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  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2014, Official Report, columns 654-5, on electoral register, if the Electoral Commission will publish the results of all research it has conducted into the size of the electorate.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that it publishes all of its completed research on electoral registration on its website, here: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/our-research/electoral-registration-research

    “

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the introduction of online voting in (a) Australia and (b) South Africa and its relevance to the UK.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that it monitors developments in voting technology in other countries, including the limited online voting pilot schemes which have so far taken place at an individual state level in Australia. South African overseas voters can go online to register to vote, but cannot actually vote online.

    The Commission will continue to take account of relevant experience from other comparable democracies as it develops a strategy for modernising voting at elections in the UK.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2014, Official Report, column 655W, on electoral register, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the reasons for the increase between December 2000 and April 2011 in the proportion of eligible people not registered at their current address.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that it has set out its analysis of the key reasons for the decline in levels of registration in this period in two reports – ‘The completeness and accuracy of electoral registers in Great Britain’ and ‘Great Britain’s electoral registers’.

    Both reports can be found here: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/our-research/electoral-registration-research

    “

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2014, Official Report, column 693W, on bus services: disability, how many public service vehicles (a) in each region and (b) operated by each operator have been issued with PSVAR certificates.

    Stephen Hammond

    I refer the Honourable Member to my answer of 20th March 2014. As indicated there the Department for Transport’s annual bus statistics (published in September 2013) show that 78% of buses in England have been issued with PSVAR certificates, while 92% of buses are low floor.

    The following table provides a breakdown of PSVAR certificates for each region:

    Region Buses with certificates %Buses having certificates
    East Midlands 1,400 72%
    East of England 1,970 67%
    London 8,880 97%
    North East 1,370 73%
    North West 3,900 76%
    South East 2,690 71%
    South West 1,950 63%
    West Midlands 2,730 77%
    Yorkshire and the Humber 2,800 69%
    England 27,680 78%

    The figures in this table are compiled from annual operator returns to the Department for Transport, which are not broken down by region. To compile the regional level estimates, each operator has been assigned to its main region of operation.

    The returns are made under the Statistics of Trade Act 1947, and figures for individual operators are therefore considered as commercially confidential.

  • Robert Halfon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Robert Halfon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Halfon on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the benefits to children’s safety of road crossing patrollers.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government firmly believes in localism and providing local authorities with powers to introduce measures to deal with local needs and conditions. Local authorities will invariably have a strategy to improve road safety and will prioritise their road network based on the need to reduce casualties.

    The provision of the school crossing patrol service is a matter for the local authority. Legislation gives them the power to make arrangements for the patrolling of places where children cross roads on their way to or from school, but does not impose a duty on them to do so. Funding decisions are also a matter for the local authority based on their local needs and priorities.

    It is for the Council to assess the crossing situation and determine a course of action as it is in this situation. In some cases, if the authority agrees that children from a particular school need help in crossing a busy road but have not recruited anyone, they have to think about finding other ways of making the crossing safer – for example, by putting in a pedestrian crossing.

  • Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with train operating companies and rolling stock companies on the availability of rolling stock to train operating companies during the periods of franchise extension.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Department for Transport regularly meets with the rolling stock companies to discuss the rolling stock market, including upcoming competitions and direct awards. In the development of each directly awarded franchise the Department has extensive discussions with the operator to discuss rolling stock issues, including maintenance, potential upgrades and the overall availability of stock during the period of the franchise, to ensure that appropriate levels of passenger service can be provided within the period.

    Ministers regularly meet with train operating companies and rolling stock companies to discuss a wide range of issues, including the rolling stock market. The Department expects train operators and rolling stock companies ultimately to resolve any issues with regard to the availability of rolling stock for the period of their franchise, or any extension thereof.

  • John Mann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    John Mann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy that the remuneration of Network Rail executives should be reduced in response to the incidence of deaths on level crossings.

    Stephen Hammond

    I refer the Hon Member to my answer given today (UIN 193125).

  • Alec Shelbrooke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Alec Shelbrooke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alec Shelbrooke on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that houses purchased by HS2 Limited under the Exceptional Hardship Scheme are not sold on at less than market value.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department for Transport has asked HS2 Ltd to prepare an asset management strategy that reflects best practice in the public sector and relevant policy aims for HS2, including community cohesion and the normal function of local housing markets. To date, no properties purchased under the Exceptional Hardship Scheme have been sold, or offered for sale. Any eventual sales will be undertaken with a view to obtaining the best outcome for the tax payer and for local communities.

  • Jake Berry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jake Berry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jake Berry on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been allocated to Lancashire County Council to repair potholes in (a) Lancashire and (b) Rossendale.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    From the £200 million to help fix potholes on the local road network announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the March 2014 Budget, £168 million will be for local authorities in England. This funding will be made available through a bidding exercise and it will be for Blackburn and Darwen Council to submit a bid to the Department. Guidance on how councils can apply for this funding will be made available in the coming weeks.

    The Department for Transport has agreed to provide £90.1 million to Lancashire County Council for road maintenance during the financial years from 2011/12 to 2014/15. This funding can be used to help repair potholes.

    Rossendale falls within Lancashire County Council’s area of responsibility and we do not allocate any funds directly to the Borough Council for road maintenance.

  • Robert Halfon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Robert Halfon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Halfon on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been spent on road crossing patrollers in (a) Essex and (b) Harlow constituency in the last 10 years.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department does not hold records of the amount spent on school crossing patrol services in each local authority.