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  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will use his powers under clause 2, section 10 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to appoint a crown servant to act as governor of the Medway Secure Training Centre.

    Andrew Selous

    Kent Police and Medway Council’s child protection team have launched an investigation into the allegations made about Medway Secure Training Centre (STC). The Ministry of Justice and Youth Justice Board will do everything we can to assist and support the investigation. Our immediate priority has been to make sure that the young people in custody at Medway are safe, which is why HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Ofsted visited the STC last week.

    The YJB have ceased placements into the STC with immediate effect. They have also increased their own monitoring at Medway and that of the independent advocacy service provided by Barnardo’s.

    We are currently considering how we can best ensure young people at Medway are in a safe, secure and rehabilitative environment and any further decisions will be announced in the normal way.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to answer Question 15306, tabled on 6 November 2015, on his Department’s public expenditure.

    Caroline Dinenage

    I refer the honourable member to the answer which I gave in PQ 15306, answered on 17th February 2016.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of business lost to the Northern Ireland economy from the maintained level of air passenger duty.

    Damian Hinds

    The government has devolved control over the direct long-haul rate of air passenger duty to the Northern Ireland Assembly (NIA). The NIA has set this rate at zero.

    In March 2015, the Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) published an economic impact assessment on air passenger duty. The report informed the NIE’s decision not to pursue devolution of the short haul rate.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent progress her Department has made on cross-border policing arrangements.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    Following the Fresh Start Agreement I attended a tri-lateral cross-border Ministerial meeting along with the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government on 21 December. At the meeting, and in accordance with the Fresh Start Agreement, we agreed new measures to enhance law enforcement co-operation aimed at tackling organised crime and criminality, including that linked to paramilitarism. In a concerted effort to tackle cross-jurisdictional organised crime, a Joint Agency Task Force has been announced by the United Kingdom Government, the Irish Government and the NI Executive.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps her Department is taking to help review and improve sea defences in Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    Sea defences are a devolved matter in Northern Ireland.

    On 9 December 2015, the Chancellor announced an additional £51 million to support households and businesses affected by floods, which includes an allocation of £1.3 million to Northern Ireland. It is up to the Executive how this money is spent.

  • Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeffrey M. Donaldson on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with the Home Secretary on the oral and written evidence provided by the Government to the Joint Committee on the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I have been in regular contact with the Home Secretary on the Investigatory Powers Bill since drafting began last year. The Government is fully aware of the crucial importance of this legislation for combating terrorism in Northern Ireland. In November, the Home Secretary and I met to discuss the pre-legislative scrutiny process and the latest draft of the Bill that has been examined by the Joint Committee.

    Between November and January, the Government provided detailed evidence to the Joint Committee, including the Home Secretary’s oral evidence given last week. The Government’s evidence has explained the provisions of the Bill in detail and has set out the necessity of the powers as well as the safeguards that are to apply.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2015 to Question 18729 and the oral contribution of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury of 6 January 2016, Official Report, columns 274-5, whether he has discussed the introduction of the new Work and Health Programme in Scotland with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

    David Mundell

    Further to my answer of 10 December 2015, UK and Scottish Government officials are discussing the introduction of the new Work and Health Programme and broader welfare reforms, including the implications for Scotland in the context of the devolution of welfare powers in the Scotland Bill. In due course, I would expect these issues to be discussed by the Joint Ministerial Welfare Group, which I co-chair with the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights and is attended by DWP and HM Treasury Ministers.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what representations he has received on the Scottish Government’s proposals to absorb the British Transport Police into Police Scotland.

    David Mundell

    The cross-party Smith Commission agreed that the functions of the British Transport Police in Scotland would be devolved. The Government has received representations about the transfer of these functions in Scotland, including correspondence from MPs. The Department for Transport and Scottish Government officials are in regular contact about the delivery of the transfer of functions.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps Network Rail is taking to ensure co-ordination between its regional units for the purpose of redirecting traffic affected by the closure of the West Coast Main Line north of Carlisle.

    Claire Perry

    Co-ordination arrangements for managing passenger and freight traffic whilst the West Coast Main Line route through Lamington is closed are operational matters for Network Rail.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the gauge clearance is of routes used to divert freight services disrupted by the temporary closure of the West Coast Main Line north of Carlisle.

    Claire Perry

    This is an operational matter for Network Rail. Network Rail advises that the current published freight clearances by diversionary route are as follows:

    i. The freight clearance for the diversion via the East Coast Main Line is W9.

    ii. The published freight clearance for the diversions via Glasgow & South Western Route and the route between Kilmarnock and Barassieare both W8.

    iii. The published freight clearance for the diversion via Mauchline to Newton on Ayr is W7

    However, in response to the situation at Lamington, Network Rail has confirmed clearance to move certain types of larger deep-sea containers on both the Glasgow & South Western Route and the Newton on Ayr route.