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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • 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 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what amount of (a) 1993 and (b) 2003 Child Support Agency scheme arrears are currently being handled by the Child Maintenance Service; and to how many case groups those arrears relate.

    Priti Patel

    As at 31 December 2015 the total amount of 1993 and 2003 Child Support Agency scheme arrears held on the 2012 system and currently being handled by the Child Maintenance Service stood at £92.6 million.

    Information on related case groups and break downs by scheme are not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what practical examples of agroforestry have been visited by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs staff in England, and what assessment they have made of whether, in the light of the fact that Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have recently included agroforestry options into their rural development schemes, doing so would be an effective measure for England.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Officials from Defra and Natural England have recently visited an example of agro-forestry near Peterborough funded in part from organic and agri-environment measures in Environmental Stewardship.

    This was a very positive and valuable visit. Officials will be exploring the evidence base for agro-forestry and how this measure might operate in practice within the Rural Development Programme. However, the budget for Pillar 2 is finite and funding agro-forestry may have opportunity costs for other measures.

  • Kirsty Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Kirsty Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsty Blackman on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average waiting time was for an immigration appeal hearing in HM Courts and Tribunal service in each of the last five years.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The average waiting time (in weeks) from receipt of an appeal to first hearing for all case types in the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) in each of the last five calendar years was:

    • 14 in 2011;
    • 14 in 2012;
    • 20 in 2013;
    • 25 in 2014; and
    • 24 in 2015.
  • Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 15 July 2013 to Question 164762, what the annual budget is for food produced for the armed forces; and what proportion of food produced for the armed forces was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate his Department has made of how long it will take to negotiate bilateral trade deals with (a) USA, (b) China, (c) Japan, (d) Canada and (e) other large non-EU trading partners once the UK leaves the EU.

    Greg Hands

    I refer the Rt hon Member to the answer of 21 July to UIN 42585.

    “

  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what proportion of staff on the payroll of the Government Equalities Office who work in Westminster are (a) British nationals and (b) nationals of another country.

    Caroline Dinenage

    All Government Departments are bound by legal requirements concerning the right to work in the UK and, in addition, the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

    Evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Civil Service as part of wider pre-employment checks, but there is no requirement on departments to retain this information beyond the point at which it has served its purpose.

    More broadly, the Government will be consulting in due course on how we work with business to ensure that workers in this country have the skills that they need to get a job. However, there are no proposals to publish lists of the number or proportion of foreign workers.

  • 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 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will review the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations to make audio-visual announcement systems a requirement on all new buses.

    Andrew Jones

    I understand the benefits that audio visual systems on buses can bring to passengers. There are a number of different potential solutions for achieving better audio visual information, not all of which will necessarily require on-bus equipment. Making on-board systems a requirement on all new buses would be a significant cost to the industry and I have no current plans to mandate such systems through Regulation.

  • Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether fact sheets have been prepared providing (a) supporting detail and (b) timetables for implementation of the proposals set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review; and if he will make a statement.

    Michael Fallon

    The Ministry of Defence has produced a series of fact sheets offering additional detail on the impact of the Strategic Defence and Security Review on Defence policy, plans, capabilities and organisation. They will be made available on the gov.uk website.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-01-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Fleet Air Arm pilots of F35B Sea Lightnings are currently fully trained; how many are undergoing training; and how many will be fully qualified when (1) HMS Queen Elizabeth, and (2) HMS Prince of Wales, commissions.

    Earl Howe

    There is currently one Fleet Air Arm pilot fully trained on the F-35B Lighting II aircraft, with two undergoing training, and this is exactly where we expected to be at this stage of the programme. Over the next 3-4 years, as jointly agreed by the Royal Navy and the RAF, the F-35B programme will train sufficient RAF and Fleet Air Arm Lightning II pilots to deliver a carrier strike initial operating capability in 2020.

    The noble Lord will wish to be aware that ‘F-35B Lightning II’ is the designation jointly agreed by the First Sea Lord and the Chief of the Air Staff.

  • 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 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2016 to Question 25610, on minimum wage, what the average call time was to the Pay and Work Rights and ACAS helplines; how many calls reached an ACAS operative; what definition of call was used in the data provided; and what translation facilities are available on the ACAS helpline.

    Nick Boles

    The average length of calls for the former Pay and Work Rights Helpline was 6 minutes 32 seconds. For the Acas Helpline which covers all call types, not just National Minimum Wage (NMW), the average length of calls is 7 minutes 54 seconds

    Between April 2015 and January 2016, the latest period for which data is available, Acas have handled 768,849 calls on workplace relations and employment law.

    The data collected by the Acas Helpline records the topics discussed by a caller. The figures show that there were 9,800 calls specifically related to NMW legislation and 3,700 where the caller was specifically concerned with non-payment or deductions related to the NMW. Some callers may have had queries about both subjects but due to the complexity of the data we cannot identify the number of callers that would fall into this category.

    The Acas Helpline uses LanguageLine to allow real time translation with customers over the phone. Callers can request a translator at any stage in the call. A translator will join the call via a conference call, usually within seconds.