The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2014-04-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Association of Train Operating Companies on the National Rail Conditions of Carriage.
Stephen Hammond
Information on all Ministerial meetings and their purpose is available on the Gov.uk website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-and-special-adviser-meetings-data-for-department-for-transport.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy McDonald on 2014-06-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of changes in the number of interpreters available at Middlesbrough Jobcentre in the last 12 months.
Esther McVey
There have been no changes in the number of interpreters available at Middlesbrough Jobcentre (James Cook House, 79 Corporation Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 2BA) in the last 12 months.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-04-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff of his Department’s staff worked in a Jobcentre Plus Rapid Response team in each year since 2004.
Esther McVey
We do not hold this information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2014-06-13.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the decision was taken that National Savings and Investments would be responsible for the delivery of tax-free childcare; and if he will make a statement.
Nicky Morgan
On the 23 May the Government published a further consultation on the delivery of childcare accounts within Tax-Free Childcare. The consultation will be open until 27 June and the Government will consider the responses alongside those to the first consultation before it makes its decision on the provision of childcare accounts.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2014-04-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether people classed as homeless will be defined as vulnerable under the proposed mechanism within universal credit to pay housing benefit directly to landlords.
Steve Webb
We do not want to automatically label any claimant as financially incapable. Alternative payment arrangements (including payments to landlords) are assessed on their individual merits. The nature of the accommodation status of a claimant is one of a number of factors to be considered when assessing the necessity for an alternative payment arrangement, and this is set out in the operating guidance we published in February last year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tessa Munt on 2014-06-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2014, Official Report, column 61W, on radiotherapy, what reports he has received of the reasons NHS England has paid for gamma knife treatment at University College Hospital London for a patient referred there from Plymouth Derriford Hospital by James Palmer, NHS England’s Clinical Director of Specialised Commissioning.
Jane Ellison
For reasons of patient confidentiality, it is not possible to comment explicitly on either case referred to. However, any primary care trust authorisations made for the gamma knife prior to 1 April 2013 were honoured by NHS England and the invoice associated with the agreed work was paid. University College London Hospitals (UCLH) were required to forward any referrals made after 1 April 2013 to NHS England, along the prescribed pathway, in accordance with the contract between the two. No invoices for work carried out by Queen’s Square Radiotherapy Centre at its own risk on behalf of UCLH have been paid by NHS England for referrals after 1 April 2013.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2014-04-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the United Kingdom Ambassador to North Korea has raised with the authorities there the terms of the United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution (A/HRC/25/L.17) condemning long-standing and ongoing systematic
Baroness Warsi
We regularly raise concerns about the appalling human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic
of Korea (DPRK) during our meetings with the DPRK authorities. We have raised the Commission of Inquiry report and will be raising the UN Human Rights Council Resolution (UNHRC) in our next meetings. The UK played a key role in ensuring a strong Resolution and will continue to work with partners to ensure the matter remains in the spotlight. It is unfortunate that some UNHRC members chose to either abstain or vote against the Resolution and, as we made clear in the UK statement at the time of the vote, we consider that doing so was a failure in their responsibility to help resolve the crisis and improve the lives of the North Korean people. Nevertheless, the resolution was passed with a significant majority and provides a solid platform for ongoing work in this area, not least through increased support for the Special Rapporteur. We are pleased that it includes a provision encouraging all states who have relations with the DPRK to use their influence to encourage the DPRK to take immediate steps to end all human rights violations. In our bilateral contacts with these states we will be encouraging them to act in accordance with this provision.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-06-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what target she has set for the time in which applicants should receive a call back from the Passport Office when making enquiries about applications.
James Brokenshire
Her Majesty’s Passport Office’s current guideline for returning calls is to do so within 48 hours. Her Majesty’s Passport Office gives priority to those with the most immediate travel plans.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2014-04-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the recent comments by the Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, regarding who should lead the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, what consideration they have given to the consequences should the leader of one constituent authority decide to withdraw from the combined authority.
Baroness Stowell of Beeston
This Government has helped these councils set up a combined authority, something that all the local leaders asked for. I understand that they are now working together to make it work.
As I explained during the recent debates in Grand Committee on the draft Orders providing for the establishment of the combined authorities, if in the future councils decide that changes to a combined authority are in the area’s best interest – perhaps another council joining, or one leaving – and the statutory conditions have been met, the Government would seek Parliamentary approval to a new draft Order providing for the changes to take place.
The Order allows for any local authority to change their representative member on the Combined Authority.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many 16 year olds claimed employment and support allowance in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013.
Esther McVey
The information as requested is shown in the table below:
Number of Employment and Support Allowance claimants aged 16 Great Britain, 2010 – 2013
Total
Nov-10 1,220
Nov-11 1,210
Nov-12 1,120
Nov-13 1,030
Source: DWP Information Governance and Security Directorate 100% WPLS.
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to ten.
2. Incapacity Benefit was replaced by Employment Support Allowance (ESA) from October 2008.