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  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse has been of investigations into sexual offences in (a) Wiltshire and (b) the UK in each of the last five years.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office does not hold this information. It is an operational decision for chief officers to determine the best use of available resources according to local priorities and held to account by their elected Police and Crime Commissioner.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many applications to appeal a decision on (a) an asylum application and (b) an application for refugee family union in the First Tier Tribunal Asylum and Immigration Chamber the applicant paid a fee in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    There were 2,890 applications to appeal an asylum decision where a fee was paid by the applicant in the calendar year 2015.

    The number of applications to appeal a refugee family union decision is not collected by HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

    Notes to figures:

    1. The figure includes asylum, protection and revocation of protection appeals because they come under the umbrella term of ‘asylum’.

    2. Figures provided are taken from internal management information and not subject to the same quality checks as Official Statistics.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her contribution of 4 May 2016, HC Deb Official Report, column 166, whether the unaccompanied children who come to the UK will be eligible to apply for their parents to join them under refugee family reunion rules.

    James Brokenshire

    Under the family reunion provisions in the Immigration Rules children are not eligible to sponsor parents or grandparents. Allowing them to do so would create a perverse incentive for children to be encouraged, or even forced, to leave existing family units in their countries of origin and risk hazardous journeys to the UK in order to act as sponsors. This would go against our safe guarding responsibilities.

    Our refugee family reunion policy allows a spouse or partner and children under the age of 18 of those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK to reunite with them here, providing they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin.

    There is provision to grant visas outside the Immigration Rules, which caters for those who do not qualify under the rules, where there are exceptional circumstances.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effects of Clause 21 of the Bus Services Bill on the ability of Transport for London subsidiaries to bid for local bus service contracts on routes wholly outside of London.

    Andrew Jones

    Transport for London is not considered as a ‘relevant authority’ for the purposes of clause 21 of the Bus Services Bill, and as such the Bill does not affect anything Transport for London may do under its existing powers.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent changes he has agreed to the rail franchise agreement with Govia Thameslink Railway.

    Claire Perry

    The latest version of the Franchise Agreement, including all recent changes can be seen online at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/525766/tsgn-franchise-agreement.pdf

    “

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he or officials of his Department have had with Govia Thameslink Railway on changes to that company’s rail franchise.

    Claire Perry

    Officials regularly meet with Govia Thameslink Railway to discuss compliance with the Franchise Agreement and agreed changes to the Franchise Agreement are incorporated into the public register version, the latest version of which can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/525766/tsgn-franchise-agreement.pdf

    “

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which hon. Members were notified about (a) discussions between his Department and Govia Thameslink Railway on changes to that company’s rail franchises and (b) changes agreed with that company to those franchises.

    Claire Perry

    We do not normally notify hon. Members with regard to contract change(s) to Franchise Agreements, as this is business as usual for the Department.

    The Remedial Plan prepared in response to the notice issued by the Department for Transport under Section 55 of the Railways Act on 7th July 2015 was published online on the 26 May at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/525767/govia-thameslink-remedial-plan.pdf.

    “

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the punctuality record of Govia Thameslink Railway in the last six months.

    Claire Perry

    The Department regularly assesses each train operator’s performance, and officials have regular meetings with Govia Thameslink Railway’s senior management where operational performance is reviewed, including punctuality as measured through the Public Performance Measure, and we continue to press the franchisee to see what can be done to improve the service offered to their customers.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has carried out a rural proofing assessment of the likely effects of measures contained in the Bus Services Bill.

    Andrew Jones

    The general and specific impacts of the Bill’s provisions are included in a number of Impact Assessments, which will be published shortly. The impact assessments include a ‘rural proofing assessment’.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on local authorities creating new municipal bus companies in England.

    Andrew Jones

    The Bus Services Bill, which had its first reading in the House of Lords on 19th May, sets out the Government’s policy regarding the creation of new municipal bus companies in England. Clause 21 of the Bill proposes to restrict the ability of local authorities in England to establish companies for the purposes of operating local bus services.

    Government recognises the quality services that existing municipal bus companies provide for passengers, and these existing companies will not be affected by the provisions in the Bill. However, it is our view that the commissioning and provision of bus services should be kept separate, particularly as the introduction of new partnership and franchising powers in the Bill is likely to lead to more local authority control and influence of local services.