The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (a) what the total value of payments is and (b) how many payments have been made from the Flexible Support Fund to assist with childcare costs in (i) each region and (ii) each constituency in each of the last two years.
Priti Patel
The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart McDonald on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with civil society organisations on the findings of the research study into pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace, Pregnancy and Maternity-Related Discrimination and Disadvantage – First Findings: Surveys of Employers and Mothers, published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission in partnership with the Department for Business, Innovations and Skills on 24 July 2015.
Caroline Dinenage
Pregnancy and maternity discrimination is unlawful and completely unacceptable. The government and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission are working together on the largest independent research project of its kind in Great Britain to better understand the problem.
Figures from the interim report show the vast majority of employers believe it is important to support pregnant women and women on maternity leave. The final report will be published in due course, and will inform the next steps this government will take to ensure employers and mothers are aware of, and act on, their legal obligations and rights.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to extend occupational pensions to include widows from same sex married couples in the same way as widows from other married couples are currently included.
Justin Tomlinson
The Government is considering the findings of the statutory review into survivor benefits in occupational pension schemes that was required by section 16 of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013. The Review provided important information on the benefits, costs and other effects of eliminating or reducing differences in survivor benefit provision.
The Government will respond to the Review in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2015 to Question 15131, what discussions the Government has had with Heathrow Airport on the mitigation measures proposed for Heathrow expansion in the Airport Commission’s final report; what information the Government has received from Heathrow Airport in response to those discussions; and what account the Government will take of the response from Heathrow Airport in reaching a final decision.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Airports Commission’s final report proposed a package of potential mitigation measures for all major UK airports as well as specific ones for Heathrow. Separately from its consideration of the evidence set out in the Airports Commission’s Final Report, the Government is also engaging in discussions with all three of the scheme promoters shortlisted in the Airports Commission’s Interim Report in order to understand the likely timescales, risks and dependencies associated with delivering each of the three schemes. The Government has yet to decide on the need for additional airport capacity and will not make any decisions on the next steps until it has considered the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the time the DVLA takes to process reapplications for a driving license after a suspension of that license for medical reasons.
Andrew Jones
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not hold specific information about the processing times for driving licence applications, which were submitted following the revocation of a licence for medical reasons.
The DVLA aims to complete 90% of all cases that require further medical investigations within 90 working days and is working hard to identify ways of improving the time taken to deal with these cases. Additional caseworkers and medical advisers have been employed and new processes introduced to speed up the time it takes to receive the necessary information. Longer term, the DVLA is considering digital solutions to improve the service it provides in this area.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the value of economic output lost as a result of industrial action in the transport sector in each of the last three years.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Industrial action in the transport sector has significant and serious disruptive impacts to the country. Indicative analysis undertaken by the Department for Transport to understand the potential immediate costs to the wider economy from a one-off 24 hour National Rail Strike estimated those costs to be around £80million.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to improve access to buses for blind and partially-sighted people.
Andrew Jones
I understand how important affordable and accessible bus services are too many visually impaired people, and Government continues to support initiatives to improve access.
By January 2017 all local and scheduled buses designed to carry more than twenty-two passengers must comply with the Passenger Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR), which include the provision of low floor boarding facilities, colour-contrasting step edges and handholds, and priority seating. We also encourage the bus industry to increase the uptake of audio-visual systems, and have supported projects to design innovative and low-cost approaches to providing accessible on-board information.
Further, Government remains committed to maintaining the national concession , which provides almost a million disabled people with free off-peak bus travel throughout England, helping them to remain mobile without worrying about the cost of doing so.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with HM Treasury on the removal of the fuel duty escalator for liquefied petroleum gas as part of government proposals to reduce emissions from road transport.
Andrew Jones
Ministers and officials meet regularly with HM Treasury on a wide range of issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the total number of passengers travelling independently through flight-only sales or independent bookings that have been affected by recent restrictions on UK-bound flights from Sharm el-Sheikh airport; and what steps the Government has taken to support those passengers.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Department for Transport has been in constant contact with tour companies and airlines operating in Sharm-el-Sheikh. All have been working in collaboration to ensure that information on flights to the UK has been provided to UK nationals on a timely basis, supported by travel advice issued through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, who have also been providing consular assistance on the ground. Since flights restarted on Friday 6 November 2015, over 16,000 passengers have returned to the UK. This includes those that travelled independently, for example on a flight only basis. Flights on 17 November saw the return of all UK nationals that wished to do so.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2015 to Question 5604, when he expects to provide a full response to the Law Commission’s report on a statutory definition of plying for hire for the taxi and private hire industry.
Andrew Jones
In its comprehensive review of taxi and private hire legislation, the Law Commission considered creating a statutory definition of plying for hire. However, after careful consideration the Law Commission recommended an alternative approach that would make it unlawful for anyone other than a local taxi driver to accept a hiring ‘there and then’.
The Government is currently considering all the recommendations in the Law Commission’s report. The Government will formally respond to the Law Commission and announce its intentions once this scrutiny is completed.