; and what the cost of each such termination was in each of those years.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    DCMS has not terminated early any fixed fee consultancy contracts, where a cost might have been incurred, in the said time frame.

  • Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Lifetime ISA will be included in assessments of savings under universal credit.

    Priti Patel

    Further details about how the Lifetime ISA will work will be announced in the autumn. Following this the Government will confirm how it will be treated for Universal Credit purposes.