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  • Justin Tomlinson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Justin Tomlinson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress he has made on plans to extend the funding of Victim Support beyond 2015.

    Damian Green

    The Ministry of Justice is extending grant funding arrangements to March 2015, for the provision of its core victims’ support service. These extended arrangements will cover all areas until October 2014, when a small number of Police and Crime Commissioners will move out of MoJ grant arrangements with Victim Support. The remaining majority of areas will continue to be covered by the grant funding arrangements until end March 2015.

    From April 2015, the MoJ grant arrangement with Victim Support for its core service will end as all Police and Crime Commissioners replace the MoJ grant arrangement with Victim Support with locally commissioned arrangements for support to victims. These arrangements may include Police and Crime Commissioner commissioning services from Victim Support, but are not restricted to this.

    Some national services, including the national homicide service, the court-based witness service, the rape support fund, and some telephone helplines will remain nationally commissioned by the Ministry of Justice. Victim Support is the current provider of some of these services and is able to compete for future provision of these services.

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Justin Tomlinson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the foreword to the Draft Modern Slavery Bill, when she plans to start the review of the operation and effectiveness of the National Referral Mechanism; how long that review will take; who will undertake it; and when it will be published.

    Karen Bradley

    The review into the operation and effectiveness of the National Referral
    Mechanism was announced on 9 April 2014. I have placed a copy of the Terms of
    Reference in the Libraries of both Houses.

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Justin Tomlinson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to recognise the work undertaken by the Coleshill Auxiliaries during the Second World War.

    Anna Soubry

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 October 2013 (Official Report, column 414-415W).

    There are no plans to institute a specific award for those who were members of the Coleshill Auxilliers. The auxiliary units were listed as Home Guard units, and, as such, members who completed three years service in the United Kingdom qualify for the Defence Medal. In addition surviving members may apply for the Armed Forces Veterans Badge.

  • Jim Sheridan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Jim Sheridan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Sheridan on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the contribution by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries on 25 February 2014, Official Report, column 95WH, when the consultation on modernising the Electronic Programme Guide regime will be launched.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Pursuant to my contribution on 25 February 2014, Official Report, column 95WH, DCMS will make an announcement on the publication date of the consultation in due course.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much in budgeting loans was spent in each region of the UK in each of the last six years.

    Steve Webb

    Table 1 provides the Budgeting Loan expenditure in each region of Great Britain in the financial years from 2008/09 to 2013/14.

    Information regarding annual expenditure for Social Fund schemes in Northern Ireland is a matter for Northern Ireland office and is not included in the figures below. Figures are therefore given for Great Britain and not the United Kingdom.

    Table 1: Budgeting Loan expenditure by region between 2008/09 and 2013/14

    Budgeting Loan Expenditure per Region (£ million)

    2008/09

    2009/10

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    East of England

    28.4

    30.3

    27.9

    29.1

    30.0

    27.6

    East Midlands

    30.4

    34.8

    33.1

    33.2

    34.2

    30.5

    London

    64.0

    64.9

    58.9

    57.5

    54.0

    47.7

    North East

    31.2

    34.3

    31.9

    32.6

    33.8

    31.2

    North West

    69.6

    72.4

    65.1

    65.3

    69.0

    62.8

    Scotland

    49.0

    51.9

    48.5

    48.3

    49.2

    44.5

    South East

    36.3

    38.1

    36.6

    37.1

    37.7

    33.7

    South West

    24.6

    27.1

    23.9

    23.5

    23.3

    21.3

    Wales

    28.7

    30.8

    27.9

    27.8

    28.3

    26.9

    West Midlands

    49.1

    53.1

    49.3

    48.5

    48.7

    45.3

    Yorkshire and the Humber

    43.5

    44.4

    43.0

    44.6

    47.1

    44.7

    Total

    454.9

    482.3

    445.9

    447.5

    455.3

    416.3

    Notes

    1. The information provided is (internal)Management Information. Our preference is to answer all Parliamentary Questions using Official / National Statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official / National statistics, nor does it include the same depth of information. For example the MI does not include expenditure on applications which were processed clerically and have not been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System.

    2. All figures have been rounded to the nearest £100,000. Figures may not sum due to rounding.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he takes to monitor whether Work Programme prime providers fulfil their minimum service standards; and if he will make a statement.

    Esther McVey

    The Department has developed a clearly defined compliance monitoring regime which commits to an appropriate level of checking for each of the 40 Work Programme contract package areas.

    The compliance management team work closely with Work Programme performance managers to ensure clear factual information is available for consideration as part of monthly Contract Performance Reviews with providers.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was spent by the universal credit project on (a) staff travel and (b) overnight accommodation and allowances in each month of 2014 to date.

    Esther McVey

    Universal Credit is being developed and delivered across the UK. As expected with a programme of this size, some travel is needed to ensure effective delivery of the programme. DWP has clear policies on travel and accommodation expenses to ensure costs are minimised

    It is not possible, on the grounds of disproportionate cost, to separate out this expenditure between DWP staff and contractors working on the Universal Credit project.

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings he has had with each private hire vehicle operator since 2010.

    Stephen Hammond

    Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published every quarter and this information can be accessed on the GOV.UK website via the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-transparency-data#meetings

    “

  • Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Murphy on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that access to safe, affordable energy in rural areas is being treated as a specific high-priority target in the formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Justine Greening

    The UK is engaging fully in the UN Open Working Group where discussions on the next set of development goals are taking place. We continue to push strongly for the inclusion of targets in line with the Sustainable Energy for All initiative, including universal access to modern energy services by 2030.

  • Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Murphy on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what consideration she has given to the case for having a stand-alone, specific goal on inequality in the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Justine Greening

    The UK supports a focus on “leaving no one behind” across the post-2015 framework, as was recommended by the High Level Panel which was co-Chaired by the Prime Minister.