The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress he has made in retrieving the £3 million grant to Kids Company made by his Department immediately before that charity went into administration.
Mr Rob Wilson
We are currently in discussions with the Official Receiver regarding retrieving the grant Government recently provided to Kids Company.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lucas on 2015-11-24.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 17 November (HL3227), what discussion HMRC has had with Trading Standards about VAT fraud among online traders operating from abroad; on what dates they held those discussions; by what medium; and with what outcome.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
HM Revenue and Customs is engaging with Trading Standards, both bi-laterally and through cross-government groups, to establish a coordinated response to VAT fraud by online traders operating from abroad. Additionally, HMRC has on-going policy and operational exchanges with Trading Standards via various media including face-to-face meeting, e-mail and telephone, sharing information and intelligence in line with established information gateways.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-01-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many miles of river and waterway bank the Environment Agency (a) strengthened and (b) raised in the last 12 months.
Rory Stewart
The Environment Agency is responsible for over 22,600 miles of main river. Strengthening and raising of rivers and waterways is part of the Environment Agency’s ongoing capital programme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-02-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department plans to take in response to the finding in the annual report to Parliament of the Lord Chief Justice, dated 16 January 2016, that the UK’s system of justice has become unaffordable to most; and if he will make a statement.
Mike Penning
As the Justice Secretary said in June, we have a two nation justice system at present. Those who have benefitted financially need to do more to protect access to justice for all and we are discussing with the profession how this can be taken forward.
As the Lord Chief Justice made clear in his annual report, the investment the Government is making to modernise our courts and tribunals is a significant step, and one which will enable us to tackle many of the issues he identified.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Murrison on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what metrics she uses in monitoring human rights abuse (a) by governments and (b) in countries in receipt of UK aid.
Mr Desmond Swayne
DFID works closely with the FCO to assess and monitor the civil and political rights context in the countries where it has programmes. DFID draws on the FCO’s annual Human Rights and Democracy Report, which takes international human rights obligations as its starting point, and assesses FCO country specific updates to that report. It takes into account the views of a range of sources including EU and other development partners, and civil society reports.
DFID provides aid to governments when it is satisfied that they share Britain’s commitments to reducing poverty and to respecting human rights. Before providing aid to a partner government, DFID assesses their commitment to four Partnership Principles. These include a commitment to poverty reduction; respecting human rights and other international obligations; improving public financial management, promoting good governance and transparency, and fighting corruption; and strengthening domestic accountability.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-03-17.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish a geographical analysis of the distribution of properties by rateable value.
Mr David Gauke
The number of rateable properties and rateable value by administrative area as at 31 March 2015 can be found in table CL1 in the latest non-domestic rating stock of properties publication:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/non-domestic-rating-stock-of-properties.
The next update to this release will be available in September 2016 for figures up to 31 March 2016.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the report, General Practice Forward View, published in April 2016, how much of the £2.4 billion increased funding for GP surgeries will be spent in Lancashire and the North West.
Alistair Burt
How much of this funding which will be spent in Lancashire and the North West will depend on future decisions by NHS England and the local clinical commissioning groups.
Local primary care allocations are published on the NHS England website at:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/pc-medical-allocations.pdf
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-05-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prosecutions each local authority has brought under the provisions governing a blind person’s right to travel in licensed taxis with their guide dogs of the Equality Act 2010.
Dominic Raab
It is an offence under section 168 of the Equalities Act 2010 to refuse to take an assistance dog in a taxi or private hire vehicle. The maximum penalty is a level 3 fine (up to £1,000).
The number of offenders sentenced at all courts (with fines and average fines specifically identified) for failure to comply with a section 168 duty in relation to an assistance dog for a disabled person, in England and Wales, from 2011 (earliest separately identifiable information available) to 2015 can be viewed in table 1.
The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for failure to comply with a section 168 duty in relation to an assistance dog for a disabled person, listed by local authority prosecuting the case in England and Wales, from 2011 (earliest separately identifiable information available) to 2015 can be viewed in table 2.
Centrally held data by the Ministry of Justice includes information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. Data on whether a guide dog for the blind or a different type of assistance dog was involved in such a case is not held centrally, or reliably recorded where there is no operational reason to do so.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-07-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 19 July 2016 to Question 42832, if he will allow part payments to cover the one to six day period between people reaching State Pension Age and their allocated pension payday.
Richard Harrington
New rules apply in the new State Pension scheme introduced from 6 April 2016. Individuals who reach State Pension age on or after that date are paid their new State Pension from the date they reach their State Pension age. Payments are made in arrears on a payday based on the individual’s National Insurance number. This means that in most cases the first payment may be in respect of a part of a week – that is from the day the individual reaches State Pension age to their first normal payday. The new State Pension is payable until the date of their death and a part week payment may also apply at the end of their claim.
Under the State Pension system that applies to people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, for those who did not move from a working age benefit to State Pension, the State Pension is payable only in full benefit weeks. This means that depending on the individual’s payday, as determined by their National Insurance number, their payment may not have begun from the day they reached their State Pension age. These arrangements for full week payment apply to both the start and the end of their claim for their State Pension and a full week is paid in respect of the week in which their death occurs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-11.
To ask the Attorney General, which agreed EU directives have not yet been transposed directly into UK law; and if he will make a statement.
Jeremy Wright
Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. During this period the Government will continue to negotiate, implement and apply EU legislation.
The Attorney General’s Office does not have departmental responsibility for the transposition of directives.