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  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department had made of the capacity of rail services between Coventry and London; and if he will make a statement.

    Claire Perry

    Rail services between Coventry and London are currently provided by the West Midlands and InterCity West Coast franchises. These franchises are due to be replaced when they expire in October 2017 and April 2018 respectively. The Department has completed a consultation in respect of the replacement West Midlands franchise, and commenced another in respect of InterCity West Coast earlier this month. The outcomes of those consultations, including the key challenges and opportunities that the Department has identified for those franchises, will be published in due course.

  • 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 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 18 of the Motoring Services Strategy consultation, what (a) criteria, (b) process and (c) timeframe his Department plans to use to explore the possible privatisation of practical driving tests.

    Andrew Jones

    The Motoring Services Strategy was published on 12 May. As this document explains, we are exploring whether other models of service delivery might offer a better and more flexible range of services to road users, either as alternatives to the current arrangements or to complement them, including involving the private sector in delivering some or all of the services.

    This is in line with the Government’s wider agenda to ensure that the driver testing and training regime prepares new drivers for a wide range of real life driving conditions and situations.

    No decision has been taken about the preferred option or range of options, and we are committed to ensuring that, whatever model may eventually be chosen (including the option of retaining the present system), current standards of propriety and testing will be maintained. We are clear that road safety is our top priority and therefore the high quality and integrity of the UK’s driver testing regime must not be compromised by any changes to the delivery model.

    We will work with DVSA, stakeholders and customer groups to assess the viability of those options with the aim of improving road safety.

  • Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the annual budget is for food produced for his Department’s offices; and what proportion of food produced for his Department was sourced from British producers in the last period for which figures are available.

    Guto Bebb

    Given the small amount of expenditure involved, the Wales Office does not have a budget specifically for food. It uses external caterers to supply food and drink for events in its London and Cardiff offices. Records are not kept on where the food is sourced from.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the recommendations of the First Report of Session 2015-16, from the Women and Equalities Committee, HC 390, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the implications for sex-specific health planning and provision of amending the Equalities Act 2010 to remove the protection for single-sex provision; and if she will make a statement.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government has welcomed the report from the Women and Equalities Select Committee into transgender equality.

    The report provides a substantial number of recommendations covering almost a dozen public bodies, including several recommendations which call for significant changes to legislation and reforms to the NHS. Government is carefully considering these recommendations.

    We continually engage with stakeholders from women’s and transgender communities and we would consider their views before making any changes to legislation.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the First Report from the Women and Equalities Committee, Session 2015-16, on Transgender equality, HC 390, what consultation she has undertaken on the potential implications for single-sex provision in women’s refuges and other services for victims of domestic or sexual violence of changes to the Equalities Act 2010 recommended in that report; and if she will make a statement.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government has welcomed the report from the Women and Equalities Select Committee into transgender equality.

    The report provides a substantial number of recommendations covering almost a dozen public bodies, including several recommendations which call for significant changes to legislation and reforms to the NHS. Government is carefully considering these recommendations.

    We continually engage with stakeholders from women’s and transgender communities and we would consider their views before making any changes to legislation.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when she plans to publish a response to the First Report from the Women and Equalities Committee, Session 2015-16, HC 390, on Transgender equality; and if she will make a statement.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government has welcomed the report from the Women and Equalities Select Committee into transgender equality.

    The report provides a substantial number of recommendations covering almost a dozen public bodies, including several recommendations which call for significant changes to legislation and reforms to the NHS. Government is carefully considering these recommendations.

    We continually engage with stakeholders from women’s and transgender communities and we would consider their views before making any changes to legislation.

  • Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the Government’s priorities are for the negotiations on the revised EU Directive on Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provisions.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government’s priority for the draft Directive is ensuring sound and proportionate regulation of occupational pension schemes, which respects differences in the national arrangements between Member States.

    As is usual practice, an overall impact assessment for the draft Directive has been prepared by the EU institutions, and a national-level impact assessment will be prepared as and when the Directive is transposed into UK law.

    The Government has approached negotiations on the Directive in line with the usual co-ordination process across departments.

  • Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the annual budget is for food produced for his Department’s offices; and what proportion of food produced for his Department was sourced from British producers in the last period for which figures are available.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Since 1998 the Department for Work and Pensions has outsourced the provision and maintenance for the majority of its estate to Telereal Trillium under a 20 year Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract that expires on 31 March 2018.

    Under the terms of the contract, Telereal Trillium provides fully-serviced accommodation, including the provision of catering services. Telereal Trillium provide catering through their Service Partners, Compass Group. The Department pays an all-inclusive facility unit price for sites and we are unable to separate the costs for catering.

    The amount of food sourced from British producers for DWP was 42% (Jan – Mar 2016). This figure does not include the considerable spend on non-indigenous products purchased for use in the DWP contract with large volumes of coffee as well as rice, pasta, tea, banana’s, citrus, exotic fruits etc. Additionally as this period falls in winter some UK seasonal products are not available so have been procured from the EU.

  • Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the Government did not apply to the European Globalisation Fund to secure financial support for those affected by the closure of SSI Redcar in 2015.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The UK has not made any applications to the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF).

    The European Globalisation Fund (EGF) provides a financial contribution for active labour market measures, aimed at reintegrating those made or at risk of being made redundant in the labour market. EGF Regulations state that these measures must complement actions at national, regional and local level.

    The EGF Regulations also set out strict criteria and eligibility for potential applicants with regards to the number of redundancies that take place over a given period of time and the link between these redundancies and globalisation or the global financial and economic crisis.

    The UK already offers a broad range of personalised support to workers made redundant through its Rapid Response Service and Jobcentre Plus, which could therefore not be duplicated or substituted by EGF.

    The Rapid Response Service and the Jobcentre Plus Core Offer are effective reintegration tools which represent good value for money and are our primary and most effective means of response to support the industry.

    In addition to this, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills also announced packages of support worth up to £80 million for SSI in Redcar.

    It has, therefore, not been necessary to make an application for EGF funding to provide complementary support.

  • Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria the Government considers before making an application to the European Globalisation Fund.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The UK has not made any applications to the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF).

    The European Globalisation Fund (EGF) provides a financial contribution for active labour market measures, aimed at reintegrating those made or at risk of being made redundant in the labour market. EGF Regulations state that these measures must complement actions at national, regional and local level.

    The EGF Regulations also set out strict criteria and eligibility for potential applicants with regards to the number of redundancies that take place over a given period of time and the link between these redundancies and globalisation or the global financial and economic crisis.

    The UK already offers a broad range of personalised support to workers made redundant through its Rapid Response Service and Jobcentre Plus, which could therefore not be duplicated or substituted by EGF.

    The Rapid Response Service and the Jobcentre Plus Core Offer are effective reintegration tools which represent good value for money and are our primary and most effective means of response to support the industry.

    In addition to this, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills also announced packages of support worth up to £80 million for SSI in Redcar.

    It has, therefore, not been necessary to make an application for EGF funding to provide complementary support.