The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether invoices for legal or other work carried out in connection with the Savile Inquiry have been submitted for payment since January 2013.
Mrs Theresa Villiers
No invoices have been submitted for payment in respect of legal work in connection with the Saville Inquiry. An invoice was submitted in March 2013 for hosting of the Inquiry website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Huppert on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department takes to ensure that accommodation provided by the COMPASS contracts meets the Decent Homes Standards.
Karen Bradley
It is a statutory requirement that social housing meets the Decent Homes
Standard as defined in the Housing Act 2004.
All COMPASS contracts incorporate the requirements of the Decent Home Standards
for social housing as part of the contractual performance management
arrangements and are robustly monitored through three key performance
indicators which relate specifically to property standards.
Providers are required to inspect all properties on a monthly basis or at the
point when a service user first occupies the property. In addition, the Home
Office has a team of 17 contract compliance officers who also closely monitor
property standards as part of their contract compliance and assurance role.
Any failure of the critical service levels may result in financial penalties.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Huppert on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department takes to ensure that asylum seekers in COMPASS accommodation are able to register complaints quickly and easily.
Karen Bradley
The COMPASS contracts lay down requirements for the management of enquiries and
complaints received in respect of accommodation services provided to asylum
seekers.
COMPASS providers have a complaints service in place through which the asylum
seeker, their representative, the voluntary sector or local authorities can
raise concerns or issues direct. Providers also provide asylum seekers with a
detailed briefing on how they can raise a complaint as part of the move in
process. Asylum seekers can raise a complaint in a confidential way, and with
the assistance of an interpreter when required.
The complaints process is subject to performance management under the Key
Performance Indicators regime. Providers are required to report their
performance in terms of dealing with complaints on a monthly basis. In
addition, the Home Office has a team of 17 contract compliance officers who
also closely monitor complaints made to providers or made direct to the Home
Office as part of their contract compliance and assurance role.
Any failure of the critical service levels may result in financial penalties.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether police and crime commissioners will be able to decide on the applicability of the adoption of her Department’s new guidelines on the use of stop and search by police to the area they represent.
Damian Green
It is for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners to make decisions about whether and when to adopt the scheme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce homophobic and transphobic hate crimes against LGBT people.
Norman Baker
Tackling all forms of hate crime, including that motivated by hatred of a person’s sexual orientation or transgender identity is an issue the coalition Government takes very seriously.
On 1 May 2014 we published ‘Challenge it, Report it, Stop it – Delivering the Government’s Hate Crime Action Plan’. This progress report provides an overview of our achievements since the action plan was first published in March 2012 and sets out our key priorities for the remainder of this Parliament. A specific action in the plan includes tackling homophobia and transphobia in sports.
We are meeting the coalition commitment to improve the recording of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation and transgender identity and are working with the police and other partners to encourage more victims to come forward. We have supported voluntary sector organisations to develop third party reporting services for LGBT victims.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brent Central of 16 June 2014, Official Report, column 445W, on HMP Verne, in which prison establishment for how long each person detained has been held.
Karen Bradley
It is not possible to provide detail of how long those held in prison
establishments have been detained without the examination of individual records
at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she received from the Essex Police and Crime Commissioner on changes to guidelines for police stop and search.
Damian Green
Essex Police have acknowledged receipt of the Home Secretary’s letter sent to Chief Constables on 30th April and have advised that they will submit a formal response in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dominic Raab on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 14 May 2014, Official Report, column 620W, on arrest warrants, in addition to Slovakia, Latvia, Belgium and the Czech Republic, which other EU member states retain an absolute bar on extraditing nationals in non-European Arrest Warrant extradition cases.
James Brokenshire
In non-European Arrest Warrant cases, the following EU Member States have an absolute bar on extraditing their own nationals:
• Austria
• Belgium
• Czech Republic
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Latvia
• Luxembourg
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
In addition, Finland and Sweden have an absolute bar to extraditing their own nationals to countries other than Norway & Iceland.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Burns on 2014-06-17.
To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what the criteria were for the choice of members of the panel of selection to consider the appointment of the next Clerk of the House and Chief Executive; and who selected those members.
John Thurso
The selection panel that will consider the appointment of the next Clerk of the House was chosen by Mr Speaker and its composition was considered by the House of Commons Commission at its meeting on 16 June. The criteria for selection of panel members included party balance, gender balance and the need for external independent input.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-06-17.
To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what the cost to date has been of the contract for the Independent Assessment of Options to Take Forward a Restoration and Renewal Programme for the Palace of Westminster awarded to Deloitte Real Estate and AECOM together with HOK in December 2013.
John Thurso
The full cost of the Independent Options Appraisal is expected to be £2,423K, including VAT. The cost incurred to 18 June 2014 was £2,213K, including VAT and a sum accrued but not yet invoiced. The cost is shared 60:40 between the House of Commons and the House of Lords.