Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many complaints HM Revenue and Customs has received about Concentrix from residents in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency since that company has been under contract with his Department.

    Jane Ellison

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold the data broken down specifically by constituency areas. HMRC is currently focused on resolving the outstanding cases but will be preparing regional analysis, which will be available in due course.

  • Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent progress he has made on publishing a statutory code for pub companies; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government published the first part of a two-part consultation on the statutory Pubs Code on 29 October 2015 at the GOV.UK website.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2015 to Question 13471, if he will assess the proposed standardised packaging of tobacco against the revised one in, two out framework criteria published by the Better Regulation Executive in its publication entitled, Better Regulation Framework Manual, published in March 2015.

    Jane Ellison

    Government policies, including standardised packaging of tobacco products, are assessed against the Better Regulation Framework in place at the time.

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department currently uses for the cost of rolling stock for High Speed 2.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The current estimate for High Speed 2 rolling stock is approximately £7.0bn (in 2015 prices).

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with clinical bodies on the link between diabetes and heart disease.

    Jane Ellison

    There have been no such recent discussions.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to provide certified copies of identity documents to visa applicants to support their applications to undertake an approved English language test.

    James Brokenshire

    There is no intention to change the current policy with regards to identity checks for Secure English Language Testing (SELT). Photocopies, whether certified or not, are not accepted when a candidate sits a test. Only original and valid documents are acceptable. This will allow test centre staff to confirm that the document is genuine and relates to the individual who is sitting the test.

    The only acceptable forms of identification in the UK are:

    • a passport or travel document;

    • a EU Identity Card;

    • a Biometric Residence Permit.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will undertake a cost-benefit analysis of (a) Access to Work expenditure and (b) the potential effect of that programme on (i) social security expenditure and (ii) income tax returns.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Government recognises the value users, employers and stakeholders place on the scheme which de-risks the recruitment and retention of disabled people, therefore we have increased the funding for Access to Work, to enable a further 25,000 customers to receive support by 2020. We continue to work with stakeholders to understand the value Access to Work adds.

    Officials have previously explored the potential costs and benefits of Access to Work expenditure, including the impacts on social security expenditure and income tax returns. However, in the absence of a control group against which to assess the difference the programme makes to someone’s likelihood of being in work, it is not possible to establish a robust overall value for money figure and it would be misleading to publish estimates. To establish a control group could jeopardise individuals’ current and future employment by restricting access to the programme and support for a sizeable number of people in the short to medium term.

  • 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 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Israel on the planned demolition of the Bedouin villages of Susiya and Um Al Hiran.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    Our Embassy in Tel Aviv has raised UK concerns with the Israeli Government on the issue of demolitions. Demolitions of Palestinian villages not only inflict unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians, but are harmful to the peace process and in all but the most exceptional of cases, are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. In regards to demolitions of Bedouin villages in green-line Israel such as Umm al-Hiran, any resolution should be consistent with Israel’s commitments under international law.

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

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much was spent on non-payroll staff in her Department in 2015-16.

    Sir Desmond Swayne

    DFID provides monthly workforce management information as part of its commitment to transparency. Information on staff numbers and costs is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfid-workforce-management-information-public-body.

  • Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department plans to take to train Jobcentre Plus advisors to support working parents and carers in in-work progression under universal credit.

    Damian Hinds

    We have made a significant commitment to supporting people through the welfare system to seek to increase their earnings in work. We are testing a range of approaches.

    This includes ongoing trials on how in-work progression can be supported by work coaches. This will help us further develop the work coach role to support in-work claimants, including working parents and Carers.

    We have also put in place a substantial programme of learning and ongoing support for work coaches. All coaches receive face-to-face classroom learning which focuses on both the technical delivery steps and importantly the transformational change of delivering in-work progression, as well as consolidation post-completion.

    Many of the skills that work coaches develop and utilise when working with out-of-work claimants are equally applicable to in-work claimants, and they will bring these skills to bear in addition to the extra learning.