In January, I wrote to the Northern Ireland political parties to seek their views on moving to full transparency for Northern Ireland political donations and loans. I received a positive response from the parties. The introduction of increased transparency of donations to Northern Ireland parties was also a Conservative Manifesto commitment at the recent Parliamentary election. I will make a statement shortly on the steps needed to ensure that information relating to Northern Ireland political donations and loans can be published.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1530", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for James Brokenshire"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Old Bexley and Sidcup"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "James Brokenshire"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-06-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-06-30T13:32:28.137Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "21"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Northern Ireland"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Northern Ireland"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-06-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Political Parties: Northern Ireland"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will set out a timetable to introduce legislation ending the practice allowing anonymity for donations to political parties operating in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1437", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lady Hermon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Down"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lady Hermon"} ], "uin" : "1"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/732314", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for International Development"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/732314/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
A comprehensive needs assessment has not been conducted at the Berm recently as security constraints have restricted access. However, our partners tell us that current priorities are to improve security and access to food and medical care. We welcome the progress made to enable the UN to restart deliveries of essential supplies. However, we remain concerned by delays to recent aid distributions and the low number of attendees at the UN health clinic.<\/p>
We will not be making a further statement at this time.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1201", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alistair Burt"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North East Bedfordshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alistair Burt"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-06-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-06-30T12:48:19.33Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "20"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-06-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Syria: Humanitarian aid"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian needs of the refugees in the Berm no-man's land between Syria and Jordan; and if she will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4433", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bristol West"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Thangam Debbonaire"} ], "uin" : "1004"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/731137", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/731137/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The BEIS Ministerial Team has undertaken several visits across Scotland this year, as part of the Department\u2019s stakeholder engagement for an Industrial Strategy that works for the whole of the UK and drives growth right across the country.<\/p>
Most recently, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State visited Scotland for two days during which he hosted a reception at Edinburgh University on 11 April which was attended by over 100 businesses from all over Scotland. This was followed by visits in the region.<\/p>
The Ministerial team has and continues to visit numerous businesses around the UK to prioritise engagement on Industrial Strategy.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4115", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Margot James"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stourbridge"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Margot James"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-06-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-06-30T12:09:45.903Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-06-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Domestic Visits: Glasgow East"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on which date (a) he or (b) a Minister of his Department last visited a company headquartered in Glasgow East constituency.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4640", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for David Linden"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Glasgow East"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "David Linden"} ], "uin" : "102"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/732601", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/732601/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Estimates of the number and proportion of working-age adults without children and pensioners in relative and absolute low income in the UK are published in the National Statistics Households Below Average Income series.<\/p>
<\/p>
In 2015/16 on a Before Housing Cost basis (BHC) 14% of working-age adults without children in the UK were in relative low income, and 12% in absolute low income.<\/p>
<\/p>
In 2015/16 on a After Housing Cost basis (AHC) the proportion of pensioners in relative low income was 16%, with 14% in absolute low income.<\/p>
<\/p>
In 2015/16, 8% of UK pensioners aged 65 and over were estimated to be in material deprivation.<\/p>
<\/p>
We will continue to publish data on low income through the annual Households Below Average Income statistics.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4008", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Gosport"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Caroline Dinenage"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-06-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-06-30T13:34:34.503Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-06-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Poverty"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to page 15 of the report, UK Poverty: Causes and Solutions, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on 6 September 2016, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the recommendation to extend the measurement of poverty indicators to working-age adults without children, and to pensioners.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1583", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Ham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lyn Brown"} ], "uin" : "1096"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/732602", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/732602/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Following the 2015 Autumn Statement, the department\u2019s budget for spending on 16-19 education in the 2016-17 financial year was £5.9bn. High needs funding is included in this figure but funding for student support is not. The funding allocations for institutions in the 2016/17 academic year can be found at the following location:<\/p>
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-education-funding-allocations#published-allocations<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1523", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anne Milton"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Guildford"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Anne Milton"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-06-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-06-30T13:51:42.447Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-06-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Sixth Form Education"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 24 April 2017 to Question 71090, how much spending was forecast to be spent on education for 16 to 19-year-olds as a result of announcements in the Autumn Statement 2015; and how much was allocated to institutions offering education to 16 to 19-year-olds as a result of those announcements.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3930", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Lucas"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brighton, Pavilion"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Caroline Lucas"}
], "uin" : "1097"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/732650", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Women and Equalities"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/732650/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Office of National Statistics publishes the median hourly pay figures set out below, based on place of residence, annually. To accelerate the rate at which the UK gap is closing the Government has introduced mandatory gender pay gap reporting for large employers and is helping business to understand and address their gaps.<\/p> <\/strong><\/p> a) <\/strong>Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency<\/strong><\/p> <\/strong><\/p> Year<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Gender pay gap (%)<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2010<\/p><\/td> 28.8<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2011<\/p><\/td> 25.5<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2012<\/p><\/td> 27.3<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2013<\/p><\/td> 22.3<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2014<\/p><\/td> 22.7<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2015<\/p><\/td> 21.1<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2016<\/p><\/td> 25.0<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/em><\/p> <\/em><\/p> b) <\/strong>Scotland<\/strong><\/p> Year<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Gender pay gap (%)<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2010<\/p><\/td> 17.3<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2011<\/p><\/td> 17.2<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2012<\/p><\/td> 17.7<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2013<\/p><\/td> 18.0<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2014<\/p><\/td> 17.6<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2015<\/p><\/td> 17.6<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2016<\/p><\/td> 15.8<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/strong><\/p> c) <\/strong>United Kingdom<\/strong><\/p> Year<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Gender pay gap (%)<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2010<\/p><\/td> 19.8<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2011<\/p><\/td> 20.2<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2012<\/p><\/td> 19.6<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2013<\/p><\/td> 19.8<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2014<\/p><\/td> 19.2<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2015<\/p><\/td> 19.3<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2016<\/p><\/td> 18.1<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/strong><\/p> <\/strong><\/p> <\/strong><\/p> <\/strong><\/p> <\/strong><\/p> <\/strong><\/p> <\/strong><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1523", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anne Milton"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Guildford"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Anne Milton"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-06-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-06-30T13:40:45.227Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "31"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-06-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Equal Pay"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the gender pay gap in (a) Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK in each year since 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4488", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Martyn Day"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Linlithgow and East Falkirk"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Martyn Day"}
], "uin" : "1176"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/732572", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/732572/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " When a Universal Service Provider (USP) of public call boxes in the street - BT or, in the Kingston upon Hull area, KCom - wishes to remove one, the provider must inform the appropriate local authority, which then must consult with local people. The factors that weigh with local authorities in these cases commonly include: the call box's possible use in emergency situations; the quality of mobile signals in the area; and if people living nearby might not have access to mobile telephones, for whatever reason.<\/p> <\/p> Since it is better for such matters to be considered locally on a case-by-case basis, the Secretary of State has made no overall assessment of the role of public telephones in the situations referred to.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4070", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Matt Hancock"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Suffolk"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Matt Hancock"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-06-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-06-30T12:18:24.917Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-06-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Public Telephones"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of universal service obligation to provide a reasonable number of working telephone boxes where they are most needed; and if she will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4488", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Martyn Day"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Linlithgow and East Falkirk"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Martyn Day"}
], "uin" : "1198"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/732570", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/732570/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
<\/em><\/p>