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

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress her Department has made on reducing costs for consumers in making financial claims.

    Sir Oliver Heald

    Information on the number of people who have lost more than 25 per cent of their financial claims compensation to the claims management company (CMC) handling their claim is not held centrally.

    Our priority is to protect consumers who choose to use CMCs. We have consulted on proposals to cap the level of fees that CMCs providing financial claims services can charge consumers. These proposals aim to help consumers get more of the compensation due to them. We are carefully considering the consultation responses and the Government will publish its response in due course.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many strategic rail freight interchanges have been granted planning permission since 2000; and of those granted permission how many have been built.

    Paul Maynard

    Since 2000, development consent has been given for ten Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges across Great Britain. The Department for Transport does not monitor progress in constructing these sites. However we understand that not all of these interchanges have yet been constructed.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the date that the first phase of High Speed 2 will be completed and open to the public.

    Andrew Jones

    The hybrid Bill for HS2 Phase One is proceeding through Parliament and we are aiming to achieve Royal Assent by the end of 2016, with construction starting in 2017 and the first trains running by the end of 2026.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2016 to Question 48986, if he will visit the A595 in Copeland before Christmas 2016.

    Mr John Hayes

    Due to existing diary commitments, it is unlikely that I, as the Roads Minister, will be able to visit the A595 in Copeland before Christmas 2016. Nevertheless, it is my intention to visit roads across the country over the coming months.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many rail freight interchanges there are in the UK; and what the utilisation rate is on the freight network.

    Paul Maynard

    The UK has 16 intermodal rail freight interchanges. These are:

    o Birmingham International Railfreight Terminal

    o Daventry International Railfreight Terminal

    o Hams Hall

    o Widnes

    o Wentloog

    o Selby

    o Doncaster Railport

    o Grangemouth

    o Trafford Park Euroterminal

    o Trafford Park

    o Lawley Street

    o Leeds – Freightliner

    o Mossend Euroterminal

    o Wakefield Euroterminal

    o Willesden Euroterminal

    • Barking

    In addition to these interchanges, there are a large number of port-located rail terminals and small independent facilities nationwide.

    The usage and available capacity of these terminals varies by facility and time of year. However, overall changes in the rail freight market means there has been an increase, in recent years, in imports and exports of containerised goods through the major ports (intermodal freight), increasing utilisation at these sites.

  • Stewart Jackson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stewart Jackson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve (a) rail connectivity and (b) service delivery on Cross Country Trains which run between Birmingham and Stansted and through Peterborough in the next Control Period; and if he will make a statement.

    Paul Maynard

    I recently announced a new contract for the Cross Country rail franchise that will run until October 2019. This franchise offers a number of passenger experience improvements such as free wi-fi on trains. The franchise retains the same level of service between Birmingham and Stansted Airport. I am aware that there are aspirations for improvements in the Cross Country service through Peterborough. Currently, there are no suitable diesel trains available to allow this to happen. However, should this position change, we would work with Cross Country to consider what services enhancements may be possible to deliver. There may be further enhancements across the Cross Country network, once it’s competitively let in 2019.

  • 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 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his Department’s policy to ban internal combustion engines by 2030 to promote zero emission mobility.

    Mr John Hayes

    We are spending more than £600 million by 2020 to support the development, manufacture and use of ultra low emission vehicles. This programme includes incentives to encourage motorists to choose cleaner vehicles, and grants for essential recharging infrastructure. This is putting the UK on track to meet our goal of all new cars and vans being zero emission by 2040, making almost all cars and vans zero emission by 2050.

  • Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment support allowance claimants in the work-related activity group have (a) come off that allowance and (b) had periods of reclaiming that allowance and what proportion of those claimants had fluctuating illnesses in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Statistics on Employment and Support Allowance off-flows, by phase of claim, are published and available at:

    http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/flows/flows_off/tabtool.html

    Guidance on how to extract the information can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance

    The information requested on Employment and Support Allowance claimants reclaiming ESA and the proportion of claimants who had fluctuating illnesses is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

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  • Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many representations he has received (a) in favour and (b) against reductions in the employment support allowance for people in the work-related activity group.

    Penny Mordaunt

    A number of representations were received regarding removal of the work-related activity component for new employment and support allowance claimants only. We do not hold a central record of this information.

  • Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish the evidence his Department has received which illustrates that a change in the level of employment and support allowance work-related activity group funding will support claimants into work.

    Penny Mordaunt

    A number of international studies, and a 2005 report[1] by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development argued that “financial incentives to work can be improved by either cutting welfare benefit levels, or introducing in-work benefits while leaving benefit levels unchanged”.

    There will be new funding worth £60 million in 2017/18, rising to £100 million in 2020/21, which will support those with limited capability for work to move towards and into suitable employment. We will also soon publish a Green Paper that will explore a range of options for long-term reform across different sectors, targeting the factors which contribute to the Disability Employment Gap.

    [1] http://www.oecd.org/employment/emp/36780865.pdf

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