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  • Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy McDonald on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who funds arrangements for the DFT Rail North Board meetings.

    Andrew Jones

    The funding arrangements for the Rail North Partnership are a combination of direct funding from DfT to cover the staffing cost that would have been incurred in the management of the two franchises at DfT as well as Rail North Limited membership fees and an allocation of Rail Administration Grant from Combined Authorities. This funding is fixed and indexed. This funding covers all activities undertaken by the Rail North Partnership, including the DfT/Rail North Strategic Board meetings.

  • Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy McDonald on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how frequent the partnership meetings between his Department and Rail North are; and who represents his Department at those meetings.

    Andrew Jones

    The Rail North Partnership Strategic Board currently meets on a monthly basis to oversee the work of the Partnership Management Team.

    The Department’s representatives on this Board are the Markets Director, Passenger Services; the Deputy Director Midlands, North & Wales, Passenger Services; and the Programme Director, Network Services.

  • Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy McDonald on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had with the Rail North Board.

    Andrew Jones

    Since the start of the new Northern and TPE franchises on 1st April 2016, the Rail North Partnership Director (who is responsible for the management of those franchises on behalf of Rail North and the Department) has had one meeting with the Board of Rail North Ltd at which he presented his monthly report.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many motorists were fined as a result of motorway average speed cameras in each year since 1985 for which figures are available; and how much was collected in fines in each such year.

    Andrew Jones

    Highways England does not hold information on how many motorists were fined as a result of motorway average speed cameras, nor how much were collected in fines, as they are not an enforcement agency. Enforcement is undertaken by the respective police forces.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will visit Northern Ireland before 23 June 2016.

    Mr David Cameron

    I visit all parts of the United Kingdom regularly, including Northern Ireland. I last visited Northern Ireland on 27 February.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Prime Minister, how many of the leaflets entitled Why the Government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK, have been returned to (a) 10 Downing Street and (b) other Government departments; and what the postage cost to the Government has been of such returns.

    Mr David Cameron

    This information is not held centrally.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the taper arrangements will be for the proposed phasing in of EU migrants’ entitlement to in-work benefits.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    I refer the right hon. Member to the February European Council Conclusions. The restrictions on in-work benefits will apply to each newly arriving EU worker for a period of four years from the commencement of employment, with the limitation tapered “from an initial complete exclusion but gradually increasing access to such benefits to take account of the growing connection of the work with the labour market of the host Member State”. Precise details are a matter for the implementation of the proposal, and further announcements will be made in due course.

  • Ian Paisley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Ian Paisley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on the Common Travel Area of the UK voting to leave the EU.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    If the UK voted to leave the EU, it is not clear that the Common Travel Area could continue to operate with the UK outside the EU, and Ireland inside, in the same way that it did before both countries joined the EU.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of the total spend by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) on projects to improve the employability of ex-offenders came from the European Social Fund via the NOMS Co-Financing Organisation in each year since January 2010.

    Andrew Selous

    We are committed to improving the employability of offenders. A range of services is available to help offenders improve their employability by helping them increase their knowledge, skills and employment experience. This can also include support to tackle substance misuse or to improve mental health. Providing meaningful work in prisons and vocational qualifications also helps increase employability. Funding comes from a variety of sources including through contracts to provide education and health services, and via Community Rehabilitation Companies. We do not, therefore, collate centrally all expenditure on projects to improve the employability of ex-offenders.

    We do, however, carefully record and monitor the funding received from the European Social Fund and ensure there is no duplication of service provision. All funding received from the European Social Fund (ESF) is recorded in the NOMS Annual Report and Accounts. In accordance with strict ESF rules, all funding is passed on to third-party providers who work with offenders to improve their employability. These providers are selected as part of a competitive process.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much funding his Department has received from the European Social Fund to fund the National Offender Management Service Co-Financing Organisation in each year since January 2010.

    Andrew Selous

    Money received from the European Social Fund (ESF) by the NOMS Co-financing Programme is published in the NOMS Annual Report and Accounts. No ESF funding has been used to finance employer roadshows at Sudbury, Drake Hall and Wayland prisons. Neither has any ESF money been awarded direct to HM Young Offender Institutions Werrington, Feltham or Cookham Wood.

    It is a condition of any award of core ESF funding to the NOMS Co-financing programme that it has to be spent on front line services for offenders (excluding the administration budget. Because of this, a separate application was made under the Technical Assistance grant to fund, among other things, the setting up and running of the Employers’ Forum for Reducing Re-offending (EFRR). The aim of the Technical Assistance grant is to fund services that will support the objectives of the main programme – employability of offenders. The amount spent from the ESF Technical Assistance fund on the EFRR from 2010 to 2015 was £280,403.