Blog

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what service level agreements his Department has with companies contracted to carry out the assessment process for the personal independence payment.

    Mike Penning

    The Personal Independence Payment service level agreements are published and available to view in Deposited Papers (House of Commons), deposited on 28 January 2013 – Deposit Reference DEP2013 – 0322. The service level agreements are set out in Annex 7.

    This information can be accessed from the link below:

    http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/business-papers/commons/deposited-papers/?max=100&y=2013&search_term=Department+for+Work+and+Pensions&itemId=119004&sort=1&sortasc=False#toggle-322

  • Anne Main – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Anne Main – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the maximum amount available to councils who apply for extra funding for potholes is; and what funding his Department provides to tackle pot holes in St Albans.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department for Transport provides capital funding to local highway authorities from the local maintenance highways maintenance capital block grant and over the four year period from 2011 Hertfordshire County Council’s allocation is £77.6 million. St Albans falls within Hertfordshire County Council’s area of responsibility for road maintenance.

    The Department has also allocated additional funding to authorities to help repair roads damaged due to severe weather events, and for Hertfordshire County Council this includes £1.446 million in 2010/11, £3.87 million in March 2011 and more recently over £3.62 million in March 2014.

    A £200 million Pothole Fund was announced in the Budget on 19 March 2014. From this, £168 million is being made available to councils in England through a bidding exercise. Further details on the fund will be made available shortly.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, with which (a) mobile telephone companies, (b) voluntary groups and (c) travel card providers the Electoral Commission is working to improve registration rates of young people.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that it continues to work to identify partners for its work on IER. As agreements are put in place, it will make these available on its website and will inform the honourable member when the first batch is published.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2013, Official Report, columns 611-2W, on electoral registration officers, which local authorities failed to meet performance standard 1 on using local government databases, in each year for which information is available.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) who did not meet performance standard 1 in each year from 2008 to 2010 are shown in the table below. No EROs have been assessed as not meeting this standard in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

    Table: EROs not meeting Performance Standard 1

    2008

    2009

    2010

    Barnsley

    Bradford

    Barnsley

    Berwick-upon-Tweed

    Nottingham

    Nottingham

    Blaby

    Sefton

    Blackburn with Darwen

    Brentwood

    Chester-le-street*

    Durham*

    Harborough

    Ipswich

    North East Derbyshire

    North Lanarkshire**

    Nottingham

    Sutton

    South Lanarkshire**

    Three Rivers

    Windsor and Maidenhead

    Weymouth and Portland

    Walsall

    *Chester-le Street and Durham are now part of County Durham unitary authority.

    **North and South Lanarkshire are covered by one ERO

    The Electoral Commission also informs me that it published its report, titled ‘Readiness for the transition to Individual Electoral Registration’, which included its assessment of ERO performance in 2013, on 31 March, and wrote to the honourable member with a copy of the report. The report explains that all EROs reported that they were meeting or exceeding standard 1 in 2013, and that the Commission is in the process of conducting a detailed analysis of EROs’ electoral registration data from the 2013 canvass, following which it will publish its final assessment of EROs’ performance.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Prime Minister, what recent discussions he has had with his Commonwealth counterparts on the resolution passed by the 25th Human Rights Council session on Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka.

    Mr David Cameron

    Ahead of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution vote on Sri Lanka on 27 March, I personally engaged with a wide range of UNHRC member states including those from the Commonwealth, as did the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) and other Ministers.

    We will work closely with our international partners to support the implementation of the resolution establishing an international investigation. We believe that progress on accountability, human rights and reconciliation is important in establishing an enduring peace in Sri Lanka. Such progress will ensure Sri Lanka can reach its full potential as a strong and prosperous nation.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of those aged under 25 years in Northern Ireland are registered to vote.

    Mr Andrew Robathan

    The estimated proportion of the eligible population registered in Northern Ireland in December 2013 was as follows:

    Under 20: 64.7%;

    20-29: 78.2%.

    We do not hold figures relating only to those under 25.

  • Nick de Bois – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Nick de Bois – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick de Bois on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to allow mandatory sentencing in cases of carrying an article with blade or point of offensive weapon; and if he will make a statement.

    Jeremy Wright

    Possession of an offensive weapon or bladed article is a serious offence which carries a maximum 4 year custodial sentence. This Government has already introduced new offences for threatening with a knife, which carries a minimum mandatory custodial sentence for adults and 16-17 year olds in the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2013. More recently we made it clear that cautions for adults can not be used for knife possession offences, and are legislating in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill to put statutory restrictions around their use.

    Knife crime continues to fall, with a higher proportion of offenders going to prison for knife possession than in previous years and average custodial sentences getting longer.

    Whilst this is encouraging, this Government continues to keep this area of the law under close scrutiny and if further action is necessary it will bring forward proposals.

  • David Mowat – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David Mowat – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mowat on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much in legal aid claims has been paid to Leigh Day and Public Interest Lawyers in each of the last three years.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The net payments to these firms over the past three years are shown in the table below.

    Year

    Public Interest Lawyers

    Leigh Day & Co

    2010/11

    £439,268.02

    £1,182,080.21

    2011/12

    £331,238.85

    £1,216,888.66

    2012/13

    £54,387.48

    £569,730.45

    These payments cover all work undertaken by the firms under legal aid. The payments made will be offset by recoupment on successful cases where the opponent has paid the costs.

  • Ian Lavery – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ian Lavery – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans are in place to increase the operational capacity at HMP Oakwood.

    Jeremy Wright

    There are no plans to increase the operational capacity of HMP Oakwood.

  • Ian Lavery – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ian Lavery – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison custody officers are employed at HMP Oakwood.

    Jeremy Wright

    As of 3 January, 255 fully-trained prison custody officers were employed at the prison.