Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on including road policing as a strategic policing requirement.

    Andrew Jones

    Department for Transport and Home Office Ministers have an ongoing dialogue about the importance of road safety and its enforcement. Road Safety does not fall under the Strategic Policing Requirement (SPR) as this advises what, in strategic terms, needs to be achieved in tackling major national threats such as terrorism and organised crime. It is the role of the police to decide how the Requirement is met and if road policing capabilities are appropriate to tackle Strategic Policing Requirement national threats.

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applicants for asylum who have been served with a deportation or removal order have been allowed safe passage back to the UK after the order has taken effect in the last five years.

    James Brokenshire

    The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many places were allocated to each Troops to Teachers cohort.

    Nick Gibb

    Initially the Ministry of Defence’s resettlement contractor was responsible for recruiting trainees to the programme. Recruitment for the programme has been the responsibility of the University of Brighton.

    For Cohort One, 293 applications were received and 41 trainees began the programme.

    For Cohort Two, 196 applications were received and 52 trainees began the programme.

    For Cohort Three, 62 applications were received and 51 trainees began the programme.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect on the number of people employed by the NHS who are from non-EU countries of the salary threshold increase for Tier 2 visa applications to £35,000.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government announced in 2012 that from 6 April 2016 Tier 2 visa holders who apply for settlement in the UK will be required to meet a minimum annual salary requirement of £35,000. PhD level roles and those in recognised shortage will be exempt from the £35,000 threshold.

    Data of the number of people employed in specific regions of the United Kingdom is not available. The Home Office holds individual records showing the working location of Tier 2 (General) migrants, but centralised records show the registered address of the Tier 2 Sponsor, which is normally that organisation’s Head Office.

    The Home Office published a full impact assessment on the changes to Tier 2 settlement rules when they were laid before Parliament on 15 March 2012. This includes the impact on the top ten occupations and is available on the gov.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/117957/impact-assessment-tier2.pdf

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

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Army Air Corps pilots have resigned due to his Department’s plans to recover over-payment of flying pay; how many of those pilots (a) are currently serving and (b) have retired; what assessment he has made of the effect on (i) staffing levels and (ii) the effectiveness of that corps; whether any of those pilots affected have been subject to disciplinary proceedings due to non-repayment of such over-payments; what the value is of such over payments; over what period such over-payments relate to; and if he will make it his policy to not recover such over-payments.

    Mark Lancaster

    I refer the hon. Member to the response given by my noble Friend, the Minister of State for Defence, the Rt Hon. Earl Howe, to the noble Lord, the Rt Hon. the Lord Trefgarne, in the House of Lords (Official Report, column 2379). In addition to this I can confirm that an overpayment of recruitment and retention pay amounting to £829,000 in total was made to 146 Army aircrew personnel over a number of years. Of the 146 personnel affected, 97 are still serving. We have apologised and explained the circumstances of the overpayments to all affected. Each individual has the opportunity to object, appeal, and if necessary submit a Service Complaint against recovery action receiving individual and tailored advice as required. Since notification of the recovery action, the Army Air Corps is not aware of any resignations as a direct result. The error was caused by differing interpretations and use of the Recruitment and Retention Pay (Flying) policy across the Army Air Corps. As such there are no disciplinary issues associated with the overpayment.

    Although there are manning pressures within the Army Air Corps they are able to meet all current commitments. In recognition of these pressures a Financial Retention Incentive was introduced in 2015 and 81% of the eligible personnel have taken up this offer resulting in a stabilisation of Army Air Corps pilot manning levels.

    In accordance with HM Treasury Policy and Guidance, pay has been reverted to the correct levels and recovery action has now begun. This guidance requires that efforts are made to recover incorrect payments in all cases across the public sector. I am satisfied that this is the correct approach to take under these circumstances and reflects the previous recovery of overpayments within the Armed Forces.

  • Baroness McIntosh of Pickering – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Baroness McIntosh of Pickering – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the possible impact on the local economy and the environment of hydraulic fracturing in Ryedale, and what were the results of the economic impact assessment carried out on that proposed development.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    A planning application for the extraction of shale gas in Ryedale is currently under consideration by North Yorkshire County Council. It would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on the specifics of any proposal. It will be for the Council to take into account the impacts of the proposed development on the local economy and the environment as relevant in its determination of that application.

    The Government continues to support the development of the shale industry in the UK. It has the potential to power economic growth, create tens of thousands of jobs and provide a new domestic energy source, making us less reliant on imports from abroad.

  • Lord Rennard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Rennard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rennard on 2016-06-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to ratify the WHO protocol on the illicit trade in tobacco.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The Government is fully committed to implementation and ratification of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Illicit Trade Protocol. The majority of the requirements of the Protocol are already in place in the UK. HM Revenue and Customs has recently consulted on the implementation of Article 6 of the Protocol, which includes the requirement to license tobacco manufacturing machinery. The Government will ratify the Protocol once we are satisfied that the legislation is in place to meet this requirement.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-09-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the cost to date of keeping Peter Sutcliffe at Broadmoor Hospital, and what is the projected annual cost of keeping him at a category A high security prison.

    Lord Keen of Elie

    Decisions over whether prisoners are to be sent back to prison from secure hospitals are based on clinical assessments made by independent medical staff.

    The Department for Health advise that information quantifying the costs to date of treating Peter Sutcliffe (now known as Peter Coonan) at Broadmoor Hospital between 1984 and 2016 is not available and would vary throughout the period of detention according to the care and interventions provided to meet his clinical needs and security requirements.

    The annual cost in 2014/15 of keeping a prisoner in a High Security prison was £57,000. This information can be found in the attachment.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many meetings (a) Ministers of her Department and (b) officials of HM Prison Service have had with drone manufacturers in each quarter of each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Details of all ministerial meetings with external companies are published on gov.uk. Information on officials’ meetings is not held centrally.

    We remain vigilant to all incidents involving drones and take the threat they pose to prison security very seriously. We have already introduced new legislation to further strengthen our powers, so that anyone found using a drone in an attempt to get contraband into prisons can be punished with a sentence of up to two years imprisonment. We take a zero tolerance approach to smuggling of contraband into prisons and work closely with the police and Crown Prosecution Service to ensure those caught are prosecuted.

    A range of methods to counter the threat posed by drones are continuously being trialled and evaluated for their effectiveness across the prison estate.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with manufacturers of drugs for the treatment of AIDS on preventing rises in the prices of such drugs.

    George Freeman

    There have been no such representations or discussions. The prices of branded medicines are controlled by the 2014 Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme or under the statutory scheme established under the Health Service Branded Medicines (Control of Prices and Supply of Information) (No.2) Regulations 2008 and the Health Service Medicines (Information Relating to Sales of Branded Medicines etc.) Regulations 2007.