Tag: Paul Blomfield

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-03-02.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2016 to Question 25631, over what time period the investigations into care sector employers took place; and how many of the employers found to be non-compliant following those investigations have been publicly named and shamed by the Government.

Mr David Gauke

If a worker believes they have not received at least the National Minimum Wage they should contact the Acas helpline in confidence on 0300 123 1100. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) currently fast track for investigation any care worker direct complaints received through the Acas helpline.

I refer the hon. member back to the answer provided to him to Question 25631 for HMRC’s position on discussing outcomes. I further refer the hon. member back to the answer provided to him by my hon. friend the Minister for Skills (Nick Boles) for detail on naming policy, Question 8685.

The most recent naming announcement from February is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-national-minimum-wage-offenders-named-and-shamed-february-2016.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when the rent review will take place on 1 Victoria Street; and what plans he has to publish the results of that review.

Joseph Johnson

The due date for the rent review is 1^st January 2016.

In line with standard commercial practice there are no specific plans to publish the results.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the report of the review of the South Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company that took place in November 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Selous

The information requested is commercially sensitive and, as such, will not be released. It is normal Government practice not to release commercially sensitive information.

We hold providers rigorously to account for their performance and take action wherever they are falling short.

Following an audit by the Ministry of Justice, South Yorkshire CRC developed an action plan. We are continuing to monitor the CRC’s performance closely.

Our probation reforms are designed to make sure almost all offenders receive support on release, including, for the first time, those sentenced to less than 12 months.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Written Statement of 18 April 2016, on immigration detention, HCWS679, how many pregnant women (a) are detained and (b) have been detained for immigration purposes at the border in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire

Management information for 19 April showed that two pregnant women were held at the border and there was one pregnant woman held in an IRC. Information on those held at the border and in IRCs in each of the last five years is not held centrally and providing it would incur disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-05-23.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many enquiries have been made by hon. Members to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on tax credits claims in the last 12 months; and what the average time taken was for HMRC to respond to those enquiries.

Damian Hinds

HMRC receives enquiries from Hon Members about tax credit awards in a number of different ways. HMRC seeks to answer every one as a high priority. No comprehensive figures are held for the time taken to answer all enquiries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Written Statement of 26 May 2016 on BIS consultation, HCWS30, what difficulties his Department experienced with split-site working in response to the steel crisis and Eurozone contingency planning.

Joseph Johnson

HCWS30 cites the steel crisis as an example of where the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has recently needed to redeploy large numbers of staff to address an urgent priority. As our policy function becomes more focused over the course of the Parliament, we expect to have to redeploy staff in this way more frequently than has so far been the case. Operating across split sites, in the context of a smaller workforce overall, would make it harder to quickly redeploy people to a different team or policy area, or for someone to be able to respond to an unpredictable or unusual demand for more intensive engagement with Ministers or Parliament.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Written Statement of 26 May 2016, HCWS30, whether his Department carried out an equality effect assessment on the effect on the public of the decision to centralise policy functions in his Department’s London office.

Joseph Johnson

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has carried an Equality Analysis to consider the impact of the decision on staff with protected characteristics, in compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 14 June 2016 to Question 39322, on his Department’s vacancies, how many internal policy vacancies his Department has.

Joseph Johnson

The current number of internal policy vacancies being advertised in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills HQ is 21.

The number of advertised vacancies can vary depending on recruitment timelines. All vacancies are advertised online via Civil Service Jobs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions the Government has had with EU member state representatives on Horizon 2020 grant applications continuing to be evaluated on merit alone during the period for which the UK remains a member of the EU.

Joseph Johnson

The application process for Horizon 2020 is administered by the European Commission. UK participants can continue to bid for competitive Horizon 2020 EU research funding while we remain a member of the EU. We will work with the Commission to ensure payment when funds are awarded. The Treasury will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. This applies to all UK participants with direct agreements with the Commission who meet the terms of the grant.

The Commission has made it clear that proposals from, or including, UK applicants must be treated in the same way as applications from other Member States while the UK remains a member of the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-09-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2016 to Question 43629, what plans he has to review the aspects of the BIS 2020 programme that do not relate to staff posts and office locations in the light of the restructuring of government departments.

Joseph Johnson

As part of the recent Machinery of Government changes, over the coming months we will be considering how to bring together the reform agendas of BEIS’s two predecessor Departments.