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19326

registered interest
date	06/11/2013
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 overseas trips, and at what total cost, his Department made in each year since 2010; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham East
tabling member printed	Chris Leslie
uin	174860
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The Ministry of Justice has reduced the overall cost of air travel by almost half since 2009, and our total spend on all travel has fallen by more than 40 per cent in the same period – a saving of more than £9m.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, this year, the Justice Secretary toughened up the rules to ban first and business class travel for Ministers and officials in the department other than in exceptional circumstances where this is required to meet business need.</p><p> </p><p>Overseas travel makes up a small proportion of the Department's overall travel requirement. Flights and travel by Eurostar are booked through our contracted supplier, and whilst the MoJ records data on transactions, it does not hold details of the cost or destination of individual trips centrally. The cost of breaking down all travel in the ways requested would be disproportionate, as managers across the Department would have to create a breakdown of every trip taken, itemised by the different kinds of expenditure.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	422 label Biography information for Mr Chris Leslie

44784

registered interest
date	24/03/2014
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, what assessment she has made of the contribution of the (a) Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa route and (b) Tier 1 (Investor) visa route on economic growth.
tabling member constituency	Windsor
tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
uin	193286
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) advises the Government on economic issues relating to migration.<br><br>On 1 July 2013 the MAC published a &quot;Report on the economic and labour market impacts of tier 1 entrepreneur and investor migrants to the UK&quot; which it had commissioned from the Migration Observatory. The report made a number of findings, although it concluded that it was too early to make a full assessment of the economic contribution of the two routes without further research. The report is available on the gov.uk website at:<br><br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-and-labour-market-impacts-tier-1-entrepreneur-and-investor-migrants" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-and-labour-market-impacts-tier-1-entrepreneur-and-investor-migrants</a><br><br>More recently, on 25 February 2014 the MAC published its own report, &quot;Tier 1 (Investor) route: investment thresholds and economic benefits&quot; in response to a Government commission. The MAC concluded that the direct investment required by the route is of little or no benefit, but there is some benefit from indirect spending by investors and their families in the UK (although this is difficult to quantify). The report is available on the gov.uk website at:<br><br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-investment-limits-and-economic-benefits-of-the-tier-1-investor-route-feb-2014" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-investment-limits-and-economic-benefits-of-the-tier-1-investor-route-feb-2014</a><br><br>The Government keeps all routes under review and is currently considering its response to the MAC's report on the Tier 1 (Investor) route.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Old Bexley and Sidcup answering member printed James Brokenshire question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1530 label Biography information for James Brokenshire
tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

46473

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
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, how much grant-in-aid his Department has provided to Tell MAMA since May 2010; and what further funding he expects to provide.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	194862
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>TELL MAMA is the first service to record and monitor anti-Muslim hatred incidents and support victims. DCLG provided initial start-up grant funding to TELL MAMA of £395,500 between January 2012 and September 2013. TELL MAMA has subsequently received Big Lottery funding of £255,450 over two years from October 2013.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

46474

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
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, what recent progress he has made on the localism agenda; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	194875
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>This Government has been clear about its intention to devolve power, responsibility and decision-making down to the lowest possible level. This vision underpins significant elements of our policy agenda which are transferring power and freedom to both local councils and communities, some of which are noted below.</p><p>Nearly 1,000 assets of community value have been listed and we have helped 150 organisations to acquire a community asset or obtain significant investment towards doing so. 16 local campaigns for new parish councils are being supported covering local populations of more than half a million people. Over 100 new Our Place areas are starting work within their communities to transform neighbourhood level service delivery. Community share issues have raised over £24 million for community ventures.</p><p>Nearly 800 neighbourhood planning areas have been designated, and all 13 plans which have so far reached referenda have passed with significant majorities in favour.</p><p>Local authorities are now required to pass a proportion of Community Infrastructure Levy funding to local communities so that they can directly see the benefit of local development.</p><p>Over 2013-15 £14 million has been made available for community groups to develop their proposals for Community Right to Build orders or to progress community-led development. Groups can develop their ideas on the development that they want and need in their areas.Applications for this funding continue to rise with around 60 applications received.</p><p>In April 2014 four new combined authorities were established, on the request of the councils concerned. These will support the councils to collaborate and work jointly across the wider functional economic areas on economic development, regeneration and transport to support economic growth in the areas of South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Greater Merseyside and Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear.</p><p>The Government wants local authorities to be more transparent and accountable to local people for how they spend money, deliver services and take decisions. We will shortly be publishing a revised local authority transparency code extending the breadth of data that local authorities must publish and will make regulations to make publication of certain data a legal requirement. Also, Regulations which will allow members of the public including professional journalists to film, photograph, audio-record and use social media to report the proceedings of meetings of local government bodies, and to access documents relating to decisions made by officers under delegation from their local government bodies, are now before Parliament.</p><p>Under the business rates retention scheme local authorities now directly retain nearly £11 billion of business rates, instead of returning it to Whitehall.</p><p>The Government has also reformed the outdated council housing finance system with the introduction of self-financing in 2012. This has given the 167 council landlords greater freedoms and the ability to plan for the long term to better meet the needs of their tenants and local area.</p><p><em>HomeSwap</em> Direct - the national home swap scheme which increases opportunities for social tenants wishing to move through mutual exchange – was launched in October 2011 and since then tenants have made over 18 million searches of ‘partner' data.</p><p>Social landlords are now free to match the length of tenancy to the needs of the household and to use their social housing stock in a way which best meets the needs of their local area. Councils have the freedom to decide who qualifies for social housing in their area and to find alternative solutions for those who do not qualify.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

47089

registered interest
date	04/04/2014
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, for what reasons premises in Wales have not been included in the extension of licensing hours during the FIFA World Cup.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Glamorgan
tabling member printed	Alun Cairns
uin	195384
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>The Government consulted publicly on whether licensing hours should be relaxed during the FIFA World Cup 2014. A range of representations were made both for and against the proposal. We received a total of 1,468 responses to the online consultation. 77% (1,095 respondents) believed that any national relaxation of licensing hours should apply to England and Wales. However, only 2% (25 respondents) identified themselves as living or working in Wales. <br><br>While a majority of Welsh respondents favoured a relaxation for England and Wales, there was a difference between English and Welsh respondents about how the relaxation might be delivered. There was a clear majority of Welsh respondents who favoured using the Temporary Event Notice system, rather than a blanket relaxation, while of English respondents the majority (74%) favoured a blanket relaxation. This is consistent with what the Government has opted to do: a national blanket relaxation in England, with licensed premises able to use the Temporary Event Notice system in Wales.<br><br>Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003 allows the relevant Secretary of State to make an order relaxing opening hours for licensed premises to mark occasions of ‘exceptional international, national or local significance'. The Government considers that the England football team's participation in the FIFA World Cup 2014 is an event of exceptional national significance in England. <br><br>The Government has therefore decided not to include Wales in the relaxation of licensing hours for the FIFA World Cup 2014. However, licensed premises in Wales wishing to remain open beyond their licensed hours will be able to do so by using the Temporary Event Notice procedure.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Norman Baker question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 28 label Biography information for Norman Baker previous answer version 5664 answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Norman Baker answering member 28 label Biography information for Norman Baker
tabling member	4086 label Biography information for Alun Cairns

47091

registered interest
date	04/04/2014
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, if she will include premises in Wales in the extension of licensing hours during FIFA World Cup matches.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Glamorgan
tabling member printed	Alun Cairns
uin	195385
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>The Government consulted publicly on whether licensing hours should be relaxed during the FIFA World Cup 2014. A range of representations were made both for and against the proposal. We received a total of 1,468 responses to the online consultation. 77% (1,095 respondents) believed that any national relaxation of licensing hours should apply to England and Wales. However, only 2% (25 respondents) identified themselves as living or working in Wales. <br><br>While a majority of Welsh respondents favoured a relaxation for England and Wales, there was a difference between English and Welsh respondents about how the relaxation might be delivered. There was a clear majority of Welsh respondents who favoured using the Temporary Event Notice system, rather than a blanket relaxation, while of English respondents the majority (74%) favoured a blanket relaxation. This is consistent with what the Government has opted to do: a national blanket relaxation in England, with licensed premises able to use the Temporary Event Notice system in Wales.<br><br>Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003 allows the relevant Secretary of State to make an order relaxing opening hours for licensed premises to mark occasions of ‘exceptional international, national or local significance'. The Government considers that the England football team's participation in the FIFA World Cup 2014 is an event of exceptional national significance in England. <br><br>The Government has therefore decided not to include Wales in the relaxation of licensing hours for the FIFA World Cup 2014. However, licensed premises in Wales wishing to remain open beyond their licensed hours will be able to do so by using the Temporary Event Notice procedure.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Norman Baker question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 28 label Biography information for Norman Baker previous answer version 5666 answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Norman Baker answering member 28 label Biography information for Norman Baker
tabling member	4086 label Biography information for Alun Cairns

47143

registered interest
date	07/04/2014
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his policy is on ensuring that Government IT initiatives represent best value for money; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	195412
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>After the 2010 General Election, this Government formed the Efficiency and Reform Group to help and support departments in maximising value for money. Although responsibility for projects remains the responsibility of individual departments, we introduced strict controls to provide further scrutiny of spend including on IT projects.</p><p>These controls can and have been used by the Cabinet Office to block inappropriate spending. In 2012-13 alone these controls helped us save taxpayers over £500 million from IT, contributing to overall efficiency savings of £10billion in 2012-13 (the last year for which we have audited figures).</p><p>We have clarified our ‘red lines' for IT procurement – these are designed to encourage competition in the sector, free the government from longstanding inflexible contracts with IT providers and ensure maximum taxpayer value. These rules include:</p><p>· we will no longer let ICT contracts over £100 million in value – unless there is an exceptional reason to do so. Contracts should be smaller to ensure the widest possible range of suppliers can compete for them.</p><p>· we will not give a contract for service provision to a company providing the system integration function in the same part of government. It's an important way of ensuring we are an intelligent customer.</p><p>· we won't extend existing contracts unless there is a compelling case - it's rare to find any good reason to extend the pricing and technology of the past.</p><p>· we do not expect to let hosting contracts for more than 2 years. The cost of hosting seems to halve every 18 months. Businesses wouldn't sign up for years upon end - and neither should government.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

47159

registered interest
date	07/04/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of raising the £325,000 inheritance tax threshold to (a) £1 million and (b) £500,000 in each of the next five financial years.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Ladywood
tabling member printed	Shabana Mahmood
uin	195626
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>This Government has no current plans to increase the inheritance tax threshold.</p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	3914 label Biography information for Shabana Mahmood

47179

registered interest
date	07/04/2014
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, how many jobs have been transferred from the public to the private sector as a result of privatisations or outsourcing by his Department since May 2010.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	195505
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Department has not transferred any departmental jobs from the public to the private sector as a result of privatisations or outsourcing since May 2010.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

47295

registered interest
date	07/04/2014
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, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to criminalise patterns of coercive control in domestic violence cases.
tabling member constituency	South Swindon
tabling member printed	Mr Robert Buckland
uin	195661
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Domestic abuse is already a crime. There are a number of offences that make domestic abuse illegal, including actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm and assault. The cross-Government definition is clear that domestic abuse is any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.<br><br>Assault can extend to non-physical harm, and this can include psychological, financial, and emotional abuse. Stalking and harassment legislation, which criminalises a course of conduct, can apply to intimate partner relationships.<br><br>Last September, the Home Secretary commissioned Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary to conduct a review of the response to domestic abuse across all police forces. HMIC published its findings in March 2014, emphasising that the key priority is a culture change in the police so that domestic violence and abuse is treated as the crime that it is, and pointing out that the police use the full range of tools already available to them.<br><br>The Home Secretary will chair a national oversight group to oversee delivery against each of HMIC's recommendations on which I will also sit.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Norman Baker grouped question UIN 195662 195664 195666 question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 28 label Biography information for Norman Baker
tabling member	4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland