The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Barclay on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what date the speed camera at Thorney Toll on the A47 was re-activated; and how many motorists have been detected as travelling in excess of the 60 mph speed limit at Thorney Toll since that date.
Damian Green
The Home Office does not hold this information. The decision to use speed
cameras is an operational matter for the police.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlie Elphicke on 2014-05-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to tackle aggressive tax avoidance.
Mr David Gauke
Since 2010 the Government has introduced wide ranging reforms to tackle aggressive tax avoidance, including the General Anti-Abuse Rule in 2013 and numerous changes to tax law to close individual loopholes. Budget 2014 announced further measures to target the activities of high-risk promoters and to change the economics of avoidance through requiring taxpayers to pay disputed tax in advance up front.
The Government is also reinvesting over £1 billion in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over this Parliament to increase the level of compliance activity, including tackling aggressive tax avoidance. HMRC brought in £700 million in 2012-13 alone through its work to tackle marketed avoidance schemes. HMRC also litigates cases where necessary and is very successful in doing so, winning around 80% of avoidance cases taxpayers choose to take to court. Many more taxpayers settle before reaching court.
The UK has also been taking a leading role in the work of the G20 and OECD to address base erosion and profit shifting by multinational companies. At the Budget we published a paper which sets out our priorities for the ongoing work with G20 and OECD partners, taking forward the 15 point Action Plan to counter Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS). This includes proposals for new international rules to address cross-border business structures or finance transactions and enhanced disclosure rules to help tackle tax avoidance in an international context.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlie Elphicke on 2014-05-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department has paid to Mapeley STEPS Contractor Limited since the sale of HM Revenue and Customs’ estate to that company.
Mr David Gauke
Since the financial year 2006-2007, the earliest year for which records are held on HMRC accounting systems, HMRC has paid £2,364m to Mapeley STEPS Contractor Limited. This amount includes VAT and utility and other non STEPS costs. Payments to Mapeley are published in Departmental Spending Reports at data.gov.uk
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research his Department has undertaken on the relationship between levels of street lighting and (a) road traffic accidents and (b) injuries to pedestrians.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Highways Agency is responsible for lighting on the strategic road network and local authorities for street lighting in their areas. It is for the authorities themselves to decide the level of service they wish their street lighting network to deliver.
No recent research has been undertaken by the Department for Transport on the relationship between levels of street lighting and (a) road traffic accidents and (b) injuries to pedestrians. The Department does, however, collect accident data and this will include factors including whether or not the area was in darkness or lit.
In 2006 investigations were carried out by the Highways Agency which concluded road lighting reduced the number of night-time personal accident injuries on the strategic road network by 10% on motorways & dual carriageways, and 12% on single carriageway roads. The Highways Agency has not conducted any specific research on the impact of road lighting on accidents involving pedestrians due to their low numbers on the strategic road network.
Where the Highways Agency has undertaken the switching off of lights at midnight at certain site locations, these were subject to a detailed safety assessment. By selecting sites with a good safety record and where night-time traffic flows are low, the Highways Agency is confident there will be no adverse impact on road safety.
This Government is providing over £4.5 billion from 2010 to 2015 to local highway authorities in England for highways maintenance, including street lighting. If a local highway authority is considering upgrading or improving their street lighting stock, the Department for Transport encourages them to consider the "Invest to Save" Guidance produced by the Association of Directors of Environment, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) which is available from the Institution of Lighting Professionals.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research her Department has undertaken on the relationship between levels of street lighting and the incidence of (a) burglaries, (b) offences against the person and (c) other crimes.
Norman Baker
The Home Office has not undertaken any recent research into the relationship
between levels of street lighting and the incidence of crimes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Hollobone on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much financial support his Department provided to Hope not Hate in each of the last three years; and what steps he takes to prevent the use of such monies for party political campaigning.
Stephen Williams
‘Hope Not Hate’ has not received any financial support from the Department for Communities and Local Government.
This Department provided Searchlight Educational Trust, a registered charity, with a grant of £66,000 in the financial year 2012-13 to establish community partnerships to foster integration in four neighbourhoods.
Following completion of the project, Searchlight Educational Trust changed their name to Hope Not Hate Educational Ltd. We monitored progress with the project closely and are satisfied that the funding for Searchlight Educational Trust was used for purposes outlined in the funding agreement and that no funding was used for party political campaigning. Conditions in the funding agreement prevent funds being spent on political campaigning. Furthermore, an organisation that exists for political purposes would not meet the criteria for charitable status – so we would be unable to award them grant under the Charities Act 2006.
I am aware that it has been claimed that the Department has funded campaigning by Hope not Hate against a certain political party. This is completely untrue.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers left Prison Service employment within (a) six months, (b) one year and (c) two years of becoming an officer in each of the last five years.
Jeremy Wright
Information on the number of prison officers who left employment within the first two years of joining public sector prisons in England and Wales in 2009 – 2013 is contained in the table below.
Table: Headcount of officers leaving public sector prison service in England and Wales within (a) 6 months, (b) 1 year, (c) 2 years 2009 – 2013
|
Year |
Officers leaving Within 6 months |
Officers leaving within 1 year1 |
Officers leaving within 2 year1 |
|
2009 |
40 |
100 |
190 |
|
2010 |
30 |
60 |
130 |
|
2011 |
20 |
50 |
90 |
|
2012 |
20 |
40 |
80 |
|
2013 |
~ |
20 |
50 |
1 Figures are cumulative i.e. the number leaving within 1 year includes those leaving within 6 months.
Officer numbers, which are derived from a dynamic administrative system, have been rounded to the nearest 10 to reflect the level of uncertainty in the figures.
It is not possible to provide figures for privately contracted prisons with the time available. This is because information on leavers is held not held centrally and is only available from the individual contractors. This information has been requested and I will write to you again when it is available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tessa Munt on 2014-05-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has undertaken any work to assess how many jobs in the UK are dependent on trade with the EU.
Nicky Morgan
HM Treasury regularly monitors economic developments in the UK and elsewhere. In doing so, it considers a wide range of publications and analyses, from many sources and covering many issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help find the 230 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram; and whether the UK will commit military aid to the search effort if required.
Mark Simmonds
Since the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria, we have been in regular contact with the Nigerian Government to offer our assistance. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), spoke to the Nigerian Foreign Minister on 18 April immediately after the abductions and offered the UK’s assistance. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) spoke to the Nigerian President on 7 May. The Nigerian President accepted our offer of a team of experts led by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and including Ministry of Defence (MOD), Department for International Development (DFID) and Police representatives. The team arrived in Abuja on 9 May and will be talking to the Nigerians to offer advice on how the Nigerians can defeat Boko Haram and bring stability to the north of Nigeria.
It is too soon to comment on what specific assistance we will give. However, the team will provide expertise in counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency, military mentoring and training, victim support and economic development. Human rights compliance is, and will remain, an essential element of any UK assistance in Nigeria.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information-sharing systems his Department recommends agencies to use in respect of sharing information regarding vulnerable children and children at risk.
Mr Edward Timpson
The Government believes it is for local areas to determine the most appropriate way to record and share information to meet local needs.