Tag: Tim Loughton

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department has prepared for government departments on implementing the Family Test.

Priti Patel

In October 2014, the Department for Work and Pensions published guidance for Government officials on how the Test should be applied when formulating policy. Produced in collaboration with third sector partners from the Relationship Alliance, the guidance outlines the basis for the Family Test and provides policy officials with information on how the Test can be applied.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of child abuse flagged by sexual offences have been investigated in each police force area in each of the last three years.

Karen Bradley

The Home Office does not collect data on the number of cases of sexual offences flagged as child abuse that have been investigated.

The Home Office collects information on the number of crimes the police in England and Wales record and the outcomes they assign to these crimes. The Home Office is clear that all crimes reported to the police should be taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, taken through the courts and met with tough sentences.

From the data the Home Office receives, information can only be provided for certain sexual offences that identify that the victim is aged under 18 by the name of the offence in statute, namely:

 Rape of a female child under 16

 Rape of a female child under 13

 Rape of a male child under 16

 Rape of a male child under 13

 Sexual assault on a female child under 13

 Sexual assault on a male child under 13

 Sexual activity involving a child under 13

 Sexual activity involving child under 16

 Sexual grooming (the victim must be under 16)

 Abuse of position of trust in a sexual nature (under 17)

 Abuse of children through sexual exploitation

Data for these offences by police force area are available in the police recorded crime and outcomes open data available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which academic and research bodies, which receive funding from the EU, are routinely used for research on the EU in departmental and ministerial briefings.

Mr David Lidington

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) draws on information from a wide range of sources when producing departmental and ministerial briefings. The FCO does not collect information on whether the sources used in the preparation of briefings receive funding from the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-05-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of unaccompanied asylum seeking child refugees of each (a) gender and (b) age group who are currently in EU member states.

James Brokenshire

The UK Government does not hold information on the number of unaccompanied asylum seeking child refugees in EU Member States by (a) gender and (b) age group.

This is collected by each Member State and compiled by Eurostat. It is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/data/database

The UK Government is currently consulting with France, Italy and Greece to establish how best we can implement the recent Lord Dubs’ amendment to the Immigration Bill. This will include an assessment of numbers and needs of unaccompanied children in these Member States.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the provision of overtime payments to train staff employed by Govia Thameslink Railway.

Claire Perry

We do not receive information regarding staff costs to this level of granularity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-09-15.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the surplus/deficit in the National Insurance Fund is.

Jane Ellison

There are two separate National Insurance Funds (NIF) one for Great Britain and a significantly smaller Northern Ireland Fund.

The balance on the GB NIF as at 31 March 2015 was £20.9bn and the Northern Ireland NIF was £0.5bn. These balance can be found in the accounts which were published on 29 October 2015, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-insurance-fund-accounts.

The NIF accounts for the year ending 31 March 2016 are currently in the process of being audited prior to publication.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to raise the issue of harassment and persecution of Tibetan Buddhists in Tibet with the Chinese government.

Alok Sharma

​I refer my Hon. Friend to my answer of 18 October 2016 (PQ 48663).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2015-11-10.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions took place between his Department and the Department for Education about the allocation of funds to the Pioneer Communities Project.

Greg Hands

The Government announced at Autumn Statement 2014 funding for the Department for Education for an “Early intervention pilot for 0-2 year olds – to pilot a new approach to ensure that the most effective early intervention actions are taken during a child’s earliest years, to prevent avoidable problems later.”

This measure was to be delivered by the Department for Education, who worked with a number of stakeholders including Her Majesty’s Treasury, the Wave Trust and the Early Intervention Foundation to identify options to deliver the project.

As no contract has been signed for this measure, in June 2015 the Department for Education undertook not to proceed with the measure in this financial year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on local authorities offering council tax discounts to in-house foster carers but not to independent or agency foster carers looking after children in care from that authority; and what information she holds on which authorities have such arrangements.

Edward Timpson

The arrangement of foster care placements is the duty of local authorities. The regulatory framework for the provision of foster care placements is clear that local authorities must have access to sufficient placements to meet the needs of the children they look after.

The framework referred to above is clear that foster carers should not be economically disadvantaged as a consequence of carrying out their role on behalf of the local authority.

There is no specific provision for foster carers in council tax legislation. However, local authorities are able to grant council tax reductions to any individuals or groups as they see fit.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what contingency arrangements his Department has made for the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the upcoming EU referendum.

Matthew Hancock

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given by my Rt Hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 14 January 2016 to UIN: 21952.