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93294

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Witnesses: Young People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government has taken to investigate the feasibility of rolling-out the NSPCC Young Witness Service that was launched in Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK.
	tabling member constituency	North Antrim
	tabling member printed	Ian Paisley
	uin	210606
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Ministry of Justice currently funds Victim Support for the provision of support to witnesses attending criminal courts in England and Wales. Funding for this support beyond March 2015 is currently subject to a competitive commissioning process.</p><p> </p><p>In developing the requirement specification for the service from April 2015, the Ministry of Justice took the views of a number of organisations working in the field of support for victims and witnesses. This included NSPCC, who provided valuable input drawn from practitioner experience in supporting young witnesses.</p><p> </p><p>The requirements of the service include that witnesses should receive tailored support which meets their individual needs, and there is particular emphasis on ensuring the service meets the needs of young, vulnerable and intimidated witnesses. Support for young witnesses includes the provision of a Young Witness Pack, age appropriate explanations about court proceedings, and where needed support at pre-trial visits and home visits. Support will also include supporting and facilitating the attendance of parents or adults accompanying a young witness to court.</p><p> </p><p>The service is part of wider arrangements within the Criminal Justice System to support young witnesses at court, including use of special measures such as screens around the witness box to shield the witness from the defendant, use of live-links or recorded evidence-in-chief and a Registered Intermediary to aid communication.</p><p> </p><p>As part of our recent announcement detailing our Commitment to Victims, all vulnerable victims and witnesses will be given greater opportunity to give evidence away from the court building, and we will work towards rolling out pre-trial cross examination for child victims nationally, subject to the evaluation of ongoing pilots.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 21/10/2014 14:31:04 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	4129 label Biography information for Ian Paisley

93196

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2014
	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
	hansard heading	West Africa
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy to adopt and promote the recommendations of the West Africa Commission on Drugs in its report, Not Just in Transit, Drugs, the State and Society in West Africa, published on 12 June 2014; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	210527
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>Drug trafficking in West Africa is a multi-million pound business, which damages the social fabric in both West Africa as a region of transit, and in destination countries such as Europe, the Middle East and North America. Tackling drug trafficking in West Africa will require international co-operation and long-term commitment, using a wide range of policy and law enforcement tools. <br><br>We have noted with interest the conclusions and recommendations of the report by the Kofi Annan Foundation’s West Africa Commission on Drugs, and the report has informed our thinking as we take forward our own activity on this issue. Priority areas for action in the region include bearing down on corruption, strengthening good governance, building regional ability to share information and conduct investigations, improving joint action on borders and cross-border traffic, and building criminal justice capacity. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will continue to work with the National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service to strengthen regional capacity in all these areas. <br><br>The UK is also working with G7 and other international partners to better coordinate serious and organised crime-related assistance in West Africa. A new G7+ Assistance Strategy Committee will meet for the first time in November to set collective assistance priorities for the next five years.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 21/10/2014 13:42:18 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

93202

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2014
	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
	hansard heading	West Africa
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his most recent assessment is of the relationship between increasing drug trafficking and the funding of terrorism in West Africa; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	210526
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>West Africa is a significant transit point for Latin American cocaine bound for Europe. Cannabis is trafficked from Morocco through the Sahel. There is some indication that terrorist cells in the Sahel may tax cannabis drug convoys. There is very little evidence to indicate that terrorist groups in West Africa are involved in cocaine trafficking.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 21/10/2014 13:35:08 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

93212

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2014
	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
	hansard heading	West Africa
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effects on political stability of the Ebola outbreak in countries having difficulty managing its spread.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	210360
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>The Ebola outbreak has already generated sporadic public order, social and political problems. While we do not anticipate a major breakdown in the countries affected, we recognise the possibility of deterioration and are working to mitigate this risk through increased political messaging, security sector support and though bilateral and multilateral channels. <br><br>The UK will continue to work with the affected governments, regional bodies such as the Economic Union of West African States and with other international partners to ensure that risks of instability are managed. Since April 2013 the International Security Advisory Team (ISAT) has been supporting the security sectors in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea to help build economic and political stability. ISAT’s work with Sierra Leone builds on more than ten years of UK support for the country’s security sector following the end of the civil war in 2002.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 21/10/2014 13:38:11 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

93754

	registered interest
	date	16/10/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Welfare Tax Credits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what reports he has received of problems experienced by hon. Members using the dedicated MP tax credit hotline; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff South and Penarth
	tabling member printed	Stephen Doughty
	uin	210921
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>HM Revenue &amp; Customs (HMRC) acknowledges that there have been some recent telephony issues which have affected the service provided via their dedicated MP Hotline. HMRC have taken steps to resolve the issue and the MP Hotline facility is now fully operational.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 21/10/2014 16:47:53 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	4264 label Biography information for Stephen Doughty

93820

	registered interest
	date	16/10/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	hansard heading	WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the transparency and accountability of the Moscow Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
	tabling member constituency	Easington
	tabling member printed	Grahame M. Morris
	uin	210958
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>The sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) was held in Moscow over 13-18 October 2014. The United Kingdom was represented at the Conference, as were the following Parties to the treaty:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, European Union, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lesotho, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States of), Mongolia, Montenegro, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Yemen and Zambia.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>An official report of the proceedings of the Conference will be published in November 2014.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In addition, the next Conference to be held in 2016 will consider options that would further maximise transparency, particularly with regard to Party delegations to Conference of the Parties and subsidiary bodies.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 21/10/2014 16:10:03 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
	tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

93103

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Venture Capital
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to promote investment in venture capital trusts.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	210570
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>The venture capital trust (VCT) regime was significantly expanded at Budget 2012. VCTs can now invest up to £5 million a year into each qualifying company, and larger companies (with up to 250 employees and £15 million of gross assets) can benefit from the investments.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The government believes that the VCT regime, alongside the other tax-advantaged venture capital schemes, plays a key role in facilitating access to finance for smaller businesses with growth potential. At Budget 2014 the government announced that changes would be made to enable investors to subscribe for VCT shares via nominees, to facilitate a wider range of opportunities to invest in VCTs. The government has also recently consulted on the impact of the recent expansions to the venture capital schemes and is committed to ensuring that the schemes continue to work effectively.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 21/10/2014 15:54:56 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

93120

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2014
	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
	hansard heading	Urban Areas
	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 bring forward legislative proposals to eradicate the commercial and aesthetic effects of derelict and abandoned buildings in town centres.
	tabling member constituency	North Antrim
	tabling member printed	Ian Paisley
	uin	210611
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>Local authorities have a range of powers to tackle derelict and abandoned land and buildings including:<br><br>- section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 –which enables local authorities to serve a notice requiring owners to clean up land and buildings where their condition adversely affects the amenity of the area. Local authorities can also take direct action and recover the costs.<br><br>- section 1 of the Localism Act 2011 – we encourage local councils, including eligible parish councils, to consider the general power of competence in the Localism Act 2011. This removes the need to establish new narrow powers in response to particular issues. Local authorities have the power to act innovatively for their local communities and they can use the power without constantly looking back to Whitehall for permission.<br><br>- compulsory purchase powers – as a last resort, local authorities have a range of powers to acquire land for different purposes provided there is a compelling case in the public interest.</p><p> </p><p>In February we amended the Community Infrastructure Levy to make it fairer and more flexible, including specific measures to encourage brownfield development. We also consulted on removing section 106 affordable housing contributions for small sites, as well as applying a similar exemption to vacant buildings brought back into use. The Government will publish a response to the consultation shortly.</p><p> </p><p>We have exempted empty new builds from empty property rates for up to 18 months up to state aid limits. Also, our £1 billion package of business rates measures for 2014-15 included a £1,000 discount for shops, pubs and restaurants with rateable values below £50,000 for 2 years and a new re-occupation relief which cuts business rates by half for 18 months for businesses taking on a long-term empty retail property.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has also made a number of deregulatory reforms to the planning system that encourage the re-use of existing, under-utilised buildings and building space. For example, there are permitted development rights that allow redundant space above shops to change to residential use as well as rights that allow offices to change to residential use. These, along with other change of use permitted development rights are making more productive use of our building stock and bringing forward much needed new homes.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 21/10/2014 16:23:48 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	4129 label Biography information for Ian Paisley

93383

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Universal Credit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that the gainful self-employment test under universal credit takes into account (a) the freelance status of performers and (b) the irregular work patterns of performers when applied to those applicants.
	tabling member constituency	Bishop Auckland
	tabling member printed	Helen Goodman
	uin	210489
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p /> <p>In Universal Credit a claimant is gainfully self-employed where:</p><p>· They are carrying on a trade, profession or vocation as their main form of employment;</p><p>· Their earnings from the trade, profession or vocation are self-employed earnings;</p><p>· The trade, profession or vocation is organised, developed, regular and carried on in expectation of profit.</p><p> </p><p>The freelance status of performers would not affect their eligibility for Universal Credit, or whether they meet the definition of gainful self-employment .</p><p> </p><p>Whilst the self-employment must be regular, neither the work patterns nor the claimant’s earnings need to be so. The Department recognises that self-employment work patterns often vary and a range of factors can influence the amount and duration of self-employed work.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit is assessed and paid monthly, which enables it to adjust quickly to take account of changes in earnings, ensuring claimants receive the right level of support at the right time.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 21/10/2014 16:58:57 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
	tabling member	1484 label Biography information for Helen Goodman

93088

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2014
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Unfair Practices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, whether the police have contacted the Crown Prosecution Service in regards to whether the practice of payday lenders or others issuing legal demands through letters from fake solicitors constitutes a criminal offence.
	tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
	tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
	uin	210566
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is aware that City of London Police, the national police lead in substantial fraud investigations, is currently considering the widely-reported case involving Wonga. To date the CPS have not been asked by the police as to whether the practice of issuing letters from fake solicitors constitutes a criminal offence.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Any referral to the CPS will be made to the CPS Specialist Fraud Division, who would provide wider advice about whether such practices constitute a criminal offence if that was requested by the police.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Mr Robert Buckland question first answered 21/10/2014 14:17:32 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry