Author: admin

  • Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Attorney General, how many people were charged under section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 in 2015.

    Jeremy Wright

    I am answering on behalf of the Secretary of State for Justice, as I am the minister that superintends the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), who is responsible for bringing charges.

    The CPS does not maintain a central record of the number of people who have been charged with offences brought by way of Section 1 or Section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015; or Section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc.) Act 2004; or Sections 57 and 58 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. (Sections 57, 58 and 59 were repealed and replaced by section 59A Sexual Offences Act 2003 on 13 April 2013) This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.

    However, although it is not possible to identify the number of people charged with a particular offence, records are held showing the overall number of offences in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ courts. The table below shows the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged by way of the human trafficking offences during each of the last three calendar years. A single defendant may be charged with more than one offence.

    2013

    2014

    2015

    Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 { 4 }

    20

    73

    48

    Coroners and Justice Act 2009 { 71 }

    36

    26

    34

    Modern Slavery Act 2015 { 1 }

    0

    0

    5

    Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 57 }

    22

    35

    69

    Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 58 }

    84

    35

    75

    Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 59 }

    4

    4

    9

    Sexual Offences Act 2003 { 59A }

    1

    17

    94

    Total Human Trafficking Offences Charged

    167

    190

    334

    Data Source: CPS Management Information System

    No offences have yet been recorded under section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which came into force on 31st July 2015.

  • Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Natalie McGarry on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with the Department for Work and Pensions on the effect of the Government’s changes to the state pension age on women living in (a) Glasgow and (b) other parts of Scotland.

    David Mundell

    The difference in State Pension ages for women and men represented a longstanding inequality. The last Government introduced changes to the State Pension age through the Pensions Act 2011 for women and men, following extensive debates in both Houses of Parliament.

    The UK Government has committed over £1 billion to ensure that the maximum change to women’s State Pension age was limited to 18 months compared to the previous timetable, and transitional arrangements are already in place for this to take effect.

    All women affected by faster equalisation reach state pension age under the new state pension system, which is more generous to many women than the previous system. In the first 15 years, around 650,000 women will receive £8 per week more on average, due to the new state pension valuation.

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what level of change to train services by (a) scheduled departure and (b) number of carriages provided by Southern Railway Limited the Government has agreed under the conditions of its franchise with that company.

    Claire Perry

    Timetabling and rolling stock allocation are a matter for the operator. We monitor their performance against the specified benchmarks as set out in the Franchise Agreement and the Remedial Plan.

  • Chris Elmore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Chris Elmore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits to local communities of rail electrification in South Wales.

    Claire Perry

    The Government recognises the value to the Welsh economy and local communities that improved services from rail electrification, both to and in Wales, will bring in the form of regeneration and jobs. That is why we are prioritising the Great Western Mainline electrification and providing a £125m contribution to the electrification of the Valley Lines. The Valley Lines now forms part of the wider South East Wales Metro project which will transform travel in the Cardiff capital region. This project is the responsibility of the Welsh Government, and is further supported by a wider Cardiff Capital Region Investment Fund announced as part of the March 2016 City Deal.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2016 to Question 41675, on shipping: exhaust emissions, what legal and technical barriers his Department has identified that could restrict the growth in green technologies in shipping.

    Mr John Hayes

    Given the international nature of shipping and with a ship’s life cycle being typically in the region of 25-30 years, the Government’s priority has been to ensure that appropriate international and regional standards are in place for green technologies in shipping. The Government is keen to promote the global application and implementation of technical and where appropriate legal standards, applied fairly across the board, and with industry given as much advance notice as possible of any new requirements. This delivers a level and competitive playing field and clarity of regulatory approach.

    Currently, our focus has been on barriers which inhibit the development of abatement technologies and alternative fuels which control sulphur emissions. The lack of international technical standards for the storage, loading and the safe handling of liquefied natural gas and methanol is one factor which has discouraged ports and ships from investing in this technology. Uncertainty about whether the global 0.5 per cent sulphur cap will come into force in 2020, or be deferred until 2025 is another. As a consequence the UK is pressing for decisions to be taken as soon as possible to give industry as much time as possible to prepare for the new requirements.

  • Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason his Department deploys speed cameras that photograph vehicles from the front in addition to speed cameras that photograph vehicles from the rear; and for what reasons his Department does not have a single policy on the deployment of such cameras.

    Andrew Jones

    It is for local authorities and police to decide how they wish to operate speed cameras. The Department issued guidance in 2007 entitled “Use of speed and red-light cameras for traffic enforcement: guidance on deployment, visibility and signing”. I wrote to all local authorities in England and Wales on 20 October 2015 to remind them of the guidance which is available on gov.uk.

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will amend the Cycle to Work scheme to incorporate a higher maximum allowance for disabled cyclists requiring specialist cycles.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    We are currently in the process of updating the Cycle to Work Scheme guidance published on GOV.UK and we are considering reviewing the maximum allowance of £1,000. Discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and HMRC will be arranged before we confirm any changes.

  • Ian Mearns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ian Mearns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeals have been granted in a claimant’s favour following an assessment prior to a transfer from disability living allowance to personal independence payments.

    Sir Oliver Heald

    Between April 2013, when the Personal Independence Payment was introduced, and March 2016, there were 9,774 reassessment appeals which found in favour of the appellant.

  • Ian Mearns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ian Mearns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many assessments of claimants transferring between disability living allowance and personal independence payments have been made in the last five years.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Information on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) clearances by type (e.g. awarded/disallowed after or before referral to the assessment provider or withdrawn), for both new claims and reassessed claims (for those previously in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)), is published on Gov.UK: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk

    Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.

    “

  • Ian Mearns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ian Mearns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants have been transferred from disability living allowance to personal independence payments in the last three years.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Information on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) clearances by type (e.g. awarded/disallowed after or before referral to the assessment provider or withdrawn), for both new claims and reassessed claims (for those previously in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)), is published on Gov.UK: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk

    Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.

    “