The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many surveillance aircraft with capacity to intercept telephone or other electronic telecommunications his Department operates.
Mr Mark Francois
I am withholding the information requested as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Warrington North constituency received universal credit at any time since the start of the Warrington pilot; and how many were in receipt of it on 1 April 2014.
Esther McVey
The Department published the latest set of experimental Official Statistics on UC on the 14th May 2014 which can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-statistics
Statistics covering the periods to the end of March and April 2014 will be published on the 11th June and 16th July 2014 respectively.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average rent is for (a) privately rented homes and (b) new homes built under the Affordable Homes Programme in (i) Warrington and (ii) Warrington North constituency.
Kris Hopkins
The information is not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Weir on 2014-06-05.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many internal reports, briefings or analysis papers HM Revenue and Customs has produced on the taxation arrangements for bareboat charters in the oil and gas sector since 2007; and what the findings were of each such report.
Nicky Morgan
HMRC produces reports, briefings and analysis on the tax system as a matter of course.
More information can be found in the Budget 2014 document and the accompanying publications.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure oversight and scrutiny of private contractors responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers.
James Brokenshire
The providers are contractually required to provide safe, habitable, fit for
purpose and correctly equipped accommodation to comply with the Housing Act
2004 and the Decent Homes Standard. The COMPASS contracts contain high
standards and requirements to be met by providers in the services they provide
to asylum applicants. The contracts also contain robust monitoring mechanism
including regular meetings and inspection of services. Where standards are not
met, Providers reimburse the department in the form of service credits.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been spent from the public purse on accommodating asylum seekers in (a) hotels and (b) bed and breakfasts, hostels and other establishments that provide lodging paid on a short-term basis in each year since May 2010; and how much was spent in each region.
James Brokenshire
Accommodation is provided to asylum applicants through contracts with third party suppliers. Providers are required to provide accommodation that is safe, fit for purpose and correctly equipped in line with the contractual Statement of Requirements agreed between themselves and the Home Office.
There is no added expense to the Home Office when providers use B&B or hotel accommodation as short term contingency accommodation. Any and all additional costs are borne by the provider.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers were accommodated in (a) hotels and (b) bed and breakfasts, hostels and other establishments that provide lodging paid on a short-term basis in (i) Barnsley, (ii) Yorkshire and Humberside and (iii) the UK in each year since May 2010.
James Brokenshire
The department does not collect specific data on asylum applicants accommodated
in contingency accommodation. COMPASS providers have a responsibility to
provide suitable accommodation to asylum applicants. The COMPASS contracts
allow providers to use alternative or temporary initial accommodation (IA) as
contingency in exceptional circumstances, for example when the existing
nominated IA is full. This may include the use of hotels for a short term
period until such time as the asylum seeker is accommodated in the IA or
provided with dispersal accommodation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ensure proper support and welfare is available to asylum seekers accommodated in hotels and other establishments that provide lodging paid on a short-term basis.
James Brokenshire
The Home Office has a rigorous contract compliance regime in place including
monthly meetings with providers, quarterly and biannual strategic meetings.
These aim to ensure the required performance standards expected of all
providers as defined in the contracts is met. In addition, the COMPASS
contracts contain minimum standards of welfare that the provider must ensure is
provided to asylum applicants, this includes briefing applicants on services to
which they are entitled. For example giving details of how to use facilities in
the accommodation, access to essential services in the local area and contact
details for the provider and department so any concerns can be addressed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Marcus Jones on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding his Department allocated to projects relating to cycling between (a) 2005 and 2010 and (b) 2010 to 2014.
Mr Robert Goodwill
During the five financial years 2005/6 to 2009/10, the Department for Transport (DfT) provided funding for cycling through Cycling England, an arm’s length organisation set up in 2005; in that period, Cycling England received £105m from the DfT.
During the five financial years 2010/11 to 2014/15, the DfT allocated a final £63m to Cycling England, and has allocated direct funding of £224m for cycling projects, comprising: the £94m Cycling Cities and National Parks fund, £28.5m for Links to Schools / Linking Communities, the £35m cycle safety fund, £14.5m for Cycle Rail, £4.8m to the Highways Agency and £46.8m for Bikeability. In addition, the DfT’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund is providing £540m for local authorities to prioritise sustainable transport projects, of which 28% or £151m is being allocated to cycling projects. So total investment by this government in cycling in the five financial years 2010/11 to 2014/15 is £438m.
DfT funding for the LSTF and its Cycling Ambition, Cycle-Rail, and Linking Communities funds is often used to lever matching local contributions. When these other sources are included, spend on cycling in England is equal to £5 per person a year, whilst spend in the eight cycling ambition cities is around £10 per person a year. From 2015/16, the LSTF forms part of the Local Growth Fund, a long-term funding commitment of £2bn a year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Marcus Jones on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was spent on improvements to the railways in England and Wales in Control Period 4; and what estimate he has made of how much will be spent in Control Period 5.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Over Control Period 4, the total amount spent on enhancements on the railways in England and Wales, as set out in Network Rail’s delivery plan update, was £7.557 billion (2012/13 prices).
Over Control Period 5, it is estimated that £11.446 billion.