Following laws passed by Parliament, the independent and impartial Boundary Commissions are currently consulting on their proposals to deliver the Boundary Review, and their final proposals will be shared with Parliament in autumn 2018. These reforms will ensure fair and equal representation for the voting public across the United Kingdom by the next general election, and also delivers on the Government\u2019s manifesto pledge to reduce the size of the Commons which will save an estimated £66 million over the course of a Parliament.<\/p>
Equalising the size of constituencies in the Boundary Review will ensure everyone\u2019s vote will carry equal weight. Without such boundary reforms, MPs could end up representing constituencies based on data that is over 20 years\u2019 old, disregarding significant changes in demographics, house building and migration. As it stands, some constituencies have twice as many electors than other constituencies and this cannot be right.<\/p>
The four Boundary Commissions are between them currently employing a total of 32 staff (full-time equivalent) on the conduct of the Boundary Review. The four Boundary Commissions have, to date, spent approximately £2.3 million on the conduct of the current Boundary Review. This is money which would be wasted under the Labour Party\u2019s proposals to try to block and delay this independent Review (as per the divisions of 18 November 2016, Official Report, Columns 563-666).<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4021", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Skidmore"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kingswood"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Skidmore"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-12-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-12-05T16:40:05.287Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-11-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Constituencies"} , "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, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2016 to Question 54390, how many civil servants are employed full-time in support of the 2018 boundary review; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Coventry South"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Jim Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "55640"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/648666", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "HM Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/648666/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Autumn Statement announced that the government will award £556 million from the Local Growth Fund to the North of England. Funding awarded to Cumbria LEP will be in addition to the £47.4 million already made available to Cumbria through previous rounds of growth deals. The final allocations to individual LEPs have not yet been confirmed and will be announced in the coming months.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1529", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr David Gauke"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South West Hertfordshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr David Gauke"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-12-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-12-05T13:53:21.943Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "CaTreasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-11-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership"} , "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 assessment he has made of the effect of his Department's decision to grant £14 million to the £165 million bid from the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership on the number of essential growth projects in that county.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1591", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tim Farron"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Westmorland and Lonsdale"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tim Farron"} ], "uin" : "55574"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/648667", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/648667/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government will publish an impact assessment on the increase in the National Living Wage announced at Autumn Statement in due course.<\/p>
The Low Pay Commission has recently published its autumn 2016 report here:<\/p>
<\/p>
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-minimum-wage-low-pay-commission-autumn-2016-report<\/a><\/p> <\/p> This considers evidence on the impact of the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage to date.<\/p> <\/p> In addition, the Office for Budget Responsibility produced an assessment of the National Living Wage in annex B of its July 2015 Economic and Fiscal Outlook, available here: http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/efo/economic-fiscal-outlook-july-2015/<\/a><\/p> <\/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" : "2016-12-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "55691"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-12-05T17:31:39.397Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2016-11-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Living Wage"}
, "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, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the increase in the national living wage announced in the Autumn Statement 2016 on UK productivity.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1447", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Rosindell"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Rosindell"}
], "uin" : "55694"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/648668", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "HM Treasury"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/648668/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) receives it. Anyone who feels they have been underpaid NMW or NLW should contact the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) reviews all complaints that are referred to them.<\/p> <\/p> HMRC does not record statistics on complaints or the outcomes of its investigations by reference to countries of the United Kingdom, Government regions, constituencies or counties. In 2015-16, HMRC identified arrears of almost £10.3 million for over 58,000 workers from 958 employers.<\/p> <\/p> I refer the honourable Member to the answer of 18th<\/sup> July (Written Question 42723) for information on prosecution results. There have been no prosecutions in Wales.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3918", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jane Ellison"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Battersea"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jane Ellison"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-12-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "55696"}
, {"_value" : "55697"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-12-05T17:02:27.97Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "CaTreasury"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2016-11-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Minimum Wage: Wales"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was collected from employers paying less than the minimum wage in Wales in each year since 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4501", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Gerald Jones"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Gerald Jones"}
], "uin" : "55698"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/648669", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "HM Treasury"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/648669/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) receives it. Anyone who feels they have been underpaid NMW or NLW should contact the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) reviews all complaints that are referred to them.<\/p> <\/p> HMRC does not record statistics on complaints or the outcomes of its investigations by reference to countries of the United Kingdom, Government regions, constituencies or counties. In 2015-16, HMRC identified arrears of almost £10.3 million for over 58,000 workers from 958 employers.<\/p> <\/p> I refer the honourable Member to the answer of 18th<\/sup> July (Written Question 42723) for information on prosecution results. There have been no prosecutions in Wales.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3918", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jane Ellison"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Battersea"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jane Ellison"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-12-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "55697"}
, {"_value" : "55698"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-12-05T17:02:28.017Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "CaTreasury"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2016-11-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Minimum Wage: Wales"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many investigations there were into employers for paying less than the minimum wage in Wales in each year since 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4501", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Gerald Jones"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Gerald Jones"}
], "uin" : "55696"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/648670", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/648670/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government will publish an impact assessment on the increase in the National Living Wage announced at Autumn Statement in due course.<\/p> The Low Pay Commission has recently published its autumn 2016 report here:<\/p> <\/p> https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-minimum-wage-low-pay-commission-autumn-2016-report<\/a><\/p> <\/p> This considers evidence on the impact of the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage to date.<\/p> <\/p>