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  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of passengers who will (a) access Crossrail services via Stratford station and (b) pass through Stratford station on Crossrail services in each of the first three years after Crossrail services commence.

    Claire Perry

    Transport for London’s forecasts indicate that the following passenger numbers will (a) access Crossrail services via Stratford station and (b) pass through Stratford station on Crossrail services in each of the first three years after Crossrail services commence.

    2019

    2020

    2021

    Passenger numbers accessing Crossrail services via Stratford Station

    7.07m

    7.18m

    7.29m

    Crossrail passenger numbers using Stratford station as an interchange

    34.89m

    35.43m

    35.96m

    I have interpreted part ‘b’ of your request as referring to Crossrail passengers who will use Stratford station as an interchange.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many passengers have used high-speed rail services from London St Pancras station in each year since such services started.

    Claire Perry

    Whilst Eurostar services commenced in 1994, St Pancras has only been the London terminus for HS1 services since late 2007. Eurostar journeys originating from St Pancras are as follows:

    2008 4.3m

    2009 4.3m

    2010 4.6m

    2011 4.7m

    20124.8m

    2013 5.0m

    2014 5.1m

    2015 5.1m

    Domestic high speed services, operated by franchised train company Southeastern, commenced in 2010. Southeastern journeys originating from St Pancras are as follows:

    2010 0.6m

    2011 2.0m

    2012 2.5m

    2013 2.8m

    2014 3.0m

    2015 3.4m

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to provide an answer to Question 18568, tabled by the hon. Member for East Ham on 2 December 2015.

    Nick Boles

    The Government has not made an estimate of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates for these age groups for each year until 2020.

    The Government asks the Low Pay Commission to make NMW rate recommendations each year based on maximising the wages of the low paid without damaging employment opportunities. The Low Pay Commission will recommend the October 2016 NMW rates and indicative rates for 2017 by the end of February 2016.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of average annual pay growth in (a) 2016, (b) 2017, (c) 2018, (d) 2019 and (e) 2020.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Office for Budget Responsibility provide the Government with estimates for annual pay growth. The table below sets out their forecast growth in average earnings for the years requested.

    Year

    Average earnings growth (per cent)

    2016

    3.4

    2017

    3.7

    2018

    3.6

    2019

    3.7

    2020

    3.9

  • Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if the Government will issue issuing an apology to the indigenous people of Australia for British nuclear tests carried out on their land in the 1950s and 1960s.

    Mark Lancaster

    In 1968, Australia signed an agreement with the UK confirming that the clean-up of all test sites had been completed satisfactorily. As announced to the House on 10 December 1993,(Official Report, column 421), the Government agreed to make an ex gratia payment of £20 million to the Federal Government of Australia as a contribution to the cost of the further clean-up of the Maralinga site. A copy of the note giving effect to this agreement was placed in the Library of the House. The note also records that the Government of Australia indemnified the Government of the UK against claims from Australian nationals or residents. The Government now regards the matter as closed.

  • Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeffrey M. Donaldson on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans she has to participate in events to commemorate the centenary of the (a) Easter Rising and (b) Battle of the Somme.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    One of the Northern Ireland Office’s objectives for the commemoration of the decade of centenaries of 1912-1922 is to work with the Irish Government to promote greater understanding of our shared history and promote reconciliation.

    2016 will mark the centenary of a number of significant events including the Easter Rising, the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Jutland. The Northern Ireland Office is working with colleagues in DCMS and others to prepare for a number of these commemorations. All invitations received are being considered on a case by case basis.

  • Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeffrey M. Donaldson on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve the attendance of reservists at weekly drills, training exercises and medical assessments.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The majority of Reserve personnel train on a regular basis, effectively balancing their commitment to their Service with the competing demands of a busy modern life. The Ministry of Defence recognises and rewards reservists’ commitment to our nation in various ways.

    We have provided better equipment, and more opportunities for interesting and challenging experiences, including exercises, adventurous training and overseas training.

    Volunteer reservists are paid for attendance at training and also receive a tax-exempt training bounty provided they fulfil their Service’s annual training requirement including a two week camp or course. They have also received an annual paid leave entitlement since 1 April 2013.

    In addition, since April 2015, reservists have been eligible for the new Armed Forces Pension Scheme for non-mobilised service, based on paid attendance.

    These are just some examples of the actions the Department has taken to demonstrate that reservists are valued and valuable.

  • Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeffrey M. Donaldson on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has for funding by his Department of regimental museums over the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Mark Lancaster

    In addition to the National Army Museum, in the current financial year the Ministry of Defence (MOD) supported 69 regimental and corps museums across the UK through a combination of a £1.3 million total grant in aid, £1.6 million salary costs, and providing utilities and some support running costs when a museum is located on a MOD site. Funding beyond the current financial year will be set later this year, and will be subject to the normal review process.

  • David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department spent on training prison officers to help prisoners with mental health issues in each of the last three years.

    Andrew Selous

    All prison officers receive training on mental health issues as part of their initial training course. The majority of mental health training is delivered locally and costs attributed to such training are not held centrally.

    The national NOMS Learning and Development department have spent the following in the last three years (staff and sundry costs only) training prison officers to help prisoners with mental health issues:

    2013 £k

    2014 £k

    2015 £k

    National Mental Health Training

    24

    77

    84

  • David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many incidents of attempted suicide there were in prisons in each of the last five years.

    Andrew Selous

    The national statistics on safety in custody use the category of self-harm incidents, defined as “any act where a prisoner deliberately harms themselves irrespective of the method, intent or severity of any injury”. They do not include a separate category of “attempted suicide”, because the intent of the prisoner is often unknown. Some incidents are more likely to result in a fatality than others, but the point at which a self-harm incident becomes an attempted suicide is unclear.

    Summary statistics on self-harm in prison custody are published quarterly, and the latest annual figures, for the ten years to June 2015, can be found in Table 3 of the Safety in Custody statistics bulletin available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/472712/Safety-in-custody-summary-q2-2015.xls