The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-01-29.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans his Department has assessed for changing the status of HM Revenue and Customs Digital Technology Services to enable it to become profit-making.
Mr David Gauke
The company was set up as a not-for-profit and there are no plans to change its status to a profit-making entity.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wendy Morton on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department’s spending was on Overseas Development Aid in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) the first 10 months of 2015-16; and what the recipient countries of that aid were.
Alistair Burt
In 2013-14 the Department spent £11.66 million on Official Development Assistance. In 2014-15 the Department spent £11.5 million on Official Development Assistance.
The Department’s Official Development Assistance in 2013-14 and 2014-15 is a proportion of the Department’s assessed contribution or subscription, to the World Health Organization (WHO). The subscription funds our contribution to all the functions of the WHO. The WHO provides the leadership and co-ordination role in global health for all its 194 member countries. As part of this role it provides technical support and assistance on the ground.
WHO is able to use the assessed contribution flexibly to fund its priorities as agreed by the United Kingdom and other member countries. We do not therefore have specific data of individual countries supported through our assessed contribution. However, more specific information on WHO funding flows to regions, individual countries and programmes can be found on WHO’s web portal at:
http://extranet.who.int/programmebudget/Biennium2014/Financing
The 2015 Official Development Assistance figures have not yet been finalised. The Department for International Development will release the 2015 figures in the National Statistics publication on 1 April 2016.
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 30235, in how many instances the Kingfisher Unit was used under rule (a) 40 and (b) 42 of the Detention Centre Rules in 2015.
James Brokenshire
The use of Kingfisher Unit at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre for individuals removed from general association is managed in accordance with Rules 40 (removed from association) and 42 (temporary confinement) of the Detention Centre Rules 2001.
For the period 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2015 provisional management information from the service provider, Serco, indicates that the Kingfisher Unit was used on 91 occasions for Rule 40 and 18 occasions for Rule 42. Removal from association under these rules is limited to as short a time as possible.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he last discussed the European Convention on Human Rights with the Secretary of State for the Home Department.
Dominic Raab
This Government was elected with a mandate to reform and modernise the UK human rights framework. We engage with all relevant government departments on a regular basis at Ministerial and official level. Reform of the UK’s human rights framework involves careful consideration within government and our proposals will be published in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2016-05-24.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to introduce an enforceable regulatory regime of any type to tackle nuisance calls, texts and other forms of marketing for claims management companies.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
The Government is taking forward a range of measures to tackle nuisance calls, which will increase consumer protection and choice by strengthening the Information Commissioner’s Office’s (ICO) ability to take enforcement action against organisations that break the law.
Specific actions include requiring direct marketing callers to display calling line identification; strengthening the ICO’s direct marketing guidance; and exploring the extension of the ICO’s powers of compulsory audit to more of the organisations that generate nuisance calls.
The Government also intends to establish a tougher regulatory regime for Claims Management Companies (CMCs) by transferring responsibility for claims management regulation to the Financial Conduct Authority; re-authorising all CMCs under a more robust process; and holding managers of CMCs personally accountable for the actions of their businesses.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-07-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 July 2016, to Question 42328, if he will provide (a) a schedule of the consular documents and (b) a copy of the investigation report referred to in that Answer.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The consular documents referred to in my Answer of 19 July, to Question 42328, contain numerous pieces of correspondence between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the many interested parties in the case, including the Governments of the Bahamas and Mexico. However, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold a copy of the police report, which was passed to Cheshire Police. Officials will meet you and the Coriam family to discuss the case, and our engagement with the Governments of the Bahamas and Mexico.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-10-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent meetings she has had with the National Cyber Security Center on cyber resilience among small businesses.
Matt Hancock
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was formally established on 1 October 2016 to deliver the Government’s vision to help make the UK the safest place to live and do business online. Meetings have been held and further meetings are planned.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2015-11-02.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the change in projected Government expenditure for 2020 under the Levy Control Framework resulting from the decision to freeze the level of the carbon price floor in the 2014 Budget.
Damian Hinds
There is no change in the government’s ambition for deployment of new renewable generation or strike prices from the decision to cap the carbon price support at Budget 2014. At Budget 2014 the established Levy Control Framework arrangements and budget provide the flexibility to achieve the investment and growth that is needed to tackle climate change and meet the renewable energy target.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to raise awareness among pupils of forced marriage and domestic violence.
Edward Timpson
Schools play an important role in safeguarding children from all forms of abuse. Our statutory guidance is clear that schools have an important role in identifying children who may be suffering abuse, or at risk of abuse, and then take necessary action, working with other services where appropriate. Schools also have an important role in raising pupils’ awareness of these issues, thus helping pupils to keep themselves safe.
The Department for Education has produced statutory guidance for schools, ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, which sets out the roles and responsibilities of schools and their staff, and which contains links to more detailed advice on specific forms of abuse, including domestic violence, teenage relationship abuse and forced marriage.
Schools can use relevant parts of the curriculum, including sex and relationship education and personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), to raise pupils’ awareness. It is for schools to determine which issues they address and how, and the Government’s statutory guidance on sex and relationship education makes clear that schools should ensure that young people develop positive values and a moral framework that will guide their decisions, judgements and behaviour. To complement work done in schools, the Government’s ‘This is Abuse’ campaign has helped to educate young people about damaging behaviours within relationships.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-01-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) premium and (b) subsidy payments the new Northern franchisee is expected to make or receive in each year of that franchise’s duration.
Andrew Jones
The new Northern Franchisee is expected to receive subsidy payments during each year of its franchise term. I note however, that under this franchise agreement the amount of annual subsidy will be reduced by £160million by the end of this 9-year contract and at the same time, unlike the last Northern franchise in 2004 which included limited plans to invest in services or meet demand, this new franchise will deliver more than 2,000 extra services each week, nearly a 40% increase in capacity and the complete removal of the outdated and unpopular Pacers by the end of 2019.
The subsidy payments are set out below in both nominal terms and in real (i.e. constant) terms in 2015/16 prices. Years 1 to 9 are the payments for the core Franchise Term. Year 10 is an optional extension period of up to one year, callable at the discretion of the Secretary of State.
|
Year |
£M |
||
|
Nominal |
Real – 2015/16 prices |
||
|
Year 1 |
2016/17 |
281 |
275 |
|
Year 2 |
2017/18 |
276 |
262 |
|
Year 3 |
2018/19 |
282 |
260 |
|
Year 4 |
2019/20 |
247 |
221 |
|
Year 5 |
2020/21 |
204 |
177 |
|
Year 6 |
2021/22 |
158 |
134 |
|
Year 7 |
2022/23 |
136 |
113 |
|
Year 8 |
2023/24 |
114 |
92 |
|
Year 9 |
2024/25 |
92 |
73 |
|
Year 10 |
2025/26 |
53 |
39 |
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