Tag: Richard Fuller

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the advantages to deaf people of funding a team of interpreters through the Access to Work scheme rather than being assigned a single interpreter by their employer.

    Mike Penning

    We have not made any assessment of the advantages to deaf people of funding a team of interpreters through the Access to Work scheme. We appreciate that each situation is unique and may require a bespoke solution.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the new Indian government to reopen investigations on the events in 1984 at the Golden Temple in Amritsar; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    This is a matter between the Sikh Community and government of India. The purpose of the Cabinet Secretary’s recent investigation and report on the Indian operation at Sri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar in 1984, was to establish the extent of UK Government involvement in the Indian government’s plans for military operations, not the operation itself, or the actions of the Indian government.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of the quality and performance of UK Trade and Investment support for UK-Nigeria partnerships in (a) financial services, (b) the creative industries and (c) educational services.

    Michael Fallon

    UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) carries out an in-depth assessment of its overall impact each quarter via the Performance Impact Monitoring Survey (PIMS). Generic assessments of specific sectors are carried out externally on behalf of UKTI. The business impact of individual services and activities is also monitored by the teams delivering them.

    UKTI delivers a range of services in relation to Nigeria in the sectors specified, both bespoke services for individual companies and broader activities. These are in line with sector strategies for the market. Some recent examples include a financial services mission to Nigeria in March organised by UKTI, in partnership with Nigerian Diaspora individuals working in the City of London. Also in March, UKTI Nigeria worked with UK and Nigerian stakeholders to deliver an SME event in Lagos focused on creative industries. This was followed in early April by a videoconference between UK and Nigerian companies engaged in fashion retail. UKTI was also involved in a local education event in Lagos in early April during which Nigerian requirements were successfully matched to UK companies offering relevant expertise.

    All participants who commented on these events reported that they found their participation useful. All have identified follow up actions and UKTI will be monitoring successes which ensue.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will support an international enquiry into the events at the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    This is a matter between the Sikh Community and government of India. The purpose of the Cabinet Secretary’s recent investigation and report on the Indian operation at Sri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar in 1984, was to establish the extent of UK Government involvement in the Indian government’s plans for military operations, not the operation itself, or the actions of the Indian government.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the role of early stage co-investment funds in assisting the achievement of development goals.

    Lynne Featherstone

    Investment Funds that invest in early-stage businesses can provide risk capital, create jobs and provide access to services such as healthcare, energy, housing, education and sanitation. In December 2012 my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development announced the DFID Impact Fund, which is managed by CDC. Through the DFID Impact Fund CDC is investing up to £75 million of DFID’s capital into Funds on a matched basis with other co-investors.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost of maintaining existing pension provisions for firefighters (a) who have achieved 20 years of service and are within 10 years of normal retirement age and (b) who have achieved 20 years of service.

    Brandon Lewis

    No assessment has been made of the annual cost of maintaining existing pension provisions for firefighters who have achieved 20 years of service. However, the Government Actuary’s Department have previously approximated that, ignoring the effects of any tapered protection, to alter the transitional protections to only apply to firefighters who, as at 1 April 2012, were aged at least 40 and had 20 or more years pensionable service would increase the capital cost of the 1992 scheme protections by around £50 million.

    Any firefighter who is within 10 years of their current Normal Pension Age, as at 1 April 2012, will remain in their existing pension scheme irrespective of length of service. A greater proportion of firefighters are protected than for any other large public service workforce.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to work with CDC in delivering early stage investment funds in developing countries to better achieve development goals.

    Lynne Featherstone

    Investment Funds that invest in early-stage businesses can provide risk capital, create jobs and provide access to services such as healthcare, energy, housing, education and sanitation. In December 2012 my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development announced the DFID Impact Fund, which is managed by CDC. Through the DFID Impact Fund CDC is investing up to £75 million of DFID’s capital into Funds on a matched basis with other co-investors.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent representations he has received on funding for the transition to a two-tier school system in Bedford Borough.

    Mr David Laws

    We are not aware of any representations made on this matter.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to establish an early stage co-investment fund in Nigeria.

    Lynne Featherstone

    DFID supports a number of initiatives that help private sector development in Nigeria. These include work alongside CDC to fund investment opportunities in Northern Nigeria; technical assistance to increase lending by Nigerian banks to Small and Medium Enterprises, through the International Finance Corporation (IFC); and start up grants for Nigerian firms through the Business Innovation Facility.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many complaints the Government has received on the England and Wales personal insolvency regime in relation to (a) bankruptcy, (b) individual voluntary arrangements and (c) debt relief orders in each year since 2010; and what the nature was of such complaints.

    Jenny Willott

    The Insolvency Service (Agency) does not hold records that categorise complaints in this way for 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12. The Agency’s records are held in relation to complaints received in respect of the official receiver’s administration of bankruptcies and debt relief orders (DROs) from 2012/13 onwards.

    Since June 2013, following introduction of the Insolvency Practitioner Complaints Gateway, the Agency has maintained records of complaints made against Insolvency Practitioners (IPs) and their administration of individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) and Trust Deeds (a Scottish equivalent of IVAs) – no records are held for IVAs alone.

    The following table summarises complaint numbers in respect of the official receiver or IP’s administration of bankruptcies, IVA/ Trust Deeds and DROs.

    Year

    Bankruptcy

    IVA & Trust Deeds

    Debt relief orders

    2012/13

    193

    –

    0

    2013/14

    154

    183

    7

    Records detailing the nature of complaints received in relation to the official receiver’s administration of bankruptcy and DRO cases have only been held since 2013/14. The complaints are categorised as follows:

    Delay in taking action;

    Delay in replying to correspondence;

    Delay in returning telephone calls;

    Personal conduct (of a member of staff);

    Misleading/ incorrect information;

    Failure to inform/ reply;

    Failure to act;

    Incorrect action; and

    Quality of service by 3rd party acting for the Agency.

    The nature of complaints received in respect of an IP’s administration of IVAs are categorised as follows:

    Complainant not receiving a completion certificate;

    IP’s failure to deal with correspondence;

    Complainant disputing payment protection insurance compensation is asset in IVA;

    Complainant believes they were given poor advice; and

    IP failed to deal with an IVA/ Trust Deed in a timely way.