The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Turner on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many roads in each local authority area have been closed on (a) one occasion and (b) more than one occasion in the last year.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Information on the number of road closures in each local authority area is not held centrally by the Department for Transport.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Virgin Trains on ensuring that its proposed train service from Blackpool to Euston will stop at Kirkham Station.
Stephen Hammond
On 19 June 2014 the Secretary of State announced that Virgin had been awarded a new Direct Award franchise. This commenced on 22 June 2014, and will run until the new planned commencement of the next competed franchise in April 2017.
Virgin and Network Rail will now submit an application to the Office of Rail Regulation for new services between Blackpool North and London Euston, which will include stops at Kirkham & Wesham and Poulton le Fylde stations. The new services are planned to commence in December 2014.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he takes to ensure that statutory undertakers carrying out emergency works give notice to street authorities as required under section 57 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Failure by statutory undertakers to notify the highway authority when they carry out emergency works under section 57 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA) is an offence. The authority concerned may issue a Fixed Penalty Notice, or the authority may initiate a prosecution against the undertaker for the offence.
If the authority is a permitting authority under the Traffic Management Act 2004, section 57 of NRSWA is dis-applied, and is replaced with an offence of undertaking works without a required permit, which the authority may also deal with by Fixed Penalty, or may initiate a prosecution for the offence.
These offences are all dealt with by the appropriate highway authority at a local level.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the importance of regional airports in meeting the UK’s aviation needs.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Government’s Aviation Policy Framework affirms that the Government wants to see the best use of the UK’s existing airport capacity. It recognises that airports across the UK play an important role in local economies, and in securing connectivity for local populations – as well as having an important role in helping to accommodate wider forecast growth in demand for aviation in the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Northern Rail on modernising stations on the South Fylde line.
Stephen Hammond
As owner and manager of the stations on the South Fylde line, it is for Network Rail and Northern to look at improving facilities at the stations on this line, working to develop schemes with other local stakeholders.
Government support and funding for station modernisation and improvements are available through various schemes including Access for All and the National Station Improvement Programme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen O’Brien on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what monetary thresholds were applied to the cost-per-quality adjusted life year quoted in the evidence submitted as part of his Department’s work with the Inter-departmental Group for the Valuation of Life and Health review in 2008.
Stephen Hammond
As suggested by the evidence submitted as part of the Department’s work with the Inter-Departmental Group for the Valuation of Life and Health review in 2008, the Department for Transport does not use cost per quality adjusted life year in its analysis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Prime Minister, if he will take steps to establish a Cabinet Committee chaired by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to direct and co-ordinate policy on the development of shale gas.
Mr David Cameron
Issues relating to shale gas are considered at a number of Cabinet Committees including the Economic Affairs and Growth and Enterprise Committees.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Naomi Long on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will commission an independent assessment of the effect of changes to funding levels of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and its compliance with the Paris Principles.
Mrs Theresa Villiers
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to her question of 26 June 2014, Official Report, Column 260W. My officials will study the Commission’s impact statement closely and work with it to ensure it is able to continue to meet its statutory and international obligations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Hollobone on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the annual cost of imprisoning foreign national offenders in UK prisons has been in each of the last three years.
Jeremy Wright
The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) does not calculate separately the annual cost of imprisoning foreign nationals in England and Wales. NOMS does not analyse cost by prisoner nationality, as costs recorded on the NOMS central accounting system do not allow identification of costs attributable to holding individual prisoners.
All prison costs for Scotland and Northern Ireland are a devolved matter and the responsibility of the relevant Minister.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thérèse Coffey on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy that civil partnerships can be dissolved at any county court.
Mr Shailesh Vara
As of 22nd April 2014, the County Court no longer has the jurisdiction to consider divorce or civil partnership dissolution applications. These are now considered by the Family Court.
Hearings in divorce and civil partnership dissolution cases are rare, but from April 2015 if a hearing is required then it can be accommodated at any Family Court venue with the appropriate judicial expertise.