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  • Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with train operating companies and rolling stock companies on the availability of rolling stock to train operating companies during the periods of franchise extension.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Department for Transport regularly meets with the rolling stock companies to discuss the rolling stock market, including upcoming competitions and direct awards. In the development of each directly awarded franchise the Department has extensive discussions with the operator to discuss rolling stock issues, including maintenance, potential upgrades and the overall availability of stock during the period of the franchise, to ensure that appropriate levels of passenger service can be provided within the period.

    Ministers regularly meet with train operating companies and rolling stock companies to discuss a wide range of issues, including the rolling stock market. The Department expects train operators and rolling stock companies ultimately to resolve any issues with regard to the availability of rolling stock for the period of their franchise, or any extension thereof.

  • Robert Halfon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Robert Halfon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Halfon on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the benefits to children’s safety of road crossing patrollers.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government firmly believes in localism and providing local authorities with powers to introduce measures to deal with local needs and conditions. Local authorities will invariably have a strategy to improve road safety and will prioritise their road network based on the need to reduce casualties.

    The provision of the school crossing patrol service is a matter for the local authority. Legislation gives them the power to make arrangements for the patrolling of places where children cross roads on their way to or from school, but does not impose a duty on them to do so. Funding decisions are also a matter for the local authority based on their local needs and priorities.

    It is for the Council to assess the crossing situation and determine a course of action as it is in this situation. In some cases, if the authority agrees that children from a particular school need help in crossing a busy road but have not recruited anyone, they have to think about finding other ways of making the crossing safer – for example, by putting in a pedestrian crossing.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2014, Official Report, column 693W, on bus services: disability, how many public service vehicles (a) in each region and (b) operated by each operator have been issued with PSVAR certificates.

    Stephen Hammond

    I refer the Honourable Member to my answer of 20th March 2014. As indicated there the Department for Transport’s annual bus statistics (published in September 2013) show that 78% of buses in England have been issued with PSVAR certificates, while 92% of buses are low floor.

    The following table provides a breakdown of PSVAR certificates for each region:

    Region Buses with certificates %Buses having certificates
    East Midlands 1,400 72%
    East of England 1,970 67%
    London 8,880 97%
    North East 1,370 73%
    North West 3,900 76%
    South East 2,690 71%
    South West 1,950 63%
    West Midlands 2,730 77%
    Yorkshire and the Humber 2,800 69%
    England 27,680 78%

    The figures in this table are compiled from annual operator returns to the Department for Transport, which are not broken down by region. To compile the regional level estimates, each operator has been assigned to its main region of operation.

    The returns are made under the Statistics of Trade Act 1947, and figures for individual operators are therefore considered as commercially confidential.

  • 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 2014-03-24.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2014, Official Report, column 655W, on electoral register, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the reasons for the increase between December 2000 and April 2011 in the proportion of eligible people not registered at their current address.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that it has set out its analysis of the key reasons for the decline in levels of registration in this period in two reports – ‘The completeness and accuracy of electoral registers in Great Britain’ and ‘Great Britain’s electoral registers’.

    Both reports can be found here: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/our-research/electoral-registration-research

    “

  • 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 2014-03-24.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the introduction of online voting in (a) Australia and (b) South Africa and its relevance to the UK.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that it monitors developments in voting technology in other countries, including the limited online voting pilot schemes which have so far taken place at an individual state level in Australia. South African overseas voters can go online to register to vote, but cannot actually vote online.

    The Commission will continue to take account of relevant experience from other comparable democracies as it develops a strategy for modernising voting at elections in the UK.

  • 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 2014-03-24.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2014, Official Report, columns 654-5, on electoral register, if the Electoral Commission will publish the results of all research it has conducted into the size of the electorate.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that it publishes all of its completed research on electoral registration on its website, here: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/our-research/electoral-registration-research

    “

  • Mr Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Mr Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Gregory Campbell on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people on remand or on bail in connection with terrorism-related charges are recipients of letters as part of the On the Run scheme.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    Responsibility for the arrest and charging of an individual rests with the police and the prosecuting authorities. The Judiciary holds responsibility for remand and bail conditions.

    On 11 March, Lady Justice Hackett was appointed to undertake an independent inquiry to provide a full public account of the operation and extent of the administrative scheme for dealing with so called “on-the-runs” that was established by the previous Government. This will include a factual check of all letters issued. I expect the report to be provided to me by the end of May 2014 for the purpose of its full publication.

  • Mr Dominic Raab – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mr Dominic Raab – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Dominic Raab on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with which countries the EU as a legal personality has concluded co-operation agreements in the field of justice and home affairs.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    I refer to the response provided by the Minister for Europe on 24 March [PQ 191707 Col 70W]. In addition, JHA agreements have been concluded between the EU and Brazil, Ukraine and Moldova during the course of this Government, which build on the borders and immigration aspects of the Schengen system, in which the UK does not participate.

  • Mr Dominic Raab – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mr Dominic Raab – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Dominic Raab on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with which countries the EU as a legal personality is currently negotiating co-operation agreements in the field of justice and home affairs.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    I refer to the response provided by the Minister for Europe on 24 March [PQ 191707 Col 70W]. In addition, JHA agreements have been concluded between the EU and Brazil, Ukraine and Moldova during the course of this Government, which build on the borders and immigration aspects of the Schengen system, in which the UK does not participate.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is on the introduction of legally binding pre-nuptial agreements.

    Simon Hughes

    The Law Commission published its report on Matrimonial Property, Needs and Agreements on 27 February 2014.

    The report focuses on clarifying the law in the areas of financial ‘need’ and nuptial agreements and makes 3 broad recommendations:

    1. that written guidance is produced on financial need;

    2. that the feasibility is assessed of producing numerical guidance to help couples to calculate the likely financial outcome of divorce or dissolution; and

    3. that pre-nuptial agreements are made statutorily binding.

    The Government is grateful to the Law Commission for their hard work on this complex area of law.

    The Government is giving the report careful consideration. An interim response will be published by August 2014 and a full response by February 2015. These are the timescales established in protocol between the Law Commission and Government.