The Chancellor and the Chief Secretary have agreed that the Treasury will continue to pay Trade Union subscriptions through the payroll (known as check-off) on the condition that the Trade Union pay full costs for the service provided.<\/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" : "2015-01-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-01-07T15:21:55.89Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "CaTreasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pay"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which organisations collect subscriptions through the employers' payroll service in his Department and its agencies.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/523", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Nicholas Brown"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne East"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Nicholas Brown"} ], "uin" : "203110"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/63851", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/63851/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Brentwood Borough Council did not send in a response to the consultation on \u201cTaxpayer-funded pensions for councillors and other elected local office holders\u201d. A copy of Essex County Council\u2019s response is attached.<\/p>
<\/p>
This differential interest no doubt reflects the fact that Brentwood Borough Council did not have any councillors in the Local Government Pension Scheme (a consequence of the decision of my hon. Friend, the Member for Great Yarmouth, when he was leader of the Council not to join the scheme), whereas Essex did. Non-participating councils tended not to respond to the consultation.<\/p>
<\/p>
Prior to the consultation, only 16 per cent of councillors were actually members of the scheme and only 55 councils actually responded. The majority of Councils and Councillors submitted no objection to the Government\u2019s proposal to end Councillor\u2019s access to the Local Government Pension Scheme.<\/p>
<\/p>
Such taxpayer-funded local government pensions have now been abolished, subject to practical transition measures introduced as a result of the consultation. These reforms will save taxpayers\u2019 money, strengthen the independence of councillors, and reflects that the fact that councillors are not salaried employees of the council. Nothing prevents councillors from contributing to their own private personal pension, receiving tax relief like any other member of the public.<\/p>
<\/p>
The suggestion by some that these changes would discourage people from running for election has not been borne out. In last year\u2019s London borough elections, all candidates nominated in the knowledge that there would be no taxpayer-funded pensions if they were elected; yet more candidates ran for election in London in 2014 than in 2010 (source: London datastore<\/em>).<\/p> <\/p> I suspect that the council tax-paying public would be less than impressed at the Labour Party\u2019s calls to reintroduce such taxpayer-funded pensions.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4043", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kris Hopkins"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Keighley"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kris Hopkins"}
, "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/63851/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "0223 Benn - Letter.pdf"}
, "title" : "Letter - Essex County Council Response"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-01-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-01-15T17:45:38.493Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Councillors: Pensions"}
, "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, if he will place in the Library correspondence he has received from Essex County Council and Brentwood Council on changes to councillors' eligibility for the Local Government Pension Scheme.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/413", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Hilary Benn"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Leeds Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Hilary Benn"}
], "uin" : "202283"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/63483", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Defence"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/63483/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " All allegations of rape, sexual assault and domestic violence made by or against members of the Armed Forces are thoroughly investigated. An investigation may be conducted by either the civil or Service Police.<\/p> <\/p> The tables below show the number of alleged cases of rape and sexual assault (including assault by penetration) that were investigated by each branch of the Service police in each year from 2009 to 2013, the number referred to the Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA) and the result of those referrals. The SPA can receive formal referrals only from either Service Police or the Commanding Officer.<\/p> It should be noted that the SPA may receive referrals in one year which relate to allegations and investigations made in previous years and that such cases may be directed, disposed and/or tried in following years. There is therefore no direct correlation between investigations and referrals and the number of cases brought in any one year.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> ROYAL NAVY POLICE (RNP) INVESTIGATIONS<\/strong><\/p> <\/p> Rape<\/strong><\/p> Year<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Total Investigated by RNP<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Total Referred to SPA<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Directed <\/strong><\/p> For <\/strong><\/p> Trial<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Acquitted<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Convicted<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Custodial sentence<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2009<\/p> (Figures in first column are from 1 Nov \u2013figures in subsequent columns are for all of 2009)<\/p><\/td> 0<\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2010<\/p><\/td> 2<\/p><\/td> 1<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 1<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 1<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2011<\/p><\/td> 0<\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2012<\/p><\/td> 0<\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2013<\/p><\/td> 1<\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> <\/p> Sexual Assault (including assault by penetration)<\/strong><\/p> Year<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Total Investigated by RNP<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Total Referred to SPA<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Directed <\/strong><\/p> For <\/strong><\/p> Trial<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Acquitted<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Convicted<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Custodial sentence<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2009<\/p> (Figures in first column are from 1 Nov \u2013figures in subsequent columns are for all of 2009)<\/p><\/td> 3<\/p><\/td> 3<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 1<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 1<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 1<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2010<\/p><\/td> 1<\/p><\/td> 5<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 2<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 1<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 1<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2011<\/p><\/td> 10<\/p><\/td> 5<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 4<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 1<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 3<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 1<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2012<\/p><\/td> 3<\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2013<\/p><\/td> 11<\/p><\/td> 6<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 4<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 2<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 2<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 1<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> ROYAL MILITARY POLICE (RMP) INVESTIGATIONS<\/strong><\/p> <\/p> Rape<\/strong><\/p> Year<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Total Investigated by RMP<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Total Referred to SPA<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Directed <\/strong><\/p> For <\/strong><\/p> Trial<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Acquitted<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Convicted<\/strong><\/p><\/td>