Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label attachment file name title
tabling member	label

Search

49106

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many full-time equivalent staff of each grade were employed at HM Prison Northumberland on 1 April (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Tooting
	tabling member printed	Sadiq Khan
	uin	107175
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The information requested could not be obtained within the timescale. I will write to the Member in due course.</p> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright grouped question UIN 197062 197063 197064 197065 197097 question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright
	tabling member	1577 label Biography information for Sadiq Khan

49014

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what meetings he has had with (a) representatives of the Colombian government, (b) Colombian civil society and (c) Colombian businesses to discuss his Department's Action Plan on Business and Human Rights since its launch in September 2013.
	tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
	tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
	uin	107176
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p>I visited Colombia in February this year and discussed business and human rights in my meetings with President Santos, and in meetings with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance and Trade, and with civil society. I welcomed the development of the Colombian national policy on business and human rights during these meetings and raised the importance of protecting Trade Unionists and human rights defenders. We have a strong partnership with the government of Colombia on implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, in the context of the November 2011 Joint Declaration on Human Rights by the Prime Minister and President Santos.</p><p>In addition, British Embassy officials in Bogota have had several meetings with the Colombian government, civil society and businesses in Colombia to discuss the UK Action plan on business and human rights in line with our commitment to working for widespread international uptake of the UN Guiding Principles and to developing partnerships with other countries to progress this.</p><p>Last year, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office funded a project to assist Colombia in drafting its national policy. The Colombian public policy on business and human rights has been formed as a result of consultation across 33 regions and involving over 19,000 people.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
	tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

49115

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the (a) fairness and (b) viability of reforming the firefighters' pension scheme allow members to retire on the basis of length of service rather than age.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	107177
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government is reforming all public service pension schemes to ensure that they remain fair to workers and sustainable for taxpayers. The transitional protection arrangements for the firefighters' pension schemes are set out in the Proposed Final Agreement which was published in May 2012. The transitional protections use age to calculate a member's entitlement to protection. More firefighters are protected from changes than any other large public service workforce.</p><p>There has been recent correspondence with the Fire Brigades Union on the scope and timing of discussions on this issue. Copies of this correspondence can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/firefighters-pension-scheme-reforms" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/firefighters-pension-scheme-reforms</a>.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis grouped question UIN 107178 question first answered 07/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

49116

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he has (a) discussed with and (b) received any representations from the Fire Brigades Union regarding the adoption of a firefighters' pension scheme which would allow members to retire on the basis of length of service rather than age.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	107178
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government is reforming all public service pension schemes to ensure that they remain fair to workers and sustainable for taxpayers. The transitional protection arrangements for the firefighters' pension schemes are set out in the Proposed Final Agreement which was published in May 2012. The transitional protections use age to calculate a member's entitlement to protection. More firefighters are protected from changes than any other large public service workforce.</p><p>There has been recent correspondence with the Fire Brigades Union on the scope and timing of discussions on this issue. Copies of this correspondence can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/firefighters-pension-scheme-reforms" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/firefighters-pension-scheme-reforms</a>.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis grouped question UIN 107177 question first answered 07/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

48992

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK Border Agency staff in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Northern Ireland and (e) the UK were (i) on zero-hours contracts and (ii) temporary staff in each of the last two years up to the most recent period for which records are available.
	tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
	tabling member printed	Pamela Nash
	uin	107179
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p>The UK Border Agency was absorbed into the Home Office on 1 April 2013; its <br>successor business areas are UK Visas &amp; Immigration and Immigration Enforcement.<br><br>(i) The Home Office and its Agencies do not employ and have not employed staff <br>on zero-hours contracts. <br><br>(ii) A geographical breakdown of temporary staff employed in UK Border Agency <br>successor business areas in each of the last two years is shown at Table 1.</p><p>[ATTACH TABLE]</p><p><br>NOTE: Office for National Statistics defines temporary staff as those civil <br>servants with contracts of employment of less than one year; staff with Fixed <br>Term Appointments and Permanent staff are reported separately by all government <br>departments, as are Agency and Contingent Workers.</p> answering member constituency Staffordshire Moorlands answering member printed Karen Bradley question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4110 label Biography information for Dame Karen Bradley attachment 1 file name PQ 107079 Table 1 V1.xlsx title TABLE 1
	tabling member	3909 label Biography information for Pamela Nash

48991

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Culture Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many officials in his Department are employed on zero-hours contracts.
	tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
	tabling member printed	Pamela Nash
	uin	107180
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2014 answer text <p>The Department has no employees with a zero hours contract.</p> answering member constituency Maidstone and The Weald answering member printed Mrs Helen Grant question first answered 07/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4018 label Biography information for Mrs Helen Grant
	tabling member	3909 label Biography information for Pamela Nash

447

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2013
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what powers and freedoms relating to (a) skills and employment, (b) housing and (c) economic development have been devolved since May 2010 to (i) local government and (ii) local enterprise partnerships.
	tabling member constituency	Congleton
	tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
	uin	162343
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 1 July 2013]</em></p><p>The Government is taking considerable steps to devolve power and freedom to local government and Local Enterprise Partnerships.</p><p>Through the Localism Act, councils now have the general power of competence that enables them to do anything that an individual might do, apart from that which is specifically prohibited. In addition we have radically reformed the local government finance system putting levers and incentives in the hands of local authorities, for instance:</p><p>· The removal of ring-fencing from local government grants has given councils the freedom and flexibility over the money they receive and allows them to work with their residents to decide how best to make their spending decisions to fit their local priority needs.</p><p>· rewarded places that deliver growth, through the New Homes Bonus and Business Rate Retention.</p><p>· Local authorities now directly retain 50% of business rates locally which amounts to nearly £11 billion, instead of returning it to Whitehall.</p><p>· We established five pilot Rural Growth Networks aimed at tackling the barriers to economic growth in rural areas, such as a shortage of work premises, slow internet connectivity and fragmented business networks. These pilots expect to create up to 3,000 new jobs and support up to 700 new businesses, offering a local approach to local problems. We will share the lessons they learn with other Local Enterprise Partnerships and Local Authorities to help them promote growth in other rural areas.</p><p>We have also given councils the ability to borrow against their Housing Revenue Account.</p><p>Through the city deals programme we have devolved powers and responsibilities to 26 cities. For example we have:</p><p>•provided levers to deliver the skills and jobs that local businesses and people need;</p><p>•created joint investment programmes; and</p><p>• devolved greater financial powers and incentives to invest in growth to all cities.</p><p>As we made clear in our response to Lord Heseltine's review of Growth, we intend to go further. We have committed to negotiating Growth Deals with every Local Enterprise Partnership through which we will allocate the Local Growth Fund and negotiate broader powers, freedoms and flexibilities where a strong case for decentralisation can be made. The Local Growth Fund brings together funding from skills, housing and transport and we have committed £2 billion in 2015/16 and it will continue to be at least £2 billion a year up to 2021. The Local Growth Fund includes:</p><p> </p><ul><li>over £6 billion of transport funding;</li><li>£300 million of additional Housing Revenue Account borrowing;</li><li>£50 million of Local Infrastructure Funding for housing developers; and</li><li>£300 million skills capital funding.</li></ul><p>We are also for the first time putting £5 billion of European Structural Investment Funds for the 2014-20 period under the strategic direction of Local Enterprise Partnerships, bringing the total resource (including the Local Growth Fund) under the control of Local Enterprise Partnerships to over £17 billion up until 2020.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce

28185

	registered interest
	date	04/12/2013
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many hours per week was spent in (a) education or training, (b) work and (c) cells by prisoners in (i) each prison in England and Wales and (ii) each category of prison in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Darlington
	tabling member printed	Jenny Chapman
	uin	178604
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The information requested in parts (a) and (b) of the question is set out in Tables 1 and 2 below for 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12, which are the last three years for which this information was collected.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested in part (c) was provided in my earlier answer to the right honourable Member for Tooting on 6 June 2013: (<a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm130606/text/130606w0003.htm#13060674001141" target="_blank">http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm130606/text/130606w0003.htm#13060674001141</a>).</p><p> </p><p>Figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.</p><p> </p><p>Purposeful activity was formerly a performance indicator for prisons, but was discontinued at the start of 2012-13. The indicator was not used in the day-to-day management of prisons and NOMS had concerns over the burden on the frontline of collecting the information. Indicators introduced into prison SLAs in respect of rehabilitation, resettlement and work in prisons provide a better demonstration of the efforts to equip prisoners to be less likely to offend on release.</p><p> </p><p>Work in prisons is a key priority to ensure prisoners are engaged purposefully whilst they are in custody. It also gives them the opportunity to learn skills and a work ethic which can increase their chances of finding employment on release, a key element to reducing reoffending.</p><p> </p><p>The number of prisoners working in industrial activity in public sector prisons increased from around 8,600 in 2010-11 to around 9,700 in 2012-13. This delivered an increase in the total hours worked in industrial activities from 10.6 million hours to 13.1 million hours. The average hours per week spent in education has increased since 2010.</p><p> </p><p>In addition there are substantial numbers of prisoners who work to keep prisons running on tasks such as cooking, serving meals, maintenance and cleaning.</p><p> </p><p>Our reforms to the Incentives and Earned Privileges national policy framework came into effect in adult prisons on 1 November 2013. Prisoners will be expected to engage in purposeful activity, as well as demonstrate a commitment towards their rehabilitation, reduce their risk of reoffending, behave well and help others if they are to earn privileges.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Figures are published in the NOMS Annual Report Management Information Addendum: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225225/mi-addendum.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225225/mi-addendum.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright attachment 1 file name 178604 - Chapman - TABLE for Minister.XLS title Table 1
	tabling member	3972 label Biography information for Baroness Chapman of Darlington

31448

	registered interest
	date	07/01/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many non-UK EEA nationals had dependants eligible to receive child benefit where the dependant is (a) in the UK and (b) outside the UK on 1 January 2014; and how much has been paid in such a fashion in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Leicester East
	tabling member printed	Keith Vaz
	uin	181673
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p>HMRC are not able to provide the information in the manner requested. HMRC do not record the nationality of the claimant receiving Child Benefit for children living in another member state.</p><p> </p><p>Published Child Benefit statistics provide annual estimates of the number of families and children claiming. The latest available (August 2012) show that there were 7.92 million families, responsible for 13.77 million children and qualifying young people receiving Child Benefit.</p><p>The main purpose of Child Benefit is to support families in the UK. Consequently, the rules generally do not provide for them to be paid in respect of children who live abroad.</p><p> </p><p>Nevertheless, Child Benefit is a family benefit under EC Regulation 883/2004. This regulation protects the social security rights of nationals of all member states of the European economic area, including the UK, and Switzerland when they exercise their rights of free movement under EU law.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC holds information on the number of Child Benefit awards under EC Regulation 883/2004. As at 31 December 2013, there were 20,400 ongoing Child Benefit awards under the EC Regulation in respect of 34.268 children living in another member state.</p><p> </p><p>This is a fall of 3,682 (15.3%) awards in respect of 5,903 (14.7%) fewer children since 31 December 2012.</p><p> </p><p>The breakdown by member state is as follows:</p><p> </p><p>*We have withheld the number where it is fewer than 5, as there is risk that the information could be attributed to an identifiable person, which would prejudice their right to privacy and would therefore be a breach of Principle 1 of the Data Protection Act.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Child Benefit</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Country of residence of children</p></td><td><p>Number of awards</p></td><td><p>Number of children</p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>Austria</p></td><td><p>23</p></td><td><p>37</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Belgium</p></td><td><p>75</p></td><td><p>140</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bulgaria</p></td><td><p>186</p></td><td><p>245</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Croatia</p></td><td><p>*5</p></td><td><p>*5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cyprus</p></td><td><p>39</p></td><td><p>61</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Czech Republic</p></td><td><p>124</p></td><td><p>203</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Denmark</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Estonia</p></td><td><p>45</p></td><td><p>65</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Finland</p></td><td><p>12</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>France</p></td><td><p>789</p></td><td><p>1429</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Germany</p></td><td><p>283</p></td><td><p>495</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Greece</p></td><td><p>44</p></td><td><p>69</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Hungary</p></td><td><p>136</p></td><td><p>196</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Iceland</p></td><td><p>*5</p></td><td><p>*5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Italy</p></td><td><p>156</p></td><td><p>273</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Latvia</p></td><td><p>797</p></td><td><p>1091</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Liechtenstein</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Lithuania</p></td><td><p>1215</p></td><td><p>1712</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Luxembourg</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Malta</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>22</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Norway</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>61</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Poland</p></td><td><p>13174</p></td><td><p>22093</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Portugal</p></td><td><p>202</p></td><td><p>309</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Republic of Ireland</p></td><td><p>1231</p></td><td><p>2505</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Romania</p></td><td><p>230</p></td><td><p>392</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Slovakia</p></td><td><p>692</p></td><td><p>1232</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Slovenia</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>21</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Spain</p></td><td><p>600</p></td><td><p>1019</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sweden</p></td><td><p>49</p></td><td><p>95</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Switzerland</p></td><td><p>77</p></td><td><p>150</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>The Netherlands</p></td><td><p>142</p></td><td><p>288</p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>Totals</p></td><td><p>20400</p></td><td><p>34268</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As announced in the 2014 Budget, to prevent EEA migrants claiming benefits they are not entitled to, the Government will increase compliance checks to establish whether EEA migrants meet the entitlement conditions to receive Child Benefit</p><p> </p><p>Under domestic law, in order to claim Child Benefit EEA Migrants must be present in the UK, ordinarily resident and have a right to reside in the UK and their children must live in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>The recent changes to migrants' access to benefits announced by the Government sends a strong message that the UK benefit system is not open to abuse, as well as deterring those who may seek residence in the UK primarily to claim benefits.</p><p>Strengthening compliance checks will help prevent EEA migrants from claiming, and continuing to claim, benefits they are not entitled to. Checks will be applied to both new claims and existing awards.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Loughborough answering member printed Nicky Morgan grouped question UIN 183448 184509 191453 question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4027 label Biography information for Baroness Morgan of Cotes
	tabling member	338 label Biography information for Keith Vaz

31321

	registered interest
	date	07/01/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with UKAR regarding the potential effect on customers of a rise in interest rates.
	tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	tabling member printed	Cathy Jamieson
	uin	182195
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p>This Government's long term economic plan has kept interest rates at record lows for hardworking people across the country.</p><p> </p><p>Many lenders impose affordability stress tests on their mortgage lending decisions to ensure that the mortgage will remain affordable should interest rates rise. The Financial Conduct Authority's Mortgage Market Review rules, which came into force in April this year will require all mortgage lenders to conduct such a stress test.</p><p> </p><p>Although UKAR does not engage in new lending, UKAR runs a range of modelling scenarios to understand the potential effects of interest rate rises on customers. This work helps UKAR to identify customers who may be susceptible to higher interest rates and to engage with such customers at an early stage.</p><p> </p><p>UKAR assists all customers who wish to switch mortgage providers.</p><p> </p><p>NRAM and Bradford and Bingley are managed by UK Asset Resolution Limited (UKAR) which was established in 2010 to manage the disposal and rundown of outstanding assets at Bradford &amp; Bingley and Northern Rock Asset Management in an integrated way, with a view to creating value for the taxpayer. UKAR is managed at arm's length from Government, on commercial principles.</p><p> </p><p>It is therefore not for the Chancellor to discuss detailed commercial matters with UKAR.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom grouped question UIN 182196 question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
	tabling member	4011 label Biography information for Cathy Jamieson