Tag: Stephen Timms

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeal hearings were cancelled in (a) 2014, (b) 2015 and (c) the first eight months of 2016 at the (i) First-tier Tribunal and (ii) Upper-tier Tribunal due to documents from the Home Office not being submitted before the hearing date.

Sir Oliver Heald

The First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chambers) are administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS).

The number of appeal hearings adjourned at the hearing, or postponed prior to the hearing, due to documents from the Home Office not being submitted before the hearing date was:

(i) First-tier Tribunal: (a) 2014 – 833 and (b) 2015 – 739

(ii) Upper Tribunal: (a) 2014 – 17 and (b) 2015 – 8

The number of appeal hearings either adjourned at the hearing, or postponed prior to the hearing due to documents from the Home Office not being submitted before the hearing date in the first six months of 2016, which are the latest figures available, was:

(i) First-tier Tribunal – 269

(ii) Upper Tribunal – 1

Data provided are internal Management Information and not subject to the same quality checks as Official Statistics.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-09-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of non-selective schools in selective areas is rated by Ofsted as (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) satisfactory and (d) inadequate.

Nick Gibb

These are matters for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to the Hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House libraries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department’s policy is on asking teachers to opt out of the European Working Time directive in respect of their working hours.

Nick Gibb

The School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document, which applies to all maintained schools, makes clear in paragraph 53.4 that governing bodies and head teachers should ensure that they adhere to the working limits set out in the Working Time Regulations 1998. These are the regulations that implement the European Council Directive.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the amount of its own capital which BT has invested in the rural broadband rollout programme to date.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Major Projects Authority concluded in Autumn 2014 that BDUK’s open book accounting process which supports BDUK’s monitoring and control of BT’s costsisan exemplar of best practice.Most Phase 1 broadband projects are using this process. BT have incurred £230 million spend to date for these projects.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints were made by jobseekers about advisers at Plaistow Jobcentre between 1 June 2013 and 31 May 2014.

Priti Patel

The information is not collated centrally. To provide this information could only be done so at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to publish an updated action plan on violence against women and girls.

Karen Bradley

Home Office officials have been working with partners on a refresh of our violence against women and girls strategy. We aim to publish this shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-11-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the finance officer at Plaistow Jobcentre until December 2013 was not interviewed in the investigation which led to the dismissal of two advisers from that jobcentre in May 2014.

Priti Patel

Allegations of misuse of the Flexible Support Fund at Plaistow Jobcentre were investigated fully by the Department’s professionally trained investigators.

It is not appropriate for the Secretary of State to disclose detailed information regarding individuals who may or may not have been contacted by investigators, as providing this information would risk individuals being identified.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-11-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of how many Syrian refugees in the vulnerable persons programme will be resettled in (a) North East England, (b) North West England, (c) Yorkshire and the Humber, (d) the East Midlands, (e) the West Midlands, (f) the East of England, (g) Greater London, (h) South East England, (i) South West England, (j) Wales, (k) Scotland and (l) Northern Ireland by 2020.

Richard Harrington

We are still in discussions with many local authorities to establish whether they wish to participate in the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2015 to Question 18222, if her Department will put procedures in place to ensure that family members who are not resettled together when they arrive in the UK under the vulnerable persons programme are able to maintain contact with each other.

Richard Harrington

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) identifies refugees for potential resettlement under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement scheme using their vulnerability criteria, and submits cases for Home Office consideration. The UNHCR links family groups so we can seek to allocate them to the same local authority. We also try and place them close to any family members already residing in the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the finding of the report, Halving the Gap, published by Mencap in December 2015, that the proposed change in employment and support allowance to claimants in the work-related activity group is likely to move those claimants further away from the labour market rather than closer.

Priti Patel

The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in Bill on 20^th July and we will review all reports which relate to the Welfare Reform and Work Bill.