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Tag: 2014

  • John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Robertson on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the average length of time taken by the Marine Management Organisation to approve a marine dredging application using the outline marine licensing system since 2009.

    George Eustice

    The online marine licensing system came into force on 6 April 2011 following the formation of the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) in 2010. From the start of the licensing system the estimated average time taken by the MMO to approve marine dredging applications are as follows:

    Aggregate dredging

    Average length of time to licence a 15 year aggregate application is estimated at 300 hours (200 hours during application and 100 hours of pre-application advice)

    Non-aggregate dredging

    Description of activity

    Average MMO hours per case

    Simple navigational dredging

    3.5

    Routine navigational dredging

    9

    Routine capital dredging

    7.4

    Complex navigational dredging

    13.35

    Complex capital dredging

    11.88

  • Priti Patel – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Priti Patel – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Priti Patel on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with his counterparts in St Lucia the effectiveness of the St Lucian (a) criminal justice system and (b) forensic laboratories in relation to the investigation of the Gloria Greenwood murder and prosecution of suspects.

    Mark Simmonds

    The FCO is supporting wider HMG efforts to build St Lucia’s judicial capacity to prosecute serious crime, including through forensic analysis training. This targeted support includes the deployment of a Crown Prosecution Service criminal justice advisor to the Eastern Caribbean. Officials will continue to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of our assistance. Last August, I raised the issues with St Lucia’s Prime Minister. More recently, St Lucia’s Foreign Minister attended the 16-17 June UK-Caribbean Forum which included a focussed session on criminal justice reform. Consular officials remain in close contact with the authorities with regard to the investigation into the tragic murder of Gloria Greenwood and continue to provide full consular assistance to her family.

  • Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Huppert on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the availability of a range of housing and care options for people with physical disabilities and learning difficulties.

    Norman Lamb

    The Department has not made any assessment about the availability range of housing and care options for people with physical and learning disabilities.

    A key aim of this Government is to put people with disabilities, including learning disabilities, and the families who care for them, in the driving seat with greater choice and control and able to contribute to and influence decisions which affect their lives, including over where and with whom they live.

    The Care Act puts into law a series of reforms to care and support, making it a modern system which is built around people’s individual needs and goals, and which puts them in control of their own care and support. The Act will help to improve care and support for everyone who uses care and support services, by placing personal budgets onto a statutory footing as part of the care and support plan. These reforms will allow people to exercise real choice and control over the care and support they receive, and are supported by new duties around market shaping and information and advice, to ensure that people fully understand the care system and have a wide range of high quality services available in their local area to choose from.

    Housing plays a critical role in helping adults with physical and learning disabilities to live as independently as possible. The Department is providing £315 million over five years for the Care and Support Specialised Housing fund. The fund is administered by the Homes and Communities Agency and, within London, by the Greater London Authority. The main aim of the fund is to support and accelerate the development of the specialised housing market for older people and disabled adults, which includes housing for adults who are physically disabled and those with learning difficulties.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the police hunt for Michael Wheatley who absconded from HM Prison Standford Hill on 3 May 2014.

    Damian Green

    This information is not held centrally.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people are currently employed in prisons to calculate the release date of prisoners.

    Jeremy Wright

    The number of staff employed in prisons specifically for the purpose of calculating release dates for prisoners is not held on central systems. To obtain the information would involve collecting data from every establishment, which would entail disproportionate cost.

  • Chris Bryant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Chris Bryant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to legal aid to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out in Scotland.

    David Mundell

    The Scottish Government is responsible for defining the entitlement criteria for these passported benefits. They will need to consider the current eligibility criteria and make arrangements to ensure that they can continue to deliver these benefits as Universal Credit is introduced.

    There is ongoing engagement between the Scottish Government and the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that any solution is simple, fair, easy to understand and affordable.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2014, Official Report, column 536W, on shipping: exhaust emissions, whether he intends to have a UK review of the effect of the new sulphur regulation limits before 2019.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Department has not had discussions with the trade unions specifically on the implementation of the sulphur rules. However, the trade unions have had the opportunity to contribute their views during the eight-week public consultation on the draft UK Regulations and the associated Impact Assessment which commenced on 29 April 2014.

    The maturity and efficacy of ship-board exhaust gas cleaning system technology was one of the key subjects under consideration when I chaired the ‘round table’ meetings of industry stakeholders in October 2012 and March 2013 to which I referred in my Answer of 17 June 2014. At those meetings, first-hand information was forthcoming from both the shipping industry and the exhaust gas cleaning system technology industry.

    The Department has engaged the European Commission about the potential impacts of the new regulations and the scope for financial support from EU sources, including finance from the European Investment Bank. The Commission has reaffirmed the possibility of support for the maritime sector through the new Connecting Europe Facility or the Trans-European Network (TEN-T) programme.

    The Department is investigating impacts on prices as part of its assessment of the impact of the draft UK Regulations.

    The Department will conduct the review at an appropriate time and not later than the timetable specified in the Regulations themselves, in accordance with normal Government practice and consistent with the principles of better regulation. It would be premature to make a commitment now concerning the precise timing of the review.

  • Chris Bryant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Bryant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to a jobcentre plus discount travel card to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out.

    Esther McVey

    The Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card is a discretionary travel discount scheme operated in conjunction with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC).

    There is no evidence to suggest that ATOC have plans to change their approach of targeting support at specific benefit recipients based on specific eligibility criteria.

    However, If ATOC were to allow access to all Universal Credit Claimants the cost to DWP would be in the region of £100,000, but the impact on ATOC members would be around £20 million (roughly estimated)

    Currently the following UC claimants are entitled to the JCP Travel Discount Card:

    · Universal Credit claimants in the All Work Related Requirements group from 13 weeks to point of Work Programme referral

    · Universal Credit claimants not in the All Work Related Requirements group who are actively engaged with a Work Services Coach in returning to employment

  • Chi Onwurah – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Chi Onwurah – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2014-06-25.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what audit he has made of (a) ICL mainframes, (b) IBM mainframes and (c) other legacy ICT systems in Government departments and the availability of skills needed to maintain them; and when each relevant maintenance contract falls due.

    Mr Francis Maude

    Government Digital Service (GDS) has worked to identify legacy IT equipment, which includes a small number of important legacy IBM and ICL mainframes. To ensure these are effectively managed Government is creating a Crown Hosting Service, which is due to go live next year.

    In many cases departments are locked into contracts signed over 10 years ago, by the previous administration, which means they are dependent on suppliers to manage these systems.

    GDS is supporting departments to bring in new skilled officials to address a long-standing lack of digital skills.

    .

  • Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 1 October 2014 to Question 206270, what discussions and meetings (a) Ministers in his Department, (b) officials in his Department and (c) Business Bank staff have had with (i) participating lenders and (ii) business organisations where allegations of misselling relating to the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme were discussed since 2012.

    Matthew Hancock

    The British Business Bank maintains regular contact with all of the main lenders participating in the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme. Quarterly meetings are held at a senior level and the allegations of mis-selling have been on the agenda of those meetings since early in 2014. In addition, operational meetings take place on a regular basis. From August 2014 onwards more frequent senior level meetings have taken place with the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). At a meeting in August 2014 RBS agreed to our request that they should undertake to conduct an internal review. The findings of that review and a proposed course of action were presented at a meeting with the British Business Bank in December 2014, and senior executives from RBS met the Secretary of State on 14 January 2015. The British Business Bank has also discussed the ‘mis-selling’ allegations with the British Bankers’ Association and the Lending Standards Board, each on one occasion.