The below Parliamentary question was asked by Meg Hillier on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the average time taken to secure appeal hearings for people whose entry clearance applications have been refused.
Mr Shailesh Vara
Published figures can be found at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2015.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent representations he has received on measures to rehabilitate land which has been defaced by opencast mining; and what steps he plans to take in response to those representations.
David Mundell
I have had a number of meetings and discussions on the important issue of opencast restoration over recent months, including with Local Authorities affected and colleagues from HM Treasury, the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Scottish Government.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tommy Sheppard on 2015-10-26.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on the transfer of responsibility for Air Passenger Duty to the Scottish Government.
Damian Hinds
The government is devolving Air Passenger Duty to the Scottish Parliament through the Scotland Bill. Ministers are in ongoing discussions with the Scottish Government about all aspects of the Scotland Bill and the terms of the fiscal framework.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the railway is able to accommodate the transport of full-sized lorry trailers on trains.
Claire Perry
The only railway infrastructure in Britain that can accommodate a rail freight service carrying lorry trailers is HS1 between the Channel Tunnel and Barking, which can carry the standard international 4 metres semi-trailer. It represents 0.75% per cent of Britain’s rail route mileage.
The 80% of the UK domestic semi-trailer fleet with a height of 4.25 metres or greater cannot be accommodated on trains in Britain. However, container goods can be accepted across the freight network, which carries some 1 million containers – 30% of total container freight in the UK – a year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Blackman on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to minimise the extent and length of road works on the motorway network at times when work is not taking place.
Andrew Jones
Highways England combine maintenance and improvement schemes to maximise activity within roadworks. However, lane closures are sometimes left in place through the day and then work undertaken overnight. Removing these completely each day would be time consuming and would delay projects and motorists for longer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on publishing a cycling and walking investment strategy.
Mr Robert Goodwill
I was delighted that the Infrastructure Act included a firm commitment to deliver a Cycling & Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS). We will be ready to commence a formal consultation on this in Spring 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department’s policies on increasing access to public transport for disabled passengers.
Andrew Jones
We have made significant progress on increasing access. By the end of the year, we expect around 75% of rail journeys to start or end at a step-free station. That is an increase from around 50% when the Access for All programme started. That programme will deliver 151 step-free routes at stations this year. On the buses, only 57% met accessibility regulations in 2009-10. That number is now nearly 90% and rising.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2015-10-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of India about the number of attacks on minorities by extremist groups in that country, in particular black ink attacks carried out by Shiv Sena.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We are aware of reports of attacks by Hindu extremists on minority groups in India. The UK raises human rights matters with India, including attacks on minority groups, both bilaterally and through the EU-India human rights dialogue. As part of an EU delegation, our High Commission in New Delhi met the Indian National Commission for Minorities in early October to discuss a range of current issues. Our High Commission also maintains regular contact with civil society organisations and senior faith leaders working on religious freedom across India.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2015-10-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to raise with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi the case of three British citizens murdered in Gujarat in 2002 when he visits the United Kingdom in November.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs , my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), has previously raised this case with Prime Minister Modi in his former role as Chief Minister of Gujarat. We continue to raise consular matters with the Indian authorities at all levels. Our officials have provided consular support to the families since 2002 and will continue to provide assistance to them as needed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2015-10-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether restrictions were imposed on the travel of Narendra Modi; if so, whether such restrictions have been lifted; and if so, why.
Lord Bates
The Home Office do not routinely comment on individual cases. The Home Office has obligations in law to protect this information.