Author: admin

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the low oil price since summer 2014 on the number of UK seafarers employed on offshore supply vessels in the North Sea.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The 2015 seafarer statistics have just been published. We estimate that there were 23,380 UK seafarers active at sea in 2015, an increase of 2 per cent on the previous year. We are aware that the current downturn in the offshore sector may not yet be fully reflected in these figures.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on staffing levels at coastguard stations in the Irish Sea.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The new National Network for Her Majesty’s Coastguard became fully operational in December 2015.

    Coastguard centres within this network do not have fixed geographic boundaries; the network enables workload and incidents to be managed on a national rather than centre-by-centre basis. Workload is moved around the network to balance local demand against a national workforce.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations his Department has received on the protection of hedgehogs in Regent’s Park from trucks using the London Zoo car park for the construction of High Speed 2.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    12 petitions to the 3rd additional provision to the Phase One hybrid Bill were received that included concerns regarding the impact on the hedgehog population in Regent’s Park of the proposed lorry holding area in the London Zoo car park. Additionally, one of the responses to the AP3 Environmental Statement Consultation raised concerns about the hedgehog population in the Regents Park area. As part of the ongoing engagement with the Zoological Society of London, HS2 Ltd are considering locations for replacement habitats to mitigate the impact on the hedgehog population.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many meetings she has had with chief executives of FTSE 100 companies since May 2015 at which she raised the issue of increasing the number of women on company boards.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities and I have met with many business representatives since taking on our roles as Ministers for Women and Equalities. We have also met employers and business representatives as part of our plans to introduce gender pay gap reporting and always ensure that we use these opportunities to raise the issue of achieving a better gender balance on boards. This includes attending and speaking at conferences and events, including at the 30% Club and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which represents 190,000 businesses in the UK.

    Since May 2015, we have met numerous business leaders at conferences and events, including meetings with:

    • Lord Davies of Abersoch CBE

    • Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, CBE, CEO, Mitie Group PLC (in her capacity as Chair of the Women’s Business Council)

    • Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, CBE, CEO, Mitie Group PLC

    • Cilla Snowball, CBE, Group Chairman and Group CEO, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO

    • Denis Woulfe, Partner, Deloitte LLP

    • Emer Timmons, President, BT Global Services UK

    • Fiona Dawson, Global President, Mars Food, Drinks, and Multisales, Mars Food

    • Sue Langley, OBE, Non-Executive Chairman, A J Gallagher UK, UK Asset Resolution Limited (Northern Rock Asset Management and Bradford & Bingley)

    • Sue O’Brien, OBE, Partner, Ridgeways Partners

    • Amanda Harrison, HR Director, Centrica PLC

    I also spoke at the launch of Lord Davies’s final report, which was attended by a large cross section of over 100 businesses.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment the Government has made of the gender balance of public appointments to (a) executive non-departmental public bodies, (b) advisory non-departmental public bodies, (c) independent monitoring boards and (d) non-ministerial departments made since May 2015.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Government is committed to increasing the diversity of public appointments and​ has an​ aspiration that 50% of new public appointees should be women. We are making good ​progress; the most recent figures published for 2014-2015 show 44% of new appointments were made to women and a higher proportion of all public appointments (new appointments and reappointments) were made to women last year than at any other point in the last decade. I will continue to urge more women to apply for these important posts.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many meetings she has had with businesses since May 2015 on increasing the number of women on company boards; and who those meetings were with.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities and I have met with many business representatives since taking on our roles as Ministers for Women and Equalities. We have also met employers and business representatives as part of our plans to introduce gender pay gap reporting and always ensure that we use these opportunities to raise the issue of achieving a better gender balance on boards. This includes attending and speaking at conferences and events, including at the 30% Club and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which represents 190,000 businesses in the UK.

    Since May 2015, we have met numerous business leaders at conferences and events, including meetings with:

    • Lord Davies of Abersoch CBE

    • Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, CBE, CEO, Mitie Group PLC (in her capacity as Chair of the Women’s Business Council)

    • Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, CBE, CEO, Mitie Group PLC

    • Cilla Snowball, CBE, Group Chairman and Group CEO, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO

    • Denis Woulfe, Partner, Deloitte LLP

    • Emer Timmons, President, BT Global Services UK

    • Fiona Dawson, Global President, Mars Food, Drinks, and Multisales, Mars Food

    • Sue Langley, OBE, Non-Executive Chairman, A J Gallagher UK, UK Asset Resolution Limited (Northern Rock Asset Management and Bradford & Bingley)

    • Sue O’Brien, OBE, Partner, Ridgeways Partners

    • Amanda Harrison, HR Director, Centrica PLC

    I also spoke at the launch of Lord Davies’s final report, which was attended by a large cross section of over 100 businesses.

  • George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much has been allocated to the Work and Health Innovation Fund; and what evaluation measures will be in place to monitor initiatives helping people with health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis stay in work.

    Priti Patel

    This government committed in the Autumn Statement 2015 to spend ‘at least £40 million’ on the. Work and Health Innovation Fund. The fund will support a range of trials to generate evidence of ‘what works’ in supporting disabled people and people with health conditions to get into and stay in work.

    The type and size of trials are currently being developed.

    The government committed to publishing a work and health white paper this year, which will share the initial Work and Health Innovation Fund proposals.

  • George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people the Work and Health Innovation Fund will assist; and whether that fund will include initiatives to help people with (a) rheumatoid arthritis and (b) other long-term conditions stay in work.

    Priti Patel

    This government committed in the Autumn Statement 2015 to spend ‘at least £40 million’ on the. Work and Health Innovation Fund. The fund will support a range of trials to generate evidence of ‘what works’ in supporting disabled people and people with health conditions to get into and stay in work.

    The type and size of trials are currently being developed.

    The government committed to publishing a work and health white paper this year, which will share the initial Work and Health Innovation Fund proposals.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Tim on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2016 to Question 23063, on universal credit, when his Department plans to provide that notification to claimants.

    Priti Patel

    We will notify all claimants who we expect to be directly affected by the change to work allowances at the appropriate time. We will also offer tailored support depending on the claimants individual circumstances.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases have come before the Court of Appeal challenging the lawfulness of the under-occupancy penalty on the grounds of the effect of that policy on (a) victims of domestic violence and (b) seriously disabled children who need overnight care.

    Justin Tomlinson

    (a) One victim of domestic violence has challenged the removal of the spare room subsidy in the Court of Appeal.

    (b) One challenge in the Court of Appeal from a case with a disabled child who requires overnight care from a non-resident carer.