Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's policy is on (a) the issue of passports and (b) legal recognition for those who do not associate with a particular gender; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Brokenshire
We understand the concerns of those people who do not associate with a particular gender. UK law recognises only male and female gender and to introduce a third category denoted by an ‘X’ would require a change in primary legislation. We would not envisage the passport being changed in isolation without legislative change, as there would be an impact on other areas such as sex discrimination, nationality, adoption, human embryology, immigration, and gender recognition. Such a change would need to be on the basis that it was required by law, that it provided additional benefits to the applicant, and that the high standards of public and personal safety achieved by the UK passport were not diluted. We continue to monitor the situation and work with colleagues and interested parties in the UK and internationally. However, there are no current plans to change domestic legislation to add to or remove the male and female gender, or to make this change to the passport process
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what conditions are placed on jobseeker's allowance claimants who are in receipt of new enterprise grants.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
A person in receipt of a New Enterprise Allowance weekly allowance is no longer registered as unemployed. However, as a condition of receiving the allowance the recipient is required at the 6, 12 and 19 week stage to provide evidence of trading. If they are unable to do this the allowance may be withdrawn.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support is provided to people on jobseeker's allowance who are setting up their own businesses.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) is the main support provided by DWP to those who are setting up their own business. The scheme has successfully helped set up over 65,000 new businesses.
A participant accepted onto the scheme will receive support from a business mentor to help develop their ideas and through the early stages of trading. If their business plan is approved they may receive a weekly allowance over 26 weeks worth up to £1,274.
Participants may also apply for an unsecured loan through the Start-up loan scheme if they need start-up capital.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2014 to the hon. Member for Washington and Sunderland West to Question 217417, how many of the 215 people paid less than the living wage employed on two major contracts reside in Scotland.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
None.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many and what proportion of staff (a) of his Department and (b) working for companies contracted by his Department in Scotland are paid less than the living wage.
Answered by Amber Rudd
I can confirm that none of the Department's staff or staff working for companies contracted by the Department are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he last met representatives of the gambling industries to discuss the practice of offering free bets to young adults and the inclusion of messages regretting that they had not gambled in a while.
Answered by Helen Grant
Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the gov.uk website and are available at
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he last met representatives of the gambling industries to discuss the offering of free bets to 18 year olds on their birthdays.
Answered by Helen Grant
Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the gov.uk website and are available at
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he last met representatives of Gamblers Anonymous to discuss the industry practice of offering free bets to young adults and the inclusion of messages regretting that they had not gambled in a while.
Answered by Helen Grant
Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the gov.uk website and are available at
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he last met representatives of Gamblers Anonymous to discuss the industry practice of offering free bets to 18 year olds on their birthdays.
Answered by Helen Grant
Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the gov.uk website and are available at
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when Ministers of his Department last met representatives of the oil and gas industry to discuss the fiscal implications of falling oil prices for the North Sea oil and gas industry.
Answered by Priti Patel
The government understands the challenges currently facing the UK oil and gas industry and is engaging closely with stakeholders on this.
We have been proactive in our response to the fall in oil price. Budget 2015 announced an ambitious programme of reform across the oil and gas tax regime to make sure the North Sea continues to attract investment and safeguard the future of this vital national asset. The government announced an immediate cut to the rate of the Supplementary Charge, from 30% to 20%, which is already in effect; a reduction to Petroleum Revenue Tax, from 50% to 35%, from January 2016; and the introduction of a new Investment Allowance to support investment in the UK Continental Shelf.
This package is expected to deliver over £4bn of additional investment and increase production by 15% by 2019, the equivalent of 0.1% of GDP.
Details of meetings between Treasury Ministers and external organisations are published on the Gov.UK website at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel.