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  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 33376, by what date his Department plans to decide on whether British Sign Language is an acceptable alternative to qualifications in English for the purposes of completing an apprenticeship.

    Nick Boles

    We are considering whether British Sign Language could be an acceptable alternative to qualifications in English for the purposes of completing an apprenticeship. We will provide an update about this matter before summer recess.

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2016 to Question 33501, on equal pay tribunals, how many individual equal pay claims have been brought against employers by (a) men and (b) women in each year between 2010 and 2015.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The two large multiple cases consisted of 11,585 men and 3,475 women, plus one claimant who did not state their gender. We are not able to provide further information about these cases as they have not yet been listed for hearing.

    The table below shows the number of equal pay claims accepted by the Employment Tribunal for each calendar year since 2010:

    Calendar Year

    Gender

    Female

    Male

    2010

    29,754

    4,083

    2011

    24,049

    3,647

    2012

    15,697

    4,340

    2013

    18,398

    5,039

    2014

    6,052

    1,509

    2015

    6,423

    13,312

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2016 to Question 33501, on equal pay tribunals, how many (a) men and (b) women were involved in the two large multiple claims referred to in that answer; and against whom those claims were brought.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The two large multiple cases consisted of 11,585 men and 3,475 women, plus one claimant who did not state their gender. We are not able to provide further information about these cases as they have not yet been listed for hearing.

    The table below shows the number of equal pay claims accepted by the Employment Tribunal for each calendar year since 2010:

    Calendar Year

    Gender

    Female

    Male

    2010

    29,754

    4,083

    2011

    24,049

    3,647

    2012

    15,697

    4,340

    2013

    18,398

    5,039

    2014

    6,052

    1,509

    2015

    6,423

    13,312

  • Angela Rayner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Angela Rayner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Rayner on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents were reported involving mobility scooters in 2015.

    Andrew Jones

    Statistics for 2015 will be published in June 2016.

  • Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will extend the English national concessionary travel scheme for disabled people beyond off-peak times.

    Andrew Jones

    Whilst I appreciate that concessionary pass holders might wish to use buses before 9.30am, there are no plans to extend the statutory scheme to include morning peak time travel. Local authorities already have powers to introduce “discretionary concessions” building on the minimum national standard. Authorities can, for instance, enable some disabled pass holders to use services during peak hours, to use modes of transport other than buses or to travel with a companion free of charge. Such enhancements are however, entirely a matter for the respective authorities and are funded locally. It follows that any decision on whether to create such enhancements is a matter for the authority concerned.

  • Alex Chalk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Alex Chalk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Chalk on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many road traffic accidents have been recorded over the last five years on the area of the A417 in Gloucestershire for which an upgrade is planned in 2020.

    Andrew Jones

    Highways England is starting full-scale options work on the A417 Missing Link ‘Air Balloon’ roundabout scheme this financial year (2016/17), with the intention that the scheme will be ready to start construction as early as possible in the next Road Investment Strategy period which starts on 1 April 2020.

    A total of 65 personal injury road accidents were reported to the police between 2010 and 2014 in the vicinity of the A417 scheme.

    The number of reported personal injury road accidents per year by severity are as follows:

    Fatal

    Serious

    Slight

    Total

    2010

    1

    1

    14

    16

    2011

    1

    0

    9

    10

    2012

    0

    2

    13

    15

    2013

    2

    2

    4

    8

    2014

    2

    3

    11

    16

    5yr total

    6

    8

    51

    65

    Figures for 2015 will be published on 30th June 2016.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Transport for London will pay to the British Transport Police’s budget in 2016-17.

    Claire Perry

    The British Transport Police (BTP) Authority has approved a budget for 2016-17 which includes an amount of £66.933 million in respect of the Transport for London (TFL) Police Service Agreement and overhead charges. The figure excludes any additional policing services which are provided by the BTP at TfL’s request on a commercial basis.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce HGV testing waiting lists at Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency testing centres.

    Andrew Jones

    The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is reducing vocational waiting times by recruiting more examiners, improving its forecasting model to better match resource with demand and redeploying examiners from lower wait centres to those with higher waiting times.

  • Andrew Tyrie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andrew Tyrie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Tyrie on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on demand for justice services of future growth in the population of Chichester.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The demand for justice services may change in future due to many factors including, but not limited to, demographic changes. The decision to close the courts in Chichester was made on the basis that the receiving courts have capacity to accommodate current and future projected workloads. The improvements which will be delivered by the reform of HM Courts & Tribunals Service will enable court services to be delivered flexibly and provide greater resilience to changes in demand.

  • Andrew Tyrie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andrew Tyrie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Tyrie on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of closing the Chichester Combined Court Centre and Chichester Magistrates’ Court on the work of (a) Chichester constabulary, (b) Chichester District Council and (c) other local services.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    All responses to the consultation were carefully considered before the decision was made to close the courts in Chichester. This included evaluating the impact on the police, the District Council and other local services. In recognition of the particular circumstances of court users in Chichester, the Combined Court Centre will not close until suitable local alternative provision is in place.