Category: Speeches

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average cost was of a (a) jury trial at the Crown Court for (i) either way offences sent by magistrates where their sentencing powers were not deemed sufficient, (ii) either way offences where the defendant has chosen to elect jury trial and (iii) indictable only offences and (b) trial in a magistrates’ court for (i) summary only offences and (ii) either way offences in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Shailesh Vara

    The information requested is not currently available in full. An analysis of criminal court costs is based on average timings from Activity Based Costing allocations models. Some of the timings in the models are based on a timing survey, conducted in a representative sample of courts. Undertaking a new survey to support an analysis of costs in a different way to that currently available could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.

    Some of the information is available. There are a number of different ways costs of cases can be estimated, depending on how indirect costs are apportioned. Estimates below are based on 2012/13 costs (up-rated to 2013/14 prices).

    Costs at the Crown Court are analysed by offence type (criminal damage, burglary, drug offences etc) rather than by how the offence has come to be heard in the Crown Court. Estimates are based on average trial lengths – individual trials for any given case may be longer or shorter. The lower and upper trial cost estimates shown below are the weighted average of upper and lower estimates for all either way or indictable offence types.

    Summary offences in the magistrates’ court have been split into motoring and non-motoring offence types.

    Estimated Average Costs

    Lower

    Higher

    In the Crown Court (Either way or indictable trial in the Crown Court)

    Committed for trial

    £5,500

    £6,400

    Sent for trail

    £9,500

    £10,500

    In the Magistrates Court

    Lower

    Higher

    Summary motoring trial

    £500

    £600

    Summary non-motoring trial

    £1,000

    £1,300

    Either way trial in the magistrates’ court

    £1,300

    £1,700

    These figures do not include legal aid costs.

    Costs shown to the nearest £100.

  • George Howarth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    George Howarth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress his Department is making on ensuring that a British-led team of experts carries out a scientific assessment of discharges by US vessels in the Diego Garcia lagoon in the British Indian Overseas Territory.

    Mark Simmonds

    The joint UK-US study of the lagoon water and its coral, which began in January 2014, is well underway and due to conclude this summer, as planned.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-10.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what percentage of those registered to vote by post did so in (a) police commissioner elections and (b) the local European elections in each electoral area; and what the percentage turnout was at polling stations in each election and in each area.

    Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that the turnout figures at the Police and Crime Commissioner elections were as follows:

    2012 Police and Crime Commissioner elections

    In-person turnout %

    Postal voter turnout %

    England and Wales

    9.2

    48.2

    Avon and Somerset

    13.8

    52.1

    Bedfordshire

    13.2

    52.3

    Cambridgeshire

    10.5

    49.7

    Cheshire

    8.4

    48.6

    Cleveland

    9.0

    48.9

    Cumbria

    10.1

    50.1

    Derbyshire

    8.2

    49.5

    Devon and Cornwall

    10.1

    43.8

    Dorset

    11.3

    53.5

    Durham

    6.7

    45.2

    Essex

    8.3

    48.3

    Gloucestershire

    11.4

    48.1

    Greater Manchester

    7.3

    44.5

    Hampshire

    9.5

    50.0

    Hertfordshire

    8.2

    48.9

    Humberside

    14.5

    60.0

    Kent

    10.5

    52.5

    Lancashire

    7.9

    49.7

    Leicestershire

    11.2

    52.0

    Lincolnshire

    10.6

    49.1

    Merseyside

    6.3

    48.5

    Norfolk

    9.5

    49.0

    North Yorkshire

    9.0

    46.3

    Northamptonshire

    12.9

    50.8

    Northumbria

    6.3

    44.1

    Nottinghamshire

    9.8

    53.2

    South Yorkshire

    6.1

    46.7

    Staffordshire

    6.9

    48.8

    Suffolk

    10.3

    50.4

    Surrey

    9.9

    48.9

    Sussex

    10.1

    49.6

    Thames Valley

    8.7

    45.4

    Warwickshire

    10.3

    54.1

    West Mercia

    8.4

    47.5

    West Midlands

    8.6

    47.4

    West Yorkshire

    7.3

    47.1

    Wiltshire

    10.3

    44.7

    Dyfed-Powys

    11.3

    46.4

    Gwent

    8.3

    44.2

    North Wales

    9.8

    47.2

    South Wales

    8.6

    44.7

    The turnout figures at the 2009 European Parliament elections were:

    2009 English European elections

    In-person turnout %

    Postal voter turnout %

    United Kingdom

    30.3

    64.4

    Great Britain

    29.9

    64.4

    England

    30.8

    64.7

    Northern Ireland

    42.6

    68.9

    Scotland

    24.4

    63.3

    Wales

    25.4

    61.7

    London

    30.0

    61.2

    South West

    34.8

    67.7

    South East

    33.5

    67.8

    Eastern

    34.0

    66.7

    West Midlands

    31.3

    66.1

    East Midlands

    32.8

    66.9

    Yorkshire & the Humber

    26.8

    63.4

    North East

    21.4

    59.4

    North West

    26.3

    63.0

  • Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the conclusions and recommendations of the report of the National Review of Asthma Deaths, published on 6 May 2014.

    Jane Ellison

    We welcome the report of the UK National Review of Asthma Deaths (NRAD) which provides a wealth of information about the causes of mortality from asthma.

    While deaths rates from asthma have fallen steadily over the past three decades, and the number of deaths are small compared with those from cancer and heart disease, we are concerned about the proportion of deaths in children and young people that, in theory, could be preventable.

    Patients (including children and young people) should be reviewed regularly and have personal action plans in place. They and their families or carers should know the right medications to use at the right times and how to use them, and to understand the importance of monitoring their condition and how to do this. NHS England has a programme of work in place through a "house of care" model to help ensure that patients with long term conditions such as asthma, can largely self-manage their condition with appropriate support from healthcare professionals.

  • Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-03-07.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what change there has been in median gross pay for women in Wrexham constituency since 2010.

    Nick Hurd

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what salary the Chair of NHS Property Services receives for (a) that role and (b) his other roles in the Department of Health and the NHS; and for what hours he is contracted to work in each of his roles.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    Mr Robin Williams holds the following positions within Department/National Health Service organisations:

    Chair of NHS Property Services Limited (NHS PS)

    He receives a directors’ fee of £60,000 per annum, less any tax and/or National Insurance contributions payable monthly in arrears for this role. He is required to devote 10 days a month to this role. He was appointed in April 2014.

    Non-Executive Chair of NHS Professionals Limited (NHSP)

    He receives a directors’ fee of £60,000 per annum, less any tax and or National Insurance contribution payable monthly in arrears for this role. He is required to devote 8 days a month to this role. He was appointed in January 2010.

    The workload on both posts is such that the time commitment is the monthly average over the year. On his appointment to NHS PS, he formally confirmed his other commitments did not prevent him fulfilling his contractual obligations to NHSP.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-03-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the value of the financial settlement paid to the Department for Work and Pensions by Atos upon their withdrawal from the Work Capability Assessment Scheme.

    Lord Freud

    Information regarding the financial settlement between the Department and Atos Healthcare for early exit from the contract to deliver Work Capability Assessments is commercial in confidence.

  • Jeremy Corbyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jeremy Corbyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Corbyn on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what consultation he has had with local authorities about the extension of fines to letting agents who fail to publish their fees tariff in full.

    Kris Hopkins

    Requiring letting agents to be transparent about their fees will prevent the small minority of rogue agents from imposing unreasonable, hidden charges. This common sense approach avoids excessive state regulation which would just push up rents for tenants. This and mandatory membership of redress schemes will give local authorities the tools they need to weed out the cowboys that give agents a bad name; and drive up standards.

    We have not received particular representations from local authorities on this issue. We will undertake a New Burdens assessment in due course in the usual way.

  • Lord Boateng – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Boateng – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Boateng on 2014-03-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Lord Chancellor or any Minister in his Department last met the chief executive officer of the Legal Aid Agency; and whether they discussed (1) the issue of publicly funded representation at inquests for the families of deceased victims, and (2) the provision for publicly funded representation at the inquest of the family of Cherry Groce.

    Lord Faulks

    The Chief Executive of the Legal Aid Agency has regular meetings with ministers at the Ministry of Justice.

    Following a review of its decision in the Groce family’s case, the Legal Aid Agency made a funding request to Ministers. Ministers have considered the request and have granted funding.
  • John Mann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    John Mann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what performance indicators for the renewal of existing passports have been met by each passport office administrative centre.

    James Brokenshire

    Straightforward passport applications from applicants in the UK have a published expected turnaround of three weeks. For the financial year 2013-14,
    99.58 percent of customers received their passports within that period.

    Achievement of turnaround times is a national objective and specific targets are not focused on individual offices. This approach allows HM Passport Office
    to channel resources and distribute applications to meet capacity.