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
hansard heading
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
tabling member	label

Search

63560

registered interest
date	24/06/2014
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Government Departments: Trade Unions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will retract his request to government departments to end check-off payroll deductions for trades union subscriptions.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	202194
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>Departments are required to recover the cost of check off.</p><p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East during Cabinet Office Orals on 25 June 2014 (Official Report) Column Ref: 302W.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Horsham answering member printed Mr Francis Maude question first answered 26/06/2014 16:24:05 answering member 115 label Biography information for Lord Maude of Horsham
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

63704

registered interest
date	24/06/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Passports: Welsh Language
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to ensure that Welsh language service provisions are maintained whilst her Department clears the passport applications backlog.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	202193
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Her Majesty's Passport Office has a number of policies and provisions in place to ensure <br>customers can communicate with Her Majesty's Passport Office in Welsh.<br><br>We work closely with the Office of the Welsh Language Commissioner to ensure <br>that we offer quality services in line with the Welsh Language Act 1993.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Old Bexley and Sidcup answering member printed James Brokenshire question first answered 07/07/2014 15:33:15 answering member 1530 label Biography information for James Brokenshire
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

50649

registered interest
date	13/05/2014
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, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that a bilingual registered duty lawyer is available at all times in Crown courts in Wales; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	198486
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the honourable Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

47606

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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, if he will call for the immediate release of the seven Baha'i leaders imprisoned in Iran since 14 May 2008.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	195836
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p>We have repeatedly expressed concern at the sentencing of seven Baha'i leaders in Iran to 20 years imprisonment. We raised the treatment of Baha'is with the UN Special Rapporteur at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2014, and in our contacts with the Iranian authorities. We will continue to call on the Iranian government to ensure that all Iranian citizens are able to exercise their right to freedom of religion, free from persecution and harassment.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Hugh Robertson question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1415 label Biography information for Sir Hugh Robertson
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

47737

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will introduce financial support for individuals who have worked previously but do not qualify for statutory paternity leave and pay because they have recently started in their new position.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	195838
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>The Government has no plans to introduce financial support for individuals who do not qualify for statutory paternity leave and pay because they do not have the required length of service.</p><p> </p><p>Paternity leave and pay was considered as part of a broader examination of family-related leave which led to the introduction of Shared Parental Leave and Pay through the Children and Families Act 2014.</p><p> </p><p>It is important to maintain the right balance between the needs of employees to take leave and the needs of employers to have certainty when recruiting and hiring new staff. Paternity leave and pay can be taken immediately from the birth of a child to allow the father to care for the mother and the newborn. This means that unlike annual leave, where the exact dates of the absence can be agreed in advance, paternity leave dates are subject to change.</p><p> </p><p>The 26 week service qualification period allows employers to plan effectively to cover an employee's absence during the paternity leave period, which would not be possible if the employee had just been recruited.</p><p> </p><p>Unlike paternity leave, maternity leave is a day one right to ensure the health and well-being of both mother and baby. In order to qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay, a mother must have 26 weeks qualifying service (the same requirements as for paternity pay). Those mothers who do not have the requisite service for statutory maternity pay may be entitled to Maternity Allowance. This is because the benefit system recognises pregnant women and new mothers have a specific need for protect their own health and safety, and the health of their child, by allowing them to take time off work. There is no equivalent paternity allowance or adoption allowance, as there are not equivalent health and safety reasons to do so.</p><p> </p><p>We have committed to a review of the changes to employment law enacted by the Children and Families Act after 2018.</p> answering member constituency Cardiff Central answering member printed Jenny Willott question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1497 label Biography information for Jenny Willott
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

47738

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what criteria he is distributing the additional £5 million discretionary housing payment for the least densely-populated areas announced on 30 July 2013.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	195839
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The £5million rural Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) fund for 2013/14 was allocated to those local authorities (LA) with the smallest population per square metre. The fund was then proportionally distributed using LAs share of the original DHP allocation, i.e. if an LA had an 8% share of the total DHP allocation of the least populated LAs, then they received 8% of the rural fund.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The £5m funding provided in 2014/15 is intended to avoid a disproportionate impact on those affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy in remote and isolated communities. The Government has assessed that the geography in some areas means that potential remedies such as finding work or alternative accommodation, are less readily available, and as a result transitions may take more time.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

47739

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the level of need in rural communities for discretionary housing payments beyond 2014-15.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	195835
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>An assessment has not yet been made about the level of need in rural communities for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) beyond 2014/15. DHP funding after 2014/15 will be agreed in due course and will be informed by evidence on the use and demand for DHPs, including in rural communities. The Department is currently collecting data on the use of Discretionary Housing Payments in the 2013/14 financial year.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

47740

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to continue discretionary housing payments for rural communities beyond 2014-15.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	195837
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>In January 2014 the Government announced that the additional £5 million funding for the 21 least densely populated local authorities would be maintained in 2014/15. Information about individual DHP allocations to local authorities was published in the Subsidy Circular S1/2014. This can be accessed on the Government website GOV.UK through the following link:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hb-subsidy-circular-s12014-discretionary-housing-payments-for-local-authorities-2014-to-2015" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hb-subsidy-circular-s12014-discretionary-housing-payments-for-local-authorities-2014-to-2015</a></p><p> </p><p>An assessment has not yet been made about the level of need in rural communities for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) beyond 2014/15. DHP funding after 2014/15 will be agreed in due course and will be informed by evidence on the use and demand for DHPs, including in rural communities. The Department is currently collecting data on the use of Discretionary Housing Payments in the 2013/14 financial year.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

43908

registered interest
date	18/03/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what agreement his Department has reached with the Welsh Government regarding the funding of electrification of the Great Western Line to Swansea and the Valleys lines.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	192659
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>The Welsh and UK Governments agreed in 2012 to fund the electrification of the Valley Lines and the South Wales Main Line between Cardiff and Swansea. That agreement still stands and Network Rail is developing plans for electrification.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wimbledon answering member printed Stephen Hammond question first answered 25/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1585 label Biography information for Stephen Hammond
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

43909

registered interest
date	18/03/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to develop the North Wales line from Crewe to Holyhead in conjunction with the building of High Speed 2.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	192660
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>No such assessment has been made. The opening of High Speed 2 will release capacity for train services on existing lines, including on the West Coast Main Line. Precise details of stopping patterns will be resolved when the relevant rail franchises are let in due course.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In the meantime, we will shortly announce a transparent and participatory process to consider long-term issues, opportunities and options for rail services on HS2 corridors.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are also working with the Welsh Government who are developing a business case for the electrification of the North Wales Main Line.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wimbledon answering member printed Stephen Hammond grouped question UIN 192658 192661 question first answered 25/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1585 label Biography information for Stephen Hammond
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams