The UK Government is committed to supporting a healthy and legitimate remittance sector, and ensuring that UK citizens are able to continue to remit funds safely to family abroad. That is why, in response to the withdrawal of banking services from the Money Service Business sector we set up an Action Group on Cross Border Remittances to address this issue. The group is monitoring changes to the market, has developed guidance for MSBs and banks and is promoting a shared understanding of risk. The group is also overseeing the development of a Safer Corridor to ensure the continued, secure flow of remittances to Somalia.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
Treasury Ministers have been engaging closely with the banking industry both through the British Bankers Association and directly with those banks involved in this issue, including personally writing to and phoning a number of banks.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4117", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrea Leadsom"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Northamptonshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrea Leadsom"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-02-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-02-04T12:29:59.683Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-02-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Financial Services"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps he has taken to encourage banks to offer their services to money service businesses.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1586", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Adam Afriyie"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Windsor"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Adam Afriyie"} ], "uin" : "222940"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176875", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176875/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Details of Ministerial overseas travel are published quarterly and can be found at Gov.uk<\/a>.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/115", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Maude of Horsham"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Horsham"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Francis Maude"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-02-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-02-03T16:54:58.757Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "World Economic Forum"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which government Ministers attended the World Economic Forum in 2015; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such attendance.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1506", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Gwynne"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Denton and Reddish"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Gwynne"}
], "uin" : "222795"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176919", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176919/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Ministry of Justice does not publish guidance on when departments should legislate to establish a legal basis for sharing personal data. However, we have published general guidance for departments, which seeks to clarify the legal circumstances in which the data sharing powers of public bodies can be exercised. The Public Sector Data Sharing guidance can be found at:<\/p> https://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/information-access-rights/data-sharing/annex-h-data-sharing.pdf<\/a><\/em><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/194", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Simon Hughes"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bermondsey and Old Southwark"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Simon Hughes"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-02-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-02-04T09:53:47.163Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Disclosure of Information"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2015 to Question 906848, what guidance his Department issues on when Government departments should seek to legislate to establish a legal basis for the sharing of personal data.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chi Onwurah"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chi Onwurah"}
], "uin" : "222803"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176926", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176926/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " There have been no meetings on the operation of these schemes in 2015.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/220", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Webb"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thornbury and Yate"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Steve Webb"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-02-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-02-04T11:39:32.467Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Welfare Assistance Schemes"}
, "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, what discussions he has held in 2015 to date with his ministerial colleagues at the Department for Communities and Local Government on the operation of local welfare assistance schemes.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/163", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Ham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Timms"}
], "uin" : "222820"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176706", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176706/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " I have a simple aspiration - that civil servants should have access at work to equipment which as least as good as that which they have at home. The Cabinet Office has a range of contracts covering provision of services, equipment, and software licenses and these contracts vary in duration. The major legacy contract for the provision of ICT equipment which we inherited from the previous Government expired last month. We are replacing it with a system designed around the needs of our users and this will save an estimated 40% of the costs to taxpayers, while providing better equipment. Cabinet Office staff are normally provided with a computer - usually a laptop. Tablets are provided on the basis of business needs. Details on spend on ICT can be found in the department\u2019s published accounts; the most recent published figures are for 2013-14 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-annual-report-and-accounts-2013-to-2014<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/115", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Maude of Horsham"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Horsham"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Francis Maude"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-02-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "222701"}
, {"_value" : "222702"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-02-03T16:56:02.79Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "ICT"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the value is of his Department's ICT contracts; and when each such contract is due to end.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4263", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lucy Powell"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Manchester Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lucy Powell"}
], "uin" : "222703"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176707", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176707/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " I have a simple aspiration - that civil servants should have access at work to equipment which as least as good as that which they have at home. The Cabinet Office has a range of contracts covering provision of services, equipment, and software licenses and these contracts vary in duration. The major legacy contract for the provision of ICT equipment which we inherited from the previous Government expired last month. We are replacing it with a system designed around the needs of our users and this will save an estimated 40% of the costs to taxpayers, while providing better equipment. Cabinet Office staff are normally provided with a computer - usually a laptop. Tablets are provided on the basis of business needs. Details on spend on ICT can be found in the department\u2019s published accounts; the most recent published figures are for 2013-14 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-annual-report-and-accounts-2013-to-2014<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/115", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Maude of Horsham"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Horsham"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Francis Maude"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-02-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "222702"}
, {"_value" : "222703"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-02-03T16:56:02.62Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "ICT"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) desktop computers, (b) laptops and (c) tablet devices there are for each person in his Department.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4263", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lucy Powell"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Manchester Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lucy Powell"}
], "uin" : "222701"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176714", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176714/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " I have a simple aspiration - that civil servants should have access at work to equipment which as least as good as that which they have at home. The Cabinet Office has a range of contracts covering provision of services, equipment, and software licenses and these contracts vary in duration. The major legacy contract for the provision of ICT equipment which we inherited from the previous Government expired last month. We are replacing it with a system designed around the needs of our users and this will save an estimated 40% of the costs to taxpayers, while providing better equipment. Cabinet Office staff are normally provided with a computer - usually a laptop. Tablets are provided on the basis of business needs. Details on spend on ICT can be found in the department\u2019s published accounts; the most recent published figures are for 2013-14 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-annual-report-and-accounts-2013-to-2014<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/115", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Maude of Horsham"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Horsham"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Francis Maude"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-02-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "222701"}
, {"_value" : "222703"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-02-03T16:56:02.713Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "ICT"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department has spent on ICT (a) in total; and (b) on average for each person in his Department per person in each year since 2010-11.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4263", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lucy Powell"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Manchester Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lucy Powell"}
], "uin" : "222702"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176719", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "HM Treasury"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176719/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government charged the UK banking industry with delivering a new Current Account Switch Service to make it simpler, safer, and faster to switch current account providers. The new service launched in September 2013, and so far has had a positive impact with switching levels increasing by 22 per cent in its first year, compared to the previous year.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> The Payments Council publish a \u201cswitching dashboard\u201d quarterly, which is available on their website and includes information on awareness, confidence, service performance, and switching levels.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4117", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrea Leadsom"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Northamptonshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrea Leadsom"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-02-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-02-03T10:14:26.117Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Bank Services"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of (a) levels of bank account switching by customers, (b) trends in bank account switching in the last three years, (c) the average time it takes for customers to switch banks and (d) the process for switching banks and customers' perceptions of the ease or difficulty of so doing.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4007", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dominic Raab"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Esher and Walton"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Dominic Raab"}
], "uin" : "222656"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176721", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176721/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government intends to issue a consultation document in due course.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4009", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Great Yarmouth"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Brandon Lewis"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-02-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-02-03T17:20:48.933Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Housing Associations: Finance"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when the Government plans to consult on ways to increase the borrowing capacity of housing associations in relation to the valuation of properties transferred from local authorities.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1516", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andy Slaughter"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hammersmith"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Andy Slaughter"}
], "uin" : "222688"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176731", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/176731/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Statistics on house building starts and completions by tenure in each local authority district, including Cornwall, are published in the Department's live tables 253 (annual) and 253a (quarterly), which are available at the following link: <\/p> A more complete account of additional affordable housing including new build and acquisitions is provided for each local authority area in England and is published in the Department\u2019s live table 1008, which is available at the following link:<\/p> <\/p>
http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building<\/a><\/p>