The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2014-04-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many super-injunctions on matters relating to libel or privacy are in place in Northern Ireland; and whether any have been granted since 1 January 2014.
Baroness Randerson
Libel and Privacy law is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and is a matter for the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nadine Dorries on 2014-06-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what sanctions have been levied by her Department as a result of TPContact failing to achieve and maintain high standards of customer service while providing services for her Department.
James Brokenshire
Any failure against the contractual critical service levels may result in
deductions against their submitted invoices. In the event of continuous and
unacceptable failures the Department has the ability to terminate the contract.
The performance of Teleperformance as with all of our contracts is subject to
close Home Office scrutiny. The governance processes include regular meetings
at all levels, from local operational teams up to senior official levels, to
allow in-depth reviews of performance against the service standards set out in
the contract, and to provide an escalation route to resolve any issues that may
arise. We also expect suppliers to provide continuous improvement in delivery
of customer services over the course of the contract, which is also monitored
through these processes.
The Department withheld payment of the contractual transitional payment until
transition was complete in each country where Teleperformance operates. This
has now been has now been approved for payment in countries where visa
application centres (VACs) are operational but withheld in locations still to
be transitioned. Ongoing contractual payments will be subject to the service
credit process outlined above.
The data required to judge performance against contractual service standards is
not yet available. We are not aware of any withdrawn applications linked to
delays in processing at the identified visa application centres since they took
over this service. The Home Office is currently collating data on complaints
for the period since Teleperformance commenced operations and it is not
available for publication.
UK Visas & Immigration has worked closely with Teleperformance from the point
at which contracts were awarded to prepare for live operations, including the
summer peak. Annual and monthly application volumes and forecast figures for
2014 were provided to Teleperformance as part of the tender process and local
discussions have taken place to determine the number of appointment slots
available. Opening hours have been extended and appointment availability has
been increased in a number of locations to prepare for the summer period. Where
VACs are open every day, the availability of appointment slots is continually
monitored, with further measures being taken if appointments are consistently
fully booked.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Byford on 2014-04-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Nick Boles MP, Under Secretary of State for Planning, on 10 February (HC Deb, 418W–419W), whether the reference to the requirement to demonstrate that a proposed development will not increase the flood risk elsewhere refers to the risk in both urban and rural areas.
Baroness Stowell of Beeston
Yes, the strict tests on flood risk set out in national planning policy apply to rural and urban areas. These tests include ensuring new development does not increase flood risk elsewhere. In the new planning guidance we launched on 6 March we have made it crystal clear that councils need to consider these tests and where they are not met new development should not be allowed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Lazarowicz on 2014-06-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to provide training for drivers of heavy goods vehicles to increase awareness of the dangers faced by cyclists.
Stephen Hammond
In addition to licence acquisition tests which require drivers to demonstrate knowledge of vulnerable road users, the EU mandated Driver Certificate of Professional Competence requires drivers of heavy goods vehicles to carry out five days of further training in every five year period. Within the confines of the Directive, we would encourage drivers and employers to select the training which best meets their needs, which may be a course on vulnerable road users.
We welcome initiatives such as ‘Exchanging Places’ events where cyclists and drivers of HGVs and buses get to experience the others’ perspective, and encourage local authorities to consider such activities which can improve road sharing.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Bridgen on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many High Speed 2 consultation requests are EIA development as defined in the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011; and how many recommendations for refusal of the grant of planning permission are (a) EIA and (b) non-EIA development.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Safeguarding directions for the London to West Midlands section of HS2 were made in July 2013 and updated in October 2013. The number of High Speed 2 consultation requests which are EIA development as defined in the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011 is 5.
The number of recommendations for refusal of the grant of planning permission are as follows:
(a) EIA – 3
(b) non-EIA development – 3
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Morrow on 2014-06-12.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many companies currently providing contracted services to government departments and agencies use zero hours contracts.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire
The information requested is not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has invoked penalty clauses for unacceptable performance standards of (a) Capita or (b) other private sector companies administering personal independence payments.
Mike Penning
The Department has applied performance measures against both of the Personal Independence Payment Assessment Providers and has recovered Service Credits (Financial remedies) in accordance with their contracts.
Specific application of service credits for Capita and Atos Healthcare is commercially sensitive information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-06-12.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will answer the question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 10 June (HL Deb, col 236), and on 11 June (HL Deb, col 418), about whether asylum in the United Kingdom will be offered to Meriam Ibrahim, who has been imprisoned and given a death sentence in Sudan.
Lord Taylor of Holbeach
The UK has a proud record of offering sanctuary to those who need it. Each claim for asylum is carefully considered and where we find individuals are in need of our protection, asylum is given. However, to be eligible for international protection, a person must be located outside of their country of origin.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-04-09.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 18W, on employee ownership, if he will make an estimate of the total value of shares awarded under employee shareholder agreements since 1 September 2013.
Mr David Gauke
Employers are not required to provide details of any shares awarded under employee shareholder agreements to HM Revenue & Customs until they submit their annual employment-related securities return for 2013-14. No details or estimates of the total value of shares awarded under employee shareholder agreements since 1 September 2013 are currently available.
Estimates of the Exchequer impact of the capital gains tax exemption and the income tax and national insurance treatment of shares awarded under employee shareholder agreements in tax years to 2017-18 can be found at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/tiin/emp-shareholder-status.pdf
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness King of Bow on 2014-06-12.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much Discretionary Housing Payment funding made available to local authorities in 2013–14 was unspent and returned to the Department for Work and Pensions at the end of the year.
Lord Freud
The information requested is due to be published shortly as part of wider analysis on the use of Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) in 2013/14.