Blog

  • Mr Elfyn Llwyd – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mr Elfyn Llwyd – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Elfyn Llwyd on 2014-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what criteria will be used to identify preferred bidders for probation contracts.

    Jeremy Wright

    Under our Transforming Rehabilitation proposals we are opening up the market to a diverse range of new providers across the public, private and voluntary sectors to bring innovation to rehabilitative services and help deliver reductions in reoffending rates. We are currently engaged in a competition to appoint the 21 owners of the new Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) which will be responsible for the provision of services to all but those offenders which pose the highest risk. We will assess the bids we receive over the summer, and appoint CRC owners later this year. Offers will be evaluated using quality and financial criteria. We expect the new owners to implement their new operating models during 2015.

    We are taking a staged approach to implementation and are rolling out business readiness tests at key stages of implementation so that we can ensure we are managing the transition to the new system in a safe and measured way which maintains public protection.

  • Dr Thérèse Coffey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Dr Thérèse Coffey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Thérèse Coffey on 2014-02-24.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the additional costs to be reimbursed to local authorities for the transition of voter registration forms from A4 size to A3.

    Greg Clark

    The A3 format was selected following the Electoral Commission’s recommendation.

    The Government is committed to meeting reasonable costs incurred by local authorities in the transition to individual electoral registration and will publish figures once they are finalised.

  • Mrs Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Mrs Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Sharon Hodgson on 2014-02-24.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of civil servants in his Department who were promoted in each of the last five years were (a) male and (b) female.

    Mr Francis Maude

    Promotion in the Cabinet Office is based on merit and suitability for the post in question.

    The requested statistics on promotion are not readily available. However, we estimate that male staff constituted 51% of all those promoted since April 2011. This closely reflects the overall proportion currently working in my Department.

    Figures for ethnicity and disability are not available. Cabinet Office does not compel staff to declare against workforce diversity indicators, including ethnicity and disability.

  • Helen Goodman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Helen Goodman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2014-02-24.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will place in the Library all correspondence between his Department and other departments on the matter of union subscription check off.

    Mr Francis Maude

    In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions and correspondence are not usually disclosed.

  • Baroness Suttie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Baroness Suttie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Suttie on 2014-02-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage women to apply for senior posts in the Civil Service.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    Women comprise over a third of the Senior Civil Service.

    Work commissioned through the Contestable Policy Fund begins in March and will identify and help to remove the blockages faced by women when applying for senior posts.

  • Steve Rotheram – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve Rotheram – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2014-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many warrants to undertake surveillance on British nationals were issued by her Department between 1989 and 1992.

    James Brokenshire

    As indicated in the debate on 12th February 2014, Official Report, column 858, both the
    Independent Police Complaints Commission and the Investigatory Powers Tribunal
    provide an avenue for investigating concerns in this area.

    As a matter of long-standing practice, we do not routinely comment on the
    detailed use of interception and surveillance, or provide a breakdown of the
    number of warrants signed in relation to specific circumstances or
    nationalities.

    Figures for the overall number of interception warrants authorised by the Home
    Secretary during the period 1989-1992 were published in the Annual Report to
    the Prime Minister by the Interception Commissioner under the legislation then
    in force (the Interception of Communications Act 1985). The published figures
    are as follows:

    Figures for the overall number of interception warrants authorised by the Home Secretary under the Interception of Communications Act 1985 during the period 1989-1992 are shown in the tables below. They provide separate figures for warrants covering telecommunications (which exclude letters), warrants covering letters (letters were relatively more important as a mode of communication than they would be today), and a total for both categories of these warrants.

    Warrants (a) in force on 31 December 1988 and b) issued during the course of 1988:

    Telecommunications

    Letters

    Total

    Warrants

    (a)

    (b)

    (a)

    (b)

    (a)

    (b)

    225

    412

    75

    48

    300

    460

    Warrants (a) in force on 31 December 1989 and b) issued during the course of 1989:

    Telecommunications

    Letters

    Total

    Warrants

    (a)

    (b)

    (a)

    (b)

    (a)

    (b)

    232

    427

    59

    31

    291

    485

    Warrants (a) in force on 31 December 1990 and b) issued during the course of 1990:

    Telecommunications

    Letters

    Total

    Warrants

    (a)

    (b)

    (a)

    (b)

    (a)

    (b)

    225

    473

    52

    42

    227

    515

    Warrants (a) in force on 31 December 1991 and b) issued during the course of 1991:

    Telecommunications

    Letters

    Total

    Warrants

    (a)

    (b)

    (a)

    (b)

    (a)

    (b)

    239

    670

    50

    62

    289

    732

    Warrants (a) in force on 31 December 1992 and b) issued during the course of 1992:

    Telecommunications

    Letters

    Total

    Warrants

    (a)

    (b)

    (a)

    (b)

    (a)

    (b)

    265

    756

    72

    118

    337

    847

    “

  • Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Sawford on 2014-02-25.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Government contracts of what value have been awarded to companies or projects based in (a) Corby and East Northamptonshire and (b) Northamptonshire since May 2010.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Livingston on 16 December 2013 (Official Report) Column Ref: 453W.

    Information on government suppliers within a specific constituency or local authority area is not held centrally

  • Mr David Blunkett – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Mr David Blunkett – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr David Blunkett on 2014-02-25.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which organisations received funding from the Innovations Fund as part of the Democratic Engagement Programme; how much each such organisation received; and what the time period is for their projects.

    Greg Clark

    The government has announced that 5 national organisations have received funding as part of the measures to maximise registration. Details of the allocation of funding can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/funding-for-new-ways-to-encourage-voter-registration

    These organisations are expected to deliver projects by the end of July.

    “

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-02-26.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the average change in the level of household (a) borrowing and (b) debt between 2008 and 2013 in Mid Sussex constituency.

    Mr Nick Hurd

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

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-02-26.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many times (a) the Cabinet Committee on improving the country ability to deal with flooding and (b) the National Resilience Forum has met in the last 12 months; and when each body will next meet.

    Mr Francis Maude

    As was the case under previous administrations, information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees is generally not disclosed.