UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Bill Esterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Bill Esterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much on average was owed in late payment debt to SMEs in each of the last 10 years.

    Anna Soubry

    The Department does not hold the information required. However, BACS data shows that small and medium businesses are owed a total of £26.8 billion, and the average small business is waiting for £31,900 in overdue payments.[1]

    The Government recognises that late payment remains an important issue for small businesses in the UK and is taking significant steps to assist small businesses to recover late payment debts. This is part of a package of measures to tackle late payment. We have also legislated for new transparency measures in the public and private sectors.

    The Small Business Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 legislated for new reporting requirement on the UK’s largest companies and Regulations will be introduced this year which will compel larger companies to report on payment practices and performance. This information will be published on a six-monthly basis and will be made publicly available.

    The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 introduced a requirement for all public-sector buyers to publish annually, from 2017, their liability to debt interest payments. In central government we have gone further and faster. We will be publishing against these requirements quarterly from April this year. This will allow full public scrutiny of payment performance.

    Through the Enterprise Bill, currently before Parliament, we will legislate to establish a Small Business Commissioner to give general advice and to help small businesses resolve disputes relating to payment matters with larger businesses.

    Tackling late payment is about creating a responsible payment culture where larger companies recognise the benefit of having a sustainable and robust supply chain, and smaller businesses feel able to challenge poor behaviour. Once implemented, the Government is confident that these measures will lead to significant changes in the UK’s payment culture.

    [1] BACS Data June 2015.

  • Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton on 2016-02-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role of social enterprises in delivering high-quality healthcare services.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    It is a statutory obligation that decisions on healthcare provision should be taken independently by local commissioners. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) must decide how to use their resources in a way which is evidence based, clinically-led and cost-effective in order to provide high-quality healthcare for people in their area. CCGs must also balance both short-term need and long-term transformation in line with the NHS Five Year Forward View’s (5YFV) objectives.

    However, the Government firmly believes that providers from all sectors, including social enterprises, play an important role in providing high quality, safe and efficient care to patients, as well as helping to realise the ambitions set out in the NHS 5YFV.

    The NHS 5YFV partners have recently published an updated national support package for the vanguards, ‘The Forward View into action: New Care Models support for the vanguards’, which emphasises the importance of drawing on the expertise and resources of the voluntary and social enterprise sector. A copy of the updated support package document is attached.

  • Mrs Louise Ellman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mrs Louise Ellman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Louise Ellman on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many Yazidi refugees have been relocated to the UK under the Vulnerable Person Resettlement Programme to date; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement scheme is based on need; it prioritises the most vulnerable Syrian refugees who cannot be supported effectively in their region of origin. In order to protect the vulnerable refugees selected for resettlement in the UK, we do not release detailed information about arrivals. However, Syrian Yazidis can certainly qualify for resettlement under the scheme if they are assessed as coming under one of the seven UNHCR vulnerability criteria, such as women and girls at risk, survivors of violence and torture and those with physical and legal protection needs.

  • Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2016-04-21.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the report by the Office for National Statistics, the Feasibility of measuring the sharing economy, published in April 2016.

    Harriett Baldwin

    HM Treasury has taken note of this feasibility study. Professor Sir Charles Bean’s Independent Review of Economic Statistics highlighted the importance of proper measurement of the sharing economy and to enable the Office for National Statistics to develop world-leading analytical and digital capabilities in economic measurement, the government will invest over £10m in a new hub for data science and a centre for excellence in economic measurement in line with recommendations.

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what issues the Government plans to discuss with the President of Colombia during his state visit to the UK in November 2016.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The State Visit presents an opportunity for the Government to continue our engagement with the Government of Colombia on a wide variety of themes, including: regional stability; peace and security; trade and investment; science and education; and the environment.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for local councils to bid for funds to improve local railway stations and rail services.

    Paul Maynard

    The Department launched a new round of the New Stations Fund on 26 August, with up to £20 million available towards the total project cost. Promoters of new stations, including local authorities, should submit bids by 25 November.

  • Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they will take to ensure that electric cars emit a warning noise so that those cars are audible.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    EU Regulations require vehicle manufacturers to fit artificial sound generators on new types of electric and hybrid electric vehicles from 2019. The requirements for these sound generators will be based on an existing UN-ECE regulation. By 2021 all new electric and hybrid electric vehicles on sale will require sound generators. Vehicle manufacturers may optionally choose to fit sound generators before the 2019 date.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that school (a) staff and (b) pupils are protected from violence in schools.

    Edward Timpson

    Any violence in schools is deplorable. The Department issues health and safety advice designed to help schools meet their statutory obligations. The employer in a school has the overall responsibility of ensuring that reasonable steps are taken to ensure staff and pupils are not being exposed to risks to their health and safety, including making the school secure.

    We have appointed Tom Bennett, an expert in behaviour, to look at improving training for new teachers, to deal with school disruption and more widely at what needs to be done to improve behaviour in schools.

    Schools should be safe and secure environments. Combined figures relating to the number of exclusions for physical assault against pupils and adults and verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against pupils and adults show a decrease for fixed period exclusions in recent years. We have given powers to schools to search pupils and confiscate inappropriate items. Schools continue to be vigilant and I expect that they will take all the necessary steps to ensure staff and pupils are appropriately protected.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to control the number of polecats.

    Rory Stewart

    Wildlife management is a devolved matter, so I can only respond on behalf of England.

    Defra’s general policy is that individuals should be free to manage wildlife within the law. In the first instance controlling polecats is the responsibility of the owner or occupier of the property where the problem occurs.

    Polecats are protected by the Bern Convention, which means the UK is obliged to protect their populations from unsustainable management and methods of control which are indiscriminate or capable of causing their local disappearance or serious disturbance. We meet our obligations through the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

    Whilst polecats are not protected from killing or taking, those who wish to kill or take polecats may not use methods prohibited by those pieces of legislation (for example poisons, traps, snares or nets), unless they acquire a licence from Natural England permitting them to do so.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which contracts with his Department G4S are currently bidding for.

    Matthew Hancock

    To ensure fair and open competition the Government does not publish the names of bidders during the tender process.

    Successful bidders for all central government contracts are published on Contracts Finder:

    https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

    Successful bidders for all Crown Commercial Service (CCS) contracts are published on the CCS web site:

    http://ccs-agreements.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/

    “