Blog

  • Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which (a) serving and (b) former Ministers in his Department have used the Freedom of Information Act to seek information from the Department since that Act was brought into force.

    Matthew Hancock

    Due to the nature of the way FOI requests are recorded it is unfortunately not possible to identify the number of requests from all former and existing Cabinet Office Ministers or honourable members except at disproportionate cost.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to reduce the time taken for the DVLA’s Drivers Medical Group department to return driving licences to applicants.

    Andrew Jones

    The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has made a number of improvements in the way it deals with medical cases. Extra caseworkers have been employed and more medical advisers are being recruited.

    The DVLA deals with telephone enquiries from drivers who are working abroad or who have a job offer pending as a priority. Also, a dedicated team has been established to ensure that customers challenging a licensing decision, are dealt with as quickly as possible. All applications for first vocational driving licences where a medical condition is declared are dealt with as a priority.

    These changes are part of an ongoing programme of work which will continue to introduce improvements. Future changes include the introduction of a digital service channel and a review of how complex cases are handled. The changes will help to significantly speed up the process for both motorists and medical professionals.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the organisation and deployment of UK-based armour is.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The organisation of British armour based in the UK is as follows:

    1st Armoured Infantry Brigade

    Household Cavalry Regiment – Windsor

    The Royal Tank Regiment – Tidworth

    1st Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers – Tidworth

    1st Battalion the Mercian Regiment – Bulford

    12th Armoured Infantry Brigade

    The Royal Lancers – Catterick

    The King’s Royal Hussars – Tidworth

    1st Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment – Warminster

    1st Battalion the Royal Welsh – Tidworth

    20X is based in Germany

    The following UK based armoured units support these Brigades:

    The Royal Wessex Yeomanry – Bovington, Salisbury, Cirencester, Paignton, Exeter & Swindon

    1st Artillery Brigade

    1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery – Tidworth

    19th Regiment Royal Artillery – Tidworth

    8 Engineer Brigade

    22 Engineer Regiment Royal Engineers – Perham Down

    26 Engineer Regiment Royal Engineers – Perham Down

    101 Logistic Brigade

    4 Armoured Medical Regiment – Aldershot

    5 Armoured Medical Regiment – Tidworth & Catterick

    4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – Tidworth

    6 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – Tidworth

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress he has made on implementation of the National Infrastructure Plan.

    Greg Hands

    In the past year a number of key projects have been completed, including the opening of Smart Motorway projects on the M6 and M1, significant rail station redevelopments at Birmingham New Street and Manchester Victoria, and major local transport schemes in Nottingham and South Devon.

    The government will shortly publish a new National Infrastructure Delivery Plan, setting out how it will deliver key projects and programmes over the next 5 years.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to include group B Strep (GBS) in future work relating to the National Maternity Review.

    Ben Gummer

    The aims of the National Maternity Review were to develop proposals for the future shape of modern, high quality and sustainable maternity services across England. The key proposals aim to improve safety and experience of care for women and their families.

    The Government has made clear that maternity care is a priority and on 13 November 2015 announced an ambition to reduce by 50% stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal deaths and neonatal brain injuries by 2030. This includes harm and death caused by Group B Streptococcus.

    Following the publication of the National Maternity Review we are working with NHS England to establish a governance structure for the maternity work programme which will include engagement with a broad range of charity partners.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many full-time equivalent staff from (a) police, (b) probation and (c) prison services employed in multi-agency public protection arrangements work in each responsible authority (a) on the last date for which figures are available and (b) in each year since 2009-10.

    Andrew Selous

    The Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) provide a statutory framework within which criminal justice and social care agencies are required to assess and manage the risk presented by sexual and violent offenders, with a view to reducing re-offending and protecting the public. MAPPA is not a statutory body in itself but is a mechanism through which agencies can better discharge their statutory responsibilities and protect the public in a co-ordinated manner.

    The Responsible Authorities – the Probation, Police and Prison Services acting jointly – have a duty to ensure that the risks posed by specified sexual and violent offenders are assessed and managed property. The work undertaken by the Responsible Authorities to manage these offenders can therefore not be disaggregated from the core business of agency management.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much funding and how many full-time equivalent staff have been allocated to the Forced Marriage Unit in (a) each financial year since its foundation and (b) 2015-16 to date; and how many cases have been reported to that unit in each of those years.

    James Duddridge

    The UK is a world-leader in the fight to stamp out the brutal practice of forced marriage. Our joint Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Forced Marriage Unit leads efforts to combat it both at home and abroad, through their work on policy, outreach, and casework.

    The Forced Marriage Unit was established in 2005 with six staff, including four FCO staff, a Home Office policy advisor, and an external secondee. The composition and structure has slightly changed over time to reflect the caseload and changing outreach requirements, with the team currently consisting of two joint heads of unit, four caseworkers, and a support officer.

    Figures on the number of cases reported to the Forced Marriage Unit, via its public helpline and email inbox, are published on GOV.UK on an annual basis and already includes data for 2012-2014. Data for 2015 will be published shortly. Figures for 2005-11 are provided below.

    Year Total number of cases
    2011 1,468
    2010 1,735
    2009 1,682
    2008 1,618
    2007 262
    2006 197
    2005 152

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions there have been for breach of forced marriage protection orders in each month since section 120 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 came into force.

    Caroline Dinenage

    This information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/428937/outcomes-by-offence-tables.xlsx.

    The next available annual statistics will be published in May 2016.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which (a) Local Community Safety partnerships, (b) Children’s Social Services and (c) Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards have (i) attended Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference meetings and (ii) signed information-sharing protocols with their Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements Responsible Authorities in their local areas.

    Mike Penning

    The information requested in (i) and (ii) is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) residential care homes and (b) nursing homes have closed in the current year and in each of the previous five years.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department does not centrally hold information on the number of residential care homes or nursing homes that have closed in the current year, or in each of the last five years.