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My constituents, I am happy to say, voted for AV in the recent referendum, but they were not among the majority. Does the Deputy Prime Minister agree that with a five-party system at the UK level—and even more throughout the nations and regions of the UK—we need to look again at the electoral system and that this should be a priority for a constitutional convention hopefully set up under a Labour Government?
My constituents, I am happy to say, voted for AV in the recent referendum, but they were not among the majority. Does the Deputy Prime Minister agree that with a five-party system at the UK level—and even more throughout the nations and regions of the UK—we need to look again at the electoral system and that this should be a priority for a constitutional convention hopefully set up under a Labour Government?
One should not expect to ask a Liberal Democrat about electoral reform and fail to get a hearty answer—well, perhaps not a hearty answer, but the hon. Gentleman knows what I mean. The electoral system we have is woefully unrepresentative of the way people vote. As he rightly suggests, it is becoming ever more unrepresentative as the old duopoly of politics gives way to something much more fluid and plural. Our electoral system—and, indeed, the way in which we conduct our business here—is stuck firmly in the past. It is anachronistic; it will have to change; in my view, it will change one day.
What steps her Department is taking to help developing countries to tackle tax avoidance and evasion.
What steps her Department is taking to help developing countries to tackle tax avoidance and evasion.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2015 to Question 225187, what information about the possibility of challenging a decision to transfer a case to another signatory state under the Dublin III Regulation, identifying the national authorities to which appeals...
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2015 to Question 225187, what information about the possibility of challenging a decision to transfer a case to another signatory state under the Dublin III Regulation, identifying the national authorities to which appeals...
As in the Answer to Question 225187 information relating to the possibility to challenge transfer decisions is given to applicants. The guide to completing appeal forms that accompanies a decision advises of an appeal right to the First-Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) and refers to the time limit of 28 calendar days to appeal. The guide also lists organisations in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, such as the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner, Law Societies, Legal Aid Boards and Legal Service Commission, who are able to provide applicants with names and addresses of professional representatives. The organisations and/or professional
representatives may also advise on other avenues of challenge, such as judicial review in the relevant courts in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2015 to Question 222300, when she plans to announce the content of the inserts to be made by Member States in the Directive identifying the national authority to which appeals and reviews must...
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2015 to Question 222300, when she plans to announce the content of the inserts to be made by Member States in the Directive identifying the national authority to which appeals and reviews must...
The Dublin Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 118/2014 is designed to ‘increase the efficiency of the Dublin system and improve the cooperation between national authorities’ by ensuring the ‘effective application’ by Member States of the Dublin III Regulation (EU) No. 604/2013 in practice. As part of that intent Article 4 of the Dublin Regulation concerns the provision of information to applicants, including the use of common leaflets. Many States, including the UK, are currently experiencing technical issues with the leaflets, delaying their implementation. However the necessary information they contain is provided to applicants by other means at relevant points during the consideration process.
In particular, information about the possibility to challenge a decision to transfer a case to another signatory state under the Dublin III Regulation, the national authorities to which appeals and reviews are to be lodged and the relevant time limits are provided to applicants in the papers accompanying the transfer decision.
I can tell the Secretary of State that thousands of people in my constituency, one of the most urban in Scotland, have no guarantee of getting superfast broadband by 2017 or any date after that. I have raised this with local government, the Scottish Government and the UK Government. I do not want to ascribe blame; I want to see some action so that the residents who have contacted me again and again, such as the ones in Western Harbour, Leith who contacted me recently, will have some guarantee that they will get superfast broadband in their houses.
I can tell the Secretary of State that thousands of people in my constituency, one of the most urban in Scotland, have no guarantee of getting superfast broadband by 2017 or any date after that. I have raised this with local government, the Scottish Government and the UK Government. I do not want to ascribe blame; I want to see some action so that the residents who have contacted me again and again, such as the ones in Western Harbour, Leith who contacted me recently, will have some guarantee that they will get superfast broadband in their houses.
The hon. Gentleman is right to raise the importance of superfast broadband both to residents and to businesses. Considerable progress has been made in his constituency in the past five years. Today, 87% of homes and businesses there have access to superfast broadband. That will rise to 98% by 2017, and that is better than the national target of 95% by that time. However, I hear what he says, and he is right to mention the importance of the issue.
For what proportion of parliamentary constituencies the 95 per cent coverage target for the rollout of superfast broadband will be reached by 2017.
For what proportion of parliamentary constituencies the 95 per cent coverage target for the rollout of superfast broadband will be reached by 2017.
Ninety-five per cent. of the UK will have access to superfast broadband by 2017. I have placed our estimate of coverage by constituency in the House of Commons Library.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2015 to Question 221729, how many former Incapacity Benefit claimants that were transferred to either jobseeker's allowance or employment and support allowance had participated in a Work Programme in (a) Edinburgh, (b) Scotland...
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2015 to Question 221729, how many former Incapacity Benefit claimants that were transferred to either jobseeker's allowance or employment and support allowance had participated in a Work Programme in (a) Edinburgh, (b) Scotland...
Information on the number of Work Programme referrals, attachments and job outcomes, by payment group can be found at:
http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/WorkProg/tabtool.html
Guidance for users can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance
Information for Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland.
http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/stats_and_research.htm
Big projects such as Crossrail and HS2 are UK-wide. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that businesses throughout the UK, including small businesses, have an opportunity to benefit from the procurement and Government spending that is associated with that type of work?
Big projects such as Crossrail and HS2 are UK-wide. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that businesses throughout the UK, including small businesses, have an opportunity to benefit from the procurement and Government spending that is associated with that type of work?
I gather that senior politicians, including me, have been queuing to go down into Crossrail to admire its progress. One of Crossrail’s key achievements is to substantially advance apprenticeships and, above all, UK content; there is a wide distribution throughout the UK. If we can replicate the experience of Crossrail with other big infrastructure projects, that would be an admirable step forward.
Student Loans
That this House notes the Government's intention to publish the Invitations to Tender for the new TransPennine Express franchise in the first quarter of 2015; calls for changes to be included in the specifications for the TransPennine Express franchise to increase capacity on services between Scotland and North West England; further notes that all journeys between Edinburgh or Glasgow and Liverpool currently require changing trains, and in some cases stations; and calls for the new franchise specifications to include direct services between these major population, economic and cultural centres.
That this House notes the Government's intention to publish the Invitations to Tender for the new TransPennine Express franchise in the first quarter of 2015; calls for changes to be included in the specifications for the TransPennine Express franchise to increase capacity on services between Scotland and North West England;...
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to implement in the UK the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 118/2014 of 30 January 2014 amending Regulation (EC) No 1560/2003 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 343/2003 establishing the criteria...
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to implement in the UK the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 118/2014 of 30 January 2014 amending Regulation (EC) No 1560/2003 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 343/2003 establishing the criteria...
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 118/2014 is directly applicable, so does not require transposition into domestic law.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans the Government has to provide increased support to people displaced as a result of the violence by Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans the Government has to provide increased support to people displaced as a result of the violence by Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria.
The UK has provided £1 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to deliver food, safe water, clothes, shelter material and other basic necessities to those people displaced following attacks by Boko Haram.
A further £1 million of UK funding is committed to the Nigerian Government’s “Safe Schools Initiative” to help protect children at school in North East Nigeria and provide schooling to children displaced by the violence. The UK has also contributed £1.7 million to the UN’s and EU’s relief efforts.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to provide support for the education of girls and young women in conflict-affected areas of Northern Nigeria.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to provide support for the education of girls and young women in conflict-affected areas of Northern Nigeria.
DFID has a number of large education programmes across northern Nigeria, the risks to which are being actively managed to ensure that we can still get 800,000 more children into better quality primary schools by 2015.
The UK has also committed £1 million to the Nigerian Government’s “Safe Schools Initiative” to help protect children at school in north east Nigeria and provide schooling to children displaced by the violence.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many former incapacity benefit claimants found fit for work after being reassessed for employment and support allowance between October 2010 and March 2014 have found work as a result of the Work Programme in (a) Edinburgh, (b) Scotland and...
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many former incapacity benefit claimants found fit for work after being reassessed for employment and support allowance between October 2010 and March 2014 have found work as a result of the Work Programme in (a) Edinburgh, (b) Scotland and...
The information as requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Local councils and parties up and down the east coast from Aberdeen and Edinburgh to London have come together in the Consortium of East Coast Main Line Authorities with a plan for comprehensive improvements to infrastructure and trains on the east coast main line. Will the Secretary of State look at those proposals? Does he accept that improvements to the east coast main line are an essential complement to High Speed 2, not an alternative?
Local councils and parties up and down the east coast from Aberdeen and Edinburgh to London have come together in the Consortium of East Coast Main Line Authorities with a plan for comprehensive improvements to infrastructure and trains on the east coast main line. Will the Secretary of State look at those proposals? Does he accept that improvements to the east coast main line are an essential complement to High Speed 2, not an alternative?
I am certainly happy to look at the proposals. We are making huge progress with the IEP trains—we are making a dramatic increase in investment on that line—but I am always willing to look at reasonable proposals to improve services for our constituents.
It is important that the train services that are meant to run actually do so. The Minister will know that services on the east coast main line were severely disrupted on 27 December and two days later as well. Will he meet colleagues to try to ensure that when there are disruptions on the line—they were no fault of East Coast, by the way—they are dealt with more effectively, passengers are given real alternative information, and the system is made more resilient to such disruption?
It is important that the train services that are meant to run actually do so. The Minister will know that services on the east coast main line were severely disrupted on 27 December and two days later as well. Will he meet colleagues to try to ensure that when there are disruptions on the line—they were no fault of East Coast, by the way—they are dealt with more effectively, passengers are given real alternative information, and the system is made more resilient to such disruption?
As a Member who represents a significant stop on the west coast main line at Lockerbie, I share the hon. Gentleman’s concerns about such disruption. I would be happy to meet him and any other colleagues who share those concerns.
It is important that businesses big and small across the world pay their workers a decent wage, yet Conservative MEPs in the European Parliament voted against the global development programme because it included a minimum wage. Is that the policy of the Government as well?
It is important that businesses big and small across the world pay their workers a decent wage, yet Conservative MEPs in the European Parliament voted against the global development programme because it included a minimum wage. Is that the policy of the Government as well?
Government policy is that all businesses, particularly small businesses, should pay a living wage, but first they have to generate wealth and entrepreneurs have to begin to provide for businesses before they can pay any wages at all.
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government has taken to ensure that public and private service providers are complying with their duty under the Equality Act 2010 to take action to avoid deaf service users being placed at a substantial disadvantage.
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government has taken to ensure that public and private service providers are complying with their duty under the Equality Act 2010 to take action to avoid deaf service users being placed at a substantial disadvantage.
We expect both public and private sector service providers to comply with their duty to make reasonable adjustments for deaf people, but responsibility for enforcing this in particular cases is a matter for individuals themselves who may ultimately take their case to a court or tribunal; and the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
The Commission is responsible for monitoring and enforcing the equality duty in England and non-devolved bodies in Scotland and Wales. The range of enforcement tools set out for the Commission under the Equality Act 2006 also apply to the equality duty, these include: compliance notices, judicial review, assessments under section 31 of the Act, statutory agreements with employers or service providers, and interventions in legal cases.
The Commission publishes guidance on the public sector equality duty and its broader technical guidance provides an authoritative and comprehensive guide to the detail of the law for anyone who needs to understand the law in depth, or apply it in practice.
The Government is supporting the provision of Video Relay Services and the eAccessibility Forum. We are also looking at improving the accessibility of Government communications for deaf customers and participating in the Accessible Britain Challenge initiative, which aims to motivate communities, including local service providers, businesses, employers, community, voluntary and disabled people’s group to do more to be inclusive and accessible for disabled people.
What recent assessment he has made of the effect of the housing market on the economy.
What recent assessment he has made of the effect of the housing market on the economy.
The Government are committed to making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible. The Government’s Help to Buy scheme and last week’s stamp duty reforms will continue to support housing market activity and new housing supply is already responding with housing starts growing by 16% in the year to 2014 in quarter three.
The recent measures are no doubt welcome, but would the Minister care to confirm that annual house completions have been lower in every year under her Government than in every year of the last Labour Government?
The recent measures are no doubt welcome, but would the Minister care to confirm that annual house completions have been lower in every year under her Government than in every year of the last Labour Government?
The point is that we believe in the aspiration to buy your own home. We have seen house prices recover but they are still in real terms lower than they were at the peak under the last Government. This Government have delivered housing starts at their highest since 2007 and our Help to Buy scheme, which has helped 77,000 people to get on to the property ladder, is a very important measure.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will bring forward proposals for secondary legislation to devolve further powers on road traffic matters to the Scottish Government.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will bring forward proposals for secondary legislation to devolve further powers on road traffic matters to the Scottish Government.
Although the Government’s attention is focused on the work of the Smith Commission at the moment, in respect of further devolution, and it would be inappropriate to pre-judge the outcome of that process, I can assure the hon. Gentleman that I am happy to work with him in seeking an agreed approach to address this particular issue.