The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2015-01-15.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many agents providing guidance through the Pension Wise scheme will be based in Scotland.
Mr David Gauke
Citizens Advice Scotland continue to work with HM Treasury to finalise the number of agents who will be providing coverage for the Pension Wise service across Scotland.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency who will reach the state pension age within 12 months from the introduction of the single-tier pension and will be eligible to receive the full rate of state pension.
Steve Webb
The Department does not hold the required information to answer this question.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to improve employment support for Work Programme participants claiming employment and support allowance who have a 12 month prognosis of a return to work.
Esther McVey
The Work Programme performance is improving for Employment and Support Allowance claimants with a 12 month prognosis, but we do want it to do better. To this end we have asked all providers to come to us with a clear plan setting out the steps they are going to take to improve performance further.
Of those completing a year on the programme, 1 in 10 ESA New Claimants have had at least three months in work since joining the scheme – this compares to 1 in 25 for the earliest cohorts.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to page 32 of Work Programme Evaluation: Operation of the commissioning model, finance and programme delivery, published by his Department in December 2014, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policy of the finding that Jobcentre Plus managers’ views on the effectiveness of the Work Programme tended to be fairly negative.
Esther McVey
Recognising the importance of Jobcentre Plus involvement, the Department has piloted a new closer working approach. Jobcentres have reported that closer working with providers in support of our hardest to help customers is assisting the removal of barriers and building greater trust for all parties.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2015-01-15.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the reason is for the additional charge for payment of vehicle tax by direct debit over 12 or six monthly instalments; and for what purposes the funds from that additional charge are used.
Priti Patel
Motorists who buy a six month vehicle excise duty (VED) licence have historically paid a ten per cent surcharge.
The Government has introduced a direct debit scheme for the payment of VED, to allow families and businesses to spread their tax payments. Under the scheme, the surcharge has been halved to five per cent when the tax is paid by six monthly and monthly instalments. The retention of a surcharge prevents a loss in VED revenue which would otherwise need to be made up elsewhere, by either increasing other taxes or reducing the Government’s investment in public services.
All VED revenues are paid into the Consolidated Fund to support general expenditure on public services.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer keeps all taxes under review as part of the annual Budget process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will (a) make an assessment of and (b) discuss with the Office of Rail Regulation the punctuality record of the (i) 07:14, 07:29 and 07:44 Brighton to London Victoria and (ii) 17:32, 17:44 and 18:02 London Victoria to Brighton rail services in 2014.
Claire Perry
The performance of a franchise is measured across its entirety; we do not measure individual lines, routes or journey. Therefore, any penalties imposed are in respect of the performance of the entire franchise.
Any penalty on Network Rail’s performance is a matter for the independent Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), which is an independent statutory body, with powers vested by Parliament in their board.
As an independent regulator, the ORR operates within the framework set by UK and EU legislation and is accountable through Parliament and the courts.
Performance across parts of the Southern and Thameslink franchises has not been up to the standards that passengers rightly expect.
Department officials and the ORR recently chaired a performance meeting with regard to the Brighton Main Line. The industry is working together to develop an action plan to improve train performance and this will be presented to the Rail Minister and local MPs on 2nd February in the House.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what penalties will be incurred for consistent delays on passenger services between (a) Brighton and London Victoria at (i) 07:14, (ii) 07:29 and (iii) 07:44 and (b) London Victoria and Brighton at (i) 17:32, (ii) 17:44 and (iii) 18:02 between January 2014 and December 2014 where delays were attributable to (A) train operating companies and (B) Network Rail; and if he will make a statement.
Claire Perry
The performance of a franchise is measured across its entirety; we do not measure individual lines, routes or journey. Therefore, any penalties imposed are in respect of the performance of the entire franchise.
Any penalty on Network Rail’s performance is a matter for the independent Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), which is an independent statutory body, with powers vested by Parliament in their board.
As an independent regulator, the ORR operates within the framework set by UK and EU legislation and is accountable through Parliament and the courts.
Performance across parts of the Southern and Thameslink franchises has not been up to the standards that passengers rightly expect.
Department officials and the ORR recently chaired a performance meeting with regard to the Brighton Main Line. The industry is working together to develop an action plan to improve train performance and this will be presented to the Rail Minister and local MPs on 2nd February in the House.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what examples his Department holds of best practice in respect of work carried out to reduce traffic noise for residents living alongside main roads.
Mr John Hayes
Best practice measures that can be used to reduce road noise for residents living alongside the strategic road network are set out in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges HD213/11. Low noise surfacing can be installed on new roads or when replacing existing worn out surfaces. Noise mitigation can be incorporated into the design of new roads by routeing away from properties where practicable and using cuttings and other land forms to act as noise barriers. Noise barriers, made from a wide variety of materials are also used to reduce road noise.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what limits are in place in relation to noise from (a) aircraft and (b) motor vehicles.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Civil aircraft using UK airports are subject to international noise certification standards. These are set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and applied at the time of manufacture. In addition some airports may have restrictions in place to limit noise, which will be set out in their Noise Action Plans.
The limit in place in relation to noise for modern passenger cars is 74 decibels. For motorcycles it is between 75 and 80 decibels depending on the size of the machine. For large buses and coaches the limit is between 78 and 80 decibels. For small buses and light goods vehicles it is between 76 and 77 decibels and for heavy goods vehicles the limit is between 77 and 80 decibels. These figures are all measured using a microphone fixed 7.5 metres from the line along which the vehicle is travelling.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2015-01-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commission trials of the Siemens eHighway in the UK similar to those conducted in California.
Mr John Hayes
The Highways Agency is currently investigating the feasibility of inductive wireless power transfer technology that meets the needs of all vehicles. This is in alignment with the work defined as part of the Innovation funding in the Roads Investment Strategy. There are currently no plans to trial other technologies.