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  • Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Glindon on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what budget has been allocated to the Equality and Human Rights Commission for (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18, (c) 2018-19 and (d) 2019-20.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Following the results of the Spending Review the Department for Education is currently finalising budgets over the review period for the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) along with other budgets for which the Department is responsible. I am not in a position to confirm the level of funding that the EHRC will receive until this process is complete.

    The EHRC’s budget is available in its annual report, which is available to view here: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/about-us/about-commission/corporate-reporting/annual-reports

    “

  • Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what responsibilities for (a) upkeep, (b) condition and (c) repair at Luton railway station are discharged by (i) Network Rail, (ii) Govia Thameslink Railway and (iii) any other organisation.

    Claire Perry

    Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), as the station operator, are responsible for the upkeep, repair and condition of the cosmetic appearance of the station, including the car park and footbridge under a lease agreement from Network Rail.

    Network Rail, as station owner, are responsible for the structural upkeep and repair.

    GTR advise the lift and stairs to the footbridge, at the front of the station, are the responsibility of Luton Borough Council and that the bus station and busway do not form part of the station footprint.

  • Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value is of awards made to each route from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    In December 2015 Government announced that 11 new air routes would be supported with start-up aid funding through the Regional Air Connectivity Fund for three financial years. The amount of funding provided to support individual routes will be paid in arrears and will be determined once routes begin operations and will depend on factors such as the number of passengers carried.

  • 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 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage competition between rail services providers in the UK.

    Claire Perry

    Since the launch of the franchising programme in March 2013, the Department has introduced a series of measures aimed at increasing the number of companies in the market.

    Working with UKTI and other partners in Government, we have been actively seeking potential new entrants. We have engaged closely with a number of companies that are looking to join the market and have provided advice on the conditions and qualities of our market so they can begin the process of entry.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2016 to Question 24416, what steps the Government is taking to prevent the downturn from further affecting the national maritime skills base.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Maritime Growth Study chaired by Lord Mountevans and published on 7 September 2015 identified areas that would help the UK to compete successfully within a global market. These included Government and industry carrying out an assessment of the requirement for seafarers in the UK. Work on this has already commenced alongside an extension of the apprenticeship programme.

    The Government remains committed to the training of seafarers and has a number of policies to grow the UK’s maritime skills base, in particular through the £15m Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) fund. A review of the SMarT programme will start shortly and will take into account the impact of the low oil price on the North Sea fields.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received on the extension of the plug-in grant to motorcycles; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport has received representations from the Motorcycle Industry Association on a consumer incentive for zero emission motorcycles, as well as correspondence form the public at official level.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 24913, what assessment he has made of the likely take-up of the (a) deck and (b) other Maritime Trailblazer ratings apprenticeships (i) before and (ii) after the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy from April 2017.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Apprenticeship Levy will encourage the take up of apprenticeships generally. It is not possible to say how it might impact on individual apprenticeships, particularly those still under development.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2016 to Question 21012, what further estimate he has made of the (a) number of and (b) cost of repairs identified to date to the (i) strategic road network and (ii) local road network.

    Andrew Jones

    Two sections of road on the strategic road network have been damaged by the recent flooding. The river bank was washed out on both sides at Warwick Bridge on the A69 near Carlisle. This will be repaired, as agreed with the Environment Agency (EA), using gabion baskets at an estimated cost of £60,000.

    A 1.5 mile section of the westbound dual carriageway on the A66 in Cumbria is currently closed following the storms. The provisional cost estimate for reopening this section of the network is between £3m and £5m dependent on the findings of a recent geotechnical survey.

    The rest of the strategic road network in the North West region has now been returned to a fully serviceable condition. The cost of clearing the affected network in the North West region is estimated at £275,000.

    The Department for Transport is continuing to collate a comprehensive list of damage caused to the local highway network following the recent storms encountered in some areas of the country.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2016 to Question 24915, which potential employment protections would protect seafarers from nationality-based pay discrimination.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Both the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011 and the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 (with the section pertaining to seafarers currently under review by BIS) offer protection from nationality-based pay discrimination.

  • 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 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which British Transport Police sites have closed since May 2010.

    Claire Perry

    Since May 2010, there have been 9 operational closures of British Transport Police sites at the following locations:

    Debden

    Ealing Broadway

    Hastings

    Ipswich

    St Leonards

    Taunton

    Wood Green

    Watford

    Wednesbury

    The BTP has advised that the closure of these operational posts has not affected the policing capability or visibility at these locations. The majority of the offices closed were either very small satellite offices or in unsuitable locations where coverage is more cost-effectively provided from larger neighbouring stations.

    Additionally, two further sites have closed since May 2010 but they have been replaced by newer refurbished premises in the same vicinity.