Tag: 2014

  • Thomas Docherty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Thomas Docherty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thomas Docherty on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2014, Official Report, columns 176-7W, on computer software, what estimate the Commission has made of the (a) average and (b) aggregate amount of time spent by (i) hon. Members, (ii) Members’ staff and (iii) others in migrating to Office 365.

    John Thurso

    (a) Parliamentary ICT (PICT) estimates that, following the migration of a user’s mailbox to Microsoft 365, it takes the user’s computer (laptop or PC) an average of five minutes to reconfigure Outlook.

    It can take a user an average of approximately five minutes to reconfigure a mobile device – other than a BlackBerry – that uses ActiveSync to connect to parliamentary email. Following that reconfiguration, it can take up to a maximum of 60 minutes for the device automatically to re-connect to parliamentary email.

    BlackBerry devices need to be physically reconfigured by PICT, and this process can take over an hour – the length of time is linked to the age and model of the device. Furthermore, it takes longer to reconfigure a personal BlackBerry device than a BlackBerry issued by PICT. PICT has issued 92 BlackBerry devices for use by hon. Members and their staff to access parliamentary email.

    (b) It is not possible to provide a figure for the aggregate time taken to reconfigure the above devices because more than one device can be reconfigured at the same time.

  • John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John McDonnell on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reasons the hardware and software providers in the new contract for electronic monitoring of offenders have been separated.

    Andrew Selous

    We divided the provision of electronic monitoring into discrete components, separating the supply of hardware and software, and competed these as separate lots because we consider this approach most likely to support the development and deployment of the best technology. This strategy also had the advantage of encouraging the participation of new entrants, SMEs and specialist companies, allowing them to bid for a particular component rather than the entire end-to-end service.

  • Peter Bone – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    Peter Bone – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Bone on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Leader of the House, how many programme motions were proposed in each year since the introduction of such motions; and how many such motions were agreed to.

    Mr William Hague

    No records of the number of programme motions moved each year are maintained and this information could only be provided at disproportionate cost. In the last ten years, every programme motion that has been moved has been agreed to.

  • Kate Hoey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Kate Hoey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many of the existing franchise agreements between his Department and train operating companies contain punctuality targets for timetabled passenger services; what the target is in each case; and what the penalties are for missing such a target.

    Claire Perry

    6 existing franchise agreements contain punctuality targets for timetabled passenger services.

    The targets are in the franchise agreements, which are published online by the Department for Transport at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-register-of-rail-passenger-franchise-agreements. The associated contractual payments are commercially confidential.

    “

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Youth Contract wage incentive payments made since April 2012 have related to work activity of (a) over 30 hours’ duration and (b) between 16 to 29 hours’ duration per week.

    Esther McVey

    The information is not available.

  • Andrew Bingham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Andrew Bingham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Bingham on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the financial advantages enjoyed by larger companies in preventing their marketing and promotional emails from being blocked by servers.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Department has not made an assessment regarding this issue.

    If there is evidence that treating emails in this manner is driving anti-competitive behaviour by companies, this should be referred to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s independent competition authority, for consideration.

  • Fiona Mactaggart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Fiona Mactaggart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2014-07-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what average length of time was taken to provide individual taxpayers with refunds of overpaid tax in (a) the most recent year for which figures are available and (b) the preceding four years.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) refunds tax to individual customers for different types of taxes throughout the year. HMRC endeavours to refund tax as soon as practicable after they identify tax is to be refunded.

  • David Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Wright on 2014-07-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many external contractors and consultants were employed in each business area in HM Revenue and Customs at the latest date for which figures are available.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs staff numbers for Consultancy and external contractors are reported in the HMRC Annual Report and Accounts 2013-14 in the Statistical Tables, Table 5: Staff Numbers (page 83).

    HMRC annual report and accounts: 2013 to 2014 – Publications – GOV.UK

    This data is not available by business area.

    “

  • Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on how many occasions the Future High Streets Forum has met this year; and who has attended each such meeting.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Future High Streets Forum has met three times this year, on 21 January, 29 April and 8 July. Attendee details can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/future-high-streets-forum

    “

  • Nigel Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Nigel Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the net benefit to UK defence exports as a result of the recent Farnborough Airshow.

    Matthew Hancock

    Farnborough is an important showcase for the UK Defence sector, the Department does not make estimates of defence exports arising as a result of the Farnborough Airshow, but recent figures released show that defence exports grew by 11% in 2013 to £9.8 billion. Previous exhibitions such as Farnborough 2012 are likely to have contributed to these figures.