The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-12-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were convicted of begging in the latest period for which information is available.
Andrew Selous
The number of people convicted at all courts of offences related to begging in 2014 (latest available) is available at the following link under offence code 182 (begging).
These figures relate to offences under Section 4 of the Vagrancy Act 1824.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-01-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the extent to which jobseekers required to obtain a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to take up new work can afford to do so; and if he will estimate the cost of jobcentres providing financial support for people in need of a DBS check.
Priti Patel
Employers have legal responsibility for ensuring that their current and future workforce is not barred from working with children or vulnerable adults. It is reasonable to expect employers to pay for these Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) checks. DWP recognises there may be exceptional circumstances in which it is appropriate for Jobcentre Plus to reimburse the cost through the Flexible Support Fund if this will ensure a claimant can start a job.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-02-01.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how much the average student spends per year on prescriptions.
Lord Prior of Brampton
We are unable to provide the cost of giving free prescriptions to students in full-time education.
The estimated cost of giving free prescriptions to those young people aged 16, 17 and 18 in full-time education for the period April 2014 to March 2015 is £68,088,373. This is based on information captured when processing National Health Service FP10 prescription forms which were dispensed in the community during the period April 2014 to March 2015.
We do not hold the information on how much the average student spends per year on prescriptions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2016-02-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to address investigations by Which? and 5 Live that found that secondary ticket sites are carrying ticket listings that are in breach of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Trading Standards Services are responsible for enforcing the secondary ticketing provisions of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and other relevant consumer protection legislation. Suspected or actual breaches of such legislation should first be reported via the Citizens Advice consumer helpline, following which Citizens Advice may refer cases to Trading Standards Services for appropriate action.
Since the ticketing provisions contained in the Consumer Rights Act 2015 came into force on 27 May 2015, an independent Review has been established (as required by the Act) to consider consumer protection measures in relation to online ticket re-sales. The Review is looking at the available evidence and will report by 26 May 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-03-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 4.49 of the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, what progress the Government has made on the proposal to adapt a Voyager aircraft for the secure transport of senior ministers and the Royal Family; what adaptations will be made to the aircraft for that purpose; what estimate the Government has made of costs of those adaptations; who is responsible for making those adaptations; and when those adaptations are planned to be completed.
Mr Philip Dunne
We are making good progress on the proposal to adapt one of our existing Voyager aircraft so that, as well as its primary air tanking role, it can transport senior Ministers securely. The aircraft will also be available for the Royal Family. There will be a number of modifications to ensure that the Voyager aircraft can transport senior Ministers whilst still maintaining the ability to conduct its operational role, therefore delivering better value for money than the current use of charter aircraft. The aircraft will be reconfigured to have 158 seats.
I am witholding further information at this time as its release would prejudice on going commercial negotiations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2016-04-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what responsibility they have for examining how the costs of heavy rail might be reduced.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Government has a strong interest in reducing the net cost of the railway for the benefit of passengers, freight users and taxpayers, and this has been an important theme of the recent Hendy, Bowe and Shaw reviews.
In respect of infrastructure costs, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has a remit to determine the efficient cost of provision by Network Rail in each five yearly rail control period, which helps to determine the cost of track access charges for Network Rail’s customers – passenger and freight train operators. ORR sets an efficiency target for Network Rail’s operations, maintenance and renewals. Any material increases in expenditure must be agreed with the Department for Transport.
Separately, following the Bowe and Hendy reports, the Department has set in place new oversight arrangements to ensure best value is obtained from proposals to enhance the rail network, as reflected in the recently published Memorandum of Understanding between the Department and Network Rail.
In respect of train operations, the Department seeks to achieve improved value for money through the way it lets and manages contracts for passenger train services.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hammond on 2016-06-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations his Department has received from the new Mayor of London on working together to deliver his manifesto commitment to freeze transport fares.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Secretary of State and other Transport Ministers meet representatives of the Greater London Authority and Transport for London on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of subjects. The Department has not yet received any representations from the Mayor on this matter.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage the recruitment of graduates into the social work sector.
Edward Timpson
Social workers perform some of the hardest roles in society and that is why it is already a graduate profession. Government is continuing to invest in social work education and training, including through the highly successful Step Up to Social Work and Frontline programmes, both of which aim to bring high calibre graduates into child and family social work, and Think Ahead, which offers a new route for graduates and career-changers into adult mental health social work.
Improving the quality and status of child and family social work is a high priority. Higher standards, including through the introduction of a national system of assessment and accreditation will help provide greater assurance that social workers have the necessary knowledge and skills for the demanding work they do. The Government does not, however, have any specific plans to increase public awareness of the role of social workers.
Government does not collect data on the number of cases held by social workers on a weekly basis. The department expects to publish caseload information, for the first time, relating to the year ending 30 September 2016, in February 2017.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-10-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that health providers commissioned to give influenza vaccinations to patients at home are also commissioned to provide such vaccinations for eligible carers.
Nicola Blackwood
Under the national enhanced service specification, general practitioners (GPs) are contracted to offer the influenza vaccination to those who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill.
It is the responsibility of the GPs to ensure access to influenza immunisation services is as accessible, convenient and efficient as possible; in some cases GPs may include a service to immunise patients at home.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Hoare on 2015-11-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the progress of Pakistan in securing justice for people killed in the 2007 Mumbai attacks.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The 2008 Mumbai attacks were a deplorable act of terrorism in which a British national was amongst the 166 innocent people killed. Many hundreds of others were seriously wounded. Given the gravity of those horrific events, the UK Government is deeply concerned by the release on bail of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, one of the alleged planners, in April. Pakistan has committed to bring to justice the perpetrators and sponsors, and we continue to urge Pakistan at the highest levels to follow through on that commitment.
The UK Government recognises that Pakistan is on the frontline of terrorism, and continues to make considerable sacrifices on a daily basis. We remain fully committed to working in partnership with Pakistan to tackle the scourge of violent extremism which threatens both our interests. It is essential for stability in the South Asia region and for the safety of UK nationals that Pakistan delivers on its commitment to tackle all terrorist groups.