Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the contract between HM Revenue and Customs and Concentrix was agreed.

    Mr David Gauke

    Reducing tax credits fraud and error is a top priority for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The contract with Concentrix offers additional capacity to help build on HMRC’s own work, which has reduced tax credits fraud and error to the lowest ever level. Using a private company provides a cost-effective way to reach additional claims that need checking.

    The checks are to ensure that people are paid the correct amount of money to prevent them from getting into debt which they may find difficult to repay and protect losses to taxpayers.

    Concentrix operate under the same powers and processes as HMRC. Concentrix select cases to be checked using information provided by HMRC. Concentrix decide how best to achieve the expected benefits, including the number and type of cases and number of staff employed. HMRC closely monitors their performance.

    The contract uses a payment by results model, which means Concentrix is only paid based on the money it saves the Exchequer as a result of correcting claims that are incorrect. They will not be paid if the decisions they make about claimants’ awards are incorrect.

    The contract was signed on 6 May 2014. The contract was awarded to Synnex-Concentrix UK Ltd in April 2014, following a procurement exercise advertised under the open procedure. Information about the contract value and contract award is already in the public domain.

    https://www.deltaesourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=97910033

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  • Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Poulter on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the sustainable development goals on the UK’s aid spending on health initiatives; and if her Department will issue a guidance note on that spending.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The UK played a key role in creating a set of Global Goals that are universal and inclusive and is committed to championing the goals. Delivering Global Goal 3, to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all”, will instruct the health support we provide, with priority given to ensuring that poorer, harder to reach populations achieve better access to good quality essential services. DFID’s ongoing Bilateral Aid Review (BAR) and Multilateral Aid Review (MAR) will ensure we allocate our budget in the right places and in the right way, based on solid evidence, to contribute to the delivery of the Global Goals and to achieve our manifesto commitments.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to paragraph 2.41 of the Government’s paper, The best of both worlds: the United Kingdom’s special status in a reformed European Union, published in February 2016, what contribution he expects UK environmental and energy safety regulators to make to the annual survey referred to.

    Anna Soubry

    The European Commission’s Annual Burden Survey will support the Commission’s Regulatory Fitness (REFIT) Programme of withdrawals, repeals and reviews of existing EU legislation.

    Anyone, including UK environmental and energy safety regulators, can now submit comments about any area of EU legislation to the Commission’s ‘Lighten the Load – Have Your Say!’ website*. Suggestions received will be analysed by the Commission and may subsequently be put forward for action via the REFIT Programme. The Government will use the REFIT Programme and the Annual Burden Survey to ensure that the EU meets its commitments to simplify legislation, avoid over-regulation and reduce burdens on business.

    * http://ec.europa.eu/priorities/democratic-change/better-regulation/feedback/index_en.htm

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  • Tom Tugendhat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Tom Tugendhat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Tugendhat on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of funding from the new measures announced in paragraph 1.205 of Budget 2016 she plans to allocate for flood defences on the River Medway and its tributaries.

    Rory Stewart

    Of the additional £700 million announced at the Budget to be spent on flood defences and resilience, £150m has been allocated to new schemes in Yorkshire and Cumbria. The £40m per year increase in floods maintenance will be spent nationwide according to need. The remaining funding will be allocated following the outcome of the National Flood Resilience Review in the summer.

  • Liam Byrne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Liam Byrne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what value of contracts has been awarded through the Small Business Research Initiative in each year for which records are available.

    Joseph Johnson

    The value of contracts awarded through the Small Business Research Initiative in each year for which records are available is as follows:

    Financial Year

    2009/10

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    2015/16

    Total contract value (£’000)

    £29,672

    £13,029

    £23,490

    £44,413

    £77,495

    £83,097

    £62,031

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of settlement visas using the priority visa service were processed in Islamabad, Pakistan within (a) 10, (b) 15, (c) 30, (d) 60, (e) 90 and (f) 120 days.

    James Brokenshire

    There were five priority settlement applications processed in Islamabad, Pakistan between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2015. All of these cases were resolved within 15 days.

    This data is taken from provisional management information that is subject to change. It has not been assured to the standard of Official Statistics.

  • Corri Wilson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Corri Wilson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Corri Wilson on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what key priorities have been agreed by the National Autism Programme Board on improving data and information collected on autism to support the effective commissioning of services for autistic people.

    David Mowat

    Since the meeting of the cross government Autism Programme Board on 16 June 2016, discussions with NHS England have focused on taking forward the actions agreed to improve diagnostic waiting times and outcomes for people with autism. The National Autistic Society and the report of the Westminster Commission on Autism have both suggested that NHS England create a new role of National Clinical Director for autism, and this is a matter for NHS England to consider.

    The Autism Programme Board at its last meeting also considered current and possible future sources of autism data. The Board asked that further consideration be given to this issue and for the Department to report back to them before their autumn meeting. This work is on-going.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been spent from the public purse on rail services per head of population in (a) Ellesmere Port & Neston constituency, (b) the North West, (c) the Northern Powerhouse area, (d) London and (e) England in (i) 2014-15 and (ii) 2015-16.

    Andrew Jones

    Figures on public sector spend on railways per head of population are produced for England and the regions as part of the HM Treasury Country and Regional Analysis (CRA).

    In 2014/15, the latest year for which data are available, public sector spend per head on railways was £93 in the North West, £353 in London and £113 in England.

    Defining the Northern Powerhouse area as the three regions in the north of England (North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber), spend on railways per head was £88 in 2014/15.

    Data on spend per head on railways is not available for Ellesmere Port and Neston.

  • Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to UK Defence in Numbers, published by his Department in August 2015, in what capacity the four Wessex Combat support helicopters referred to in that document may be used.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Defence in Numbers booklet is a snap shot of the UK’s Defence capability and how we are spending the fifth largest Defence budget in the world. As well as giving details on civilian and personnel numbers and current operations, it also includes a list of the Ministry of Defence’s equipment holdings, the vast majority of which are in service and deployable. We will continue to review the Defence in Numbers booklet to ensure that it best reflects the breadth of defence equipment.

    The pieces of equipment listed in the Defence in Numbers booklet that are not capable for use on the front-line are: Jet provost aircraft, BAE-125 aircraft, Wessex helicopters, Challenger 1 battle tanks, FH70 Towed Howitzers and Chieftain Armoured Vehicles. These platforms are used in either a training or ceremonial capacity.

    Currently 90 Tornado aircraft remain in the operational fleet and are, or could be, returned to combat ready status; this number includes aircraft undergoing periodic deep maintenance and modification which are not immediately available for operational use.

  • Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consulted the Electoral Commission prior to the publication of the draft Recall of MPs Act 2015 (Recall Petition) Regulations 2015, and if so whether the response from the Electoral Commission indicated support for those draft Regulations.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    As required by section 7(2) (k) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, the Government formally consulted the Electoral Commission prior to the publication of the draft regulations. The Commission’s response did not give an indication as to whether or not it agreed with the policy approach but made a number of recommendations which were considered when finalising the draft regulations. The Government did not consult any registered political parties prior to laying the draft Regulations as there is no statutory requirement to do so.