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  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) men and (b) women who will be in receipt of the state pension in each of the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The requested information is available from 2015/16 to 2020/21 in the table below.

    Forecast number of State Pension recipients (Great Britain and Overseas) by gender: 2015/16 – 2020/21

    Recipients of State Pension (thousands)

    Men

    Women

    2015/16

    5,523.1

    7,399.0

    2016/17

    5,648.6

    7,274.3

    2017/18

    5,765.3

    7,118.7

    2018/19

    5,850.8

    6,956.5

    2019/20

    5,822.0

    6,844.7

    2020/21

    5,804.7

    6,794.1

    Source: Budget 2016 medium term forecasts

    Projections beyond 2020/21 will be published in due course.

    These numbers include State Pension claimants living in Great Britain or Overseas.

  • Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Saville Roberts on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with the Children’s Commissioner for Wales about aligning her powers with those of the Children’s Commissioner for England.

    Alun Cairns

    Wales Office Ministers have not had any recent discussions with the Children’s Commissioner for Wales about aligning her powers with those of the Children’s Commissioner for England.

    The Children’s Commissioner for Wales fulfils an important role in our efforts to protect children and I would of course be happy to meet with her if she feels her role and remit could be strengthened in any way.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Mayor of London about proposals to improve passenger safety and insurance regulations for the private hire vehicle trade.

    Andrew Jones

    We have regular meetings with the Mayor of London and discuss a range of topics including the Private Hire Vehicle trade.

    The respective standards between taxis and private hire vehicles are a matter for the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL). The TfL Board recently approved a number of reforms to the private hire vehicle regulations, including more robust insurance requirements.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page two of the minutes of the Office of Rail and Road’s board meeting on 22 September 2015, what the Govia Thameslink class 700 evacuation safety risks are that are referred to in those minutes.

    Claire Perry

    The evacuation safety risk referred to in the Office of Rail and Road’s Board meeting on 22 September 2015 relates to evacuation from a class 700 new Thameslink train in the Snow Hill Tunnels within the Thameslink core section. The Office of Rail and Road has since confirmed that this is a matter for the London Fire Brigade to consider. Both Network Rail, the infrastructure operator, and Govia Thameslink Railway, the Thameslink train operator, have met with the Fire Brigade to discuss the matter. We understand that the London Fire Brigade is content with the measures that have been put in place.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 1.302 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what progress his Department has made on exploring the sale of the Government’s 49 per cent shareholding in the National Air Traffic Service.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department is in the early stages of developing its approach to exploring options on the potential sale of the Government’s shares. No decision has been made on how it will realise value from its stake in NATS.

  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that users of the rail network are aware of the compensation schemes available to them when their trains are delayed or cancelled.

    Claire Perry

    I welcome the publication of the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR’s) recommendations in March this year following Which?’s super-complaint into passenger compensation. It is vital that customers who suffer delays or cancellations understand their rights to compensation and have access to it in a timely way. Industry must now do much more to make the process quick and user-friendly. We are already working with the Association of Train Operating Companies and the ORR to bring about improvements, and my Department will respond to the ORR’s report in the summer of 2016.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to (a) prevent and (b) collect litter and waste on the A23/M23.

    Andrew Jones

    Highways England is responsible for litter clearance on all sections of the M23. It carries out regular inspections to monitor the state of the network and to ensure that they are complying with Environmental Protection Act regulations.

    Mid Sussex District Council is responsible for litter picking the A23 trunk road, with the exception of the section between Hooley to Central London which is the responsibility of Transport for London.

    Regular meetings between Highways England and the council are held to establish the most appropriate ways to keep the road clear of litter. We are currently agreeing a new framework for working jointly to share traffic management nationally which should be in place in Mid-Sussex and the South East by early June.

    Highways England has also set up a liaison group with Surrey County Council and other authorities to look at ways to prevent litter being discarded on our highways and roads.

  • Derek Twigg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Derek Twigg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Twigg on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department provided in bus subsidies to each local authority in England in each year since 2010.

    Andrew Jones

    The majority of public funding for local bus services is via block grant provided to local authorities in England from the Department for Communities and Local Government. However, since 2014, my Department has also provided around £40m of Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) funding directly to English local authorities each year to help deliver bus services.

    Details of BSOG grant allocations for previous years are published in tables on the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/search?q=Bus+Service+Operators+Grant

    “

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Government will make it its policy not to permit any airport expansion that would worsen air quality in an area where breaches to current or likely future air quality limits are already anticipated or where there is a significant risk of such expansion causing breaches to current or likely future limits.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government is determined to meet the requirements set out in the Ambient Air Quality Directive and to do so in the shortest time possible. As set out in the recent National Air Quality Plan, the Government intends and expects that the UK will be fully compliant by 2025.

    Any decision regarding future airport capacity will take into account the Government’s Air Quality Plan and its commitment to comply with EU air quality limit values.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contracts IBM currently holds with his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    My department has 4 contracts with IBM (UK) Ltd and details are contained in the table below

    Agency

    Purpose of contract

    DfTc

    Annual Software maintenance on IBM SPSS licensing for statistical analysis

    DVLA

    Q Radar Security Monitoring Tool

    DVLA

    IBM Software-Extended Support

    DVLA

    IBM Enterprise Licensing Agreement (ELA)