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  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2015 to Question 12356, when he expects Network Rail to publish an update to its industry electrification strategy.

    Claire Perry

    It remains the Department’s expectation that Network Rail will publish the industry electrification strategy as a draft for consultation in early 2016, taking into account Sir Peter Hendy’s report of Network Rail’s programme of rail investment.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the effect of a written objection being made by a consultation body specified in Regulation 2 of the Merchant Shipping (Ship-to-Ship Transfers) Regulations 2010 (as amended) for the determination of an application for an oil transfer licence.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is the Competent Authority that assesses applications for an Oil Transfer License (OTL). All written representations made during a public consultation are considered with the application and used to inform the analysis and the decision

    The MCA will approve or deny the application, direct the applicant to do additional work to address concerns and/or seek additional stakeholder consultation and engagement where appropriate.

    In accordance with the ‘Merchant Shipping (Ship to Ship Transfers) Regulation 2010 (as amended), the MCA will inform the applicant in writing of the decision, with any associated caveats to the License, if granted. Officials will also write to all individuals or consultation bodies who responded to the public consultation informing them of the decision and the justification for it.

    Representations and decision correspondence are retained by the MCA and kept on file for a minimum of 20 years. Records of any other stakeholder engagement undertaken during an OTL consultation or subsequent to it are retained by the MCA for a minimum of five years.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the number of people who live within 30 minutes’ travel time of Stratford International Station by public transport.

    Claire Perry

    The Department for Transport has made no assessment of the number of people who live within 30 minutes’ travel time of Stratford International Station by public transport.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on the reviews into the (a) Support for Maritime Training scheme and (b) UK maritime sector’s projected requirement for seafarers as recommended in the Maritime Growth study, Keeping the UK competitive in a global market, published September 2015.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The invitation to tender for the Seafarer Projections Review was sent out by the Crown Commercial Service on Tuesday 19 January 2016.

    As the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) Review will need to take account of the information gathered in the Seafarer Projections Review, it will follow in about four to six weeks’ time.

  • Nia Griffith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Nia Griffith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nia Griffith on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the potential effect of Government policy towards reform of EU trade defence instruments on the steel industry in Wales.

    Stephen Crabb

    I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues, including the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, where we discuss the challenges faced by the steel industry in Wales and what we need to do to address them.

    We are strong supporters of effective trade defences to tackle unfair trade practices. There are already a number of ways in which the European Commission can tackle unfair trade where industry can provide the evidence to support such action, including ones before the damage is done through so-called ‘threat of injury’ cases.

    We continue to press the Commission to consider ways of speeding up investigations. We recently wrote with specific proposals and are following up at both official and ministerial level.

    We have also pushed hard for decisive action on individual trade defence investigations, such as voting to take action on seamless pipes and tubes and on wire rod, and for an investigation into rebar.

  • Nia Griffith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Nia Griffith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nia Griffith on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the potential effect of current policy on compensation to energy-intensive industries on the steel industry in Wales.

    Stephen Crabb

    The steel industry is facing unprecedented challenges at present and I am determined to do everything I can to support the industry and those affected. I have regular discussions regarding the steel industry in Wales with ministerial colleagues including the Prime Minister,Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise.

    The Government is committed to providing compensation to Energy Intensive Industries. On 17 December, we secured state aid clearance to pay further compensation to energy intensive industries – including steel – for renewable policy costs.

    The Government has published guidance and forms for claiming compensation. The first compensation payments will be made as soon as possible after eligible companies have submitted applications and backdated to December 2015.

    As announced at Autumn Statement 2015, we are committed to transitioning from a compensation scheme to an exemption, with the aim of this being in place in 2017. Compensation will continue to be paid to the industry until the permanent exemption is in place.

    This policy will save the industry hundreds of millions of pounds and will give the steel industry all across the UK greater certainty around energy costs for the life of the parliament.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to tackle prejudice and discrimination towards the transsexual community.

    Caroline Dinenage

    For the fifth year in a row, the UK has been recognised as the leading country in Europe for LGB&T equality.

    I am proud of our achievements but we are not complacent; there is more work to be done. Achieving transgender equality is a priority for this Government. We will continue to tackle this prejudice, taking action such as issuing guidance for employers and service providers on how best to support transgender people. We will soon be able to evaluate the impact of the £2 million fund provided to tackle transphobic, homophobic and biphobic bullying in schools and we have sought to strengthen the voices of trans people through funding of the LGB&T Partnership to support the Transgender Organisations Network. The review will engage with relevant stakeholders, including from the transgender community, combined with professional and operational expertise.

    The GEO is continuously exploring relevant policies with other Departments and officials are currently doing so in the context of the recommendations made by the Women and Equalities select committee.

    For the fifth year in a row, the UK has been recognised as the leading country in Europe for LGB&T equality.

    I am proud of our achievements but we are not complacent; there is more work to be done. Achieving transgender equality is a priority for this Government. We will continue to tackle this prejudice, taking action such as issuing guidance for employers and service providers on how best to support transgender people. We will soon be able to evaluate the impact of the £2 million fund provided to tackle transphobic, homophobic and biphobic bullying in schools and we have sought to strengthen the voices of trans people through funding of the LGB&T Partnership to support the Transgender Organisations Network. The review will engage with relevant stakeholders, including from the transgender community, combined with professional and operational expertise.

    The GEO is continuously exploring relevant policies with other Departments and officials are currently doing so in the context of the recommendations made by the Women and Equalities select committee.

  • Ian Lavery – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ian Lavery – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons a levy of at least three per cent of gross working premium on insurers to fund the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payments Scheme has not yet been introduced.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Mesothelioma Act (2014) requires active insurers to pay a levy with a view to meeting the costs of the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS) each year.

    The 3% figure was the maximum percentage of the active employers’ liability insurance market to be levied on the insurance industry to recoup the costs of the scheme in any one year. This figure is a cap rather than a set rate. Each year the levy rate is calculated using the costs of the DMPS so far in that financial year, extrapolated to cover the remainder of the period. As this is a demand led scheme, the calculations for the levy are done afresh each year. An upturn in applications to the Scheme would result in a higher levy rate in future years.

  • Karen Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Karen Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Buck on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) six month notices, (b) three month closure notices and (c) final closure notices of case closure have been sent to Child Support Agency cases in (i) segment 1, (ii) segment 2, (iii) segment 3 and (iv) segment 4.

    Priti Patel

    The table below shows the total number of (a) six month notice letters of case closure, (b) one month reminder letters of case closure, and (c) final letters issued for segments 1, 2, 3 and 4, as at the end of December 2015:

    Segment

    1

    2

    3

    4

    Six month notice

    395,500

    137,900

    43,200

    238,900

    One month reminder letter

    365,400

    104,600

    30,100

    69,800

    Final letter

    373,000

    98,900

    10,400

    33,400

    Notes

    1. Figures rounded to nearest 100.
    2. The figures are made up from cases proactively selected for case closure, and not those where an application has been made to the 2012 scheme and a related case exists on the 93/03 scheme which is then reactively closed down.
    3. Cases selected for closure are sent a six month notice of case closure. One letter is sent to the parent with care and one to non-resident parent. They are then sent a reminder letter one month before their case closure date (no letter is sent at three months). They are sent a final letter when their case is closed.
  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has met with representatives of the Citizens Advice Bureau to discuss feedback they have received from universal credit claimants.

    Priti Patel

    Senior officials regularly meet with representatives from Citizens Advice to discuss Universal Credit on behalf of the Secretary of State.

    Citizens Advice staff are also actively engaged with the Universal Credit programme to feed their claimant insight into work on Universal Credit claimant orientation.