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  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was spent on improving the road network in the Easington constituency in each of the last five years.

    Andrew Jones

    The maintenance of the local road network in Easington is the responsibility of Durham County Council, as local highway authority. The table below sets out how much funding the Department for Transport has allocated to the Council since 2012/13 financial year:

    £millions

    Financial Year

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    2015/16

    2016/17

    Highway Maintenance Block

    10.679

    10.132

    9.780

    11.886

    10.897

    Incentive Fund

    N/A

    N/A

    N/A

    N.A

    0.666

    Highway Maintenance Block Top Up

    N/A

    1.836

    1.007

    N/A

    N/A

    Integrated Transport Block

    3.183

    3.183

    4.475

    13.949

    13.949

    Wet Weather Payments

    N/A

    1.242

    N/A

    N/A

    N/A

    Flood Recovery

    N/A

    N/A

    N/A

    1.100

    N/A

    Pothole Fund

    N/A

    N/A

    2.198

    N/A

    0.784

    Total

    13.862

    16.393

    17.460

    26.935

    26.296

    Local highway authorities are able to use revenue funding for maintaining their local highways and this is allocated by the Department of Communities and Local Government through the Revenue Support Grant.

    Durham County Council is part of the North East Combined Authority. From 2015/16 Integrated Transport Block Funding has been paid to the North East Combined Authority and Durham will receive a proportion of that funding.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving test examiners have (a) left and (b) been recruited by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency in the last (i) one, (ii) two and (iii) five years.

    Andrew Jones

    Driving examiner starters have to pass a compulsory training course in order to become fully qualified examiners. If they do not pass this course they are then dismissed. Information on starters and leavers is shown in the table below:

    Starters

    Leavers

    Of the leavers, those who did not pass the course

    In the past financial year

    232

    152

    8

    In the past two financial years

    389

    288

    28

    In the past five financial years

    614

    590

    47

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated to improve local transport infrastructure in Easington constituency in each of the next five years.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Easington constituency in County Durham is in the area covered by the North East Combined Authority and North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The Combined Authority receives annual capital allocations for Highways Maintenance and Integrated Transport and it is for the Combined Authority and Durham County Council to decide how much of this funding is spent in Easington Constituency.

    The North East LEP has been awarded Local Growth Funding for two schemes in the Easington constituency. The proposal to construct a new station at Horden has been allocated £3.3 million and the package of five junction improvements on the A1 and A19, which includes a scheme at the A19/A182 Seaham Murton Interchange, has been allocated £19.0 million.

  • Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will make it his policy to revise the Ministerial Code to include an obligation on members of the Government not to use offshore tax arrangements.

    Mr David Cameron

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Moray (Mr Robertson) during my Oral Statement on 11 April 2016, Official Report, columns 31-32.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Prime Minister, whether he plans to require all Ministers to publish their annual tax return.

    Mr David Cameron

    I refer the hon. Member to the Oral Statement I gave to the House on 11 April 2016, Official Report, column 23.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the report of the review of the South Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company that took place in November 2015; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Selous

    The information requested is commercially sensitive and, as such, will not be released. It is normal Government practice not to release commercially sensitive information.

    We hold providers rigorously to account for their performance and take action wherever they are falling short.

    Following an audit by the Ministry of Justice, South Yorkshire CRC developed an action plan. We are continuing to monitor the CRC’s performance closely.

    Our probation reforms are designed to make sure almost all offenders receive support on release, including, for the first time, those sentenced to less than 12 months.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 March 2016 to Question 31430, on Anti-Semitism, which legal changes form part of the Government’s position on boycott, divestment and sanctions.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Following the announcement on 3 October, the Department issued a public consultation on 25 November on changes to the regulatory framework for investments made under the local government pension scheme. The consultation proposed that guidance would be issued on how pension fund authorities should take non-financial considerations into account when making investment decisions.

    The Government’s response to the consultation will be published in due course.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with Chief Crown Prosecutors on the decision not to prosecute any individuals for suspected electoral and financial fraud committed in Tower Hamlets during the mayoral election there in 2014.

    Andrew Selous

    The Ministry of Justice has not had any discussions with Chief Crown Prosecutors on this matter.

    Decisions on whether to charge or to prosecute individuals suspected of electoral and financial fraud in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets are matters for the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service. I refer my Honorable Friend to Mr. Marcus Jones’ response to Parliamentary Question 29350.

  • Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Johnson on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the availability of category C prison spaces in the South East.

    Andrew Selous

    This Government will always ensure that we have enough prison places for those sent to us by the courts. We are investing £1.3 billion to reform and modernise the prison estate to make it even more efficient and focused on supporting prisoner rehabilitation.

  • Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Johnson on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what further plans he has to extend the scope for police officers to give evidence via video link during trials.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    Use of video in criminal cases provides efficiencies which benefit all criminal justice agencies, and support victims and witnesses. In particular video links allow police officers to give evidence to the court from a police station, rather than attending a courthouse, making significant savings in working hours for the police.

    The use of video within Police Forces is well established for the giving of evidence. HMCTS is also working with Police Forces to extend the use of video to applications for search warrants and other warrants.

    The Government is investing over £700m to modernise the courts and tribunals. This investment will not only mean an extension in the extent of video usage by police, but also an increase in benefits.